Handle style question

[Suffolkrafter]

I came across this style of knife on the ravenforge site:

Forged Long-Grip Knife

Introducing the Forged Long-Grip, this is one of our new knives in our hand-forged knife collection and it is truly stunning. The long grip is expertly curved and twisted during the forging process, sporting a really authentic finish and feel. The blade profile shows classic clip point form...

ravenforge.com

It has a sort of curved, narrow steel handle which clearly isn't designed for having any sort of handle fitted or wrapped. I've always liked the look of these. Aside from being asthetically very pleasing, do they serve any specific purpose, or offer something that a 'normal' handled knife doesn't?

 

[Erbswurst]

They were cheap to make because there is no wood or antler handle. I think that is the main reason why they had been very common.

You can hide it well and sleep on it because it's flat, especially if it isn't twisted.

 

[Suffolkrafter]

That all makes sense

 

[Stew]

Those last two points are just supposition and something I’ve never heard suggested before. There is no historical evidence to support it so I would take it with a pinch of salt.

Enjoy this video though:

 

[C_Claycomb]

I came across this style of knife on the ravenforge site:

Forged Long-Grip Knife

Introducing the Forged Long-Grip, this is one of our new knives in our hand-forged knife collection and it is truly stunning. The long grip is expertly curved and twisted during the forging process, sporting a really authentic finish and feel. The blade profile shows classic clip point form...

ravenforge.com

It has a sort of curved, narrow steel handle which clearly isn't designed for having any sort of handle fitted or wrapped. I've always liked the look of these. Aside from being asthetically very pleasing, do they serve any specific purpose, or offer something that a 'normal' handled knife doesn't?

They give folk who forge for the love of forging the opportunity to ”finish” a knife completely from the forge, no annoying hassle messing with wood or needing to glue and sand. . While written with a smile, I believe this is a big factor in why they get made.

 

[Zingmo]

I made one at the Bushcraft show a few years back. The handle is really uncomfortable for tasks that require a strong grip; especially the twisted part. Oddly it has become my go to knife for cutting leather.
I have heard them described as a "viking knife" or a "viking woman's knife (supposedly made from the broken tip of a sword) but I don't think there is any evidence that they are anything to do with vikings.

Z

 

[Erbswurst]

I am not especially interested in that, but I think I have seen such knives in a lot of museums. So far I remember without twisted part. I think that's a very old pattern and surely existed more of it than swords.

 

[Suffolkrafter]

Some interesting thoughts - and a great YouTube video. Confirms my suspicions that these are likely not comfortable for anything other than light, general use.

 

[TLM]

I think they were sharps for light cutting, apparently often found in women's graves. I think I have a few from various fairs, not used them much and I don't think I have ever carried one.

 

[Herman30]

I think they were sharps for light cutting, apparently often found in women's graves. I think I have a few from various fairs, not used them much and I don't think I have ever carried one.

In Finland that type of knife is known as "matron of the house"-knife. A user for the tasks a woman needed a knife in running the household.

 

[demographic]

The value of a knife that can be quickly made by one person with less tools is not to be underestimated.
Plus I don't know about anyone else but for me a huge amount of the use I have for a knife is of the light duty type and they also might not have such soft hands as most people do today.

I keep reading posts by people saying that a certain knife would give them blisters yada yada yada but then I think if the shoulder plane (think its a Stanley 92) I've had for years and used quite extensively.

It's not what I would describe as a comfortable shape but it's never caused me to have blisters.

Personally I suspect this propensity to blister at the first chance is more of a theoretical risk than a reality.

Thats not to say that I never blister, its happened a few times. Just not often.

 

[Herman30]

People who lived earlier centuries and did physical work weren´t born with hard skined hands. They too were born with soft hands and got blisters but had to do the job regardless the pain.