bevel angle question

shamu

shamu

Joined
Jan 18, 2010
Messages
217
Hi BF,

I want to make a drop point hunter. I really like Walter Sorrell's design here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DSGWbOHgjc .

I'm going to use 1084 njsteelbaron. 1.25" wide x .156" thick (per input from my previous thread re: best size for a starter). I'm starting to get a better feel for my grinder, and want to start being more precise/scientific.

Question: What bevel angle would you suggest considering the above?

thanks again!
 
Don't worry about a precise angle. Mark the centerline of your edge (or 2 lines about 1/10th inch apart). Then mark the flat of the blade with where you want the top of your bevel to be.
Remove the metal between the edge marks and the top marks, and you have a bevel that matches on both sides. As long as all your lines are laid out well...


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If you are using a jig, you can start at about 2 degrees on each side. You still need to do as the first answer describes. Then as your grind moves toward the center line you scribed into the edge, check how the grind is moving up the blade and make adjustments as necessary.

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shamu,
New makers always overthink this. I have posted this many times, but it bears repeating:

The actual angle isn't important, and isn't constant throughout the blade from handle to tip anyway. It is a product of the height of the bevel and the thickness of the steel. On knives, the main bevel angle is only a few degrees (normally 4°-7°). The changes in angle as the bevel height and blade thickness change are in hundredths of a degree. It takes very precise equipment to accurately measure these low angles.

Just scribe a centerline and grind the bevel flat from the spine to the centerline ... that is all you need to do.



TIP:
Do the distal taper first, then grind the bevel from spine to center line.


Some examples (ignoring distal taper):
Huge Bowie - .25" stock, 2.5" bevel height = 5.7°
Camp knife - .165" stock with a 1.50" bevel height = 6.3°
Hunter - .125" stock with a 1.25" bevel height = 5.7°
Thin fillet knife - .065" stock with a 1" bevel height = 3.7°
 
I have never ground the distal taper first. I'm willing to try , but what's the advantage?

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What is the best way to grind in the distal taper first and be consistent on both sides?

No surface grinder by the way.
 
I use to scribe center lines on the spine of the blade to help with the distal taper and grind it while doing the bevels. Now I do it naturally but I never was shown how so I'm sure there are better ways.
 
Just scribe the centerlines and grind the basic distal taper. Then grind the bevels. It will all come out even and straight that way.

If you ground the bevels, and then the distal taper, you would likely have to go back and touch up the bevels again ... and again ... and again.

On large kitchen knives, I often grind them both at the same time ... but there is a lot of experience behind that.

Two main issues avoided by tapering first:
1) By grinding the distal first, you still have two very close to parallel surfaces to make the bevels from. If you grind the bevel first, the parallax is greater, thus there is more chance of an error.

2) If you grind the taper first, you have no plunge to deal with or mess up. It will also be a much more exact taper. Similar to my bevel grinding advice, you just make the tip the thickness you want and make a flat taper to the ricasso. The tang is slightly raised from the belt or sanding surface ( disc sanders are great for tapering), so it stays out of the way. The tang is then flattened ( or reverse tapered) to establish the perfect ricasso. The bevels and plunge can now be placed with precision and no need for adjustment.
If you grind the bevel first, you are then trying to taper something that has a very finite end ... the plunge and ricasso ... which will almost surely be affected.
 
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