How important is symmetry on a Scandi grind?

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Shocktroop0351

Joined
Feb 13, 2020
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Hello everyone, FNG here with most likely an FNG question. I recently purchased a new knife advertised as having a Scandi grind and the primary bevel is not the same on both sides. The blade is 3/16” thick 1095 and the primary bevel is about 1/8” higher on one side. This is a hard use survival knife so I’m not as concerned about aesthetics, I’m mainly concerned with those angles affecting the ability to sharpen it down the road. The edge is very close to being centered in the blade, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s off a small amount either. So long story short, my questions are 1) Will the primary bevel grind being off affect the knife performance in it’s intended role? 2) In today’s knife market, is it acceptable to sell a knife for around $150 with a grind like this?

Thank you all in advance for your advice and help!
 
Functionally not important, but I wouldn't consider it acceptable on a knife that expensive. If it's a scandi grind then the only bevel is the primary bevel, so calling it the primary bevel implies the existence of a secondary bevel, which would make it a conventional saber grind instead, so if it's truly a scandi then just calling it "the bevel" or "the grind" would be more terminologically clear. If the grind angle is the same on both sides then you can just sharpen the "short" side until the blade evens out, though.
 
Well, asymmetrical grind isn't a big deal if it's secondary bevel on sabre or hollow or full flat grind... but if it's primary bevel - there is a problem.
Scandi grind just isn't my cup of tea tho, and I imagine it's also not easy to sharpen.
 
Smiling said:
Well, asymmetrical grind isn't a big deal if it's secondary bevel on sabre or hollow or full flat grind... but if it's primary bevel - there is a problem.
Scandi grind just isn't my cup of tea tho, and I imagine it's also not easy to sharpen.
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They are not too difficult to sharpen........ unless you damage the edge with a big chip or dent....then it is more time consuming to grind past the damage than a ffg, or convex, etc.

The scandi grind is handy if you have a hard time "feeling" the correct angle on a narrow edge. ..with the scandi, if it is flat, you can lay that wide bevel on the stone and really feel the proper angle!
 
Bigfattyt said:
They are not too difficult to sharpen........ unless you damage the edge with a big chip or dent....then it is more time consuming to grind past the damage than a ffg, or convex, etc.

The scandi grind is handy if you have a hard time "feeling" the correct angle on a narrow edge. ..with the scandi, if it is flat, you can lay that wide bevel on the stone and really feel the proper angle!
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Precisely. They are incredibly easy to sharpen.
 
Thanks for the input everyone. As much as pictures would help I don’t want to put them out until the maker has had the opportunity to rectify the situation. This knife does in fact have a secondary bevel, and if I’m understanding you guys correctly that means the primary bevel is not as important functionally.
 
If a knife is noticeably wonky or uneven I get pretty pissed if it's $100 or more, but I'd be at least irritated from around $50 and up with a knife that had serious symmetry issues.
 
Bigfattyt said:
3/16 inch thick 1095 and the scandi bevel has a secondary bevel? Hard use?

Are you describing a saber ground blade? With the actual edge being an additional bevel on the scandi grind?
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From what I understand it’s a micro bevel on a Scandi grind. This secondary bevel is no more than 1/16” wide. I think if a person wanted to take it to a true Scandi it wouldn’t take much to work out the micro bevel.
 
Shocktroop0351 said:
From what I understand it’s a micro bevel on a Scandi grind. This secondary bevel is no more than 1/16” wide. I think if a person wanted to take it to a true Scandi it wouldn’t take much to work out the micro bevel.
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A true microbevel is only visible with deliberate scrutiny under bright light. If the secondary bevel is clearly visible to the naked eye without having to hunt for it you've got a full-blown macrobevel, and therefore a conventional saber grind.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
A true microbevel is only visible with deliberate scrutiny under bright light. If the secondary bevel is clearly visible to the naked eye without having to hunt for it you've got a full-blown macrobevel, and therefore a conventional saber grind.
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Oh ok, thanks for the insight. I would say that’s what it is then. In your opinion, does the primary bevels being off on a saber grind affect the performance of the knife then?
 
Depends how it's off. If the angles are equal, just ground more on one side, it's not going to really impact anything. If the angles are different but not by a huge degree, it's also not a massive problem. But if the grind is seriously "twisted" relative to the plane of the blade stock then it can cause tracking issues. The effect is probably not going to be great enough for it to make a meaningful functional difference, but nevertheless I'd consider it unacceptable on a knife at its price point.
 
Shocktroop0351 said:
Oh ok, thanks for the insight. I would say that’s what it is then. In your opinion, does the primary bevels being off on a saber grind affect the performance of the knife then?
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Not really... it might annoy me.

I've had customs (albeit budget customs) with absolutely awful grinds ( I mean blind and maybe slightly insane crack head grinds). Warps, Wonks, and bad grinding!!
 
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