Why do KNIVES in History have One or Two EDGES?

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Throughout history we have seen various types of knife with one edge, two edges, a long edge and a short edge, and sometimes even no edges and just a point. So why all the variations?
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[@scholagladiatoria]

The first 1,000 people to use the link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/scholagladiatoria07221

[@arnijulian6241]

Matt Easton A dagger like a sword is Weapon primarily & a tool secondarily if at all! A knife or large blade like a machete is a tool primarily & a weapon secondarily. You get the odd implement that don't fit this like an axe for you have war axes being primarily a weapon & you have felling axes primarily as a tool though both are an axe. Most of the terms used in arm's & armour come from the craftsmen/producer & not the users. Even merchants & salesmen likely have more influence on terminology of items for they have to at least appear to know what they are talking about to make sell regularly. Something enthusiasts & instructor's like your self seem to forget is that Craftsmen-merchants had more status-power in practice then kings in many instances through out history. A king nor the church can enforce anything without arms. Why many monasteries took up arms production & metal works. Kings often had their royal armourers just to keep them away from the commoner so they where not armed. Soldiers & mercenaries generally where not treated well by another side in conflict. A craftsmen was often sort after by the enemy upon victory never mind someone more specialised & invaluable like a siege Engineer of renown!

[@arnijulian6241]

''More work to created a single or double edged blade'' you say. well that really depends matt. is the edge flamberge, stright or curved et cetera. Making an edge is a simple you wrap that out at the end. The hardest most time consuming part of any commission is the over all form/shape for: how many heats are required, will it need more tools- formers to shape & are they specialised common or even exist. Some work you need to make a tool from scratch because it doesn't exist or no one produces it. A horse shoe, chandelier & most lanterns are far more difficult to make then a blade if no added trimming-flair yet none of these items have a an edge at all. I can make farm more cash making wrought iron scrolled gates then any blade be it now or hundreds of years ago. Rich people will pay out the wazoo for the nicest look regal front for their house. A Ferrier can form a blade for perspective of difficulty but few black smiths can forge a horse shoe that won't lame a horse. Ferrier's are paid more then the general smith for reason in history like my Great grand father & grand father in his free time not working his lorry yard back when they where amongst the living. I don't forge these days as you can't afford the fuel or get the permission to do it anywhere. When I'm deed & the few I like myself pass this knowledge likely dies with us! Most of what you buy is not forged these day but cut & ground to shape stock. it was never done by hammer & tong in fire. The amount that call them self's smiths when they are just novice fabricator/metal workers. I'm an engineer that can form metal in most every means known be it industrial or traditional. Take away most people tools & they couldn't make them from scratch. A for points on arm's it depends on the shape of the point as a square polyhedron is easier then a cone & a triangular polyhedron is harder still. I'd charge more for a coned spike done by traditional tools then a double edged knife as it take more precision of hand & eye let alone heats. Kind regards.

[@Gunsandbunsmma]

I would love to see wooden tipped fire hardened spears vs chain armor, plate armor, and leather variants

[@tengu190]

You need to try the Besh Wedge, 3 edge knife.

[@jonnybgoode8044]

I love his discipline while holding a weapon. He loves to talk with his hands but never waves it around. Bravo!

[@chroma6947]

Haven't watched many vids then

[@fraserihle4847]

It's not a firearm....nothing dangerous about waving a knife around a bit in front of a camera.....

[@WJS774]

@@fraserihle4847 Knives have sharp edges. They are _immensely_ more dangerous than an unloaded firearm. You can't unload a knife.

[@fallencrusader2975]

@@WJS774 They are equally unsafe, both are weapons you shall always exercise discipline reguardless...

[@chroma6947]

@@WJS774 You never know it may turn around and stab you...

[@philw8049]

Single edge- more useful as a tool, you can push on the spine or just brace the spine with your off hand. Double edged- great for stabby stabby, not so great for tool use as you can’t push on the blade with your off hand. Not always the case of course some single edged blades were great fighters such as Bowie knives, but holds true for a lot of blades.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

A Bowie was a combination fighting weapon, survival tool, like a k-bar or machete.

[@louisvictor3473]

@@MonkeyJedi99 The Ka-bar you're thinking about is just a bowie knife by that company, not a different type of knife that fits a similar role. Machetes, on the other hand, are really mostly a tool, that is how they're designed (sans some gimmicky modern ones), being used as a self defence weapon is just an inherent side effect of being a cutting tool (always better than your bare hands if you lack anything actually designed with combat in mind)

[@fiendishrabbit8259]

The bowie knife though has a number of adaptations to make it more dagger-like, with a clipped point that makes it more useful for thrusting (center-line, narrower and frequently the clipped point also has a false edge) and makes the knife slightly lighter. Bowie knife is very much a work blade with point modified to stab things.

