Convexed back bevel?

[Cliff Stamp]

The edges on hard wood axes are v-ground, usually at an obtuse angle like 30-35 degrees, this is a tiny microbevel. The primary grind is hollow, the primary edge grind is convex and sweeps from 8-12 (depends on the wood).

Yes, people have looked at it measuring the forces in the cuts. Some very precisely such as the wood cutting (chisels) noted in Lee's book where frictional drag was found to be insignificant. If you look at it from a basic point of view, the hook's law compression force will be multplied by a frictional coefficient.

In order for this to be very large the frictional coefficient has to be very large and the material has to not split open and other such conditions to allow the friction to be very high. Cheese is like this for example.

-Cliff

 

[HoB]

Well, I admit, my EDC doesn't cut wood all to often and even when wittling, the penetration on hard woods often doesn't even reach the edge bevel. Cheese on the other hand is so sticky and soft that it could be cut with no edge at all and binding dominates everything, so not the example I would have chosen either. I guess naturally I was drawing examples from my own experiences, cutting cardboard, plastics, rope, meat, fruit...that kind of stuff.