Over the last 18 years, I’ve used both drop point and spear point blades and honestly, I like the former due to its thick belly. However, many of my hunting friends go with spear point as they feel the symmetrical design of the blade helps them in piercing and thrusting.
These days, I see a lot of debate in our hunting club on which one is better and I thought of writing a post in my blog to help people who have similar doubts in their mind. Just stick with me for a couple of minutes and you can decide which one to go to.
What is a Drop Point Blade?
A drop point features a large belly and a curved spine that gradually slopes down typically in the last third of it. The blade size ranges from 3-6 inches and the thick blade allows us to perform any task effortlessly. It is the most popular blade type you’ll find in most knives.
This sturdy tip is centralized which reduces the chances of breaking it accidentally. It provides the luxury of controlling the knife to perform heavy tasks like batoning, general utility, bushcraft, meat processing, piercing etc.
There are some variations of spinal curves but nonetheless all drop point knives will have a curve towards the end of the tip.
As a hunter, drop point is my first preference because the thick belly and the sturdy tip helps me do skinning, butchering, game processing, etc with ease.
Other than that, I use it for everyday tasks such as cutting vegetables/ fruits, preparing food, opening boxes, cutting ropes, slicing bread, etc.
You can use this knife for:
1. Camping: It can help you do woodwork, chopping, prepare campfire meals, cut branches and more.
2. Survival: Carry out batoning, remove stingers and splinters, cut clothes or even use it as a hammer.
3. EDC: Remove unwanted grass in your lawn, open bottles or containers, open packages, cut bandages or even sharpen your other knives.
The only downsides of this blade is, it is a bit heavy and has less piercing abilities.
I own dozens of knives with this blade and one of my favorite models is, Kizer Aegis. It features a proper 2.8-inch drop point blade that declines towards the tip and the large belly helped me do skinning, field dressing while hunting.
Other drop point blades that I use regularly are; Cold Steel XL Voyager, Kizer Drop Bear 2 and Kizer Begleiter.
What is a Spear Point Blade?
It is a blade with symmetrical ends on both the spine and edge and forms an extremely sharp tip. Due to this thin and narrow tip, it is a popular choice for piercing, carving and precise cutting.
The major differences between this blade and the drop point is, it doesn’t have a large belly, features a sharp-pointed tip and symmetrical spine and edge.
Due to the profile of this blade, it would look exactly the same from any angle.
The spine on most knives will be unsharpened, but if it isn’t, it’ll be called a “double-edged blade”. While owning this blade is legal in most states in the U.S, concealed carrying isn’t allowed in many regions. You must verify the legal status of it before using it in your region.
This blade can be used for:
1. Piercing: The symmetrical profile of the blade lets you do this piercing and thrusting.
2. Self defense: The centred tip provides excellent control and the balance to protect yourself from any danger.
3. Outdoor activities: The design of this blade lets you perform most outdoor activities such as; building a shelter, cutting wood for fire, preparing food, clear tails and more.
I also own several spear point knives and one of my favorite models is: Zero Tolerance 0235. It comes with a 2.6-inch spear point blade. I’ve used it to build a shelter while camping and butchering, trimming meat while hunting and it hasn’t let me down.
Other models I use regularly are; COLD STEEL Tai Pan and Smith & Wesson HRT.
This blade is capable of various tasks however, it isn’t an all-rounder unlike a drop point. It isn’t suitable for tasks like skinning, slicing etc due to the lack of a large belly. Also, the sharp tip is fragile and stressing it too much damages it easily.
FAQs
1. What is the difference between a drop point and a spear point?
Drop point comes with a large belly and the spine lowers down towards the tip of the blade whereas a spear point will have a symmetrical spine and edge and it’ll have a sharp tip.
2. What are drop point knives best for?
It is an excellent choice for precise slicing, skinning, game processing, gutting, detailed carving, woodwork, chopping, and everyday carry due to its large belly.
3. What is a spear point knife good for?
It is suitable for piercing, stabbing, thrusting, drilling, self-defense etc.
4. Are drop points good for stabbing?
No, they aren’t suitable for stabbing because of the large and thick belly it features.
Conclusion
I like drop point knives because I use them regularly for hunting but I do own many spear point blades. I have purchased them for other uses like hiking, backpacking etc. If you want a blade with precise cutting and piercing capabilities, you must go with the spear point.
For hunting, I will always recommend the drop point. If you have any questions on this topic, let me know in the comments and I’ll get back to you soon. Thanks.