[@JH-lo9ut]

@@fiendishrabbit8259 the clipped point has something to do with edge shape too. A very wide and thick blade is hard to grind out to a point, while still maintaining the same bevel. By clipping the point, you don't get such an extreme radius of the tip of the blade. Another way to put it: If you ever break off the tip of a knife and want to grind it back to a point, leave the edge side as it is and grind on the spine instead.

[@Leftyotism]

Yeah, just ricasso the thing on the back (false edge). If you are not out for a wepaon.

[@Nacimota]

You sort of covered this, especially when talking about using the ramrod with the bayonet, but the main thing that I thought of when you asked why you might not have two edges on a blade is safety. I'm not well versed in the combat side of things (which is one of the reasons this channel is so interesting) but I do know that there are an awful lot of utility situations in which blades are used where having a back edge would not just be unnecessary, but would make the tool substantially less safe to use, especially in the hands of an untrained or complacent person.

[@Bob_Lennart]

It seems to me that most of the advantages to having two edges are related to fighting. But with knives that are not designed to kill people, a single edge is generally preferred.

[@JCOwens-zq6fd]

Oh yeah. In period through till this day only certain people would even have a need for a dagger but most everyone had/used a single edged utility knife.

[@john-paulsilke893]

Some hunters use daggers for animal dispatch. I also know butchers who used them for animal slaughter to pierce the base of the skull or plunge into the top of the spinal column. I was trained many years ago to work with goats, sheep and the like and we had a small, (4”-4.5” long) thin and extremely sharp but narrow “kitchen/utility” knife. It was used to plunge into the neck and slash the brachial arteries to exsanguinate the animals by slashing both front limb arteries and essentially make them pass out and die with the least pain and injuries possible. Stab at an angle and slash the first artery and turn the blade and slash the second. Very small cut about 1.5” wide and if you did it right a fountain would spray out and the animal would collapse almost immediately with little discomfort, (few nerves in the area and the blood pressure loss followed by exsanguination would make it an almost instant permanent sleep). A rough description but since you are watching a video about murder tools I figured I’d add some real life murder descriptions. I did this for four years as well as mostly butchery work and some days killed 40-60 sheep.

[@nowthenzen]

nice! a weapon vs a tool that can also be a weapon

[@forevertoremain]

The first part of your post was interesting. The end part makes me think you need to do some serious introspection. If you still love knives after having to do that job you should take good care of yourself.

[@mrbouncelol]

@@john-paulsilke893 Exsanguination is not thought by any credible physicians to be a particularly pleasant way to die for humans so its not clear why some think its okay for mammals. If it's for religous butchery then I understand, because then they've already shown a department from reality but otherwise it just seems like plain old cruelty

[@mitcharcher7528]

I know what topic you should discuss: the Wakefield hangers. You’ve mentioned them before, not terribly long ago, and little old me is dying to hear what you have to say about that routinely overlooked sword.

[@genghiskhan6809]

I need to hear this now.

[@DETHMOKIL]

rumor has it he is working with Royal Armouries and Windlass on a replica Wakefeild...

[@mitcharcher7528]

I know and I’m waiting on it with great anticipation.

[@jeffreykellett8660]

I would be very interested in that sword

[@tommeakin1732]

You know, I've never actually thought about where I've got this from, but I use "dagger" for something that's specifically intended to be used as a weapon, and "knife" for a tool. Is that a thing other people do? Seems to work for me lol

[@Tovish1988]

I more or less do that, though I do call certain modern single edged short fighting blades knives, as well as anything which folds or retracts. Also, if its a dirk I call it that specifically.

[@tomhalla426]

I do not think anyone would call a Bowie knife a dagger, despite it being primarily a fighting weapon

[@MonkeyJedi99]

I like this simile: Dagger is to knife as tulip is to flower.

[@Alexander-cg1ey]

@@tomhalla426 Hunting knives are not primarily weapons

[@tomhalla426]

@@Alexander-cg1ey The original Bowie knives were dual purpose, but biased towards being a weapon.

[@leppeppel]

I'd love to see a follow up to this video about straight vs convex vs concave vs recurve vs flamberge vs whatever shaped edges.

[@AggelosKyriou]

He has done videos about curved vs straight blades.

