Edge Question

S

scott63

Joined
Nov 5, 2010
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5
I have made a handful of knives, they all have worked just fine, but they were nothing fancy. I've had quite a bit of wood working experience and that had me wondering about different edge types. From a strictly utilitarian point of view, why don't more people use a chisel style of edge? I know they don't have the aesthetic quality of a hollow grind or even a flat grind, is that mainly it, aesthetics?

I know it can't be sharpness, I have wood chisels that are as sharp as a scalpel!

Thanks, Scott
 
It really depends a lot on what the use is and what the material is. But in general a flat or hollow grind with a slightly rolled edge gives the sharp cutting of the actual edge and then the thinness of the grind above allows for easier penetration. A wood chisel with a chisel edge will open up material but the high angle of the flats will add more resistance when going deeper into the material.. Does that make sense ? I hope I have explained it well, I am sure others have opinions and ideas as well :)
 
Yeah, I think I understand what you're saying. Wouldn't that hurdle be overcome by making the angle more shallow, moving the top of the grind up towards the spine? I think I'll have to try it, I was just thinking if it was a good idea somebody would already be doing it! If nothing else I'll get some practice grinding:)
 
Move the top of the grind up all the way to the spine, and we're back to the flat grind again...

John
 
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thats what I was going to say.. The geometry of the flat grind is a very slight angle from spine to cutting edge for the most part
 
Chisel grinds are fairly common on knives. That's what a Besh-wedge is. Most of your high-end Japanese sushi knives are made with a fairly shallow chisel grind. They come in both right and left hand grinds. The basic shortcoming is that the chisel grind limmits the overall usefullness of the blade. Chisels always cut better, or at least different in one direction over the other.
My humble opinion...

Adam-
 
now, there is the flat grind on one side, beveled, and the other side is flat, 90 deg. to the spine , I guess you could say a very , very gradual chisel. Black bear knives uses that on his folders. He calls it an asymmetrical edge
 
Thanks for the info, I was wondering what you'd call a flat grind but only on one side --asymmetrical edge....Scott
 
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