KnifeCenter FAQ #94: What Is A Blood Groove?

IT’S CALLED A FULLER! But how can you use a Tek-Lok? Plus, we’ll cover Swiss Army tools for fire starting, the aesthetics of the Ontario RAT, and an affordable entry in the world of convex grinds.

Featured Knives

0:00 Intro
1:07 The Non-History of “Blood Grooves”
8:23 Swiss Army Ferro Rod Striker
11:12 Tek-Lok Explained
17:03 RATs Ain’t Pretty
18:07 Affordable Convex Grinds
19:20 Cutting Through the Chatter

#KniFAQ #KnifeCenter

Fuller Illustration credit: Zaereth, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

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[tammywilmot]

As a novice at knives, I'm glad to have the term blood groove explained in plain english! Too many times I've heard those 2 words bandied about loosely and I avoided buying knives with that negative stigma attached to them. Too many times I was told a little ol' granny like me didn't need a hard core knife with a blood groove! Now I know better! I've learned a lot here watching these videos and Dave does an excellent job. Kudos to him and The Knife Center!

[retireddac]

I’m 49 years old. When I bought my first camping knife from a military surplus store 30+ years ago I was told the fuller was a blood groove too. I never heard the real info until today. Thanks for making me more informed. I appreciate it.

[Eddie-ufoo]

Be sure to mention that to George Patton, Who wrote a treatise on knife blade features and their purposes while he was a student at West Point.Yeah, THAT George Patton.Grooves today in blades are often used to cut down on blade friction as it goes through materials. These are common on everything from certain kitchen knives, where they usually run vertically, to custom knives like Busey.Fullers found on fighting knives also increase rigidity, useful in thrusting. Saving weight is only a small part of the reason for a fuller.

[WhatsthePOINT_EDC]

Finally we get a brake down of a knife feature I needed as well as many others who didn’t know what the blood grove/ fuller is. Thanks for another informative video!

[Noble_Isaac]

I always enjoy watching this gentleman's presentation. Very professional and his voice is so warm.

[cwest]

The Ontario RAT 2, (Tiawan) is a hard-working large-ish pocket knife in D2 that's PERFECT for knife people who want to spend less. If they're giving one to a young person, are prone to loosing knives, use them especially hard or need it for a loaner it's a great choice. NEVER loan a workmate your "special, " pretty (or handsome)knife, that you keep razor-sharp.

[mdunawaym]

I get excited whenever I see an Ontario Rat on the table!

[Entrename]

The way I explain it is to imagine the strength of a flat bar of steel being bent in half vs an "I" beam. You've added four extra dimensions of strength in the material. The extra points of tension should add more structural integrity. It has multiple purposes but that one is my favorite.

[chiefbrody]

Hey DCA. Love the show. Please do a review of EDC of best Benchmade, Hogue, Spyderco etc…. Maybe 3 best per brand and throw in a couple of budget contenders. Keep up the good work. Can’t get enough of these videos.

[stevenhess]

Yes it is a fuller, it is a sales term, especially today. It does relieve suction to a point. In my father's time you said blood groove. It was an easy teaching tool...who likes that suction sound. Kids and they were the o as to be using them

[cloudninealttech]

Hey DCA! what are some of your favorite sounding knives? Between the clicky sounds of knives and your soothing voice I tend to watch your channel as if it's asmr. My favorite knives I own for sound are my griptilian and my morakniv sheath. I usually buy my knives in the 50-150$ range so some knives that have a good walk and talk in that range would be nice to see but would also like to hear some high end knives if there are some that make good sounds. Thanx!

[midiandirenni]

Love my Ontario Rat Model 1 in Aus 8. It does it all and is easy to sharpen.

[Jakoshdw]

I tip my hat to Thomas on this episode. He was in particularly good form.

[pauljosephbuggle]

Thanks for the very interesting information about the fuller. That's worth knowing.

[AJLikesCats]

Love the rapport between DCA and Thomas. When are they gonna kiss? 👀

[tomrisk]

DCA I love my rat 1 you showed about a year ago when I started getting into knives. The only bad thing is I bought brass scales for it so it's heavier than buck 110. I had to rewind the video when you said muck up your saw. It sounded like you said something else 😚

[samuelwong]

Ontario is a good work horse and very easy to sharpen with the AUS-8 steel. Mine had some patina and scratches but it works fine.

[greglee]

The fuller pun at the beginning was great

[CytoplasmicGoo]

You should mention the middle prong of the tek lok can be used to thread through molle webbing. I attach my knife to the molle webbing of my backpack shoulder strap for easy access that way.

[freespeech]

It's an air gap so the knife won't stick, makes it easier to pull out