Emerson Chisel Grind: I like it!

[The Government]

This is a thread to discuss the use of the chisel grind, how it works, and why we like it.

After carrying my first Emerson knife over the past week I have really come to appreciate the Chisel grind. It was only after I got back into wood carving (with actual chisels) that I warmed up to the Emerson grind, and I finally decided to get one. The chisel grind just makes sense to me now.

One thing that I like is how inherently acute the edge is. Common-sense would seem to dictate that it is going to be more acute than a similarly shaped blade with a secondary V grind, but I may be wrong.

The acuteness is what I like, for obvious performance reasons. I think the main factor that keeps people away from the chisel grind is the asymmetry -You just have to learn how to use that to your advantage. For example, If I was carving a face into wood with an actual chisel, I would lay the chisel down so that the flat side faced up and the beveled side was down -on the wood. The chisel scoops through wood allowing excess to glide over the flat side. That flake/ piece of wood can either pop-off, fall off, or be notched out with a perpendicular cut (against the grain). This is one reason why I like the Emerson chisel grind to be on the side that it is. When carving a stick, it mimics the performance of a chisel as I would use it to carve wood -with the grind facing down. The wood that you carve will gracefully be guided over the flat side, while the beveled side can be easily guided in or out of the cutting medium. (I understand that this may not be desirable to everyone/ for every job -no worries- to each his own)

Sooner or later I am going to get the 7B model to try out the true chisel grind... Emerson will be seeing a lot more of my business, as there is a new favorite company in town (for more reasons than just the grind too!).

*I'd like to hear why you all like this grind, how you were converted to a chisel grind fan, and if you actually prefer the chisel grind over other grind types.

Thanks in advance for all your responses.


Chisel grind bias -gone!!-

 

[TheBleedingEdge]

Cue Rolf's response in 3...2...1...

 

[NDJeep]

OK, so the grinds on a 7B and say....a Mini-CQC-15 are both chisel...but different, right.

Ive only owned and handled two Emersons. The first was a V'd 7A so thats out of the discussion. From the looks of it a 7B is REALLY a chisel.

The Mini-15 I just got also has a chisel but theres a very slight bevel on the flat side. At least it appears that way to me.

Advantages/disadvantages to that???

 

[The Government]

I did not mean to be confusing. I wanted to discuss all Emerson knives and their unique performance, wether they have primary and/or secondary chisel grinds.

The only model I have is the 7A, and although it is the furthest stretch from a chisel, I feel it still mimics the performance to a certain degree. The 7B model is the next one I'd like to get since it is even closer to a real chisel and I am assuming that I would like the performance.

I just wanted to hear what you guys like about the chisel grind -secondary, primary, or otherwise on your Emerson knives. I am also interested in modded Emersons with true zero chisel grinds.

IDK -Maybe the secondary grind is not all that big of a deal. -If its sharp its going to cut. Either way, I like the way Emerson does it.

 

[Lycosa]

Now here's another enlightened person. If one "understands" the chisel grind, one appreciates it.
Wait till you try a zero chisel grind.

 

[CL01]

I used a CQC7B (Chisel grind tanto) for quite a few yrs for work (It's a '99 model & I EDCed it every day for 6 yrs or so). I found that the true chisel grind & blade can be very sharp & easy to sharpen, since it's only one side.

I did not mind it all, however, I now have a CQC7A. While the 7B was better at scraping & maybe got a little sharper, the 7A was/is pretty similar to a true V-grind blade.

The only other models I've had were the mini & full size Commanders & those worked fine, too, but their blades & edges were closer to the 7A than the 7B.

After retiring the 7B in '05, I got into other knives & kind of drifted away from Emersons. I got back into them when I got my '10 7A (Stonewashed & polished blade) & have to say I don't know why I left them. They're well made, very comfortable, & most importantly, they just work.

 

[SIFU1A]

though technically speaking they are not all CG's, i tend to group them all in the CG class, just because they all sharpen like CG's, cut like CG's/etc, they are more a CG than a "v" grind thats for sure, and one thing i think confuses folks is the way EKI advertises them, if i had a nickle for everyone who bought a commander (or an '8, or a .....) and were suprised at what they got i could buy a commander, or an '8, or a .....

not that the grinds are bad, they are just different.

imho the tanto style are very easy to sharpen, the others, like the '12, '13 '8, etc are a bit more difficult, but not bad once ya get used to them.

i have edc'd what some call the worst of the bunch (as far as cutting ability) a tanto SOCFK, for ~ a yr or so, and it worked just fine for me, did every last thing i ever needed it to do FWIW, and i never once thought "gee i wish i had my std "V" grind" whatever, imho they arent the best for some fine cutting, whittling, or dressing game, but will do all the above in a pinch.

i wouldnt mind if they offered some of the line, maybe the '12, '13 or '8 to name a few, in a real std "V" but it aint gonna happen, ernie seems to like the way he does them, and thinks they offer a advantage, in something, though i think they will do most anything ya need 'em to do, imho the grinds offer no real advantage over a std "V" (there, i said it).

but, all in all, i must like the things, i have sure bought enough of 'em thru the yrs, they do what i need 'em to do, but they are different and require a different technique for use and sharpening, one thing i learned was the importance of stropping them, while ya can get by without that on a lotta stuff its a must do on a EKI, and imho a lotta folks who have probs getting EKI's sharp are skipping this step.

for me, the hardest to sharpen are the '7a blades, the '7b are much easier imho, the '12, '13 and '8 are also a bit harder to sharpen, i unlike a lotta others dont have a lotta probs with commanders, go figure lol.