Blade roughening - jimping

12. srpna 2024

Knife blades are not just sharpened pieces of metal. When designing them, designers carefully think and calculate the shape to best suit the purpose of the knife. And they also think about the other elements that the blade should contain. We recently wrote about the choil, but it's not the only addition to the blade. Perhaps an even more widely used addition than choil is jimping, the roughening of the blade's spine.

Jimping may be subtle, but it can make a big difference in ergonomics, safety and control when using the knife. It became a trend in the 1970s, particularly in tactical and military knives. It is therefore not surprising that Mikov used jimping on his legendary UTON military knife , which was developed during this time. So what advantages does jimping bring to a knife?

One of the main reasons the blade's back is roughened is to improve grip. The roughening provides better support for the thumb or other fingers that often rest on the blade's back when handling the knife. This is especially important where precision and delicacy are required, but it also allows more force to be applied without the risk of the knife slipping out of the hand. The roughening of the spine ensures that the thumb stays firmly in position even when the knife handle is wet, greasy or otherwise slippery. This is important not only for soldiers, but also for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. That 's why Mikov has also roughened the blade back on, for example, the Diverdiving knife , the Taurus tank knife or the Patron outdoor knife.

Although the main reason for jimping is functionality and safety, the aesthetic aspect cannot be overlooked either.Mikov puts a lot of emphasis on design, which is why the roughening of the blade spine is done to give the knives a unique look. Typical examples are the Project War Veteran Storm, Repetitor and Golak military knives .

So, if you are choosing a new knife, one of your selection criteria should be how useful and practical you may find blade roughening. In any case, its advantages are undeniable and unmissable.