Comparison Gerber Suspension vs Gerber Ultimate

Profile of the main blade used in a knife.

The profile describes the overall shape of the blade; Its purpose and the features of using the knife depend on this. Among the most popular profiles nowadays are drop-point, clip-point, normal blade (classic), bowie, tanto ; however, there are many other varieties such as dagger, wharncliffe, etc. It is worth noting that the difference between some options is quite arbitrary; the same actual shape from different manufacturers (and even from different sellers) may formally refer to different types of profile. So here we will look at the classic, most characteristic features of the different options. They are:

— Normal blade (classic). The traditional profile of the blade, in our area known, in particular, from Finnish knives (finks). The butt of the “classic” is strictly straight (this is the main difference from the drop point), while the blade has a straight shape in the back and middle parts, and in the front it is rounded upward and forms a pronounced tip. This shape makes the blade easy to manufacture and at the same time universal; it works equally well for cutting and piercing, allows the knife to be used for planing, etc.

— Drop-point. The profile is in man...y ways similar to the normal one described above and differs primarily in the shape of the butt - it is not straight, but somewhat bent downward in an arc closer to the tip. It is also universal, while the proximity of the tip to the load axis contributes to higher efficiency when working on a puncture (although in general such blades are not considered as a serious piercing tool). Thanks to this, as well as ease of production, low cost and reliability, drop points are extremely popular in modern knives.

— Clip-point. Another universal profile, similar in shape to a drop-point, but differing in one characteristic detail: the front part of the butt, going down to the tip, is made not in the form of an arc, but in the form of a straight bevel at a relatively small angle. This further increases the effectiveness of the piercing effect; clip points are considered more "aggressive" than drops, and better suited for use as a weapon. However, such knives are still primarily tools and also perform well in this role, and in a fairly wide variety of tasks.

— Bowie. A profile originally created for combat and hunting knives. The shape of the blade itself is similar to the options described above - it is straight in the back and middle parts and smoothly curved to the tip in the front. But in terms of the shape of the butt, the “bowie” is a kind of opposite of the “drop point”: the front part of the butt is made not convex, but concave, as a result, the tip turns out to be “snub-nosed”, slightly raised up. Many value such blades primarily for their characteristic external style, but they also have very practical advantages: a center of gravity shifted back (which is especially noticeable on large, heavy knives) and high efficiency both when cutting and when piercing, which is enhanced in some models the presence of sharpening on the concave part of the butt.

- Tanto. Originally, a tanto is a traditional Japanese dagger; however, modern knives most often use not the classic shape, but the so-called “American tanto”, with a characteristic angular blade shape. Actually, the blade in such knives is straight or slightly curved (convex) along almost the entire length, but closer to the tip it sharply bends upward, forming a clearly defined angle (Japanese tantos do not have such a break and the blade bends smoothly). The American tanto is distinguished not only by its stylish, “aggressive” appearance, but also by its excellent stability when piercing (as well as efficiency when cutting), which is what determined its wide popularity.

— Spay-point. A type of profile similar in shape to the clip-point described above, but having a larger bevel angle. As a result, the angle of the tip where the butt and blade meet is more blunt, which reduces the effectiveness of deep piercing blows, but makes the blade more durable and resistant to various loads. The latter can be very useful for various chores; in particular, spay-point is quite popular among skinners - hunting knives used for skinning prey.

— Spear-point. A type of profile inspired by the tip of a spear. A full-fledged spear point has symmetrical outlines, sharpening on both sides and is used mainly in combat and hunting knives; the shape of such a blade is designed primarily for efficiency in stabbing strikes. However, there is also a simplified, more “peaceful” version of this profile: its shape is similar to the drop point (see above), but on the front of the butt, in front of the tip, there is an additional descent that forms a false blade or even a full-fledged additional blade. Such “spear points” have mainly economic purposes.

— Dagger. The profile shape derived from daggers: a double-edged blade, usually long and narrow, strictly symmetrical in shape, with a clearly defined tip. In many ways similar to a spear point, however, it is designed not only for piercing, but also for cutting; some models may even have different sharpening on different sides of the blade (smooth on one side and serrated on the other).

- Сhisel. This name translates as “chisel”, and it quite clearly describes this type of profile. Such blades have a rectangular or similar shape, there is practically no point in them, and on the front side of the blade there is an additional cutting edge located perpendicular to the main blade. In general, chisel is a rather highly specialized and therefore poorly widespread type of profile: it is convenient for some specific work, but in terms of overall functionality and practicality it is inferior to many of the options described above.

