chisel grind pros/cons

C

cooks 7

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Jan 27, 2005
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Since I can never get the search to work when I want it to, I'll pose this question, sorry if it's been asked before. I have been wanting to try a chisel grind on something and wonder why it isn't more popular.
What are some pros and cons of doing a chisel grind? What applications is it best suited for or not suited at all for?
Any input would be great.
thanks
jon
 
The con is that they don't cut straight when slicing material. If you do a real chisel grind like Phil Hartsfield or RJ Martin (see their websites and you'll see) they are brutally sharp, but most people really don't like them for utility work. I think they are intended for self-defense, maybe. These makers, and a lot of others but these two guys really made it famous, do what's called a "zero bevel" grind, so the main primary grind of the edge ends at the edge, rather than having a small secondary bevel that actually creates the edge. Sharp, sharp sharp when done right!
 
Chisel grind is particularly good at slicing the matter one side straight vertical. It is not so useful for an ordinary knife but some special knives require chisel ground. I know and use a kind of spatula to slice cakes, some carpenter tools, some reed knives have. Maybe thousands of special uses there are but most knives dont have it...

B W
emre
 
Sushi knives derive their thin slices due to the vertical cut.The pro of a chisel grind is half the blade angle for the same bevel on the grind side A 20 degree fillet knife becomes a 10 degree razor sharp cutter.The con is that the edge can be easily damaged and is a bit difficult to maintain the edge and repair chips in it.For culinary implements it is my preferred grind.It is best suited to very hard and though steels.I am getting ready to attempt to make a dendritic cobalt sushi knife and santoku.
 
Chisel grinds are good for one thing, IMHO ...chiseling. With that type of grind it's easy to keep the edge going thru the material exactly at the angle you want it to, usually assisted by another implement, such as a hammer ...or maybe the heel of your hand on the spine of a knife.

Not good for general cutting or slicing, though.
 
so i guess the edge would end up too thin for any sort of throwing weapon correct? might be worth some experimenting.
thanks for all the input :)
 
My .02 worth.
I have single side grind from Hartsfield, Fikes , Siegle and have used them since about 1986. I like them for some purposes particularly precision trimming of wood and leather. It is easy to place a cut precisely.

In my experience a single side grind:
cuts well particularly slicing with the flat side kept toward the remaining material.
in chopping if the flat is kept toward the object to be cut, no problems.

*** if the bevel side is toward the chopee, one must realize the edge is not symetrical and change angle of stroke so that the ridge formed by the bevel and the blade flat does not hit the object to be chopped. If this ridge hits instead of the edge hitting, the cutting stroke will glance, this can be scary.

This is just my limited experience
 
what about a combat dagger, like a fairbairn-sykes fighting knife? what about the draw knife section of WSK? i think fighting knives can be chisel ground, most wood working tools are. i know alot of strider and jensen blades are chisel.
you guys think a WSK with a chisel ground draw knife section would work just as good, or better than the beck WSK?
as a side note, chisel grinds are easy for begginers, i still do alot of tacticals like this.
 
i am curently doing a chisel ground tanto blade for a folder im working on messed up the grind lines mad: on the left side. i didnt want to chunk the blade so im going to try a chisel grind on the right side and a semi oval shape on the left. have to wait a few days to get back out to the shop to finish and see how it turns out.



the only bad mistake is the one you dont learn from.!!!
 
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