Fifteen degree edge?

N

Naphtali

Joined
May 20, 2002
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What range of knife steels can reasonably accept a 15 degree edge and be able to use it to field dress and butcher whitetail deer AND elk - including splitting sternum as needed?

I guess a different way of asking the same question might be: What is the [sharpest??] blade edge that can be used by best-quality knife steels(s) and retain the ability to split a bull elk sternum, then field dress it?
 
15 degrees per side or inclusive?

pretty much every steel can do 15dps and survive ... it just depends on the thickness ... at least thats what i read knifemakrs say :)

In other words, it doesn't matter what steel you use, geometry dominates

Consider these videos
elk bone chopping tests - Joe Calton
RIBS bone chopping tests part 2 - Joe Calton
Joe Calton said:
cs gladius--25 DPS
my gladius--25 DPS
fiskars hatchet-- 13-14 DPS
pack knife-20-DPS sweet spot, 28 DPS Tip section
shop chopper--18-DPS
my cleaver-- 13--DPS ... two small chips
American cutlery cleaver--13--DPS ... small roll on ribs
1095 hunter--8 DPS
52100 hunter--14 DPS

so since the gladius's and the tip section of my pack knife didn't get much damage, I would guess somewhere around 25 DPS with a thickness of around .020" would be a good place to start if you were designing a knife to chop bone. depending on the weight of the knife, strength of the user, hardness, ect........?
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So how much sternum do you have to cut through?
Does carrying a hacksaw make sense?


bone test results - Joe Calton
working up a deer #1 - Joe Calton

So you might get some damage, but still have plenty of edge left to skin/process the deer ... I'm guessing ;D
Joe has an account on here you know :)
 
Hi Mr Fred.Rowe
Where do you measure dps ? from the center of spine or the grind side of the knife ?
Thanks
 
1095 holds 15dps quite well, my bk9 is 15dps and sees all types of hard impact cutting and hasn't blown out yet my tops bob is 11dps and also holds it well. 8cr13mov doesn't hold it well unless a micro bevel is used, s30v also has held up well for me at 15dps.
 
On one of the books I read on the subject -- one considered the bible of knife sharpening but I forget the title -- and on a video by Murray Carter, they said you can scratch out that nice design on the side of the blade to get it sharp and still be usably strong.

On the few knives that I measured to determine what the resulting angle would be, it came out to 5 degrees per side -- pretty much creating a bevel from the thickest part of the blade towards the spine all the way to the resulting edge.
 
samuraistuart said:
Always on the center line of the blade.
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In this manner you will always have a secure datum. The primary bevels may change but the centerline of a blade relates to all parts of a blade. Knife makers always grind from the centerline of a blade.

Fred
 
I know 154CM can handle an elk at 15 DPS. I wouldn't go thinner. For practicality carry a saw and a good knife and you should have no problems.
 
bucketstove said:
15 degrees per side or inclusive?

pretty much every steel can do 15dps and survive ... it just depends on the thickness ... at least thats what i read knifemakrs say :)
Click to expand...
I was unaware that general purpose outdoor/hunting knives have been sharpened on one face only. I had believed this was for cutting edge - sorry, wise acre alert - two bladed broadheads.

My question anticipates 15 degrees on each face/side of the blade.

And "DPS" is a short form for what??
 
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Naphtali said:
I was unaware that general purpose outdoor/hunting knives have been sharpened on one face only. I had believed this was for cutting edge - sorry, wise acre alert - two bladed broadheads.

My question anticipates 15 degrees on each ace/side of the blade.

And "DPS" is a short form for what??
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Dps = degrees per side, (ex.15°)
inclusive= combined degrees per side (ex.30°)
 
a 30 degree edge (inclusive, i.e. 15 dps) is good for almost any knife, with the exception of a fighting knife, like maybe a tanto or dagger type of weapon designed for stabbing through clothing/armor. Then an obtuse angle, maybe 50 degrees inclusive, would actually be preferable.

Of course, for a lot of knives, an even more acute angle would be just fine or even preferable, but I personally like touching up my edges with a Sharpmaker. So I usually put a nice, thin primary bevel on (around the 20 degree inclusive range) and use the Sharpmaker for a 30 degree inclusive microbevel.
 
Bobby3326 said:
1095 holds 15dps quite well, my bk9 is 15dps and sees all types of hard impact cutting and hasn't blown out yet my tops bob is 11dps and also holds it well. 8cr13mov doesn't hold it well unless a micro bevel is used, s30v also has held up well for me at 15dps.
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This.

440A requires a steeper bevel or microbevel as well.
 
Anyone have any experience with D2? I am considering putting a really acute angle on a BM 710-D2 maybe 11-12 degrees, used almost exclusively for finer cutting. It would look cool and cut like a laser. But how would it withstand rolling? I think the 710 is about 3mm thick at the spine, saber ground.
 
philwar said:
Anyone have any experience with D2? I am considering putting a really acute angle on a BM 710-D2 maybe 11-12 degrees, used almost exclusively for finer cutting. It would look cool and cut like a laser. But how would it withstand rolling? I think the 710 is about 3mm thick at the spine, saber ground.
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From my experience with a d2 zero scandi I wouldn't recommend it unless you micro bevel it. It would easily chip without one on the scandi.
 
philwar said:
Anyone have any experience with D2? I am considering putting a really acute angle on a BM 710-D2 maybe 11-12 degrees, used almost exclusively for finer cutting. It would look cool and cut like a laser. But how would it withstand rolling? I think the 710 is about 3mm thick at the spine, saber ground.
Click to expand...

The thing to remember about D2 is it's carbide content. They are quite large. Actually, as far as carbides in knives go...they are HUGE. I haven't messed with D2 much, but the lower the angle, the more chance of carbide rip out, as I understand it. The CPM D2 would be able to handle lower angles much better than regular D2, because it's carbides are much smaller in size, due to the powder processing.
 
samuraistuart said:
The thing to remember about D2 is it's carbide content. They are quite large. Actually, as far as carbides in knives go...they are HUGE. I haven't messed with D2 much, but the lower the angle, the more chance of carbide rip out, as I understand it. The CPM D2 would be able to handle lower angles much better than regular D2, because it's carbides are much smaller in size, due to the powder processing.
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THAT is useful info. :thumbup:
 
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