Are Kris blades a "working" blade profile?

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Fishtail Picklock
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Are Kris blades a "working" blade profile?

Post by Fishtail Picklock »

Are Kris blades a "working" (useful) blade profile, or are they just another "toad stabber"?
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whippersnapper
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Re: Are Kris blades a "working" blade profile?

Post by whippersnapper »

They are all show and no go. A plastic spork would be more useful imo.
sammy the blade
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Re: Are Kris blades a "working" blade profile?

Post by sammy the blade »

Don't think it would even be a good toad stabber. When it comes to stabbing toads I prefer the dagger blade. If the toads are mean or aggressive I use a 12 gauge and finish them off with the dagger. If there's anything left of it, pays to be thorough!
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natcherly
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Re: Are Kris blades a "working" blade profile?

Post by natcherly »

They are cool looking but hard to sharpen. The legend that the wavy blade would cause a much larger wound that a straight blade is overblown. The exoticness of this grind is what is intimidating.
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ILikeStilettos
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Re: Are Kris blades a "working" blade profile?

Post by ILikeStilettos »

I can design one, I can visually see what I want in my imagination, but almost nobody can produce one. A functional edge depends upon an angle of 25° or less between faces. Take an average 5/8" wide blade with a dagger profile, that means the height of the centerline is 5/16" and if the blade is 1/8" thick gives you 22.6° and the numbers go up rapidly if the blade is thicker. If the Kris is correctly done, the sinisoidal curve of each edge and the centerline follows the same pattern and it would work about as well as a bayonet, except it's no longer a simple flat or hollow grind. More metal needs to be removed in the valleys to match what happens at the peaks. Every one of these I have ever seen has sharp peaks and unsharpened valleys. The Kris knives of the Moro Rebellion at the start of the 20th century were considerably wider, made of a flat steel blade without centerline. All the curves were carved in and worked until the edge followed the full outside perimeter. Those were nasty. Despite lots of urban legends, no blade shape is particularly more lethal than another. Lethality comes from depth of penetration (to reach internal organs, 3-1/2" or less was deemed non-lethal) and motion of the blade once embedded, creating more trauma (stick in, turn, repeat).
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JayK
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Re: Are Kris blades a "working" blade profile?

Post by JayK »

How would you sharpen it, freehand with a real narrow stone?
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Re: Are Kris blades a "working" blade profile?

Post by ILikeStilettos »

Maybe with a round stone and handle like a file.
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Fishtail Picklock
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Re: Are Kris blades a "working" blade profile?

Post by Fishtail Picklock »

It can be done with a Spyderco triangle "Sharpmaker". This exposes nothing but the edge to the ceramic triangular rod at 30 degrees.
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john
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Re: Are Kris blades a "working" blade profile?

Post by john »

Hi David,
Your knife is outstanding! Thank you for posting the photo.
John
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thom
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Re: Are Kris blades a "working" blade profile?

Post by thom »

Natcherly, Beautiful knife. 13"? Who was the maker, if you don't mind saying? Like to see more pics.
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natcherly
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Re: Are Kris blades a "working" blade profile?

Post by natcherly »

It is a 13" square button made for me by Paul Panak (aka Burn) in 2005. It is quite sharp and not just on the peaks but in the valleys as well.
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john
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Re: Are Kris blades a "working" blade profile?

Post by john »

Thanks for the info. It looks flawless.
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daddyloko
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Re: Are Kris blades a "working" blade profile?

Post by daddyloko »

Beautiful knife David. Didn't you also get a Black Horn one as well?
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natcherly
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Re: Are Kris blades a "working" blade profile?

Post by natcherly »

daddyloko wrote: Sat Jul 13, 2019 12:20 am Beautiful knife David. Didn't you also get a Black Horn one as well?
NO! This was one expensive acquisition. Two of them would have sent me to bankruptcy court :mrgreen:
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jim d,
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Re: Are Kris blades a "working" blade profile?

Post by jim d, »

I know what you mean about the expense David, it is a BURN, which means among other things, a masterpiece.

Jim
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