What Is The Point Of A Head/round Knife?

[Bob Blea]

For me the difference is very basic. With a utility knife I have to pull it towards me and with the round/head knife I push it away from me. Seems much safer.

[speckeye]

Hijacked or no, JLS, I just got to read Tor, Chief, Art,John,et al, and their honest ideas about what a head knife will do. I never thought to ask what a wiggling utility knife will do, but now I know there's people who'll buff and strop those beautifully wiggly blades.I bet setting a utility blade in a custom handle could be the bee's knees, if you please! My takeaway is that one might effectively make one's own blades and have a better experience, or pay the cost of a head knife and have a better experience learning the leather, or use that Stanley and be the happiest leather guy on earth, which you may well be, but the head knife market certainly takes a hit when you enter the room! For my part, I got suckered in on the HALF PRICE fake Damascus steel pretty black wood handled Al/Tandy header a few years back, and was rapt with pleasurable sensations as I mutilated a number of pieces, and stropped my way across the workshop with it, UNTIL I got hijacked, read this thread, and realized I was only hallucinating the whole thing. Thanks Guys!

[JLSleather]

JLS, I just got to read Tor, Chief, Art,John,et al, and their honest ideas about what a head knife will do.... but the head knife market certainly takes a hit when you enter the room!

I'm not following that at all. What exactly DID they say it will do, that something else wouldn't? Ah, you know what... never mind

[speckeye]

Their response, to me, indicates a that one makes a journey with any particular knife. Deeper meaning lies within learning the medium as it reacts to the tools, and skill builds upon itself through time and usage. You give us beginners the idea that we waste our time and money if we entertain the esoteric, but, these other teachers suggest experience is richer if you try the sacred tools and waste the time that you save in being steadfastly a ute-knife man. It's a legitimate disagreement, but edifying, thought not for head knife sellers.

[Windrider30]

Hmm a lot of information has been given and I thank each person for it, the main question really was what was the purpose of the head knife, to me they scare the shit out of me with that large of a cutting surface, I do not know if I will ever own one, but I do like to know the point behind some of the tools that seem to be " common" even if I do not use them myself. Personally I like the stanly knives as well as the rotery cutter blade. Each blade has it's uses at times, but I have never really seen anyone (other then youtube) use one and was interested in the whole point of such a large blade. As one person did point out the safety factor is actually an interesting one considering you are pushing the blade away from you rather then pulling in towards you...Next question is how often does the blade go dull to the point you need to sharpen it (I can't sharpen a penicil have the time so the Stanely blades make it so I do not have to worry about it)?

[WinterBear]

Scaring the bejeezus out of people is definitely one of its points. I'm scared of mine, so you better believe I am darn sure where my fingers are when cutting--result is I haven't cut myself with it, but I have cuts from just about every other blade I have. I do like cutting away from myself--I also find it easier to see where I need to cut and control the blade.

I don't cut a whole lot, mostly because I have a full time job and don't get to monkey about with leather as much as I'd like, but so far, a quick touchup on some extrafine automotive sandpaper glued to glass (since I haven't bought a waterstone big enough yet) every couple of months and a strop between projects is keeping it plenty sharp.

[Trox]

What I cannot understand is how you are able to control a flexible utility blade and get it spot on the pattern all the time. That's an achievement by its self, when it cuts in to the cutting board and flex away from cutting line. I would not manage to cut out the pattern without stopping, and we do not want stops and starts. We want to cut the pattern in one flowing movement for the best result. At least I would use a proper clicking knife for a cardboard pattern. I talked about the knife design and the advantages with it, that's not off topic. The fact that the shape has survived decades of modernizing speaks for it self. The fact that the majority of leather workers has discovered it advantages. The key to learning every craft is to master it's tools. The point with a round knife is that it is made for leather work. The steel hardness, not too hard to get as sharp as possible and soft enough to take stropping. But hard enough to keep an edge. It combines several knives in one, so it speeds up the cutting process. Up on it tip to round a corner, rolling on the long straight and skiving the end. When you have to pick up another knife, mine is till in my hand. When you have to change the blade, I bet that mine is still sharp. Or else I pull it a couple of time on my stropping board and it's good to go again. As for sharpening, I sharpening my knifes only once; then all it ever needs is stopping. To claim that is no point in an round knife, is the same as telling that you have not discovered this tool yet. It's the genius one tool I could not do without.

Tor

[zuludog]

Hopefully without adding too much confusion, Japanese leather knives are interesting. They cut by pushing or pulling, and are also used for skiving, but are simpler than a round knife.

I have an old block plane blade, and one day I might get round to turning it into a Japanese style leather knife

Put 'japanese leather knife' into YouTube's search box.

[lwm803]

I have one of those so called "cheap and useless" Tandy round knives. I also have better than average skills at putting a good cutting edge on various tools. It is probably due to that second fact that I find my "cheap and worthless" knife to be the first thing that I reach for when I need to cut a piece of leather. I only work with leather occasionally so am far from an expert but learning to use and actually using a round knife is worth the effort in accuracy of cuts, time saved, ease of use and yes even safety as long as you keep both hands behind the blade. It is quite simply the right tool for the job but by far not the only tool that can get the job done. Use what you will, it's the finished project that's important. If you are happy with that, then the tools you are using are the right ones for you.

[Oldtoolsniper]

Ok why under the Good Lord's green earth would you need such a knife? I mean really I use a stanily knife for every thing from 8 to 9 0z down to 2-3 oz leather and i have already had to have stitches because of the stanly knife..with a head knife I would be afraid to lose a finger!! or a hand! So what is the actual point and does it truely come in handy to have such a blade?

Because they look so cool, everyone should have a chocolate box full of em. Utility knives just have no style and after all it's style that matters.