Different Grinds

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Oct 28, 2004
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Are there grinds other than hollow, flat, and distal? Of these, which would be easiest for a beginner? Thanks
 
A full convex grind is by far the easiest grind to do.

A distal taper is not a grind. It means the blade is thicker near the handle and gets thinner towards the point.
 
The easiest is a convex grind,can be done with hand tools.It is just a curved surface,ending at the edge.Next is a flat grind.You can rough grind it on a sander,and finish it with files and stones.Hollow grinding takes a bit more equipment and skill.Distal taper is the taper in thickness from the ricasso to the point.All grinds usually have some degree of distal taper.Many new makers just put a point on a piece of steel ,and angle the sides to an edge.While this is,indeed,a knife,it is not a well designed blade.
 
Gosh, I thought that Flat was the easiest, since you just do a straight line. I thought that you would have trouble making the curve the same amount all the way down the blade. :confused: I'm on my first knife, and I did a flat grind. Could you explain the distal taper in more detail? I've never heard of it before, and haven't noticed it on knives. For discussion sake, if a knife is 3/16 at the handle, and the blade is 6" long, how much should you taper it?

~Brian
 
There is also the scandinavian grind and there is the chisel grind.
Those are both variations on the flat grind.



It's pretty hard to keep a flat grind really flat.
If you have a belt grinder with a slack belt it's almost hard NOT to get a good convex grind.
A convex grind doesn't show irregularity as well as a flat grind does either so even if you are a little off it will be less noticable.

To get a good convex grind start out doing a flat bevel then when you get it maybe 2/3rds of the way there, just round off the top grind line and the edge. On a belt grinder just go from the platten to a slack belt and with files just kinda try to blend it all together then smooth it out with sandpaper backed with leather.
 
Well described Jason. Flat grinds need to be that and light reflections easily show any imperfections.

RL
 
Here's a little picture i made in Paint.
Using files first cut to the red lines then the blue then blend it all together and there you go. :D easy as pie.
 

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If you look at the spine of a knife,it should continually taper to the tip.This is distal taper.If it is 3/16 at the ricasso,and 6" long,then it would be about 3/32 at the center.The taper rate varies somewhat,depending on the knife style.Bowies have very little taper for most of the blade, fillet knives taper the whole blade.Distal taper lightens the blade,thins the tip, and makes a more aesthetic look to the geometry.
 
I've found being a newbie myself that a flat grind(in my case done with files) is more difficult if you do not take your flat all the way to the spine, leave a little on the back and your forever trying to get them even.
 
There's also the Bladeforums F.N.G. grind which is a combination of all the above mentioned grinds.
You'll experience it but don't get mad at yourself, all of us have!!
Michael
 
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