Question about cold steel knife design

[sawdeanz]

So I was contemplating the purpose of the notch found on many cold steel knife blades, as pointed out in the picture below. I find it a hinderance when I want to cut thin rope for example, because in drawing the blade across the rope it gets stuck in said notch. This means I have to take time to carefully place the rope on the end of the blade and start from there.

Can anyone explain the purpose of this design feature? It is found on many of their folding blades. It is not, as I initially thought, where the blade meets the stop pin with folded. Is my blade usage technique wrong? Any suggestions for how to fill in this notch on my otherwise perfect blade?

 

[dayhiker]

It's actually a "sharpening" notch. Really though it's just a way to simply, and economically produce a knife with a cost effective plunge line.

 

[rcmodel]

It is in no way specific to Cold Steel knives.

It is simply a stopping point between the cutting edge and the tang or choil to create a specific point at which sharpening of the edge starts.

rc

 

[Piraticalbob]

It actually is the choil. It is designed, as has already been said, to facilitate sharpening, specifically on a flat stone. If it interferes with your cutting technique it is a simple matter to grind down the edge next to it so that it doesn't snag.

 

[sawdeanz]

Now that I know it is called the sharpening choil I was able to look it up do research. I think I will just grin the front edge so that material doesn't catch on it anymore.

 

[rcmodel]

There ya go!!

rc

 

[CA Raider]

No ... sorry guys.
That's not the purpose of the notch.

Don't feel bad.
I saw a similar notch on a long blade that had been copied from an ancient Greek design - so I asked the guy who was selling it if he knew why it was there? No - he didn't. He just copied the ancient design exactly. Hahahaha! But the Greeks knew why they put it there

That notch is a blade stop.
If the opponents blade is running down the sharp side of the blade of your knife (with some pressure applied) ... that notch will momentarily catch his blade and stop the momentum of his strike. It prevents his blade from running down to your fingers and taking them off. The notch catches his blade - but you have to feel it and respond immediately.

CA R

 

[AethelstanAegen]

That notch is a blade stop.
If the opponents blade is running down the sharp side of the blade of your knife (with some pressure applied) ... that notch will momentarily catch his blade and stop the momentum of his strike. It prevents his blade from running down to your fingers and taking them off. The notch catches his blade - but you have to feel it and respond immediately.

That is a very creative answer and possibly true for an ancient Greek sword/knife. In this case though, I think a knife fighting blade stop was not the intention on the pocket knife in question. It is as others have said a choil for sharpening the blade.

 

[JShirley]

Raider, some knives and swords have been designed with ways to trap an opponent's weapon, but the explanation given by others- that the pictured choil is a way to separate the sharp part of the blade from the rest- is why it's on modern blades.

 

[CA Raider]

thanks - you may be right. there could be multiple reasons for that design feature. i'm not sure I see how it helps the sharpening process ... but maybe I'm missing something.

CA R

 

[JShirley]

It doesn't really help sharpening, so much as being a manufacturing solution.