[@brianknezevich9894]

I live somewhere in the US where... You really have to know the laws well to carry a double edged knife vaguely publicly. I can carry a single edged sheathed knife as long as it's arguably not concealed, as long as the blade is 4.5" or shorter. So I make knives that are technically legal, but in actual effect are considerably longer than 4.5" my EDC knife is effectively about 7" but legal, I've dealt with the police carrying it too many times to count. It's actually designed for two things - cutting really thin whippy plants, or cutting flowers - and to be able to stab through the heaviest winter clothing (or a bear's hide and fat)... In the woods, if you have any vague legal excuse here, I can walk around with basically any bladed weapon I want and it's not a problem. Weapons laws are really weird.

[@brianknezevich9894]

It's entirely possible that carrying a sharpened screwdriver is completely illegal here, I've never checked...

[@brianknezevich9894]

I must add more. I suppose I'm technically a museum trained professional blacksmith (1840-1860, roughly) but I'd put my skill closer to amateur Cutler, although I can and do make some rather expensive custom knives, rarely. You're very, very slightly wrong in saying it's easier to smith a single edged blade. Without a bunch of experience, when you hammer out the single edge, the spine curves backwards... So in some ways it's easier to make a straight blade double edged, because you're pushing into the centre of the blade from the outsides, so it naturally straightens. There is a ton more grinding and polishing for a double edged blade, and that's more work than most people think, particularly if you do it traditionally. Also must add... I buy cheap machetes, and we have a bit of wooded and wilderness property, but I also use them to practice sidesword and other things I don't have the money to buy or ability to make... I sharpen the back 3-5" of them to practice false edge tip shots and because it's frankly more efficient once you're used to the blade. Besides which, it can give them stabbing ability. I must say, I take everything to the grinder and change the profile, and if I'm not happy with the tempering and heat treatment, I redo it, even if the machete cost $10us. Because they're mostly used to control and trim small woody plants and the dreaded multi floral rose, I scallop the blades a bit, which isn't exactly the best for combat, but it catches prickers that otherwise would give you more scratches than a mad 20lb tomcat.

[@kandyweeb1885]

Interesting that you can’t carry a double edged knife easily, but some guns are fine. If it’s for safety of others, it really makes no sense

[@brianknezevich9894]

While I'm at it... My sharpest blade is kinda like a broken backed seax. It doesn't look like it, it looks like a broken Vietnam era machete, which is exactly what it is, I need to make a traditional looking handle for it, but there's not much reason to bother. It has no false edge or rounding on the ", broken backed" part, but it's a deadly stabbing or cutting weapon, albeit with limited reach. I'd rate it above any gladius I've handled although it's a comparable size. Also, if exact body mechanics are thought through, you can get nearly the same penetration with a single edged blade, if it's a knife. I'm not making things up, I make and test things myself. A knife that fits the user very well might not need two edges, even if it's a grab and stab knife. I have rather long and strong arms but limited height, doing something like a right hook, slightly modified, with the right knife, is almost easier with a slightly curved blade and off centre point, as long as you know what you're doing and have the right knife. But that's only up close and really personal combat. Definitely not true at any range. anything longer, straight, and pointy even if lighter is better for opening stages unless you're really fast and snipe hands. I used to be really fast and I still snipe hands. Now, anyone who knows my mobility is limited and most of my knuckles are smashed into oblivion can easily take advantage of it with almost any weapon. I've never been defeated by staff at any age. The last little HEMA event we had here, I was supposed to ref the staff, but our team's fighter was either sick or couldn't make it, we had a 4-6" ice storm the day before, first meetup we'd had since COVID lockdown. I won again, it really wasn't fair, that's why I was supposed to be the ref. I gave my opponent for the championship my medal, which actually cost like $3.50 US, and I'm the one who bought them.

[@takingbacktoxic7898]

Due to the recent SCOTUS case, many knife laws on the books in the USA can be challenged in court again, none of them will pass the plain text, history and tradition standards set in Bruen.

[@philw8049]

I love that Yatagan (sp?) bayonet! Wouldn’t mind a blade like that with maybe a D guard or something similar.

[@richard6133]

I wish they made a modern one for the AR-15 platform... 😆

[@nathandunning7150]

Brilliant Collection Matt & great info as always.

[@morriganmhor5078]

What´s often forgotten, the kukri is also a good slicer.

[@markfergerson2145]

The edge near the grip is excellent for whittling too.

