Changing edges?!

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benchSOGmade

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Oct 29, 2007
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Ok, guys! I'm completely ignorant regarding this subject, so bear with me! I've been researching knives for a few weeks, but that's as far as my knowledge goes. My question is (I'll use an example to clarify): How difficult is it to change the edge on a blade? Let's say you liked a particular knife, a Strider, for various reasons (strength, simplicity, tanto point, etc. BUT, you've read about the different edge designs (convex?, etc)... some being "sharper" than others. How difficult would it be to change this? Would it be a machining process or could it be done by manual sharpening (I realize this would take a while, if at all possible). I've been looking for a combat knife as I am currently in the process of joining the military as an infantryman. I like everything about the Strider for combat purposes, except that I've read that they are NOT sharp. I realize its purpose, but to me it seems that if the edge (not tanto point) could be altered to a "sharper design" it would allow the knife to be more "useable" for other tasks. Also, I don't think this would alter the knifes performance otherwise by any measureable amount. Perhaps, I am greatly over-thinking this. Perhaps, I am mistaken.

Other considerations: Busse(assuming I can find one), Fallkniven

Feel free to offer any advice or opinions or additional manufacturers that I should consider!

Thanks!
 
You are confusing three separate parts of any knife. There is the grind, there is the edge, and there is the blade shape. Grind is the shape of the blade away from the edge, the edge is, well, the part that cuts, and the blade shape is the slope along the edge. Tanto is a type of blade shape, and given that grinds and blade shape have nothing to do with sharpness, it does not make sense to say a tanto grind makes a Strider (or any knife) not sharp.

Here is a picture showing edges:
Ground_blade_shapes.png



Notice that you could put any of these edge styles on a tanto blade. You do not have to change the knife from tanto to get it sharp.

Now, there is more to cutting than just how sharp the edge is. I said why there is no reason whatever style Strider you want to get won't get as sharp as you want, but how well it will cut certain material is a different matter (compared to other knives, that is). When you are cutting something thick (like wood), the knife away from the edge is going to come into contact with the material and have friction. Putting it another way, if you cut paper, it's just the edge you have to push through it, but when you cut something thicker (wood, cardboard, etc.) the whole blade has to work like a wedge. The amount of friction on the material depends on the style of the grind and the thickness of the blade (how thick the spine is). My guess is you mistook that some people say Striders might not cut as well as other knives because they are thicker to mean they are not sharp. It's true that they might not cut as well as other knives (more on that in a second), but that doesn't mean they can't be as sharp. To explain, if you're trying to push a knife through some material, the thinner the blade is, the easier it will be. The trade off is thicker blades will be more durable, but thinner blades will cut better in general--which does not mean one is sharper than the other.

I hope this helps :)
 
I recently bought a custom Strider tanto SnG.The way Strider makes their tantos, the edge closest to the tip isn't as sharp as the edge closer to the pivot. The reason for this is that the edge closer to the tip is very obtuse compared to the rest of the edge. It is sharp enough to cut paper which should be sharp enough for most purposes, including combative purposes. Strider makes the tanto tip edge thicker because according to them, soldiers are finding that they tend to need to pry stuff out in the field. Any Strider folder, tanto or drop point, should be sharp enough for most purposes. If you find that you need the thin the edge a little, you probably should send it to someone to get the edge thinned down. It sounds like you don't know how to sharpen so I wouldn't recommend that you try to learn on a $400+ knife.

Here's a pic of my DDC SnG for reference about what I'm talking about:

StriderDDCSnGTantoCC.jpg


You don't have to convex an edge to get the blade sharp. Blades can get plenty sharp with your typical V grind. This was done with a V grind:

IMG_2925.jpg


And I'm not one of the better sharpeners here on the forums. Also, just because an edge is convexed, doesn't necessarily make it sharp, let alone sharper than a V grind edge. It's all about the skill of the sharpener.

I also agree with the suggestion that if you want to sharpen the blade or change the edge, Tom Krein is a great guy to get the job done.
 
Last edited:
If you want an EXCELLENT regrind done on any knife Tom Krein is your Best

Bet. Hes done a few for me. I can give you his phone number if you send

me a pm or eamil.
 
Thanks, guys! I TRULY appreciate the feedback! Please forgive my ignorance of the subject. The CHART helped tremendously as reading about edge "designs" (not sure of the correct terminology) is just that. The visual was great! I actually re-thought a tanto vs "spear" (again, terminology?) point, and I really think that should I HAVE TO USE IT, the penetration of a "spear" point would be far more beneficial. Again, I'm considering a true combat situation. I realize that tantos are intended to pierce, but I don't see myself ever needing to stab a metal trashcan or car door, nor do I think that the larger knives I was previously considering (large Strider tanto) would be comfortable to carry for extended lengths of time in addition to all the other gear! I'm not trying to be funny, and I realize it's only a few ounces, but an ounce here and an ounce there and I'm carrying more than necessary. I think I've found the PERFECT knife for my intentions. I found three that I feel are way more practical!

1st choice: Strider GS "Infidel" <- I could definitely do without "Infidel" being written on it, but I really like the size and design!

http://www.truenorthknives.com/vcom/images/SK_6270_1_800.jpg

2nd/3rd tie: Strider BG or MT (not sure which)

http://www.truenorthknives.com/vcom/images/SK_6279_1_800.jpg
http://www.truenorthknives.com/vcom/images/SK_6350_1_800.jpg

These three seem to have more "practical use" as well as a being a greater combat weapon should that be the case.

Please, let me know what you guys think! I feel as if I've gone in the right direction, but any insight would be GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks, again!
Strider
 
Those look like some great, heavy duty knives. S30V steel sounds amazing from what I've heard. .25" on the spine = a knife that's gonna take a beating.
I think those knives would be great, but just as another consideration, maybe check out ESEE knives. The ESEE 6 with the clip point (meaning, it's sharpened on the back of the blade too) would probably work. And it's quite a bit cheaper. Just a thought though.
Good luck!

Here's a link to ESEE's website
http://www.eseeknives.com/clip_point.htm
 
And as far as fallkniven goes, check out the S1 and A1. Those two are fairly similar to the Striders you're looking at.
 
Wow! Talk about full speed right out of the gate. First knife being a Strider? Pretty sweet. Not saying that because I own one, but more from the point of view that you're plunking down a lot of cash up front to get a quality product with a fantastic reputation. Plus I'm quickly becoming a big fan of quality titanium framelocks.

Definitely in line with my "Buy it nice or buy it twice," mantra.

-nate
 
If I were going into the field and needed a knife, it would be a Busse. Probably an ASH or Hellrazor. I have seen plenty of videos of them taking a serious pounding and abuse. Also everyone seems to swear by infi. Just remember to get a sheath, as they don't come with one. I like striders and all, but Busse is the way to go IMO
 
+1 on Busse/Swamp Rat for what you're looking for. S30V is known for edge holding, but is not that tough. ESEE's 1095 would also be a good choice. All these companies offer great warrantys- but that doesn't help much if you're who-knows-where doing who-knows-what when your knife breaks!
 
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