Whats the best grind for your ideal bushcraft knife?
- Thread starter British Red
- Start date
Aye, but not 'true' hollow ground. Just ground to scandi on a wheel, leaving it somewhat concave.
It's been the most popular grind for hunting/fishing/outdoor knives all my life (including the Buck 119) If it works; don't fix it.
It's an american favourite, I'm sure.
But when you exclude dissecting large game it falls redundant to most other grinds available, imo.
Works pretty good for small game/fish and slicing bacon as well. And grind is irrelevant for digging roots or boring holes. TBH what some seem to consider bushcraft tasks are things I either don't do or use a better tool than a knife for: I don't carve and I don't baton (that's what axes are for)
All that said, it's unlikely any of my knives maintain their hollow grind after I sharpen them as my technique is the old method of simply pulling the blade along the whet-rock as if trying to slice it.
A couple of weeks ago a friend gave me my first Mora; a stainless Woodlore (TBH it's the first one I've ever even seen in person) I accepted it graciously and will definitely put it to some use or another (probably cleaning panfish or as a pairing knife in the kitchen) but I didn't have the heart to tell him it looks and feels like a steak knife with a sheath. The funny thing is, when I got home and showed it to Barbara she said, "It looks like a steak knife."
All that said, it's unlikely any of my knives maintain their hollow grind after I sharpen them as my technique is the old method of simply pulling the blade along the whet-rock as if trying to slice it.
A couple of weeks ago a friend gave me my first Mora; a stainless Woodlore (TBH it's the first one I've ever even seen in person) I accepted it graciously and will definitely put it to some use or another (probably cleaning panfish or as a pairing knife in the kitchen) but I didn't have the heart to tell him it looks and feels like a steak knife with a sheath. The funny thing is, when I got home and showed it to Barbara she said, "It looks like a steak knife."
Last edited:
where is flat ground? I dont mean a scandi grind, which i must admit to being a big fan of, but just a flat grind, gives you some of the finesse of the hollow with a good deal of the strength of the scandi grind. plus it gives you a uch cleaner cut when doing carving on wood or meat and stands up to things like batoning and using it like an awl ect.
I always have an opinel or svord peasant on me to back up a Scandinavian grind. Flat grind is for slicing, terrible at woodwork, and my slightly iffy sharpening technique adds a convex edge to everything anyway.
I just wish some of the Sheffield built Bowie's were serious knives
I just wish some of the Sheffield built Bowie's were serious knives
Knives that are 5/32" ( 3.9 mm) & below I prefer a SCANDI grind. Anything above that parameter I prefer a CONVEX grind.
DomC
Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk HD
DomC
Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk HD
Hi, I'm new here, but am a frequent poster on the Spyderco.com forum where the discussion was started on a Spyderco bush-craft knives.
About grinds, I used my Fallkniven F1 for some really hard batonning through pretty hard wood (2.5") to split it up to make fire on my last trip to Scotland. The edge is still pretty OK to my amazement. I wonder if that's due to the convex grind, where in batonning the edge is only shortly in touch with the wood (only when you start).
With a flat-ground or single-scandi grind, I guess the edge would be under more pressure? And, I wonder when splitting wood, if the single-bevel-scandi grind would push the blade in one direction and make it difficult to split it in half? ( I don't have a single-bevel-scandi grind knife).
I tried to illustrate it with the following picture. Any comments on that?
Thanks,
Ted
The actual fire:
Having cut a lot of large hard vegetables (Turnips, swedes, celeriac etc.) with a Deba (because the guy in the Portland Kitchen Knife Supply shop told that was what you use a Deba for) I can tell you that a "chisel grind" aka single bevel scandi grind blade tends to try and cut a long radius curveaway from the bevel. In the picture, the edge would end up almost at the left hand corner. It would also not split wood as well as a symmetrical profile, brecause the edge is always trying to cut across the grain rather than run between it.
