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Why do I use thick blade stock?
The short answer is simple: because that’s the sort of knife I like to make.
I love the thick blade spine, the robust shapes, and the weight and feel that give a knife its own character in the hand. This is part of what a Shaman knife means to me. Just as much as its shape, its handle or the design of the cutting edge.
We could talk about rigidity, cutting performance and edge geometry. And I will. But I don’t want to hide the most important reason behind technical explanations: this is my world. These are the sort of knives I want to make. The thick blade is one of the Shaman’s hallmarks.
The thick forest blade predates the survival knife trend
What interests me most about traditional knife types is that there is real work behind their form. Someone used them, sharpened them, wore them down, and then perhaps made a few changes to the next one. This is how those proportions were developed, which have often been preserved for generations.
Among Japanese forest tools, too, we find particularly thick blades. The nata occupies a space between a knife and a small axe: it is used for pruning, chopping and splitting. The ken-nata, a sharper, knife-like variant, is also associated with hunting and forestry tasks.
This does not mean that every traditional knife in Japan was 6 mm thick. To claim this would be inaccurate. What is true, however, is that the thick forest blade has a long history there too.
In a 2010 study by Toyama University, traditional natas were measured and their makers were interviewed. Even the thinnest central part of the blade of one Noto-nata was 6.3–7 mm thick, whilst the spine was even thicker than that. The study specifically notes that, with these tools, striking work carried out using the tool’s own weight is of fundamental importance.
It is also worth looking at a modern Japanese example: the blade produced jointly by Sakagen and TSBBQ is 6 mm thick and is specifically designed for camp woodwork and splitting firewood.
The Shaman, however, is a knife in its own right. The Japanese example is interesting because it demonstrates that thick blades do have their place amongst working tools.
What is the technical rationale behind this?
Mass for striking work
When chopping wood and lopping branches, it matters how much mass you’re moving and where the knife’s centre of gravity lies. For the same overall profile, a thicker blade means more material, and therefore more mass.
This, of course, needs to be balanced against the blade length and the handle. A short, chunky knife isn’t, by itself, a good brush cutter. It’s the proportions of the whole knife that determine how it performs.
Wedge effect during splitting
When splitting wood, the cutting edge initiates the crack, whilst the blade, which widens behind it, helps to split the material apart. Here, the thicker cross-section can be useful.
But this comes at a price: what is an advantage when splitting can become a source of resistance when making a deep cutting cut. The geometry will always favour one task over another. I consciously accept this compromise.
Stiffer blade body
Given the same material, length and similar geometry, a thicker blade is less prone to bending sideways. This is one of the sensible design features of a sturdy working knife.
However, rigidity must not be confused with indestructibility. The steel, the heat treatment, the cutting edge and the design of the tang are just as important. A 6 mm blade is no substitute for a properly designed and crafted knife.
It is possible to create a sharp cutting edge even with a thick spine
The thickness of the blade spine is just one dimension. In terms of cutting performance, the height of the bevel, the thickness of the material behind the edge and the angle of the cutting edge are at least as important.
That is why I focus on the entire cross-section. The sabre-style bevel, the convex cutting edge, or the ‘Skandivex’ design used in my Nordic models are all part of how the knife functions.
It is the maker’s task to balance the thick blade body with practical cutting performance. Just because a knife is made from 6 mm material does not mean this work is complete.
I’m also prepared to accept compromises
A thicker knife is generally heavier. You have to carry it around. It tends to wedge more when cutting deeply into certain materials, and a thinner blade is often more comfortable for fine slicing.
These are real differences. I don’t want to present the 6 mm as if it were the only correct answer for every task.
For me, this is the starting point around which I build the knife’s character, proportions and usability. I love this work, I love these blades, and I want anyone who picks up a Shaman to feel that too.
If you’re looking for a thinner blade
then look for another maker. There are plenty out there, and many produce excellent knives with thin blades.
I mean this entirely seriously. You should choose a knife that suits your tasks and the way you like to use it. As for me, I should make knives that embody my own vision.
The Shaman is characterised by its thick blade. It’s the weight, shape and feel in the hand that I love. That’s the true Shaman feeling.
That’s why it’s at least 6 mm.
Laci Német ‘Shaman’