[@neighbor-j-4737]

I choke up a lot higher now, than I did first learning khukuris. Understanding the powerful blow came early, given how intuitive that knife is, but learning how fast and precisely delicate you could be took some time. To this day, I still think the khukuri is the most broadly useful knife design ever forged. Not just as a weapon, but perhaps the most robust field utility tool outside of an axe. And there are a hundred varieties to fit your needs...

[@Sr_ECO]

Why slice when you can chop?

[@markfergerson2145]

@@Sr_ECO Kukri = multi tool It chops! It slices! It dices! it makes French fries!

[@morriganmhor5078]

@@Sr_ECO Try to chop your ham, soyboy ;-)

[@buchgeisterralf3251]

Thanks for the very interesting and engaging presentation of this topic.

[@themordyn]

Absolutly wodnerful. Loving dagger and knives for years, you have answered questions I had for decades, Thanks a lot!

[@Unethrorpe]

It was fun, enlightening, AND thought provoking - just what you hoped for! Thanks, Matt!

[@murmur3966]

I have checked out a few of your videos and this is the one that earned my subscription. I do not subscribe to just any channel, because time is important to me. You were very clear and concise, with some important points that I had not thought about before. Keep up the awesome content and I can't wait to see your next episode.

[@jorgefernandez6407]

Another excellent video here! Thank you!!!

[@Doyle_Lorean2105]

Love to see some more videos on sheffield bowies, loved your other ones.

[@magnuslauglo5356]

Fascinating stuff, as always.

[@johndally7994]

What a great mini course in knife blades!

[@marcelomariano3586]

Great video, Mat !

[@khodexus4963]

For the game I'm designing, while I do use the terms interchangeably when describing specific objects, I do categorize knives built for melee combat as daggers, while those meant for ritual or magic use are categorized as knives. Similarly, staves are for combat, staffs are for magic. In example, a hunting knife or a stilletto are daggers, a ritual blade of precision is a mystic knife. Also, even with the side ring, that main gouche is still technically symmetrical along one axis, just not two like many European swords are.

[@Skalld24]

I really enjoyed this video. It really gives an interesting look at how people were trying to solve different problems with different weapons at different times.

[@dukefanshawe6815]

WW1 and WW2 bayonet combat techniques would be fun!

[@lincs4life]

On the grabbing the blade part I was once told some daggers and knives have saw on the back edge not only to use as tool but if someone grabs the back of the blade you can pull the knife back and it will cut the webbing between thumb and forefinger.

[@joecamel328]

Not really a blade guy but I actually learned a bunch from this video. Well done.

[@torianholt2752]

Batoning is another important function of single-edged utility/bushcraft knives. I'm also curious if there are any examples of hollow-ground rondels or bollock daggers?

[@bobnesler4271]

Growing up in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, I hunted deer and small game. All of my hunting knives were a variation of the "Bowie" knife with the unsharpened false edge. The purpose of this false edge was skinning - or the separation of the hide from the fat/muscle without poking a hole in the hide with a sharp edge.

[@beser12v66]

Excellent video ! Enjoyed and learned very much! Could you make a video about swords regarding the same issue? I am especially interested in learning What kind of targets where different sword geometries designed to face - arming swords, katanas, falchions, rapiers etc. In the view of expected targets and of course - context ! Thanks again for the great videos ! Keep up the great job !

[@bigsiege1848]

Do UK subjects require a separate license for each edge?

[@goyoelburro]

IMHO this channel is the best at explaining as well as the most accurate historically. Keep up the good work!!

[@goyoelburro]

I'm designing my own knife this month for friend that makes them. This is good stuff to take into account.

[@emarsk77]

Possible additional thought about the main gauche: the edges are not only important for offence, but also for binding and controlling the opponent's blade (as we know, sharp edges tend to form a stronger bind with each other).

[@forevertoremain]

I don't see how you could bind a sword with a main gauche. Probably just parry, though I think I would prefer a small shield. Unless you combine it with your sword maybe??

[@emarsk77]

@@forevertoremain If you try rapier and dagger, you'll immediately see how you could.

[@Adam_okaay]

I mean the obvious answer off the bat without watching this is: "context." Secondly I was gonna criticize the shit out of that bollocks dagger until I realized, because you said, it's actually a chopper.

