Why do some pocket knives have multiple blades?

[Damsel]

Sorry if this is a silly question but I am trying to learn more about this wonderful hobby.  I was wondering why some knives have multiple blades? I can understand having a serrated and plain edge blade but I'm unsure on the purpose of two or more plain edge blades often of similar sizes.


Thank you.
Danielle.

[Ray S]

No such thing as a silly question. To try and answer it I would say that different shaped blades are more suitable for one task than another.For example a spear point blade would be better for penetrating the skin of an animal than say a sheepfoot blade which is more suited to cutting straight lines on a hard material such as wood.A spey blade is usually very thin and curved and concave ground and very hard to stay sharp when neutering animals.A caping blade has a very sharp edge but a blunted round tip for removing the hide of an animal without puncturing it.Tool blades are usually self explanatory. For a description of the various types of blades most good knife publications such as Levine's Guide and Goins Encyclopedia of knife markings have detailed pictures of the various types.

[Ray S]

Danielle:Here is an old chart of some blade types.

[Damsel]

Oh wow! Thank you Ray, I appreciate it. I had never thought that different shaped blades had their own purposes but now it seems obvious! I guess I have some more reading to do.

Thank you
Danielle

[Poncho65]

I was going to say different blade shapes for different purposes bu ti see Ray has went in depth about it more than me  Glad he has as I like the pic that he posted

[kaput]

Clip (or drop) point and sheeps foot are my two faves! Fosho!! 

[Aloha]

Hi Damsel, please never hesitate to ask any question you might have.  You'll not only find many who are enthusiastic to answer but as you can see very knowledgable. 

Let me take a different route on why.  Carrying two blades of similar length and style ( plain edge/PE ) are also used by many here and myself as a "clean" blade and "dirty" blade.  I'll use my SAK for example as my food knife while I use my MT as my everything else blade. 

Yet another take, some also carry different grinds as well.  A flat profile will make a better slicer while a convex or saber is more of a work/hard use knife.  A scandi grind makes for a good wood or outdoor edge while a hollow grind is more of an all purpose type.

 

 

[kkokkolis]

Also, for those who like blades, the more, the better. A multi blade knife is more appealing.
And you can choose a blade to use hard and another to use hardly, keeping it always razor sharp for an emergency.

[dks]

Additionally, it was also suggested, that on some knives that have two completely identical blades, like the muskrat, the purpose is so that when one gets dull you can continue using the other one, being able to finish your days work without having to sharpen your blades (two identical knives in one).

Then, in the evening, you can sharpen both blades.

[Poncho65]

All very good points peeps

[pfrsantos]

Hi Damsel, please never hesitate to ask any question you might have.  You'll not only find many who are enthusiastic to answer but as you can see very knowledgable. 

Let me take a different route on why.  Carrying two blades of similar length and style ( plain edge/PE ) are also used by many here and myself as a "clean" blade and "dirty" blade.  I'll use my SAK for example as my food knife while I use my MT as my everything else blade.

Yet another take, some also carry different grinds as well.  A flat profile will make a better slicer while a convex or saber is more of a work/hard use knife.  A scandi grind makes for a good wood or outdoor edge while a hollow grind is more of an all purpose type.

 

Pretty much what Aloha said. I always have a blade (at least) for food and another for "dirty" tasks (scrape paint, cut wires or cardboard, open packages...).

As for asking questions, do it! We all learn from the questions and answers found here.
 

If not for your question, we wouldn't have Ray's blade type chart to  about.

Well done, both of you!
 

[Dean51]

One of the reasons I carried a stockman was to have multiple blades.
Sheeps foot was mostly for boxes and straps or any heavy cutting. The main clip blade was for every thing else and when the sheeps foot got dull. The spey blade was kept sharp for more delicate work. Like splinters, tags, string or when some young man came over to visit the daughter and I didn't like the looks of him.

Here's a link with some blade descriptions & uses.
https://agrussell.com/encyclopedia/blade-shapes

[Poncho65]

One of the reasons I carried a stockman was to have multiple blades.
Sheeps foot was mostly for boxes and straps or any heavy cutting. The main clip blade was for every thing else and when the sheeps foot got dull. The spey blade was kept sharp for more delicate work. Like splinters, tags, string or when some young man came over to visit the daughter and I didn't like the looks of him.

Here's a link with some blade descriptions & uses.
https://agrussell.com/encyclopedia/blade-shapes

 

 

[kkokkolis]

Can't you just use your fists and boots man? A blade is overkill. We don't want to marry our daughter, so we should let him in one piece, fit and capable of marrying someone else's daughter.
That's life, our gain is someone else's loss.

