Guide to Knife Blade Styles
Confused by all the blade styles on the market and what they are used for? Don't worry, you're not alone, there are so many knife blade shapes that it can get confusing. Our goal with this guide is to simplify all the different blade styles into an easy to digest guide that helps you get the right knife for you. Read this definitive blade guide to learn more about blade styles and what they are best used for. If you have ever wondered why a trailing point knife is better for hunting than a spear point knife, then this is the knife guide for you!
Clip Point Knife
Another popular blade style, the clip point blade shape is characterized by the tip being lower than the spine of the blade. The clip point got its name because it looks as though the front half of the point has been “clipped off”. The clipped area can be straight or curved, this design makes for controlled cuts similar to the drop point. The main difference being the clip point tip is sharper and thinner which makes for easier stabbing. Popular among hunters.
Drop Point Knife
Drop point blades are among the most popular blade shape sold because of its versatility. Drop point knives are one of the most versatile blades and are great for most cutting activities, hunters especially like the good belly on the knife that is great for skinning animals. The only downside of the drop point knife is its ability to make piercing cuts, for this type of cutting, we suggest a spear point blade.
Hawkbill Knife
The Hawkbill blade is ideal for cutting rope, fabric, and can even cut shrubbery. The blade is instantly recognizable with its concave belly shape that looks like a hook or claw.
Tanto Knife
Tanto blades angle up to meet the spine of the knife. Popular with the military, Tanto blades are known for their strength and versatility in cutting through a wide-range of objects. Ideal for piercing, stabbing and slicing, this style blade is great in a wide range of cutting situations. This blade style derived from Japanese samurai swords.
Reverse Tanto Knife
Like the name suggests, instead of the edge angling up the way it does with a Tanto blade, the reverse tanto’s tip angles down to meet the edge of the blade. This style of blade is ideal for piercing and slicing.
Sheepsfoot Knife
Similar to the Wharncliffe blades, the Sheepsfoot blade style has a steeper slope from the spine to the edge with a less pointed tip. Popular with first responders and emergency personnel as this knife slices through the toughest of jobs and gives a large predicable cutting surface. This knife can cut through seatbelts and restraints with ease. The blade shape also prevents accidentally puncturing an object.
Spear Point Knife or Double Edged Knife
Designed for stabbing and piercing, Spear Point Blades are characterized by their symmetrical shape with the tip of the blade lining up with the blade’s center. Most throwing knives are spear point blades. Many Spear Point blades have a double edge, similar to Microtech out the front knives. Spear Points can also be referred to as Dagger Point Knives.
Standard Knife
The Standard blade shape, also referred to as the Straight Back blade, is one of the best all-round blades on the market. The blade features a straight spine with a traditional belly blade shape. This do it all knife is great for most cutting jobs, can both slice and stab, you cannot go wrong with the Standard Blade style.
Wharncliffe Knife
The Wharncliffe Blade is easily recognizable for its shape. The cutting edge is completely straight and the spine of the blade gradually slopes down to the cutting edge of the blade. The straight edge makes for great general cuts, you will see this blade used a lot with wood cutters, makes for a great EDC blade as well.
Cleaver Knife
The Cleaver blade style is ideal of slicing and chopping rather than other blade styles that are better for piercing. This blade is characterized by its slightly curved belly and downturned tip. Similar to a cleaver style kitchen knife, just smaller and can fit in your pocket, these cleavers blades can make an excellent EDC if used for the right job.
Recurve Knife
The Recurve blade is characterized by its curved edge that resembles an “S” shape. Excellent for slicing and a concave curve makes for easy pull cuts.
Trailing Point Knife
Trailing Point Blades were made to slice, stab and skin. Probably the most popular blade style for hunters because of this, the Trailing Pint blade is characterized by the point that rises above the handle.
Kukri Knife
The Kukri blade originated in Asia. What began as a weapon for soldiers worked its way to being popular with Southeast Asian farmers because of its ability to clear brush and harvest crops. Kukri knives are characterized by their curved spine angle makes it instantly recognizable and if you’re a fan of machete’s you will love the kukri shaped blades.
Blade Style Overview
One of the most important factors when choosing your next knife is the blade shape. Matching the right blade design for the job will make for more efficient and accurate cuts. Based off the job and preferences, you may find that you will consistently gravitate towards one blade style over another. There are other blade shapes as well not covered in this blade guide but these are among the most popular blade styles we sell.
When shopping at trueshotammo.com, you can search knives by blade style and further by brand, color, handle material, etc. If you you're looking for more information, check out our knife guides to learn more.
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