[@i_love_crpg]

i remember skallagrim making a video about this. he said that in his test where he thrusted with all kinds of blades (short, long, double edged, single edged, straight, curved), there is no empirical difference in thrusting with two edges or one. the only sword that surpassed the others in that test was a longsword that was specifically designed for thrusting but that sword seemed to have surpassed the others largely due to its profile taper and not beacuse it had two edges

[@tbjtbj4786]

With knives i don't that he was that accurate. Well at least not to me. A bowie type with a false edge is good and one where the false edge is sharpend is easier to thrust with. And something like a sharp Arkansas toothpick is even easier. There all better than a standard hunting knife that's really made to clean game or cut up the meat. I think the reason skall. Didn't see much difference is he was not actually stabbing something alive. The Arkansas toothpick is the easiest to stab with. But I think the bowie kills better. But you can clean and butcher a lot easier with the bowie than the dubble edge dagger.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

The only issue with a person doing the testing is the poor calibration and repeatability of the human body. A more scientific test would involve drop tests or robots (even a gravity-powered drop arm) and/or scales or strain gauges and measurement of penetration into a repeatable target medium.

[@i_love_crpg]

@@MonkeyJedi99 skall was using scientific methodology and even made a disclaimer that his tests may not be perfect, but he did still nonetheless actually thrust into a medium that has similar physical properties to flesh and meat. however, it would be interesting to see thrusting tests with more type of blades that have armor, without armor, sharp, dull, and various skills of users. the only thing would be getting these said blades (making sure they are period accurate and well made) and various users of various skills of various backgrounds.

[@tiltskillet7085]

It was a great video, but not anywhere close to a rigorous or extensive enough test to draw a conclusion like "There is no empirical difference between thrusting with two edges and one." I'm certain Skall himself wouldn't make a statement like that without a lot more testing. For instance: more blades, including some as similar as possible except in number of edges. Mechanical testing to take out the dude factor. More blocks of ballistic gel rather than one getting progressively more chewed up. And textile penetration involved, rather than just gel. But people can see the video for themselves here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHO9aoxngLiepdU And then his analysis of the results: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKavhoJpmbSDaLM

[@gudmundur-heimisson]

My takeaway from this (Matt's) video is that the main challenge was not cutting into the body but bypassing the armor, so it's perfectly possible there's negligible difference between single and double edge when facing a naked opponent, but the thing that matters is how they perform versus an armored opponent who is also trying to stab you back. Skallagrim's video is a nifty experiment and it's always cool to see people do experimental archaeology, but I'm sure he would agree that it's just the tip of the iceberg if you really want to settle this question in an empirical way.

[@dogmaticpyrrhonist543]

Great to see Tod's dagger. I love that one. The grip is so much less uncomfortable than it looks. Still suspect it was intended for gloves.

[@k9raven960]

Have you ever done an episode about, or including, 3 edged knives (twisted or not)? I looked at www.youtube.com/@scholagladiatoria but didn't find anything specific.

[@hector_2999]

Great video, Matt. I saw the Spyderco Ronin 2 on the thumbnail, I'd like to know what's your take on two of its designer's claims: The straight edge allows for maximum pressure during the whole cut, and the slope on the blunt side makes it a better stabber because it pushes the knife into the cut. Thanks.

[@MsOdingod]

Great video!

[@stormiewutzke4190]

Depending how how good the finish is a second edge can be an incredible amount of work. When making a knife to modern standards meaning that that it needs to look like it was made by a machine and look perfect or it looks like you don't know what you are doing. Every line has to be perfect so one has to be very careful when bringing everything down meaning that all of the final stock removal has to be far slower and if there is any mistakes then all of the matching lines now have to be changed or thinned and that's one more place for mistakes to happen. A single slip with a file can be hours of work and if there are to many mistakes the blade is no longer good for the intended purpose and you may or may not be able to make it into something else. Weight is a big deal and for some knives to make one from really expensive modern steel you may want a small area of the blade to be very thick just for weight. This means that you have to purchase very this steel and you may buy 25-50% more super expensive steel that you will then need to spend money on belts to grind away most of that expensive and hard to grind steel. This may more than double the grinding time and cost all for an oz or two of steel that does nothing but add weight. Obviously this is going to affect cost. For any doing a custom order that is going to be out of a non forging steel this is something to keep in mind.

[@humane7273]

Most educational. TY

[@JCOwens-zq6fd]

Im a big fan of 1 & 2/3rds or single edged w/ sharpened false edge however you prefer. At least for self defense anyway. I have a custom 14" toothpick bowie that has such a blade & it has served me well over the years. It was by my side through combat & back again. An old friend of my father made it for me before I shipped out. Even saved my life once or twice.

[@bryanengland2466]

Quick question if you see this. On one of your saber episodes you spoke of many sabers having a toothy edge and some considered that good while others preferred traditional edges. Was that a thing with daggers (excluding for food) in history?

