3/16 inch knives?

Mark Barone

Mark Barone

Well-Known Member
Is this stock thickness limited on what knives can be made out of them. For example o would think they do
Not make great kitchen knives. Good for Bushcraft or anything else?
 
IMO, a bit overkill for kitchen cutlery, except for a cleaver/chopper of some kind.
Definitely OK for Bushcraft, tactical or hunting.
Probably, most importantly, the design and use should dictate the materials, stock thickness and of course geometry.
Gonna have some weight to it.
 
SS369 said:
Probably, most importantly, the design and use should dictate the materials, stock thickness and of course geometry.
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I agree with SS369. Those variables all come into play. Having said that I use mostly 3/16 stock. Depending on the size and style of knife I have a surface grinder that I can thin it down if I need to.
 
Mark I just did a dagger out of 3/16" IMO it was a bit thick for the application but that's what the customer wanted. Matter of fact he wanted 1/4"! I told him it was way to heavy and thought the 3/16" was marginal. He insisted, I got the money for all the materials up front! The knife came out great and I skeletonized the tang to loose some weight. He loved the finished project but if I were to do this for myself 1/8" probably would have been my choice. As SS369 said there are many variables too! The dagger I did was stock removal 1/8" is difficult to forge but 3/16" is easy and you can draw it out to loose the thickness.
 
Are you starting with true 3/16” stock or 3/16” stock that has mill scale that needs to be removed. If it’s not true and flat you are most likely going to end up greater than 1/8 but less than 3/16.
I’ve been wrong before.
 
tkroenlein said:
Well I have a tiny bit different opinion. Not that I like thick knives. But 3/16" would be good for hidden tangs and for showing off some pretty significant tang and distal tapering.
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This. Hidden tangs and full guards work so much better with thicket material. Especially with guard slots, you have to think about a slot that is thick enough to get a file into and many files are 1/8” thick.

A distal taper will get the weight down if need be. I like 1/8 (.125) to .156 in a 4” Hunter with no guard. But anything longer than that and 3/16 starts to make good sense.
 
opaul said:
Are you starting with true 3/16” stock or 3/16” stock that has mill scale that needs to be removed. If it’s not true and flat you are most likely going to end up greater than 1/8 but less than 3/16.
I’ve been wrong before.
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That’s a good pint. Most of my only 8 knives I have made were 3/16 and ended up just shy of that. But still pretty thick. The chef cleaver I made was my first 1/8 inch stock. Some day I would like to have a website and maybe start with bushcraft knives. I think I will use 1/8 inch stock.
 
As one who forges about 95% of everything..... it's rare that I start with anything less than 1/4". I'm a big believer in distal tapers, which means that I can take a pretty small piece of 1/4" stock, and turn it into something.

Personally, I don't think it's about the thickness that one starts with.....but what you do with it in terms of geometry and heat treat to fit whatever the thickness is. In terms of grinding/finishing, I live by...... "I can always remove material if I want/it's needed....but if it's too thin, I can never put any material back." That means I ALWAYS start thick, and if necessary, make it thinner.
 
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