Bushcraft blade: scandi or flat? Which would you pick and why?

peripatew

peripatew

Joined
Jul 31, 2007
Messages
1,421
For a bushcraft / camp knife, which would you prefer and why? On a 4" blade, accompanied by an axe and a SAK.

L
 
I'm in the convex/scandi grind camp. I find them better for use on wood and easier to sharpen in the field. I can always carry flat ground pocket knives for thinner slicing chores.
 
Tough call. I'd go for scandi because I can resharpen them on dinky pocket sized stones pretty well. I dont know about a true full, "zero-edge" flat grind, I always put a small 2nd bevel on the edge, and that micro bevel is what I have a harder time sharpening without a proper sized stone.
 
both are good, it really comes down to personal preference.

personally i prefer a scandi grind. i sharpen it on sandpaper with a thin cardstock backing. this creates a very slight convex. every once in a while i re-flatten the bevel on my course stone, just to keep it straight.

i like the way the wide bevel gives alot of control for wood carving tasks, and it is not bad for a slicing knife either. for cutting things that provide drag, the scandi is not the best, as it has a fair amount of drag. i also carry an opinel with a nice thin edge and full convex (nearly flat) that provides very little drag for cutting things like cardboard.

as long as you have your SAK, you are pretty much all set for all your cutting with a scandi.

of course, a full flat is fine too.
 
Flat. I'm more concerned with cutting through than woodworking and I believe there is better flow through the medium. And it is better suited to my sharpening method.
 
Flat, my knife in that size range is usually used to butcher, and flat grinds work better for that kind of work.
 
I really have no preference. I have used knives with all sorts of grinds as woods knives. Most of my woods cuttting is hunting related.
 
Maybe I'm the big maverick, but I don't like Scandi grinds for working on wood. It is too obtuse for fine surface shaving. It wants to dig in and then drag a lot. Unless I am chopping my way through something I prefer a wide full flat ground blade or a hollow ground blade over any variation of a saber grind (which includes a Scandi grind). With a 4 inch blade I am not going to do any serious chopping.
 
I know this is not really answering your question but I tested most of my knives the other week making fuzz sticks and my Sabre ground SRKW Ratmandu came out on top beating my Scandi ground Nessmuk ?
 
In truth, almost anything can be made to cut wood- it depends on the task and the style of cutting. Long before I developed a serious interest in knives , I did tons of woodworking and I'm very adept at using chisels. I've also cooked for a long time and know how to use knives in the kitchen for everything from butchering to delicate garnishing.
What I surmise is a scandi grind is essentially a chisel grind on a knife rather than on a dedicated chisel. This tells me a lot, as I would never want to try doing with a knife what I know a chisel does best. Scandi ground knives are best for carving in a chiseling manner- short precise chunks of green or seasoned wood. Flat grinds introduce that more friction through an increase in surface area between the blade's sides and the wood being SLICED. Flat grinds are slicing kings. Convex grinds can chop and they can carve poorly but they skin like a dream.
Interestingly, I find that the coatings on many modern day knives- the matte or crinkle coatings hugely impede work! So a Flat ground crinkle coated knife is about as much work as you could possible make for yourself in carving or chopping into wood. You can struggle and win over such a predicament but why bother?
Before we put down the scandi grinds, run out and buy some cheap chisels, something 1" wide should suffice. Now go at some wood and then try some of your flat ground knives.
 
Moodino said:
In truth, almost anything can be made to cut wood- it depends on the task and the style of cutting. Long before I developed a serious interest in knives , I did tons of woodworking and I'm very adept at using chisels. I've also cooked for a long time and know how to use knives in the kitchen for everything from butchering to delicate garnishing.
What I surmise is a scandi grind is essentially a chisel grind on a knife rather than on a dedicated chisel. This tells me a lot, as I would never want to try doing with a knife what I know a chisel does best. Scandi ground knives are best for carving in a chiseling manner- short precise chunks of green or seasoned wood. Flat grinds introduce that more friction through an increase in surface area between the blade's sides and the wood being SLICED. Flat grinds are slicing kings. Convex grinds can chop and they can carve poorly but they skin like a dream.
Interestingly, I find that the coatings on many modern day knives- the matte or crinkle coatings hugely impede work! So a Flat ground crinkle coated knife is about as much work as you could possible make for yourself in carving or chopping into wood. You can struggle and win over such a predicament but why bother?
Before we put down the scandi grinds, run out and buy some cheap chisels, something 1" wide should suffice. Now go at some wood and then try some of your flat ground knives.
Click to expand...