[@MacDorsai]

Hello Matt! Another excellent video. And now I have a question for you. The Yataghan. I've been fascinated by the blade shape for years, but I keep forgetting to ask an expert about its actual utility. I've heard that the forward curve accentuates the cutting ability while the recurve that brings the point back in line restores the thrusting capability. I realize the Yataghan bayonet is overbuilt for a hand weapon because of its primary function as a bayonet, so the handling won't be the same as a "real" Yataghan. So what is your opinion of the Yataghan as a handheld weapon? Strengths, weaknesses (no guard so I assume it was meant to be used with a shield), etc. Thank you in advance and I look forward to a good 25 minute video!

[@chroma6947]

The bowie knife is just a bauernwehr with a crossguard on it. Its a timeless design for multiple tasks

[@imaginaryunit.]

24:00 I think symmetry along (reflection line) the guard vs symmetry orthogonal to the guard is what this is about.

[@ANACONDALR]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I am fanatic of knives and axes and it's history. I really enjoy watching your videos. I personally have a little collection of knives I am even building my own knife and I make some for my friends. Greetings from Anaconda LR argentina.

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

"Fist Full of Knives" 🤔 That definitely needs to be a movie, book or band name!

[@Sr_ECO]

Edward scissorhands is the closest you might get

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

@@Sr_ECO good point

[@MyName-jd8qq]

This is the first time I have seen you without Superdry attire. Had to do a double take to make sure it was you.

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

When discussing double-edged knives, I always use the arrowhead example: hunting broadheads are designed to penetrate and do a lot of damage on the way in, they have symmetrical razor sharp edges. For very tough skin/mail, armor, think bodkin: long and narrow with no razor edges.

[@charlesjonestherednecknerd]

I enjoyed this as and love the glimpse of a British yataghan. Thank you.

[@EddietheBastard]

Yes, lots of working knives benefit from the additional weight and strength of not having a second edge and the blunt back for applying force through Hunting knives tend to often have a 'clip'/bevel, false edge/second edge/partial edge for penetration Pure fighting knives however usually go either two edges or have a simple point (stabby ones like the rondel, as you say - with rondels the key is penetration - so narrow point with one or even no edge is ) Back edge cutting is usually more mechanically awkward and harder to put force into. Good video as always, and as always you've clearly both studied and thought about the topic

[@frankharr9466]

Well thought out. Can we have a discussion of various places thumbs cna be placed and how it effects how you use your slashy, choppy, stabby thing?

[@neighbor-j-4737]

At 26:26 This is probably the peak of the bayonet's form and utility. It wasn't just a decent short sword, it was a very good one. It wasn't just logically serpentine to facilitate reloading, it was ideally designed to enable superior penetration. Not to mention being the epitome of soldier friendly durability. Which is why the Pesh-Kabz, having similar characteristics, penetrates, cuts, and is so incredibly powerful for its size. Because it's simply one thing, a stabtastic/slashing/prybar... This is probably your best video in years, Matt. Incredible analysis. When jimping comes up casually in a presentation, and the points being laid out are irrefutably logical and well sourced, somehow never managing to get pedantic or boring, yet full of detail... That's a solid video. And this is a classroom. Appreciate your work, man. Also, for those who want to see more of the creative process of just what actually goes into making a knife, check out the Shurap and FZ Knives channels. They get downright artistic in the forge... My lifelong pursuit of understanding the blade has led me to this; that just like Matt said, everything has to do with the geometry. The first question should always be, 'what do I want the blade to do?' Form follows function. The most elegant knives are just simple solutions, set in the correct order. Hence my love for the Pesh-Kabz and the Khukuri, because they only do one thing... but better than any other design, if that's exactly what you want your knife to do. This channel is a wealth of knowledge, the Forgotten Weapons of all things with an edge. Plus, who else uses polearms as a backdrop?

[@RobertSpitzer]

Great that you could work in the phrase "yet again" while talking about the Yatagan.

[@coldwarrior78]

To add to the discussion about the bayonet: even on the most modern bayonet, the top edge is flat and wide because of muzzle blast. Lots of heat could weaken the area just in front of the muzzle. Not wanting that potential weak point, that area is kept as big and strong as possible.

[@QuantumCat76]

Here you see a lot of different shapes as different uses for the bajonet were envisioned. Single use: A spike for stabby-stab only? Or multipurpose: The bajonet = the army knife, or the bajonet is trowel shaped , so you can use it to dig as well,

[@JonasUllenius]

Can you talk to Tod at Tod's workshop and see if you can test stabbing on armor after he has done his testing with arrows? Maybe ask Jörg Sprave at The Slingshot Channel if he can make a machine that can use and add rubber to see how much force is needed to penetrate the armor with different types of geometry? Maybe get a body armor company to sponsor some stabproof armor? If you use this then it would be great to get a knife as thx, and good luck:)

[@bloodgod4340]

Always love watching Medieval Jeus talk about the up close and very personal weapons we all so very much.