— Clearer blade. A profile similar in shape to the blade of a kitchen hatchet: wide, massive (however, holes are often made in the blade to reduce weight), with a straight or slightly rounded blade shape and often without a pronounced tip - the front part of the blade in such cases looks perpendicular or almost perpendicular cut. Many of these models are similar to the chisel blades described above, but the leading edge in the “jibs” is not sharpened. There are, however, other variants of the shape - for example, with a blade clearly rounded upward and a bevel of the butt, reminiscent of a shortened and thickened version of a clip-point or bowie (see above). However, in any case, cleaver-type blades are designed mainly for cutting and sometimes chopping, and are poorly suited for thrusting or not at all.

- Sheepsfoot (“sheep’s hoof/sheep’s leg”). A profile that is a kind of opposite to the “classic” described above: the blade in such blades is made straight or almost straight, and the butt in the front part is rounded down towards the blade. As a result, the tip turns out to be as non-aggressive as possible, practically incapable of piercing. Due to this, the “sheep’s leg”, among other things, is considered an ideal option for a rescue tool: with such a knife you can, for example, cut a seat belt that fits tightly to the body without fear of injuring a person.

— Wharncliffe. A profile reminiscent of the sheepsfoot described above; sometimes these two options are even combined into one type. However, there is still a difference: in the Wharncliffe, the butt in the front part descends to the tip along a gentler arc than the sheepsfoot, and this arc begins noticeably closer to the handle. The advantages of this profile are considered to be high cutting accuracy (due to the straight blade along the entire length), as well as good suitability for planing and scraping (for the same reason). In addition, the tip also turns out to be quite functional; it can, for example, accurately cut out a shallow contour of a complex shape. However, in general, this profile is not as versatile as the same “classic” or “drop point”; It initially gained popularity in “gentleman’s knives” - small pocket folding models of the EDC category. It is also worth noting that there are several other variants of the “wharncliffe” on the market - with a slightly curved upward rather than straight blade.

- Skinner A profile found exclusively in hunting knives and having a rather narrow specialization - “skinner”, as the name hints, is intended for skinning hunting trophies. Accordingly, the shape of the knife is optimized for maximum convenience during such work. The blade is made quite wide, often also quite short. In shape it is somewhat reminiscent of a drop point (see above), however, “skinners” have an extension closer to the tip, and the tip itself may not be provided at all - knives of this type are not designed for piercing action. Because of these features, “skinners” are practically unsuitable for use for any purpose other than their primary purpose; It makes sense to buy such a knife in addition to a universal hunting knife (or an “arsenal” of several knives).

- Gut-hook. Modification of the drop-point profile (see above), found in hunting knives. On the butt of such a blade, at the very tip, a special hook is made with a sharpened inner edge; This type of hook is convenient for skinning and butchering prey. At the same time, the knife turns out to be almost as universal as the original drop-point - thanks to the similar outline of the blade; The only thing is that the gut-hook is not well suited for strong stabbing blows, since the presence of the hook somewhat reduces the strength of the blade. We also note that almost all such knives are made non-folding - this design for “gut-hooks” is considered optimal, taking into account the profile features.

— Persian-point. A profile somewhat similar to the bowie described above and differing primarily in the shape and size of the concave part of the tip: it occupies most of the butt, and sometimes the entire butt is made concave. We also note that the degree of curvature of the butt can be different - from an almost straight shape, slightly different from the “classic”, to a pronounced arc of a bizarre shape, with a variable bending radius. Persian-point is one of the “historical” profiles used since ancient times; it allows you to use the knife with equal efficiency both as a weapon (including for stabbing) and as a tool for various household tasks. However, the features of application greatly depend on the specific shape of the blade.

—Hawkbill A downward curved sickle-shaped blade, reminiscent in shape of the beak of a bird of prey. The tip of such a blade is obtained noticeably below the center line, and sharpening is carried out along the inner, concave side of the blade. Classic representatives of “hawkbills” are karambits - knives originally created for a rather specific application; See "Type" for details.

- Recurved blade. A profile suggesting an S-shaped blade - slightly tapering from the base to the first third, noticeably widening towards the second third and with a clearly defined tip; the butt shape is usually similar to the drop-point profile (see above). Many consider the stylish and aggressive appearance to be one of the main advantages of this profile. As for functionality, the recurved blade is intended mainly for chopping, rough cutting and ripping; For piercing effects, as well as precise cutting, such knives are poorly suitable.

- Latin. Traditional, the most common type of profile among machetes; originally appeared in Latin America, hence the name. The latin blade has some expansion closer to the tip, most of the blade, starting from the handle, is flat, but closer to the end of the blade the blade rises in a steep arc towards the tip. The butt is straight or slightly concave; in some models it may be equipped with a serrator or even a full-fledged saw. Like all machetes, “Latin” blades are intended primarily for chopping, which is facilitated, in particular, by the blade’s center of gravity shifted to the tip; For more information on the use of such tools, see “Type”.

