Hollow Ground, Chisel Ground, etc?

Chisel ground is the blade being ground on only one side. Like a chisel.

Hollow ground is harder to explain... its ground on both sides. If you put the knife flat on the table so its on its side, and you look at the edge itself: it slowly slopes up from the edge to the spine. It a gentle sloping.

Flat ground is ground on both sides like a hollow ground except that instead of sloping it is flat. (Which makes it a better slicer.)

Hope that helps guys. It's a simplistic explanation but the best I can give you without actually showing examples.
-Kevin
 
Hm..I thought a hollowground blade would be a better slicer but edge durability in a flat would be better. Refer to the Leek and the 'cheese slicing test' where the block of cheese being sliced doesnt stick to the sides of the blade
 
Hollow ground blades are ground on both sides and the grind is sort of shaped like this ) while flat ground blades have grinds shaped like this \ . This is the profile with the point towards you.
 
Look at some of the BF FAQ's they will give you a better explanation than I can. A hollow ground knife is ground on a wheel, so it as a concave bevel. A flat ground knife is ground on a flat surface, so the bevels are flat. A convex ground knife is ground against a slack belt or a modified Platen, so the bevels are convex, like a tear drop. To further confuse things, each grind can go all the way to the spine, or stop at any distance between the spine and he edge. When the bevel is flat ground it is usually called a saber grind. Hollow grinds frequently do not go all the way to the spine, so they are still just called a hollow grind. Now a chisel grind is just ground on one side of the blade instead of both sides, it can be flat, hollow or covex. Also the secondary bevel(the one that is closest to the edge can be flat or convex or hollow, or have a chisel grind. Or there can be no secondary bevel at all, this is what is being referred to as a zero edge. Look at the FAQ's, or at some of the tutorials on CKD for a better explanation.
Kyle Fuglesten
 
and to illustrate...the top Strider has a flat-ground blade while the bottom one is hollow ground (pic courtesy of TAD)

standard


my Farid is chisel ground...as you can see, one side is totally flat

standard


standard




RL
 
Hm..I thought a hollowground blade would be a better slicer but edge durability in a flat would be better. Refer to the Leek and the 'cheese slicing test' where the block of cheese being sliced doesnt stick to the sides of the blade
Click to expand...

This statement brings up an important feature about geometry. The "best" geometry will change depending on the materials you have to make knives from, and what you intend to cut. Cheese will want to stick to your knife, so the less material that comes in contact with the cheese, the easier it is to cut. If you want thin slices of cheese, try one of those wire cheese cutters, which is just a wire that is taught and secured to 2 posts with a handle. That will cut cheese very well! But such a device is terrible for paper.

Many times on the forums when people talk about geometries, they speak much too generally. A hollow grind can get an edge very thin. But so can a zero ground flat grind. You also have to take into account the thickness of your knife. A full flat ground knife of 1/8" stock will outcut a full flat groun dknife of 3/16" stock, all things being equal. And still you have to talk about the primary geometries, and edge geometries.

Good luck to all in our learnings about geometry!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top