I have had it with the convex grind-No more convex for me.

[aarya]

Am i weird for sharpening all my knives, convex, flat and scandy, with a "stone"?
That is, i`m using a small DMT diamond card, on all my knives. And they all cut newspaper, shave hair, and whittle/carve wood very well. The only thing i notice, is that i tend to go for thinner and thinner blades when carving.
Nowadays, i usually carry a BRKT PSK-knife, which is convex, a Fallkniven TK4, which is full flat with "convexed" secondary bevel, and two SAKs, which have full flat grind and "convexed" secondary aswell. (I say "convexed" as i convex them with my DMT card, which i suppose isn`t really mouse-pad-method convex, but it isn`t flat either.)

I can understand why people don`t like convex though, as they can be more difficult to maintain. And as for sharpening gear, you can`t get a DMT convex-sharpening card or stone, nor can you get a Lansky Convexing Kit.
Some things are easy, some things ain`t. Easy things are for everyone. *some funny finishing line*

Just my two cents.

 

[KiljoyKutlery]

Here is a scandi done by "inmate" Charles May.
Hand rubbed D2, distal taper, green micarta, white liners, mosaic pins, and a top flight leather molded sheath....

I know it's crude but he has been behind on his orders while sharpening spoons into prison yard shivs on his cell wall.

LMAO!! wow..what a shank!

 

[KiljoyKutlery]

my vote goes to convex...

its easy to put on in the first place, its easy to maintain and you can have a convex that chops like an axe or that slices like a filet knife...

the cutting ability really comes down to how thin the edge is and how flat the sides of the convex are. i understand that the aurora is more of a saber convex grind that is smoothed into the flats nicely, so really its like a convex scandi grind. haven't held one, so can't comment directly, but that's what i've read.

i love the way scandis cut but i can't stand sharpening them. its so much easier to do a quick stropping on some sandpaper and then a strop with compound than take out the benchstone and lay up the angle and take strokes. maybe i'm just spoiled since i got my belt sander, but it just seems like it takes forever to sharpen a scandi. i think its because you have to take off so much metal.

gazaati, for convex field sharpening, try one of these. they are easy to make and you can carry a ton of different grit sandpapers inside. you can even glue a strop to the back if you want.

as for how it performs in wood...i find that every knife performs slightly differently in terms of the angle that you have to cut with in wood. my first several cuts are often lousy and uncontrolled with a new knife...it takes a minute to figure out the angle. if you tilted the aurora up a few degrees, you might do better cutting the wood.

if none of this works for you or you are past trying again...then enjoy the scandis! they are great cutters and they are stout too.

Siguy,
Once you have a Scandi sharp..it only takes a few strokes to keep it that way..I think of it as maintanance. I use mine all day and if it gets alot of use..I hit it on the steel about 2 times a day. I strop it with my thumb.

 

[pitdog]

I prefer almost any grind to scandi. They are econo-grind: cheap to make and that is their only advantage.

Hey RF have you actually tried using a Scandi grind blade on wood ?

We all find have our prefered makes, grinds, blade style etc which is what makes it so interesting but I find it strange that you find no advantage when using a scandi to cut wood.......I was amazed, and still am , at how well they work !!!

 

[j williams]

Scandis are great. My koster nessie sliced like no ones bussness. I prefer convex, but scandi is an awesome edge as well.

 

[Ebbtide]

What are you guys cutting that you need to resharpen your knife "in the field"?
I guess a related question is how long are you "in the field" when you need to resharpen your knife?

 

[Gossman Knives]

What are you guys cutting that you need to resharpen your knife "in the field"?
I guess a related question is how long are you "in the field" when you need to resharpen your knife?

My feelings exactly. If your knife doesn't hold an edge well or you are chopping concrete stropping should be all that's needed while afield. Unless you are in the woods for months at a time.
Scott

 

[j williams]

For day hikes, I dont see the need to touch up. However on the overnighters+ I like to strop daily, b/c of maintnance after building traps, fuzzsticks, whittlin, foodprep, etc...

 

[j williams]

I guess it depends on your definition of resharpen. I dont ever let em dull out that much, so I consider resharpenin stropping.

 

[Brian Andrews]

Why do you have to chose between one or the other? Everything is a trade-off and everything has strengths and weaknesses. Its important to be honest about them, recognize that, so that you can make the most informed decision for a current situation.

Personally, I love scandi grinds, and I love convex grinds. I can't imagine giving up either.