I prefer the scandi grind as it works best for me. As others have stated, I prefer it higher on thicker stock. It's just easy to maintain in the field with simple diamond stones and a leather belt as a strop. I have a few knives that have convex edges, and they work quite well. The edge does seem to be a little stronger, but I don't feel as if they offer the same control, especially when making feather sticks.
I am as picky about the steel as I am the edge. I do not like stainless, I prefer carbon steel.
I am as picky about the steel as I am the edge. I do not like stainless, I prefer carbon steel.
I thought I might just stick my 2cents in quickly...
My first point would be use both. Knives are not that heavy especially when they are on your belt. So take both and have the best of both worlds.
2, Scandi might be easier to sharpen, but if you get s chip in the blade you have to remove an awful lot if steel to get your edge back to how it was.
If you use a flat grind with a convex edge then you can always sharpen that portion of the blade to a more obtuse angle for the remainder of your trip. It means you can be cutting again in a few moments rather than hours.
My first point would be use both. Knives are not that heavy especially when they are on your belt. So take both and have the best of both worlds.
2, Scandi might be easier to sharpen, but if you get s chip in the blade you have to remove an awful lot if steel to get your edge back to how it was.
If you use a flat grind with a convex edge then you can always sharpen that portion of the blade to a more obtuse angle for the remainder of your trip. It means you can be cutting again in a few moments rather than hours.
I have two knives - one is a mora (scandi grind), and one is a condor bushlore that I convexed. I like both. The scandi is easier to keep razor sharp, and is thus better for feathersticking and things like that. But I like how versatile the convexed edge is. It seems to keep a sharp enough edge to get things done well enough, and it's also very durable and strong, so splitting wood and things like that isn't hard to do.
I'm not a big fan of flat. I can see how it can be advantageous, but it seems like too much trouble to sharpen in comparison.
I'm not a big fan of flat. I can see how it can be advantageous, but it seems like too much trouble to sharpen in comparison.
Check out virtuovice on you tube . I have done a couple of knives inspired by him I flattened of the right side of the knife with a steep convex on the edge then on the left side I put much more of a rounded convex on it so the left side does not dig into wood too much when feather sticking since the convex curve near the edge tends to allow the blade to track nearer the surface which is also good if you are taking flesh off the bone . The left edge is more like a sort convex chisel edge with a reasonable amount of curve and the right side bevel is almost invisible so a sort of convex scandi on that side making an asymmetric grind .
If you use bench stones this is quite easy to do.
If you are left handed then reverse the sides.
The one downside with a pure scandi is that there is a lot of surface area to sharpen and the edge is very thin which means it can be delicate; this blade solution combines scandi and convex possible making a more durable edge.
If you use bench stones this is quite easy to do.
If you are left handed then reverse the sides.
The one downside with a pure scandi is that there is a lot of surface area to sharpen and the edge is very thin which means it can be delicate; this blade solution combines scandi and convex possible making a more durable edge.
For me, it's all about the edge angle. 16 to 25 are the limits.
Skandi/nordic grind or full flat.
Skandi/nordic grind or full flat.
I like convex for strength, and find them simple to sharpen and strop.
I made a small sheepsfoot blade with a hollow grind and convex edge from a 4mm thick file and that is an excellent cutter and very easy to sharpen and strop. Not had any issues with chips or holding an edge.
I made a small sheepsfoot blade with a hollow grind and convex edge from a 4mm thick file and that is an excellent cutter and very easy to sharpen and strop. Not had any issues with chips or holding an edge.
I like them all, they all work! but most of the cutter's I take out are large and sport a convex grind.
Le Loup
Settler
????????
Sorry chaps, but this question comes up a lot & it always makes me chuckle.
Keith.
[video=youtube;6LSCjGpqD8k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LSCjGpqD8k[/video]
Sorry chaps, but this question comes up a lot & it always makes me chuckle.Keith.
[video=youtube;6LSCjGpqD8k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LSCjGpqD8k[/video]
Similar threads
