chisel grind

beestokk

beestokk

Gold Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2009
Messages
942
just a quick question...what's the benefit of a chisel grind? had a CRKT M16-14T before i really got into blades (picked it up on a deal discount) and wasn't feeling the chisel grind so i returned it. pros/cons? i'm more educated now but still can't say i really get it...durability? ease of sharpening? thanks!!
 
Cheap to produce, quick and easy way to get a fairly durable edge with low inclusive angle.

Also easier for field maintenance since you only sharpen one side, and strop the burr off the other side.

That's for general utility knives, now for specialized tools they can be very useful too.

Two notable examples are the cooking knife, which is chiseled on the right side (opposite of Emersons) so you could cut vegetables into thin precise slices.

Also razors, because it automatically points the direction of the cutting angle at an ideal position when the razor is placed flush to the skin (if that makes any sense)

General opinion is that the disadvantages of a chisel edges far outweigh the advantages and I agree :D


EDIT: whoops totally misread your post, as far as chisel GRINDS, I would imagine they are cheap to produce and that's about it.. I hate them more than anything
 
maybe i misspoke...i think i meant chisel edges...only sharpened on one side...yes?
 
Yeah for chisel edges, refer to my first schpeal

Chisel ground: one side of the knife is completely flat

Chisel edge: one side of the EDGE is mostly unsharpened

Also note that all serrations I have seen are chisel edges.. this is because precision doesn't matter, and it is unlikely they will be sharpened often, so the manufacturer will default to the cheapest method.

When I did get my sharpmaker, I read the instructions (surprise surprise) and I seem to remember Sal writing in there that you SHOULD sharpen serrated edges on both sides
 
thanks for that...i think i did mean chisel ground then in my particular case with that CRKT unless someone else knows better than me which could be very likely!
 
Hmm... M16-14T.. never handled one, but I do have the M16-14SF and that is indeed chisel edged. Well, it was when I got it, but then I took my lansky clamp system and used the extra course diamond hone to hone it into a conventional V edge, and it has worked pretty good since :thumbup:
 
The feature I like about the chisel edge is: it is inherently twice as sharp as a double edge. If you have a 20 degree on one side, you get a 40 degree edge when you sharpen both sides. Another feature of the chisel edge is its ability to cut in a strait line. Great for slicing bologna (but not so good for carving pumpkins). Use a covex edge if you need to change directions. Use a chisel edge if you don't want to change directions (while cutting).
 
hmmm...i thought one of the downfalls of a chisel grind was that it was difficult to cut without having an angle to the cut being made, since you've only got one edge making the cut, thus pulling or pushing one way or the other depending on which side the edge is on. again, i could be completely wrong, hence the post. thanks!
 
Last edited:
Chisel ground knives are easier to sharpen and are generally considered to have edges that are a bit more durable than traditionally ground knives. If they are ground correctly, they seem to cut about as well as a double ground blade. I don't think that they are any easier to grind than any other knife. Some of the sharpest knives that I have handled have been chisel ground.
 
I too have a chisel ground M16 and I hate it.

I can sharpen all of my other knives just fine, but that chisel ground AUS 4 is only good for spreading butter.
 
My Pohan Leu tanto chisel ground is an amazing knife. Not a utilitarian blade, of course.:)
 
thanks to everyone for the info! one day i'll pick up another to add to the collection...just b/c :-P
 
I use actual chisels every day, so for me it is easy to transfer the benefits of chisel grinds over to knives.

I like them a lot, but they are not preferable for every situation.

res1cue covered all the benefits I can think of in his first post.:thumbup:

I like them for woodcarving.
 
U.C.O.K. said:
My Pohan Leu tanto chisel ground is an amazing knife. Not a utilitarian blade, of course.:)
Click to expand...

Dude... your avatar is freakin me out... freaky, like clown-scary... :eek: Why not just go full-out and use a Mexican wrestling mask, or an Insane Clown Posse or Slipknot photo?

I tolerate Emerson's chisel edge bevel, only because the CQC8 is such a great overall blade grind and handle configuration for personal defense. Otherwise, the asymmetry is not good for most utilitarian purposes.

Chisel ground... good for wood chisels, and I could see how you might want one or two for kitchen knives used for chopping/mincing, but otherwise, again, the asymmetry creates weird forces when you use for general utilitarian purposes.
 
They can be extremely useful if you do woodwork or construction finishwork. They can also be great for woodcraft and making survival traps, but OTOH they suck at skinning game.
 
Generally they are ground to more acute angles and easier to maintain. Back side, at least on Japanese knives with concave back also needs sharpening, but it's very simple, since all you have to to id lay the blade flat on the stone. Plus, requires less strokes.

Rob_Angerer said:
Chisel ground... good for wood chisels, and I could see how you might want one or two for kitchen knives used for chopping/mincing,
Click to expand...
Majority of Japanese kitchen(and quite a bit of other types) knives are chisel ground, including boning knives such as honesuki and garasuki, heavy choppers like debas, slicers like yanagibas, decorating cutting like mukimono, various peelers, and the list goes on. In short, they serve multiple purposes in the kitchen, besides mincing ;) And serve very well.

Rob_Angerer said:
but otherwise, again, the asymmetry creates weird forces when you use for general utilitarian purposes.
Click to expand...
Same happens with kitchen use, but it's fairly easy to get used to proper control, at least in the kitchen.
 
My main problem with chisel ground blades and chisel sharpened edges is that 99% of the time they're ground on the wrong side for the majority of people (righties).
 
Rob_Angerer said:
Dude... your avatar is freakin me out... freaky, like clown-scary... :eek: Why not just go full-out and use a Mexican wrestling mask, or an Insane Clown Posse or Slipknot photo?

I tolerate Emerson's chisel edge bevel, only because the CQC8 is such a great overall blade grind and handle configuration for personal defense. Otherwise, the asymmetry is not good for most utilitarian purposes.

Chisel ground... good for wood chisels, and I could see how you might want one or two for kitchen knives used for chopping/mincing, but otherwise, again, the asymmetry creates weird forces when you use for general utilitarian purposes.
Click to expand...

People think I use some make up for the avatar. But it just a mask hanging in my friend's office, wear it and my 6 yrs old daughter took the pic. Voila!

Anyway... Emerson CQC7 chisel ground is OK with me for an easy task, but I hate the asymmetry edge on the Commander or the Emerson Persian.
 
Chisel grinds can be darn tough, and get sharper very easily while holding a good edge for a while. Definitely something worth trying out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top