Knife Grind?

[Barney]

One thing I would like to talk about is the knife grind. What grind do you prefer? I like full flat grind because it is a good wood splitter since it behaves as a wedge.

[Michael]

I find myself really like Scandinavian (ie Scandi) grinds. The cutting edge is durable, and even once it's dulled a bit the shape of the blade continues to make it cut well. Combined with the flat blade stock that's typical for such edges, it also means that the bevel on the blade will be basically the same throughout the life of the knife.

Full flat is okay for general purpose. I don't find it to be wonderful for anything, but it's a flexible configuration that you can use for most camp chores. You can use it for food prep or for carving. It's a non-specialized, middle of the road type geometry. In particular, I like the ones on Swiss Army knives quite a lot, because the spine isn't too thick, so they're nice slicers.

Concave (ie hollow) is good for kitchen prep. I wouldn't carry my kitchen knives into the woods with me, because the concave shape makes the edge a bit fragile, but it's great for cutting vegetables. I keep mine sharp enough that I can cut fresh bread and tender meat with them as well.

[CozInCowtown]

Uh....what is a grind??
Stone??
DC

[oldsarge]

Originally Posted by CozInCowtown

Uh....what is a grind??
Stone??
DC

This will help, Knife Edge Grind Types

[CozInCowtown]

Thanx Sarge......hollow ground and carbon steel all the way!

[Johnny]

I don't like the hollow grind because I had some bad experiences. Convex edge is fine but not every manufacturer will opt for that. Full flat grind is just fine under most conditions.

[Johnny]

When it comes to grind it all boils down to edge retention and cutting power. Convex blade will hold an edge for ages but it won't have cutting/slashing power of the hollow grind, which is why most tactical knives use hollow grind. But hollow grind on the other hand needs to be retouched annoyingly often to bring back the edge. So no hollow grind for me when it comes to outdoor/survival knives, which basically stands for woodwork in my book.

[CozInCowtown]

Now for me I keep a stone and oil on the lampstand next to my chair in the livingroom.
Evenings I will touch up my knife with a hard ceramic while I relax or watch television and it stays razor sharp. I have never found sharpening a knife an annoying chore but a relaxing personal time/moment.
Myself, my father and uncle are the only people I know who can be depended on for a sharp knife when needed.
DC