- Golock. Blade profile originating from Malaysia; found exclusively in machetes. Initially, the “golok” is a heavier, thicker and at the same time shorter profile than the traditional “Latin”; it provides for a noticeable expansion towards the end and a cutting edge rising steeply towards the tip, which gives the blade a distinct teardrop shape. However, nowadays, under the designation golock, blades are produced that are very far from the original configuration and resemble drop-point, or even sheepsfoot (see above).

— Parang. Another type of machete comes from Malaysia: a large and heavy blade of a curved shape, with a convex (curved upwards to the tip) cutting edge and a noticeable expansion from the handle to the end (more pronounced than in classic Latin-type machetes). The tip itself is most often located at the line of the blade, but it can also be located higher, in the area of the butt line. We also note that the “parang” profile also includes requirements for the handle: it must be curved downwards and have a thickening at the end for a secure hold in the hand. Thus, the overall shape of such a machete is S-shaped. Due to their shape and heavy weight, parangs allow you to chop effectively with a small swing.

— Kukri. Profile used in knives of the same name; In our catalog, such knives are classified as machetes, but initially “kukri” is a separate type of heavy knife, whose homeland is Nepal. This profile is difficult to confuse with something else: the long (several tens of centimeters) blade is curved downwards, noticeably widened near the tip and sharpened along the inner, concave side. This shape, combined with a forward center of gravity, makes the kukri extremely effective for chopping. Such knives are also used as combat knives, but in general they are very versatile tools, suitable for peaceful use in tourism, agriculture, etc.

- Bolo. The blade profile of the machete is also known as “Filipino” - based on its place of origin. The peculiarity of such a blade is that starting from the second third (when viewed from the handle), it expands in both directions - both towards the blade and towards the butt - and then converges to the tip, located almost on the center line of the knife (usually slightly above or a little lower). The blade itself can be either convex or S-shaped, like a recurved blade (see above). Initially, the “bolo” was an agricultural tool; its original purpose was to cut down bushes and small trees.

The total weight of the knife. It is worth evaluating this indicator depending on the type (see above) and purpose: for example, for a compact hiking model, light weight is usually a virtue, among hunting and fishing it all depends on specialization, and a machete, by definition, must be weighty — otherwise, cut with such a blade it will just be uncomfortable.

— No point. Models that do not have a pronounced point in the main blade. This design does not allow the blade to make punctures, which in some situations can be an advantage. For example, such models are great for the role of “the first knife for a young tourist”: the absence of a point reduces the likelihood of injury, which is important for children who do not have a clear skill for safe handling of a knife. In "adult" situations, the absence of a point can come in handy, for example, when skinning a hunted animal (so as not to pierce the insides) or cutting a net that fits snugly against the side of a rubber boat. In addition, the presence of a point may be one of the criteria for belonging to a melee weapon; in many countries, a knife without a point is not automatically such a weapon, regardless of other design features.

— Blade lock. The presence of a special lock in the folding knife, which prevents accidental folding of the blade. Such folding is both inconvenient and very traumatic, since the owner's fingers usually get in the way of the blade; blocking prevents such troubles. Note that the lock may not be installed in compact Swiss knives, the blade of which is not dangerous due to its small size, and this function is not found among butterflies in principle — the handle design itself does not allow the knife to fold while held in hand.

— Opening with one hand. The ability t...o open a folding knife (see "Design") with one hand. Among the knives with this feature, two varieties can be distinguished — with manual and automatic opening. In "manual" models, for opening with one hand, a protrusion (peg) or cutout is provided on the blade, which plays the role of a stop for the thumb; in "automatic machines" the blade unfolds (and in many frontal knives — and folds) under the action of a spring controlled by a button or a slider. Anyway, this function provides additional convenience; however, note that in some countries, opening with one hand is considered one of the signs of edged weapons.
Separately, we note that butterfly knives in our catalog are also considered “one-handed”, and by definition: any such knife can be “unwound” from a closed position to an open one using a relatively simple technique.

— Emerson Hook. A device designed to open a folding knife directly when pulled out of a pocket. A knife with such a device, unlike more traditional models, is worn on a clip with the tip up, not down; and the hook itself is located on the butt at the base of the blade and is designed in such a way that when removing the knife, you can catch the hook on the edge of the pocket and open the blade completely or almost completely. This function can be very useful in critical situations, where, as they say, everything is decided in a split second. On the other hand, it is worth bearing in mind that a certain skill is needed to use it effectively; and the Emerson hook is “not friendly” with fabrics, it can damage the material of the pocket, so it is best to use this method of opening with jeans or other clothes made of dense, durable matter.