 

[gazaati]

Why do you have to chose between one or the other? Everything is a trade-off and everything has strengths and weaknesses. Its important to be honest about them, recognize that, so that you can make the most informed decision for a current situation.

Personally, I love scandi grinds, and I love convex grinds. I can't imagine giving up either.

I remember a good review by you about axes. You mentioned that GB axes are not the best for hard wood. ( if I remember correctly) cant you say the same about fat convex grinds on knives?

 

[Big Mike]

My feelings exactly. If your knife doesn't hold an edge well or you are chopping concrete stropping should be all that's needed while afield. Unless you are in the woods for months at a time.
Scott

I must agree with Scott, I never sharpen my knives in the field, even after hard use a quick strop on my jeans or my belt brings the edge back to hair poppin’.

If a knife won’t stay sharp in the field, I find a better knife.

 

[baldtaco-II]

I am gonna go for it here and call you out...you havnt carved anything in you life! If you had, you never would have written the above. Scandi is not only easier to sharpen..if you cant, I just dont get how you couldnt..it is also BETTER at cutting wood. It is not an opinion..this is a fact. the shape is the same as chisels that guys like me use everyday at work. I carve wood alot..I restore old colonial and victorian homes. There is a need to use hand tools everyday..sometimes all day, all week. I have brought quite a few blades to work and tried them out..at this point, if it isnt a scandi, it doesnt go to work.
More to the point..I need to carve things with precision, and convex is very hard to control.

“I am gonna go for it here and call you out...you havnt carved anything in you life!”

You are the second person today to address the issue in a personal way. That's unfortunate, I've come to expect better on this forum. I'll give you this then I'm going to bail on the thread, 'cos something here is just too fragile for my liking:

1]

“you havnt carved anything in you life!”

Just too riddled with assumptions to be worthy of my time.

2a]

“Scandi is not only easier to sharpen”

Opinions clearly vary on that. I will make no absolute statement on this. It would be dumb of me to.

2b]

“I just dont get how you couldnt”

On top of 2a, read my first post, the one responding to Talfuchre. That is the only mention I have made of a Scandi being harder to sharpen. It was a very specific case; “in the field”, and with a small DMT stone. Again, I was not stupid enough to make absolute claims about which is easier because that would dumb. I made an observation statement about my skills in a specific setting using specific methods. Hope this helps.

3]

“it is also BETTER at cutting wood...”

One wonders why you are putting that belief to me. Even with THE YELLING it is far from clear. That may actually be wrong. Again I'm not so dumb as to try for a claim of fact, but I believe that probably is true. Still, I am mystified as to why you would be saying that to me. I know I'm usually very stoned when I write here but I thought I was clear:

“they are very popular here with the reenactment people though. That makes a certain amount of sense to me because the bulk of the reenactment stuff they do calls for using the knife as a chisel, and it's an ideal choice for that."

“I imagine that would be a fine piece for the reenactment / bushcraft thing...For someone that does a lot of that though it is clear why that one would be a very attractive proposition.”

 

[Dannyboy Leather]

THANK YOU!! I am telling you..anyone that says convex cuts wood is LYING TO YOU..PERIOD. I happen to do a damn fine job sharpening my Bark Rivers, and they cut OK, but my Scandis PUT THEM TO ALMIGTHTY SHAME!! THEY open a can of whoopass on those convex blades...they pound them outta exitence...they .........cut better.
Convex, great for a chopper...sucks for a small knife. and the fact that you have to bust balls to sharpen it in the field is one more reason....JMNSHO.

I could like this gentleman.

Honestly, and respectfully, I can't believe this debate still rages on. Bad boys.

BTW, who said a Scandinavian knife could ONLY have a flat sabre grind?? I have several custom and production Scandinavian knives that have small secondary or small convexed edges ("edges", not grinds). Many Scandinavian knifemakers prefer having a little more cross-section on their edges than running them out to zero. Does it effect the wonderful performance of the Scandinavian grind in terms of cutting? Heck no. When I sharpen my own Scandinavian ground knives for use in the woodshop or in the field, I install a small convexed edge using either a stone, variable speed vertical belt (slack) sander (select belts), or mouse pad affair. No rocket science or special skills are needed here. Take my word for it, you can shave a bugs butt with one of my slightly convexed or secondary edged Scandinavian ground knives. Too, these edges won't chip or easily roll when carving on most woods.

