Chisel Grind vs. Double Grind

[AnklePocket]

Is there a "better" between chisel grind and double grind (on a fixed blade) for defensive purposes only (all other variables being equal - quality, materials, design, ect.)?

 

[Crayola]

For defensive purposes, the only advantage to the chisle grind that I can see is that it may decrease the amount of friction on a blade. Sorry for the very untechnical answer! I have an article in a book where Phil Hartsfeld has a little piece of wood with a slot cut in it. He places business cards on the block and pushes a Fairbairn/Sykes dagger and one of his (much wider/longer/thicker) tanto blades through a card as well. THe Hartsfeld blade is chisel ground. He demonstrated that the "points of contact" were much less on the chisel ground blade than on the dagger, so it would puncture more easily.

That said, I do not know if chisel ground really makes all that much of a difference. Many people are stabbed to death each year by screwdrivers which must be harder than a F/S dagger to stab a person with. Chisel grinding may make some difference, but my gut says that is is quite minor as compared to other variables to play with, like blade width or blade length.

 

[Jason Arnold]

I do not feel there is any advantage for either grind in self defense, with all other things being equal. Its just flesh. For utility, I find chisel grinds to simply be annoying and pointless. The Japanese seem to prefer it (chisel) for sushi though.

Lastly, chisel grinds are simply easier to make, there is just no getting away from that.

 

[Alarion]

I'm making a chisel ground knife for a friend. It's for slicing salami, which is about the only thing that justifies a chisel grind, IMVHO.

 

[Jeff Clark]

Think of it this way: A chisel grind is just a full V-grind (with little or no secondary bevel) with the handle attached with a slight twist from normal allignment. You know that if you were to take a normal V-grind blade and hold it twisted a little to the left and hacked at a hard material the edge would tend to fold over to the left. The same stresses apply to a chisel ground blade. If you strike bone with the edge it will tend to fold to the "flat" side of the blade where it has less support. A V-ground edge hitting the same bone has symmetrical support (like an A-frame) and will have a lower tendency to fold over. I have tried this experiment on beef ribs and seen more extensive damage a chisel ground blade.