Your correct kevin! The transition from the ricasso to the bevels.

Scott

I don't really understand the question.

They are there because a rectangle is being stripped of two wedges and turning into a triangle. So in effect they are a result rather than a tool to serve a purpose.

Now there are blades that flow with bevels straight into the handle like seax or katana, but then the question would be, what purpose does a ricasso serve? Maybe back during their inception they were heavily tapered and were to wedge the blade into the sheath or scabbard like a habaki does for the katana. Perhaps somebody more versed on the history of blades will jump In.

Anyway that's my two cents. Take care.

The adoption of the Ricasso as a main stay of design can be traced back to the early production houses, they show up earlier on some daggers and a few types of swords but for the most part they do not show up on earlier knives.

as to why, the adoption of the Ricasso facilitated the mass production of knives, if you accept poor fit by our standards then a standardized punched guard slot in conjunction with a ricosso speeds production.

As to why they are some common now, I think this is partly because they just make building certain types of knives easier, but also in the early days of American knife making the makers built knives that looked like what they knew, and they knew production knives coming out of factories in the northeast or England, oh course there are exceptions , look at Scagel's work I dont remember ever seeing a ricosso on one of his knives.

MP

|quoted:

The adoption of the Ricasso as a main stay of design can be traced back to the early production houses, they show up earlier on some daggers and a few types of swords but for the most part they do not show up on earlier knives.

as to why, the adoption of the Ricasso facilitated the mass production of knives, if you accept poor fit by our standards then a standardized punched guard slot in conjunction with a ricosso speeds production.

As to why they are some common now, I think this is partly because they just make building certain types of knives easier, but also in the early days of American knife making the makers built knives that looked like what they knew, and they knew production knives coming out of factories in the northeast or England, oh course there are exceptions , look at Scagel's work I dont remember ever seeing a ricosso on one of his knives.

MP

That's awesome Matthew and makes perfect sense when it's spelled out.

I might as well go home now, that's the one new thing I had to learn today. Thanks

|quoted:

I don't really understand the question.

They are there because a rectangle is being stripped of two wedges and turning into a triangle. So in effect they are a result rather than a tool to serve a purpose.

Now there are blades that flow with bevels straight into the handle like seax or katana, but then the question would be, what purpose does a ricasso serve? Maybe back during their inception they were heavily tapered and were to wedge the blade into the sheath or scabbard like a habaki does for the katana. Perhaps somebody more versed on the history of blades will jump In.

Anyway that's my two cents. Take care.

well actually you could say that the katana has a riccoso when you take into account the habaki, however this is a desing feture and not a true riccoso. im posting this mainly for conversation and please excuse my vulgarity not to be a ****.

I just read the ABS intro to bladesmithing text that i got with my Handle and gaurds text and it states in the thing that the riccoso gives you master and journeyman smiths a place to stamp.

|quoted:

I just read the ABS intro to bladesmithing text that i got with my Handle and gaurds text and it states in the thing that the riccoso gives you master and journeyman smiths a place to stamp.

The ricasso existed long before the ABS. But it is a convenient place for a name/logo.

It is also used as the foundation of the knife like a cornerstone was once used to start the build of a house. When you grind the blade the plunge lines are there to transition the blade into the ricasso and also to keep the ricasso flat and parallel.

Jesse,

Matthew has the real history of how and why the ricasso/plunge cut/choil combination came into being. These days, it seem to be a stylistic choice, more than anything else. I think of the plunge cuts as another area for embellishment. Do I want square cut sharp angles? Do I want a more curved and flowing design? Do I want a very definitive "end" of the blade edge rather than one that continues straight back to the guard or bolster? The presence of a nice square cut ricasso with plunge cuts does make construction a lot easier to accomplish. Ever try to take the bevels all the way through to the tang and put a guard on it? Cutting a triangular slot in a guard plate is a lot easier said than done. <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//blink.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' />