The Better Cut

In the sea of products that is amazon.com, it can be difficult to find exactly what you want for a price you like. Here, we cut out the nonsense, reviewing the most popular knives and swords for you, giving you the information you need to make your decision.

To that end, what makes a good blade? When judging any blade, whether is a bread knife or a tanto, we look at the same three criteria: Sharpness, Beauty, and Quality.

A Good Knife is Sharp

Knives, like all tools, perform a function. When you buy a tool, you expect it to function well, and a knife is no exception. For this reason, a good knife is sharp, at least sharp enough to do its job.

A Good Knife is Beautiful

What is function without form? We’ve all done it. We bought something from the dollar store, only to be embarrassed by it later. Sure, it may be sharp enough for the job, but if it doesn’t look like a professional’s tool, what is the point of having it around?

A Good Knife Lasts a Lifetime

When you invest in a tool, you expect it to last. A knife is no different.  Many times you may find a knife that is both sharp and beautiful, but it is also cheap. You think that it is a worth while investment, only to be disappointed when it inevitably breaks. What was once your pride and joy becomes trash and scrap metal. Don’t let it happen to you.

You want a sharp knife. If you buy a knife, there is a good chance you have something you want to cut. When judging knives, this is the first thing we examine. If you buy a breadknife, it should be able to cut bread. If you buy a camp knife, it should be able to cut a rope and carve. And if you buy an axe, it should be able to chop. All of these uses are functions of a blade’s edge.

A Sharp Knife – The Edge

There are two properties of an edge, its sharpness, and its geometry. The sharpness of an edge tells you how smoothly it will glide through whatever it is designed to cut, and an edge’s geometry will tell you what it is designed to cut. Wider edges, such as those found on a hatchet, are designed for chopping, while narrower, or convex edges, are designed to slice. Because the edge matters, you need quality advice when choosing the knife that is right for you.

A Sharp Knife – A Tool For Every Job

You don’t use a hammer to cut wood, and you wouldn’t use a saw to place a nail. Just as you wouldn’t use the wrong tool for those jobs, you wouldn’t use the wrong knife for a job either. You use some knives for cutting, and others for slicing. While some knives are used to cut meat, others should cut a rope.  You wouldn’t use a widdling knife on raw chicken any more than you would use a bread knife on steak.  Because of this, we offer guidance to would-be knife buyers to make sure they get the tool they need.

While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, there are certain characteristics that are universally appealing, they make a beautiful knife. The lines of the blade, are they smooth and curvy? Or are they more geometric and straight? These will vary with the styling of the knife, but certain design choices will be more appealing than others. As well, the materials used in the blade, the way their colors blend together, these too can account for the beauty of a knife.

Beautiful Knife – Why Does It Matter?

Any tool, that you are using day in and day out should appeal to you on multiple levels. You should enjoy using that tool. A knife is a tool. Whether you use them in the kitchen or out in the field, their visual appeal is important. You should want a knife you’re proud to show to other people. You don’t want the cheapest knife just because you feel like your getting a good deal.

Beautiful Knife – Is It Worth Paying For?

A beautiful knife is worth paying for, there is no doubt in our minds. No one wants a knife that they’re embarrassed to show to others. You want a knife to be proud of. You want a blade that will make people who see it say wow.

We all want a quality knife. The quality of a blade may not be apparent at first glance. The quality of a knife is determined not just by the strength of the materials that were used in construction, but also the techniques that were used to forge the steel. Was is mass produced, cast on an assembly line? Or was the knife crafted by hand, with the care of a master blade smith?

Believe it or not, not all steel is created equal. Most people will only know they have a poor quality knife once it breaks.

What Makes a Quality Knife?

The materials the knife is made from matter. Quality handle materials, materials that won’t wear and break, but are comfortable to the hand, are worthwhile investments.  A blade that is tempered properly, that won’t break with regular use, is something you want in a tool.  This is because if you pay for the best, you expect the best. Don’t get fooled by pricey imitators.