— Finger notch. The presence in the design of the knife of a special recess located on the handle, where the index finger is placed with a direct grip. This feature provides additional convenience when holding the knife, but makes it less versatile — when using grip options other than straight, the notch can create difficulties (therefore, for example, it is quite rare in hunting models). It should be noted that the presence of a subfinger notch and its depth can serve as one of the criteria for determining whether a weapon belongs to a bladed weapon.

— Strap attachment. The presence in the design of the knife handle of a special fastening for a lanyard — a special strap. The lanyard provides additional convenience when removing the knife from the sheath, can be used to additionally fix the handle in the hand, to install a counterweight that facilitates chopping blows (for machetes and similar models, see "Type"), etc. The traditional strap mount is just a hole in the handle. However, in some types of knives (in particular, Swiss ones), this role can be played by a ring, which is also used to attach the knife itself to a carabiner, a bunch of keys, etc.

— Case. The classic case is an accessory that provides convenience and sometimes additional safety when storing and transporting the tool. At the same time, the difference between such an accessory and a scabbard (which perform a similar function) is that, usually, the knife is placed entirely in the case, while the sheath covers only the blade, leaving the handle outside. Accordingly, folding knives and multi-tools are usually equipped with covers, and such accessories are quite popular among awkward models. And here are the main options for materials:

• Fabric cover. The most popular variety nowadays. As a “fabric”, a durable and reliable material is usually used, resistant to abrasion, temperature extremes, ultraviolet radiation, etc.; a typical example is dense nylon ("cordura") or polyurethane fiber. Anyway, fabric covers are cheaper than leather ones and are not so demanding to care for, while they are reliable, practical, and look good, which is why they are widely used.
• Leather Case. Leather cases differ primarily in their characteristic appearance. Often such a product is not just a utilitarian addition to the knife, but a full-fledged fashion accessory, further emphasizing the style and character of the owner. And in terms of protection, leather covers are somewhat superior to fabric ones. On the other hand, genuine leather is quite expensive, requires special care rules, and in some situations may lose its appearance and performance (for example, when wet and dry quickly, the material may crack). And various leather substitutes (which can also be implied in this case) may have different characteristics — usually, they directly depend on the price.
• Carrying case. This option is indicated in our catalog in two cases: either if the manufacturer did not directly specify the specific material, or if the knife can be supplied with different types of sheaths (at the user's choice or depending on the batch / region of delivery — this point should be specified separately). However, anyway, the material can often be clarified from photographs — after all, covers are most often made of leather or fabric, and it is not difficult to distinguish between these options.

— Scabbards. This accessory, like the case, is used for convenient and safe storage and carrying of the knife. The difference lies in the fact that the sheath hides only the blade, leaving the handle open. Accordingly, it makes sense to supplement only clumsy knives with such products. Also note that the sheath is usually designed to be able to quickly remove the knife (another difference from the same cases). And here are the most popular materials used for such accessories:

• Plastic scabbard. Plastic is an inexpensive and at the same time quite practical material. Nowadays, there is a wide variety of plastic grades on the market that differ in characteristics; this allows you to choose an option for almost any purpose and price category of a knife. Thanks to this, plastic scabbards are very popular. We only note that products made from kydex (which is also formally plastic) are listed separately in our catalog.
• Kydex scabbard. Kydex was originally a trademark of Sekisui SPI, but nowadays similar materials from other manufacturers are also combined under this name. Kydex is actually a special advanced type of plastic, which is characterized by high strength, scratch resistance (it is difficult to scratch such a surface even on purpose) and general reliability. For illustration, it can be noted that even aviation fairings and marine deep-sea robots are made of such material nowadays. Thus, the scabbard is made of kydex and placed in a separate category. Of course, such products cost more than plastic ones — however, the difference in price is not as serious as one might imagine. So such scabbards can be found even in relatively simple models of knives.
• Leather scabbard. Leather scabbards have the same characteristics as sheaths made of this material. Such products look great; often they, in addition to practical functions, also play the role of fashion accessories. This material is especially well combined with hunting and tourist knives in a traditional design; in fact, such models are most often supplemented with leather scabbards. And on the practical side, the skin is distinguished by excellent strength. At the same time, this material requires certain special rules for use and care. For example, a wet leather product should dry slowly, at a low temperature — otherwise it may lose its luster and become deformed. And for a full guarantee, it is advisable to periodically treat the surface of such scabbards with special means. Also note that genuine leather is quite expensive, and various leather substitutes (which can also be used in this case) may have different characteristics — usually, they directly depend on the price.
• Fabric scabbard. The scabbard is made of dense and durable fabric — usually based on synthetic fibers (for example, nylon cordura). To protect against contact of the fabric with the blade, such products often provide an additional insert made of plastic or other dense material. However, in general, this option, for a number of reasons, is used quite rarely — mainly in relatively inexpensive knives.