I wasn't putting Scandi grinds down bro, I was just saying my sabre ground SwampRat performed better. The Scandi nessie still came a close second beating some of my convex and other sabre ground blades.
I guess what I'm really saying is that the grind of the blade is not the be all and end all !!!
 
I think a full flat grind would be my favorite, IF I had I knife (or could find one) with such a design. Most just seem to have a really wide edge grind.
 
I've always preferred a flat grind. Scandi grinds have too much "wedging" action for my liking. I pulled a Mora out of the drawer today to quarter and de-pit a couple of apples. After 2 quarters, I reached for my paring knife.
 
I would be fine with either in a quality blade with good heat treat. But if I just HAD to choose, it would probably be scandi for me. They eat wood, and do just fine on game prep as well.

As an aside, for comfort in a bushcraft handle the Clipper handles ergos are tough to beat, grippy, but not abrasive, no hot spots, or excess fatigue, super in hand feel. My Clippers are without a doubt the most comfortable in hand of all my blades.

Now back to the regularly scheduled pre-hijack broadcast.

Beckerhead
 
Moodino said:
What I surmise is a scandi grind is essentially a chisel grind on a knife rather than on a dedicated chisel. This tells me a lot, as I would never want to try doing with a knife what I know a chisel does best. Scandi ground knives are best for carving in a chiseling manner- short precise chunks of green or seasoned wood.
Click to expand...

The saber style grind with either a zero, small secondary, or small convexed edge, associated with the Scandinavian knives are not chisel grinds, nor do they resemble such in appearance, or in performance. Apples and oranges. If I misinterpreted something here, please correct this old engineer.

More important than the grind one takes to the bush, is the skill of its user. Too, if there is not a high level of sharpening proficiency with the grind one carries, the benefits of that grind just won't matter much.

Many are surprised, when woodworking, when I hand them a flat-grind with a polished convexed edge. The expression on their faces is like going from rags to riches. Some complain about the Scandinavian grind having a "wedging effect" when carving some types of wood. Note; if you correctly polish the primary grind (the primary grind needs to be absolutely flat to begin with -- shortcuts don't work), then polish the shoulders, the blade will sail through a nice carving project. Can't blame the chainsaw if the user can't properly maintain the chain. :)
 
Hey Danny, Few of us will ever reach your mastery of all things sharp. Loved your skills class over there. Learned more than I needed to.:D
 
Dannyboy Leather said:
The saber style grind with either a zero, small secondary, or small convexed edge, associated with the Scandinavian knives are not chisel grinds, nor do they resemble such in appearance, or in performance. Apples and oranges. If I misinterpreted something here, please correct this old engineer.

More important than the grind one takes to the bush, is the skill of its user. Too, if there is not a high level of sharpening proficiency with the grind one carries, the benefits of that grind just won't matter much.

Many are surprised, when woodworking, when I hand them a flat-grind with a polished convexed edge. The expression on their faces is like going from rags to riches. Some complain about the Scandinavian grind having a "wedging effect" when carving some types of wood. Note; if you correctly polish the primary grind (the primary grind needs to be absolutely flat to begin with -- shortcuts don't work), then polish the shoulders, the blade will sail through a nice carving project. Can't blame the chainsaw if the user can't properly maintain the chain. :)
Click to expand...

We can agree to disagree. Disliking your preference doesn't imply that someone doesn't know what they are doing either.
 
sodak said:
We can agree to disagree. Disliking your preference doesn't imply that someone doesn't know what they are doing either.
Click to expand...

Sodak,

My general statement wasn't directed at any one individual. My apologies if I irritated your feelings with regards to your personal preferences. Not my intention. The fact remains, too many good tools are cast aside simply because they are not maintained properly. If you were having problems dissecting a simple apple with your Mora, you can honestly visualize the same thing I was. No, I agree, even a well-sharpened Mora will not compare with your favorite thin, sharp, small paring knife on an apple.

I have instructed dozens of primitive survival courses, leatherworking courses, and primitive bow and arrow making courses. It is not at all unusual for students to get extremely frustrated, in some cases, with poorly maintained tools (I do). I have had students literally toss their broad axes, spokeshaves, draw knives, wood planes, saws, crooked knives, head knives, etc., on my shop floor, or on the ground, because the tool would not do what they wanted it to. There wasn't a fair trade-off for their efforts. After I put a decent edge on the tool for them, or showed them how, they were happy again and had a new respect for the tool.

My preference for any one tool is based on my positive experience with that tool. If we have a bad experience with a particular tool...even if it wasn't maintained properly, we have a tendency to stay away from that tool in the future. However, positive experiences that get the desired results will often change our preferences! Nothing is etched in concrete here. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top