I prefer the Scandinavian ground knives for woodcarving or many other types of woodwork. Look at a woodcarvers tool bag or roll sometime and see what he is using. If there was something better out there they would be using it. It is IMPORTANT to be able to "see" the edge, "know" where the edge is when it enters the wood in woodcarving. The Scandinavian ground blades provide this benefit. This is hard to tell sometimes with some convexed ground knives. Of course, not talking "general" bushcraft or utility work here.

I prefer the convexed ground blades for about most everything else, except in the ranch butcher shop where flat-ground and bandsaw rein as king. The convexed ground knives (such as the Bark Rivers or Scott's, for example) can be tremendously sharp and efficient general woodworking and utility knives. They provide unbeatable durability, reliability, and overall efficiency in the right hands.

I can (you can too) sharpen ANY dull Scandinavian or convex ground blade in minutes. I take more time stropping my blades to finish than actually removing metal. If you know your abrasives and stones, take an easy-does-it approach to sharpening your blade, the rest is easy. I think most of the problems that people have with sharpening their blades is: 1). Not knowing what sort of abrasive to use, and when. 2). Not watching their edges properly (if ya can't watch it, ya can't sharpen it! If ya can't watch it, ya can't study it to make it better!). 3). Practice. Repeat good habits and techniques and very little time is needed to do the sharpening job properly. 4). Maintain, strop, etc., the edge often so a full-blown sharpening session is not needed (I almost never sharpen in the field...don't need to).

I use specific knives for specific tasks, which means selecting the best edge and grind that will serve me best. I try not to use any of my knives outside of the context for which they were created. Yep, stuff happens. So, why not carry both a Scandinavian knife and a convex ground knife (I do).

 

[Jeff H]

I like both:thumbup:

......I think that really ANY blade grind can be easy to sharpen and cut very fine depending on the grind angle, the blade thickness and the shape of the blade.:thumbup:

Here, here!
I second that!:thumbup:
I have had some exceptionally well-made knives that "missed" on the above criteria and would shave hair and slice Post-Its but wouldn't carve wood for beans but split wood eceptionally well. I also think that the "knife-buying-public" puts a lot of pressure on knife-makers to put indesctructible edges (obtuse secondary vee-ground edges, blunt convexes, etc.) that will slice through concrete blocks and still shave hair. On the Aurora - probably just needs a little "meat" removed and Mike Stewart would make that right without an argument.

As far as the comment about being OK for an axe (original post), I have had a lot of knives made that way - some from BRKT even, but not as extreme as others. On the other side of that, I have some BRKTs that were ground more acutely and are simply incredible cutters - one of my best "carvers" being a fat,' little ol' Mikro-Canadian.

 

[flnder]

OK,to totally change the drift,I hope, Gazaati,do you know which Aurora you have? In 2008,they made the blade longer.pointier and slimmer through edge shoulder area. I have one of each and the first one came dull but sharpened surprisingly easy on the strop method. It still reminded me of a hatchet when it came to cutting through something. The 2008 came and is more like a razor(or to get crazy,a light sabre)especially compared to the first one

 

[KiljoyKutlery]

Personal? Frail?..I was having a bit of fun..it seems to me that you indirectly called me dumb about three times in this post..you should bail on this post.
EDITED: Stoned...cool.:thumbup: why the hostility? I am strongly stating that I didnt and seldom mean anything that I type for more than the time it takes to type it..its a light hearted info forum here for me...great people and great times. If I offended you, sorry. But you did state you were prejudice towards Scandis...this is bound to get a good ribbing here on the wilderness forums Bro. Also you also called half my collection cheap crap

“I am gonna go for it here and call you out...you havnt carved anything in you life!”

You are the second person today to address the issue in a personal way. That's unfortunate, I've come to expect better on this forum. I'll give you this then I'm going to bail on the thread, 'cos something here is just too fragile for my liking:

1]

“you havnt carved anything in you life!”

Just too riddled with assumptions to be worthy of my time.

2a]

“Scandi is not only easier to sharpen”

Opinions clearly vary on that. I will make no absolute statement on this. It would be dumb of me to.

2b]

“I just dont get how you couldnt”

On top of 2a, read my first post, the one responding to Talfuchre. That is the only mention I have made of a Scandi being harder to sharpen. It was a very specific case; “in the field”, and with a small DMT stone. Again, I was not stupid enough to make absolute claims about which is easier because that would dumb. I made an observation statement about my skills in a specific setting using specific methods. Hope this helps.

3]

“it is also BETTER at cutting wood...”

