Convex vs flat for feather sticks?

mountainmist

mountainmist

Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Messages
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Hey gang! I Was looking at getting a Fallkniven F1 to replace my bk16 for a primary bushcraft blade. I started reading about the fallkniven chipping problem and was scared off :eek: And then a though "I should try convex before a spend $120 in a knife that might have a grind I hate". So my question is, should I convex my bk16? I manly use my bk16 for feather sticks, 80% of the bushcrafting I do is making feathers. I know some people don't like convex for feathers but I also know some people just aren't good at making feather sticks :p

Does the convex make any difference too someone very good at making feathers? Would you recommend the F1 over the bk16 or similar knife?

Thanks!
 
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Most of my knives are full convex, but even the two Scandi-ground knives I own have convex edges (as they all used to...). My feathersticks haven't suffered.
 
stompbox64 said:
You should go to youtube and check out "Virtuovice". This guy compares all the different grinds/knife styles for making feather sticks. He's got a lot of cool stuff, too. He's from Japan and loves his water stones, and thus re-profiles his knives based on his whims.

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZLaWayFxnhCAoCWqASKeDQ?feature=g-high
Click to expand...

A shallow convex works best for me which is the same conclusion virtuovice came to. Just sharpening with sandpaper on a leather backed strop will do the trick. I've never owned a fallkniven so I don't know what kind of convex they put on them.
 
In my experience (not much), I found flat edges make thinner feathers while convex is just much easier (as rounded shoulders glide and edge bites). Both work fine though.
 
v-grind:

056_039_zps443edf57.jpg



convex grind:

046_036.jpg



scandi-grind:

057_011_zps7bf03e88.jpg



hollow-grind:

044_037.jpg



probably-all-of-the-above-grinds-in-one-blade-because-i-used-a-dmt-file-with-my-shaky-hand-to-sharpen-while-watching-netflix grind:

040_016.jpg



my advice is leave the grind on that bk-16 alone, get the f1 and a mora...and practice a lot with them :D
 
mountainmist said:
Does the convex make any difference too someone very good at making feathers? Would you recommend the F1 over the bk16 or similar knife?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I realized I didn't answer the question specifcally. :D No, it shouldn't make much difference to a person who is good at it. They're different and I feel that convex is slightly better but only slightly.

They're both good knives. I don't see the F1 doing anything the becker can't except sit in salt water for a while. :D
 
mountainmist said:
80% of the bushcrafting I do is making feathers.
Click to expand...
The least expensive Mora will feather stick till the cows come home
I find the scandi grind outperforms other grinds on feathering

You already have the BK16, which will do any hard use task including batoning, which is 20% of your needs
So a $10 Mora will give you feathers for 80%

$10 is not a large risk to see if it meets your needs
 
neeman said:
The least expensive Mora will feather stick till the cows come home
I find the scandi grind outperforms other grinds on feathering

You already have the BK16, which will do any hard use task including batoning, which is 20% of your needs
So a $10 Mora will give you feathers for 80%

$10 is not a large risk to see if it meets your needs
Click to expand...

I have a couple of moras and find that they bite too deep into the wood, resulting in strips of wood rather then curls. I think I'm going to convex my becker bk14 in see how I like it! Thanks!
 
Another two cents worth...most of my knives are convex and recently a couple of scandis, all have been thinned and refined beyond factory edges. This includes, Fallkniven, Bark River, Randalls and the scandis I mentioned. Here's what I found in field use: A well shaped and honed convex profile will make a thinner feather than a similarly prepared zero grind scandi. I found the scandis bite in much faster than the curved convex, but with practice I was able to control the scandis to get the thin feathers I wanted, the thinned convex was just easier and more reliable.

I have found almost any blade will make feather sticks, but only well shaped and smoothed blade profiles will make wafer thin, easy to get a flame, feathers. The internet is full of pictures of feather sticks that are so thick it would be a hard job for even a match to get ignition. If weather conditions are bad, the thinness of the feathers will matter...in your backyard, not so much :-)

One other comment, the chipping you mentioned is fairly typical in factory grinds and likely a function of overheat from the belts. Usually one or two sessions with sand paper or hard stones and you'll find the micro-chipping goes away. This is something many brands exhibit and easily fixed.
 
This might not be a real popular answer, but next to a full convex my best feather stick knife is an Emerson CQC7-B or SOCFK- B , well, any of them really with a chisel grind. Being ground on the left side the blade doesn't dive into the wood in my right hand. I can shave very fine curls with that edge. Only a convex can match it. It is a chisel afterall.
 
I'm not that great at feather sticks, but I find that V-grinds bite too much. I do much better with shallow convex and scandi grinds.
I'm sure, as some of you have pointed out, that the user's technique is the biggest factor in the equation.
 
Not sure which grind is best. I just know that a sharp edge works wonders for feather sticks.
 
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