[Dean51]

  

[Poncho65]

Can't you just use your fists and boots man? A blade is overkill. We don't want to marry our daughter, so we should let him in one piece, fit and capable of marrying someone else's daughter.
That's life, our gain is someone else's loss.

 

 

 

 

[chrono]

I used to ask why SAKs usually have long and short identical-shape blades. Then one day, when I needed to precisely control the blade tip on the cut, the short blade came in place.

Something like "why Leatherman Juices and original Wave have multiple flathead screwdrivers?" is a little tougher to answer 

[Poncho65]

I used to ask why SAKs usually have long and short identical-shape blades. Then one day, when I needed to precisely control the blade tip on the cut, the short blade came in place.

Something like "why Leatherman Juices and original Wave have multiple flathead screwdrivers?" is a little tougher to answer 

Yes that amount of flat drivers it a bit silly They could have added a chisel or something along those lines

[ThePeacent]

From top to bottom



General purpose, scraper tool, mini prybar, woodworking implement
Food blade, precision work blade, nail cleaner,
Boxcutter substitute, mail opener, cardboard slicer, package killer,
All in one package     

[Poncho65]

From top to bottom

(Image removed from quote.)

General purpose, scraper tool, mini prybar, woodworking implement
Food blade, precision work blade, nail cleaner,
Boxcutter substitute, mail opener, cardboard slicer, package killer,
All in one package     

I  the look of that knife Peacent

[kkokkolis]

Now I think of it like this: why kitchen knife sets have multiple blades of different sizes and shapes?You can change the factors of the expression at will, for woodcarving blades, screwdriver bits, surgical scalpels, painter's brushes, Dremel tools, golf clubs, telescope eyepieces, camera lenses, artillery guns, shotgun shell shots, dentist's tools,  and so on.

[Damsel]

Thank you for all the informative replies everyone,I've learned a lot from just this thread alone!

Danielle

[Poncho65]

Thank you for all the informative replies everyone,I've learned a lot from just this thread alone!

Danielle

We do like to get in depth with our answers

[mzil]

Blade 1: Everything except food
Blade 2: Food only [and clean after every use]

Well that's how I do it at least.

[kl27x]

You may have your own specialized tasks. The shape the blade comes out of the box isn't necessarily how it will stay. Same goes for the multiple screwdrivers on a leatherman. I am sure someone out there has turned one of them into a chisel. Knives, screwdrivers. They're all just pieces of steel. The more pieces, the more better.

[cody6268]

For different uses. 

The Stockman, a knife popular with cattle farmers, and the traditional knife of choice in my family has three blades (typically, I've seen knives with four-five blades called Stockmans, and knives with one spey blade as well called as such).   

The main blade is for general cutting tasks.  I personally just use it for the heavy jobs. 

The sheepsfoot is great for jobs when you don't want to puncture what you're cutting.   It's the blade I use on this pattern the most by far.

The spey blade is intended for castrating cattle.  Rodgers calls it a "Castrating blade" outright.    We've moved to mechanical banders over the years for this job, but my great-grandfather used this blade on his old Case for that.   These days, I use the blade for peeling oranges and opening items packed in plastic films.   It's also really great for small detail tasks.

Some versions of these, usually referred to as a Cattleman's knife, either add, or substitute one of the two smaller blades for a leather punch.  These blades were intended for horse tack, but I use them for all sorts of things.

[pfrsantos]

For different uses. 

The Stockman, a knife popular with cattle farmers, and the traditional knife of choice in my family has three blades (typically, I've seen knives with four-five blades called Stockmans, and knives with one spey blade as well called as such).   

The main blade is for general cutting tasks.  I personally just use it for the heavy jobs. 

The sheepsfoot is great for jobs when you don't want to puncture what you're cutting.   It's the blade I use on this pattern the most by far.

The spey blade is intended for castrating cattle.  Rodgers calls it a "Castrating blade" outright.    We've moved to mechanical banders over the years for this job, but my great-grandfather used this blade on his old Case for that.   These days, I use the blade for peeling oranges and opening items packed in plastic films.   It's also really great for small detail tasks.

Some versions of these, usually referred to as a Cattleman's knife, either add, or substitute one of the two smaller blades for a leather punch.  These blades were intended for horse tack, but I use them for all sorts of things.

General Cutting!

 


 

[Marcellus]

AND it's tradition

A vistige from an earlier time in recent history