[@drewishaf]

I love how casually and enthusiastically he's talking about how these weapons would be used in the most absolutely brutal and gruesome types of fighting. If I had to guess, I would say that a huge majority of people who watch these haven't had to witness bladed weapon fights or be involved in such. But I hope that they're getting the mental imagery that I am from considering the amount of determination and desperation required to try and cut the latches off of someone's armor so they can stick them repeatedly with a blade in the hope that they'll bleed out and not be able to kill them back...

[@aegisprotection4969]

Edge up single Edge use for fighting people. I read up on US Vietnam soldiers. Many of them had a utility knife and a killing knife.

[@carloc352]

Having always trained in unarmed self defense, sometimes I did try knife vs knife with the training partners. Using inert blue knives we challenged each other starting with the knives already drawn and held in a “fencing” style (no icepicker nor oriental grip). Being both weary and “risk-averse”, I noticed that most of the cuts landed on the knife hand/forearm. We waited for the other to attempt an attack, and tried cutting the offending forearm. I found this counterattack much easier when done with the “blade” edge facing me (and usually upwards). By drawing back the blade I could cut the forearm from below.

[@WrongThink84]

Legality is another reason why some knives only have a single edge. Several states in the U.S. prohibited carrying daggers or dirks, but not single edged knives.

[@rogerlafrance6355]

Having a double edge dagger was probably an Upper Class thing, like Pointy Shoes and such? The servants around them would have the more practical stuff and the Sheriff would notice.

[@knotsbygordion]

All the better to backstab you with, my dear?

[@chroma6947]

Not really because there were bollock daggers with a ricasso to put your thumb on for work use

[@chroma6947]

The rondel dagger is an upper class thing because its hilt is impractical to wear everyday for working and its usually got a very pointy bar like blade for stabbing. But a bauernwehr or bollock dagger with a false edge would be a do it all knife for work and defense

[@Robert399]

Not really but double-edged knives are better for stabbing soft targets and generally less good as tools (less robust certainly) so they’re more likely to be dedicated weapons.

[@keyem4504]

Talking about symmetry. In the case with the side ring, the asymmetric grip makes a symmetric blade necessary to be able use it with both hands. If the grip was symmetrical a single edge would do, because you cold simply turn the knife around to have the edge at the front.

[@giuliozapelli6824]

Brief Italian lesson: Coltello - knife, may be a weapon or a tool. Does not imply number of edges nor shape. Pugnale - knife made for or used as a weapon. Does not imply number of edges nor shape. Derives from the Latin word: "pugna" which means "fight" may also be used as "war". Unfortunately I do not know if this was also true in medieval/early Renaissance times.

[@Goshu1]

Point 10 for Single edge knives. Much easier to have a longer and more acute edge for slicing and perhaps slashing.

[@LuxisAlukard]

That was in history, it was so long ago! Now we have knife/dagger with three spiral blades! That's progress for you!

[@phoenixknight8837]

Enlightening. 👍

[@darraghchapman]

I've watched (very nearly) all the videos on this channel, follow Todd's channel, Green Beetle, Alex Steele, et al., enjoy forged in fire... somehow I've never heard the word 'jimping'! Silly word and I like it. I'd've just stuck it under the broader term filework or something like that, but I'm going to find a way to work it into conversations now.

[@tricktictrip2192]

Thinking to my own language's -italian- use of the equivalents of knife and dagger: dagger (pugnale) is a mostly disused term, found nowadays almost exclusively in literature, to describe a knife that was being used in combat or was being handled thinking about combat, any other everyday need of a sharp edge you would be referring to a knife (coltello), be it eating, cutting a rope, making a notch, skinning an animal...

[@brucekinghorn4961]

Interested to see a rondel with a single edge. I reckon that once penetration had been achieved say for example through a voider, that the edge would be used to cause slashing injury inside the opponent's body that may not be possible with a point alone and thereby improve your chances of a quick kill.

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

Another reason for double/false edges is weight reduction. Very similar to use of the fuller in a knife or sword.

[@zethron1173]

I was literally just watching one of your Talwar videos.

[@joelsmith9311]

Me at the start of this: how is he gonna talk for 33 minutes about this? Me at the end of this: aaaah, that’s how. Nice work, good video!

