An annular rotary knife blade for rotation about a central axis of rotation in a power operated rotary knife, the rotary knife blade comprising: a body and a blade section extending from the body, the body including an upper end and a lower end spaced axially apart and an inner wall and an outer wall spaced radially apart, the outer wall of the body including an upper portion adjacent the upper end of the body, a lower portion adjacent the lower end of the body, and a middle portion disposed between the upper and lower ends (312,314) of the body, the body and the blade section being radially centered about the central axis of rotation; the blade section extending from the lower end of the body; the upper portion of the outer wall of the body including an annular bearing race axially spaced from the upper end of the body, the middle portion of the outer wall of the body including an annular land axially below the annular bearing race, and the lower portion of the outer wall of the body including an annular driven gear axially below the annular land; the annular bearing race extending radially into the outer wall of the body including a first bearing surface and an axially spaced apart second bearing surface, the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface converging radially inwardly toward a central surface bridging the first and second bearing surfaces (326,327), the central surface defining a radially innermost region of the annular bearing race; the annular driven gear including set of gear teeth formed in the outer wall of the body for rotatably driving the annular rotary knife blade about the central axis of rotation, the annular driven gear including an inner surface and a radially spaced apart outer surface, the outer surface defining a radially outermost region of the annular driven gear; and the annular land including a radially outer surface defining a radially outermost portion of the outer wall of the body, the radially outer surface of the annular land being radially outward of the outer surface of the annular driven gear and radially outward of the bearing race. a body and a blade section extending from the body, the body including an upper end and a lower end spaced axially apart and an inner wall and an outer wall spaced radially apart, the outer wall of the body including an upper portion adjacent the upper end of the body, a lower portion adjacent the lower end of the body, and a middle portion disposed between the upper and lower ends (312,314) of the body, the body and the blade section being radially centered about the central axis of rotation; the blade section extending from the lower end of the body; the upper portion of the outer wall of the body including an annular bearing race axially spaced from the upper end of the body, the middle portion of the outer wall of the body including an annular land axially below the annular bearing race, and the lower portion of the outer wall of the body including an annular driven gear axially below the annular land; the annular bearing race extending radially into the outer wall of the body including a first bearing surface and an axially spaced apart second bearing surface, the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface converging radially inwardly toward a central surface bridging the first and second bearing surfaces (326,327), the central surface defining a radially innermost region of the annular bearing race; the annular driven gear including set of gear teeth formed in the outer wall of the body for rotatably driving the annular rotary knife blade about the central axis of rotation, the annular driven gear including an inner surface and a radially spaced apart outer surface, the outer surface defining a radially outermost region of the annular driven gear; and the annular land including a radially outer surface defining a radially outermost portion of the outer wall of the body, the radially outer surface of the annular land being radially outward of the outer surface of the annular driven gear and radially outward of the bearing race.