Flat/Saber to Scandi?

[afishhunter]

Stupid idea?

Flat Grind with micro bevel (or is that properly a Saber Grind?); Primary bevel/grind begins roughly half way between spine and edge.

Would placing primary grind flat on stone and reprofiling by hand using diamond plates until the micro bevel is gone (on both sides of the blade, obviously) "converting"/"modifying"/ "reprofiling" from a Flat or Saber grind to a Scandi grind:
(a) thin the edge appreciably, making it a better slicer and create a more acute inclusive edge angle, and/or (b) shorten the overall length of the blade, and/or noticeably reduce the blade width from spine to edge, and/or (c) be a waste of time and effort, and wear out my new diamond plates?

Yes, I am aware the primary grind/bevel would be "scratched beyond belief", remove any existing patina, and would probably lower the amount (if any) my heir could sell the knife for. (presuming he won't/don't/didn't put it in my pocket, before closing the lid for the last time.)

Blade steel is 1095, which I know from experience can take and hold an acute 10* to 25 degree inclusive edge without chipping or edge rolling, when used for knife tasks. Such as peeling a love apple, turnip, or critter, removing a decal/STP Sticker from a window, whittlin, cutting a heater hose, vacuum line, or nylon zip tie, cut pillow ticking patches flush with the muzzle when shooting a muzzleloader, etc..
(*10 to 12 degrees inclusive on a straight razor. To date, I haven't tried such a thin/fine edge on a knife. I try for a 20 degree inclusive edge on my knives. They are probably somewhere between 15~18 and 22~23 degrees inclusive, as I don't possess a guided system, angle guides, or angle finder.)

 

[HeavyHanded]

Stupid idea?

Flat Grind with micro bevel (or is that properly a Saber Grind?); Primary bevel/grind begins roughly half way between spine and edge.

Would placing primary grind flat on stone and reprofiling by hand using diamond plates until the micro bevel is gone (on both sides of the blade, obviously) "converting"/"modifying"/ "reprofiling" from a Flat or Saber grind to a Scandi grind:
(a) thin the edge appreciably, making it a better slicer and create a more acute inclusive edge angle, and/or (b) shorten the overall length of the blade, and/or noticeably reduce the blade width from spine to edge, and/or (c) be a waste of time and effort, and wear out my new diamond plates?

Yes, I am aware the primary grind/bevel would be "scratched beyond belief", remove any existing patina, and would probably lower the amount (if any) my heir could sell the knife for. (presuming he won't/don't/didn't put it in my pocket, before closing the lid for the last time.)

Blade steel is 1095, which I know from experience can take and hold an acute 10* to 25 degree inclusive edge without chipping or edge rolling, when used for knife tasks. Such as peeling a love apple, turnip, or critter, removing a decal/STP Sticker from a window, whittlin, cutting a heater hose, vacuum line, or nylon zip tie, cut pillow ticking patches flush with the muzzle when shooting a muzzleloader, etc..
(*10 to 12 degrees inclusive on a straight razor. To date, I haven't tried such a thin/fine edge on a knife. I try for a 20 degree inclusive edge on my knives. They are probably somewhere between 15~18 and 22~23 degrees inclusive, as I don't possess a guided system, angle guides, or angle finder.)

To really thin it you'd have to mark it above the primary shoulder transition and grind the new primary at a lower angle, resetting the shoulder to the mark (or run it all the way to the spine).

Flattening it as you describe will improve it a little, but it won't change the primary bevel angle very much.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I've 'sorta' done something like this with one blade in a traditional folder (Buck 301 stockman in 420HC steel). I ground the sheepsfoot blade from what is essentially a hollow/sabre grind, like many of Buck's blade profiles, into a nearly full-flat, but otherwise more Scandi-like grind, extending the flat behind the edge to about 3/4 of the blade's overall width, even partially into the nail nick on that blade. I did this with the overall goal of thinning the grind behind the edge, and also to remove the rather abrubt & crisp shoulder above the hollow's factory grind on that blade. That was my main dislike of the factory default grinds on this knife, in that they were more thick behind the edge than I'd prefer in a traditional knife pattern, and the shoulders of the hollow grind could be noticeably felt in cutting thicker materials as well.

Having done the above, that sheepsfoot blade is now a much better slicer overall, than it was to begin with. With the factory-default hollow behind the edge, that edge was still fairly thick immediately behind the apex (again, like many Buck blade profiles, especially in earlier-generation Buck knives). BTW, I did most of the grinding on a SiC stone, then following with further refinement on an IB-8 India stone and finishing the edge on the Fine side of that stone. I DID add something of a secondary 'bevel' as well, elevating the sharpening angle to the final edge just a bit. I did this, after finding that thinning to the more Scandi-like profile, to a 'zero' edge, left the apex maybe a bit more delicate than is ideal. But the net benefit of the thinner grind overall is still there.

I don't place as much emphasis in the change to a more Scandi-looking profile as I do in the simple fact that thinning the grind overall will ALWAYS improve cutting, no matter what shape the finished profile turns out to be.