One wonders why you are putting that belief to me. Even with THE YELLING it is far from clear. That may actually be wrong. Again I'm not so dumb as to try for a claim of fact, but I believe that probably is true. Still, I am mystified as to why you would be saying that to me. I know I'm usually very stoned when I write here but I thought I was clear:

“they are very popular here with the reenactment people though. That makes a certain amount of sense to me because the bulk of the reenactment stuff they do calls for using the knife as a chisel, and it's an ideal choice for that."

“I imagine that would be a fine piece for the reenactment / bushcraft thing...For someone that does a lot of that though it is clear why that one would be a very attractive proposition.”

 

[KiljoyKutlery]

I could like this gentleman.

Honestly, and respectfully, I can't believe this debate still rages on. Bad boys.

BTW, who said a Scandinavian knife could ONLY have a flat sabre grind?? I have several custom and production Scandinavian knives that have small secondary or small convexed edges ("edges", not grinds). Many Scandinavian knifemakers prefer having a little more cross-section on their edges than running them out to zero. Does it effect the wonderful performance of the Scandinavian grind in terms of cutting? Heck no. When I sharpen my own Scandinavian ground knives for use in the woodshop or in the field, I install a small convexed edge using either a stone, variable speed vertical belt (slack) sander (select belts), or mouse pad affair. No rocket science or special skills are needed here. Take my word for it, you can shave a bugs butt with one of my slightly convexed or secondary edged Scandinavian ground knives. Too, these edges won't chip or easily roll when carving on most woods.

I prefer the Scandinavian ground knives for woodcarving or many other types of woodwork. Look at a woodcarvers tool bag or roll sometime and see what he is using. If there was something better out there they would be using it. It is IMPORTANT to be able to "see" the edge, "know" where the edge is when it enters the wood in woodcarving. The Scandinavian ground blades provide this benefit. This is hard to tell sometimes with some convexed ground knives. Of course, not talking "general" bushcraft or utility work here.

I prefer the convexed ground blades for about most everything else, except in the ranch butcher shop where flat-ground and bandsaw rein as king. The convexed ground knives (such as the Bark Rivers or Scott's, for example) can be tremendously sharp and efficient general woodworking and utility knives. They provide unbeatable durability, reliability, and overall efficiency in the right hands.

I can (you can too) sharpen ANY dull Scandinavian or convex ground blade in minutes. I take more time stropping my blades to finish than actually removing metal. If you know your abrasives and stones, take an easy-does-it approach to sharpening your blade, the rest is easy. I think most of the problems that people have with sharpening their blades is: 1). Not knowing what sort of abrasive to use, and when. 2). Not watching their edges properly (if ya can't watch it, ya can't sharpen it! If ya can't watch it, ya can't study it to make it better!). 3). Practice. Repeat good habits and techniques and very little time is needed to do the sharpening job properly. 4). Maintain, strop, etc., the edge often so a full-blown sharpening session is not needed (I almost never sharpen in the field...don't need to).

I use specific knives for specific tasks, which means selecting the best edge and grind that will serve me best. I try not to use any of my knives outside of the context for which they were created. Yep, stuff happens. So, why not carry both a Scandinavian knife and a convex ground knife (I do).

I am likable I sometimes strop my Scandis as well, they have a slight shiny smooth edge...VERY SHARP.

 

[gitarmac]

Since I've gotten a bark river I've lost interest in my other knives. I just got some nice new spyderco stones and I wonder if I will ever use them. I think the "secret" is a real leather strop with real sharpening compound. It's stoopid easy.

 

[baldtaco-II]

Personal? Frail?..I was having a bit of fun..it seems to me that you indirectly called me dumb about three times in this post..you should bail on this post.
EDITED: Stoned...cool.:thumbup: why the hostility? I am strongly stating that I didnt and seldom mean anything that I type for more than the time it takes to type it..its a light hearted info forum here for me...great people and great times. If I offended you, sorry. But you did state you were prejudice towards Scandis...this is bound to get a good ribbing here on the wilderness forums Bro. Also you also called half my collection cheap crap

Ok, perhaps I've spent too long on Usenet, I translate “call you out” as a challenge of the bellicose to bring your A game. I was also primed by a daft comment that wasn't anything to do with you further up the thread. It also seemed you were going somewhat the strawman route, ascribing a position to me I do not hold, and then trying to knock it down. On that, I'm sure you can see why I came out blasting.

Anyway, enuffs of all that. Smoke up amigo ;-)