The degree, or angle, of the edge varies based on the intended use of the knife. For example, kitchen knives tend to have thin edges, around 15° to 20°, which makes sense because you’ll be using those knives for slicing and light duty chopping. However, for knives you’ll be using outdoors, you run the risk of chipping a thin edge. As a rule of thumb, the edge angle for a field knife should be around 20° to 25°.