Blades have been coated in one form or another at least from the middle ages. The earliest I know of is rust bluing that would have been used to help reduce rusting and also for beauty especially where gold or silver was inlaid into the blade.
Read moreAuthor: Joe Talmadge Source: rec.knives Newsgroup June 1998 Welcome to the blade geometry FAQ. Our objective is to provide a working knowledge of blade shapes and grinds. After reading the FAQ, I hope you'll be better able to answer the question, "I need to do job X, what kinds of knives should I consider?". We will start with some general characteristics of blade shapes, then talk about blade grinds, then put it all together to discuss specific blade patterns. The last section, a brief analysis of some common designs, will build upon the previous sections. It's important to keep in mind that the characteristics can be as important as blade shape. When you're done with the FAQ, you should be able to make decisions not only on blade shape but on other attributes. If you need to slice, you'll know to look for a nice curving belly -- and not get hung up on what the ostensible blade shape is supposed to be.
Read moreThere's been a jump in recent years in the popularity of serrated edges, and there's often confusion as to when a serrated edge is advantageous, versus when a plain edge is advantageous.
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