Fathers Day Gift

Which blade shape suits the kind of dad you actually have?

Fathers come in two types where knives are concerned. One puts a gift on a shelf. The other has it through a parcel strap before the card is open. Both are good fathers. They need different knives, and the difference is mostly in the shape of the blade rather than the steel or the handle.

The shapes on this page, counted

We went through the titles of the 32 knives in this tag and sorted them by the blade shape each one names. Fifteen do not name a shape at all, and those are generally the plainer profiles.

Two of the double edge knives, BF-143 and BF-144, also carry an eagle profile. We counted them once, under double edge. Our blade types guide shows what each outline looks like side by side.

The dad who uses his tools

If he will cut with it, choose a single edge. That rules out nine knives straight away, and we think that is the most useful thing on this page. A double edge blade has no spine, so there is nowhere to put a thumb for a controlled push cut, and both sides of the knife are live when he closes it. Fine for a practised flipper, a nuisance for someone opening feed sacks in the garage.

From there, the BF-135 drop point is the most practical outline in the group. The tip sits in line with the handle, which makes it easy to aim. The tanto knives give him a tougher point for stabbing into packaging and a little less belly for slicing. D2 is the working steel in this tag and it holds an edge for a long time, which suits a man who will use it daily and sharpen it rarely. Our double edge vs single edge guide covers the trade in more detail.

The shelf dad, and the dad who has never flipped

Then the rules reverse. A display knife is judged from a metre away, and the double edge Damascus knives are the most striking things in this range. BF-142 pairs a raindrop Damascus blade with a mammoth tooth handle and engraved brass bolsters. BF-140 puts stag against engraved copper bolsters.

One practical point for the shelf dad: the leather sheath is for carrying, not storage. Leather holds moisture, and a Damascus blade sealed inside one for months will not thank him. A stand or an open box is better.

Plenty of fathers remember balisongs from their youth and never owned one. Order the trainer. It is the same knife with the same weight and balance and no edge, at the same price, and it means he can try the moves at the kitchen table without the grandchildren watching a first aid lesson. Our trainer page explains how to select it. If you want his name or a message cut into the steel, the engraved gift guide is where to plan the wording. Some places treat double edge blades more strictly than single edge ones, so check his local rules in the laws by state guide before you buy.

Father's Day knife questions