Do You Micro-Bevel Your Scandi?

[redsquid2]

I have never micro-bevelled. Never even heard of it until I found bladeforums. I recently acquired my first Scandi, and it is the Helle Fjording. I want to start using it as my backpacking knife. As such, I would use it for cutting nylon cord, slicing cheese and sausage, and whittling the occasional tent peg or roasting spit. I don't know exactly what the angle of the bevel is, but it does not look very delicate. Compared to hollow grinds, which I have used for years and years, it looks very stout. The bevel only goes up about 1/4 to 3/8", and the blade is .103" thick.

Do any of you micro-bevel? If so, what is the angle, and what do you use your knife for?

The reason I ask, is I found this page: http://www.ragweedforge.com/scanshrp.html, where they suggest micro-bevelling for "general use."

Thanks.

squiddy

 

[Komitadjie]

Well, if you are sharpening at a 45 degree inclusive, I couldn't imagine that you would need a micro-bevel unless the steel was VERY soft.

 

[redsquid2]

Well, if you are sharpening at a 45 degree inclusive, I couldn't imagine that you would need a micro-bevel unless the steel was VERY soft.

That's good to know. I just recently started having consistent success with freehand sharpening at 45 degrees inclusive, and I would like to keep sharpening that way, at least on my hollow grinds and kitchen knives.

I keep editing my post. I'm going to stop now, I promise.

 

[Komitadjie]

Well, and the real answer to your question is very easily found. Sharpen it the way you like and until you are happy with it, then take it on your next trip and give it a work-out. If it holds up and performs in a way that makes you happy, your sharpening has been successful! Only if it has issues do you need to worry about changing your methods.

I primarily use micro-bevels if I over-do it with the initial profile and find that my edge is breaking down unacceptably quickly. For instance, if I sharpen at 30 degrees inclusive on a kitchen knife, and find out "oops, that steel's a bit soft for that angle!" I will go back and put a 40-degree or so microbevel on it, just to stiffen up the edge a bit instead of wasting blade re-grinding the whole works. 45 is a fairly large angle, so I don't imagine you will have any trouble at all with edge rolling or excessively fast degradation there.

Best advice I can think of is just to try it in the use you want it to perform, and see how it holds up.

 

[Bo T]

Many of the Moras have a 20 degree inclusive angle. My Bushcraft Triflex has a 25 degree inclusive angle. For my micro bevel I set the primary bevel flat on my hone, then raise the back 1 blade thickness. This allows me to sharpen the knife at the same angle in the field. I think the micro bevel is at 35 - 40 degrees inclusive, maybe less.

 

[redsquid2]

Many of the Moras have a 20 degree inclusive angle. My Bushcraft Triflex has a 25 degree inclusive angle. For my micro bevel I set the primary bevel flat on my hone, then raise the back 1 blade thickness. This allows me to sharpen the knife at the same angle in the field. I think the micro bevel is at 35 - 40 degrees inclusive, maybe less.

Thanks, Bo. Good useful information. I don't know how I would measure the angle on my Helle, but I am surprised at how narrow it is just looking at it. It is way less than 45.

 

[redsquid2]

I went ahead and micro beveled it, just a little. I think it is now about 30 deg. I figured it wouldn't hurt. We'll see how I like it.