Jesse,

Type ricasso in the search engine above, you'll find many interesting threads to read.

Bob

I like to understand expectations and goals that go into specific design elements.

As it pertains to the ABS testing standards, a ricasso is expected. The general rule of thumb is the ricasso on a given knife is approx a "square" or less (some folks can pull the "less" off much better then others). What that means is that if the stock you use to forge the blade is 1" wide, then the ricasso should be 1" long or slightly less. It's all about the "balance" and "symmetry" referred to in the JS and MS testing rules. Although I'm not familiar with the knives you referred to in your post, I can pretty much be sure that the ricassos were so "short" that the overall knife either looked or felt out of balance because of it.... there's also the element of symmetry, which was very likely "off" if the ricasso was too short/small.

Most factory knives have very little ricasso area, yet one thing that stands out on a lot of custom knives is the much larger ricassos.

The reason you see minimal or no ricassos on most factory/production knives is purely economics. With factory knives, it's all about the bottom line.... with few exceptions, the thought pattern is how little can they get away with spending on materials, time, production processes, etc., and produce a product of ACCEPTABLE quality, that will sell for a given dollar amount. When you consider the cost of blade steel, and how many blades a production knife facility puts out, any amount of unnecessary ricasso translates into likely hundreds more blades that could be produced versus making blades with ricassos. It really is that simple. That's not any kind of "knock" against production knife facilities, it's just how they have to operate in order to stay in business.

On the other side of the fence you have "custom" knifemakers and/or Bladesmiths. I can only speak for myself, but suspect that any established knifemaker would have the same point of view..... our individual name goes on each an every blade/knife that leaves the shop, therefore, EVERY knife that goes out the door MUST be the very best the knifemaker can produce, regardless of the amount or type of materials utilized, or the time it requires to "do it right". In 30 years of Bladesmithing, the one ultimate truth that I have come to understand is...... a GOOD reputation is one of the most difficult things to achieve, and is also one of the easiest things to loose. Let one sub-par blade/knife/design out the door, and you risk loosing any good reputation you've established for yourself. I've seen it happen a number of times....a person reaches a certain point in their Bladesmithing/Knifemaking career, then in one way or another "lets off the gas"..... and in a short while, they couldn't give a knife away. Although economics comes into account with the custom maker to, it is generally not the driving force behind what we do. Again, speaking only for myself, but suspecting that most are this way.... I would rather explain price, then apologize for quality.

So, my question is, when designing the ricasso, what is the function of the ricasso? Is there more than one function, if so which is the most important function? Obviously this will vary with different styles of knives, but I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys think about when designing your ricassos.

There are any number of functions to a ricasso, depending on the Maker, the design, and it's intended use(s). It can range anywhere from purely "decorative" to highly functional.....but whichever end of the scale it falls within, it should "add" something to the design, be balanced with the overall knife, be symmetrical, and look/feel as if it belongs there.

Yes, the ricasso appeared on swords and other combat blades, when fighting styles started bringing the fingers in front of the guard for more precise point control. On a modern custom blades it can be the virtual foundation of the entire knife, all the lines either originate or converge at that section. Ricassos can get too long or too short, throwing the visuals of the knife entirely off and not really properly serving its functions, one of which is still offering the opportunity to choke up in front of the guard.

The really good news is that it is not complex or all that subjective to determine the proper length of a ricasso. From the time it first appeared on swords and daggers, to this very moment in time, the golden mean/ratio has applied perfectly. To make a ricasso that is proportional to any blade, without fail, simply measure the height of the ricasso from spine to bottom an divide that number by 1.618, and that is the perfect visual length fro your ricasso, forming the golden section that has been the standard for pleasing designs for thousands of years. Of course, on much smaller knives this may leave no room for "choking up" but then there is little need to choke up on such a small blade, but there is still a need for pleasing designs.

For swords and daggers, where the length is greater than the width, you simply multiply rather than divide.

Thanks for a couple of great answers! I appreciate it!