[@Leftyotism]

Maybe a video about all the knife-shapes and grinds could be interesting. * plays with spear point flipper, which is actualy a drop point with a ricasso on the back (false edge) *

[@robertkoontz7865]

Cool Bayonet! There is the Japanese Old Crow; Kogarasumaru no hitokoshi. A horsemans sword for cutting out whilst still riding.

[@OlegLyutov]

@scholagladiatoria how sharp the Baselards were? I got one from Todd and it came butter knife sharp and I'm on the fence if I should sharpen it or not

[@MrShivshank]

i feel like a false back edge is ideal. it minimizes the profile for penetration without making it overly difficult to harden and temper

[@kepanoid]

Matt, bayonets might be something you could talk about with Ian of Forgotten weapons. He's shown some 1 meter long blades because of his French rifle fetish. I believe the two of you could make a video about how the boom boom and stabby stab aspects go together.

[@neighbor-j-4737]

I feel a convergence in the Force...

[@eliteteutonicknight1]

Wolverine: -nervous upon seeing Matt with two blades in each hand-

[@AnimeSunglasses]

Pause at 1:03 to see Matt's soul briefly leave his body and reach for your neck!

[@QuacGiaNgoVietCongHoa]

I have another reason why some kniver have one edge or no edge, owner just forgets to sharp his knife or too lazy to do so or the weapon is a decoretive jewel or honour weapon for the user, like SS dagger or Mauser bayonet.

[@louisvictor3473]

13:10 I have to be that guy and say _most_ katanas or "katanas". As usual, there have been at least a few odd cases in history, including surviving ones. It is very hard to support a hypothesis involving them being massively popular, but at least they were known and at least a few existed and presumably might have been used. Honestly, for their primary usage and historical contexts, I don't really see a reason to have a false edge, but ya know, technically one would not be wrong to say "it depends".

[@jonasbarka]

I love to pentrate, but *not* to a fatal depth! To be on the safe side over all, I suggest no edges...

[@micumatrix]

Minute 14: the second edge can be used when coming from behind and cutting the throat. Here You use the edge showing to You…

[@Adam_okaay]

Tip: you can time stamp your comment by typing hour:minute:seconds so in this case you coulda type 00:14:00

[@micumatrix]

@@Adam_okaay Thanks ;)

[@EgaoKage]

Not sure this would qualify as a category unto-itself, but there are some single-edge knives which only have one bevel, on one side of the blade. I've heard this called chisel grind or scissors grind. It's fairly common in Asian kitchen knives; especially those from Japan. And even found on traditional Japanese hatchets. Again, not really a separate category; as they clearly have a single edge. But they might be different enough to be considered their own thing.

[@charlesmckinley29]

Thank you

[@dey-sama265]

Now I wanna see someone cutting with various types of daggers (both point upwards and downwards), to see how well they would perform and how easy is to do that.

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

@29:20, while discussing the yataghan: "So, yet again..." Cheeky devil.

[@Hambokuu]

Who is the manufacturer of that beautiful hunting dagger and where can I get one?

[@Kappi011]

I'm curious about your opinion on why we don't see serrations on blades until modern history? I've always thought it was most likely viewed as not worth the time involved to make but could it also be because of the blade steel, ability to make in general, etc

[@SpeedDemon_Editzzz]

Eyyy The Sword Master is here🗡🔥⚔

[@Qaos]

One thing that not having an edge would allow you to do is to hold the knife by the blade(? Is that still the right term even when there's no edge? I dunno.) 'n' then bash someone's helmet in with the pommel. I don't know if that would be considered an advantage, but it's a possibility.

[@petewatts9475]

I came for the educational insights, I'm staying for the phallic puns

[@janibeg3247]

i purchased a double edged knife about 40 years ago because i thought it looked badass. It was made by Gerber. I found out three things: 1) it was illegal to carry in my state, 2) it was dangerous to me, 3) it was useless in the woods

[@iotst8032]

Hello You forget to say the single edge knife has a steeper cutting(blade) angle and the two edge knife has a wider cutting angle so the use o the knife depends in these things.

[@stormiewutzke4190]

Still hopeful that you will talk more about how they were used and get back to me about building one.

[@raphlvlogs271]

the blade type of the rondel dagger will also make a great bayonet as well

[@MiskyWilkshake]

You forgot the primary reason for any design decision, Matt. "It just looks cool".

[@jf73f80]

love the shirt

[@raphlvlogs271]

is it a knife a machete or a sword depends on the size of the person using it