Easiest grind to field sharpen

J

Jmanwit

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Oct 22, 2010
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My friend and I are designing a knife, and we are trying to figure out exactly what grind would be best for what we want to do. It will mainly be a outdoor field knife. One i wouldnt mind taking in the forest with me. Woodcarving and batoning are going to be regular jobs. The kicker is, I am wondering which blade will be the absolutely EASIEST to field sharpen, while taking it's main jobs into account. I figured you guys would know best. Thanks - Justin. :cool:

P.S. - I'm going to be using 5160 @ an RCH of 60
 
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I suggest convex if you want it to be easy to sharpen. On the other hand if you want better edge strength then you should go convex. Having said that, I find that I get better blade control with a convex grind. So that's 3 options depending on your needs. You decide which one is most important for you
 
Convex is good, since all you need to sharpen it is some sand paper and your thigh. And a place to sit down I guess.
 
antonio_luiz said:
I suggest convex if you want it to be easy to sharpen. On the other hand if you want better edge strength then you should go convex. Having said that, I find that I get better blade control with a convex grind. So that's 3 options depending on your needs. You decide which one is most important for you
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:D:thumbup:I love convex edge.
 
Personally I will take a V grind over Convex, just a few strokes with a ceramic rod brings the edge right back.

But then if one is using a good steel in the 1st place there really isn't a need to have to sharpen it in the field.
 
I was thinking along the lines of best field sharpening method for my bug out bag, and decided on the common v-grind, ground to the same angle as the small easy to find/ replace/carry hand held sharpener that has the steel and ceramic rod on each side. Lansky makes one, but I just pick up one at the ace hardware store now. I think Stanley makes it.
 
I like a scandi grind the best, then a flat ground V grind. Why? Because if you have to, you can sharpen both of them on a piece of flat stone.

When people talk about field sharpening, I envision having to find a sharpening implemet while out in the field.

Yes, we all take sharpeners out in the field with us, but anything is prone to break or get lost.

How are you going to do your convex grind if something happens to your sharpening supplies while out in the field? I guess, worst case scenario, you could use a piece of flat stone to put a V edge on a convex blade, but it'll take forever to do with some of the blade steels that are popular nowadays.

Seems much easier to me to just have an edge/grind that can be done easily with any kind of tool or stone rather than one that really needs a specific type of implement.
 
cramsey3006 said:
I like a scandi grind the best, then a flat ground V grind. Why? Because if you have to, you can sharpen both of them on a piece of flat stone.

When people talk about field sharpening, I envision having to find a sharpening implemet while out in the field.

Yes, we all take sharpeners out in the field with us, but anything is prone to break or get lost.

How are you going to do your convex grind if something happens to your sharpening supplies while out in the field? I guess, worst case scenario, you could use a piece of flat stone to put a V edge on a convex blade, but it'll take forever to do with some of the blade steels that are popular nowadays.

Seems much easier to me to just have an edge/grind that can be done easily with any kind of tool or stone rather than one that really needs a specific type of implement.
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Yep, exactly if you can scratch the blade with it you can sharpen it. :thumbup:
 
I'm in the convex camp for personal preference.

The easiest grind to sharpen in the field is the one you are already best at sharpening.

So the best grind preference will vary between individual users depending on their prefered sharpening method.

If this is a knife you are only going to make for yourselves to use, put on the grind that you are already good at sharpening.

If you are planning to sell a few of these knives, do a blade grind that is easiest for you to manufacture. Most people who buy it with reprofile the edge grind to their preference anyway.

Kevin
 
Ankerson said:
Personally I will take a V grind over Convex, just a few strokes with a ceramic rod brings the edge right back.

But then if one is using a good steel in the 1st place there really isn't a need to have to sharpen it in the field.
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I agree, not really into the convex conversions.

As far blade grind though, full flat.

I like your design btw, simple and to the point. :thumbup:
 
I just started using convex grinds and it makes sense to me that it's easier to sharpen because of how you don't have to be as precise on the angle you hold the edge when stropping. The other thing I would consider is that a leather strop won't break into pieces if it fell on a rock or other hard surface. Even if it's leather hone on a wood handle, it wouldn't be as bad as ceramic shattering.
 
Convex is good but what if you lack sandpaper? I mean you can prepare and that would be an easy thing to have handy. So yes convex is a good choice.

My vote, however, is Scandi. Here is why.

Keep you knife in a "state" of pure scandi. A fairly narrow primary bevel, nearly or absolutely zero right down to the edge. At home, with tools, keep it that way. I put a very, very small micro-bevel on mine...just a few strokes on a very fine ceramic and then a strop. That toughens up the edge a bit.

Then when you find yourself in the field, you can maintain and frankly expand that microbevel with just about any abrasive surface that you can find. If you work the edge lengthwise, the abrasive needn't even be flat, or even regular...I am talking a rock here. What basically starts to happen, is your "pure" scandi edge will start to convex on you and you go along for the ride...as it were.

With that said, you could probably also touch up a convex with a rock, again working lengthwise.
 
A. G. Russell said:
Maybe I amconfused. That grind looks concave to me, a hollow grind.
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I agree. It does look to be a hollow grind.

As far as favorite grinds go, I prefer flat ground blades, sabre or full. For me, they are the easiest to maintain without giving up sturdiness.
 
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Mr. Fletcher uses high convex grind. Look at the lighting in the pics, you can see it's convexed by how the shadows react on the blade.

I'll second convexed as a general consensus.
 
Ankerson said:
Personally I will take a V grind over Convex, just a few strokes with a ceramic rod brings the edge right back.

But then if one is using a good steel in the 1st place there really isn't a need to have to sharpen it in the field.
Click to expand...

Agree. If you have the right combination of steel, heat treat, and edge geometry, sharpening in the field should not be an issue...unless you are going to live in the field.

The EASIEST sharpening job is the one that you do not have to do in the first place.
 
I don't think field sharpening a convex blade on a flat surface is as hard as people are making it out to be. I mean, you're not really going to have it perfectly convexed as it was before, but you're just doing a touch-up not a total honing job.

I would think that a somewhat high scandi grind with a microbevel on the end of it would be best. Kind of like those Moras. In any case, you'd have that really thin edge at the bottom, and you could just focus on sharpening the micro-beveled part.
 
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