Low Impulse Control Bowie-edited to add brief video

[Dobe_1]

I do love that full convex zero grind. I redid the edge of my bowie (the one Bawanna mentioned) to be convex zero grind, and that's how I'm grinding a couple blanks. I like to use that or a convex single/chisel grind, but not everyone likes the chisel ground edges.

I use a Worksharp on slowest setting and finest grit belt I can get away with. Keep my fingers right by the edge so I can feel if it starts to get warm. I finish with what they call a stropping belt on more medium speed. Leaves just about a mirror polish, maybe one step down from a proper leather strop and some rouge.

JW, I'd love to come up there sometime and check out some of your knives, if you don't mind. Maybe even buy or order one if I have some knife-money? They look gorgeous to say the least, and your kydex forming makes mine look like the amateur work that it is!!

I'm not a big fan of a chisel grind. What attracts you to it?

 

[SingleGrind]

I've found that a chisel edge will get as razor sharp as any v egde, but it holds that edge a lot better, and is also less prone to damage. It's also easier to sharpen, since you only work the steel on one side. It does take a little while getting used to how it cuts, but if you hold the blade at a little bit of an angle, that edge cuts just like a v grind. The blades on AK-47 bayonets were chisel ground, which I've always thought was a fun fact.

I had some custom work done to an Emerson CQC-15, which has a recurve with tanto tip. I had the recurve reprofiled from a chisel to a convex chisel, and the tip chisel, but a thinner angle than before. It cuts like a dream.

Dobe, what knives have you used that had chisel grinds? And have you used a Scandi grind before? Curious to know your opinion on those

 

[Jens Schuetz]

I've found that a chisel edge will get as razor sharp as any v egde, but it holds that edge a lot better, and is also less prone to damage. It's also easier to sharpen, since you only work the steel on one side. It does take a little while getting used to how it cuts, but if you hold the blade at a little bit of an angle, that edge cuts just like a v grind. The blades on AK-47 bayonets were chisel ground, which I've always thought was a fun fact.

I had some custom work done to an Emerson CQC-15, which has a recurve with tanto tip. I had the recurve reprofiled from a chisel to a convex chisel, and the tip chisel, but a thinner angle than before. It cuts like a dream.

Dobe, what knives have you used that had chisel grinds? And have you used a Scandi grind before? Curious to know your opinion on those

The East German AK bayonetts weren't Chisel ground. Maybe the Russian ones?

Your idea of holding the blade a bit different gave me an idea. What if a maker puts the chisel edge blade into the handle at an angle to begin with? That might be easier.

Do you completely chisel grind or is there some very tiny grind on the other side. Maybe only as much as from removing the bur?

 

[Shavru]

Nice looking blades JW, looks like you have been busy lately. Always have been partial to a Convex grind. Something just gorgeous about the way the blade looks with it, and from the video it looks like it cuts just like the Scorpion you made me with that grind. Effortless is the only way to describe it. Thanks for sharing some beautiful blades.

 

[SingleGrind]

I believe it was the Russian ones that were chisel ground. Didn't even know the Germans made AKs.

I do one pass on the other side after every 20-30 passes on chisel side, but as you said, it's only to remove the burr. It's done at almost zero angle on a very fine stone or belt, so there's basically no bevel on that side still.

Here, I took pictures.

This is a knife I ground on top, convex chisel, and the CQC-15 ground by Josh, convex chisel on the recurve, flat chisel on the tanto point.


And here's the other sides. The Emerson has been sharpened more, which is why it looks like there's more of an edge. It's just the etch wearing off.


Also, though creative, I'm not sure how I feel about putting the blade at an angle in relation to the handle. I have a feeling it just wouldn't feel right and there wouldn't be a good way to get leverage into the cut, like putting a thumb in the blade. Plus, if I ever give someone a chisel ground knife and they absolutely hate it, they could very easily grind a little on the other side and have a v. You could do the same with your idea, but you'd then have a knife with a crooked blade for no reason

 

[gurkha berserka]

I believe it was the Russian ones that were chisel ground. Didn't even know the Germans made AKs.

I do one pass on the other side after every 20-30 passes on chisel side, but as you said, it's only to remove the burr. It's done at almost zero angle on a very fine stone or belt, so there's basically no bevel on that side still.

Here, I took pictures.

This is a knife I ground on top, convex chisel, and the CQC-15 ground by Josh, convex chisel on the recurve, flat chisel on the tanto point.


And here's the other sides. The Emerson has been sharpened more, which is why it looks like there's more of an edge. It's just the etch wearing off.


Also, though creative, I'm not sure how I feel about putting the blade at an angle in relation to the handle. I have a feeling it just wouldn't feel right and there wouldn't be a good way to get leverage into the cut, like putting a thumb in the blade. Plus, if I ever give someone a chisel ground knife and they absolutely hate it, they could very easily grind a little on the other side and have a v. You could do the same with your idea, but you'd then have a knife with a crooked blade for no reason

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The East Germans do indeed have their own style AK. You can tell it by the brown plastic furniture with a pebble grain to it. The folding stock version has a wire type stock with a weird triangle butt section. I bought a furniture set once and installed in on a Romanian AK, I found it to be very uncomfortable. Especially in the cold.

 

[J W Bensinger]

A chisel grind is just as likely to chip as a flat grind, and more likely to do so than a full convex. The chisel grind on bush/utility blades in much of the world owes itself to the ridiculous amount of labor involved in producing high carbon steel in the old days-just laying a thin strip of high carb on a piece of wrought iron/low carbon is much easier than san mai construction. Putting any kind of bevel on the flat side of a chisel grind is a big mistake for cutting efficiency's sake.

 

[J W Bensinger]

Using a chisel grind in the bush generally involves arranging all your cuts to be forehand cuts putting the flat side towards the limb/trunk being cut-small stuff cuts ok lefty/backhand but if you're tired or distracted it'll skip badly and hard.

 

[J W Bensinger]

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The East Germans do indeed have their own style AK. You can tell it by the brown plastic furniture with a pebble grain to it. The folding stock version has a wire type stock with a weird triangle butt section. I bought a furniture set once and installed in on a Romanian AK, I found it to be very uncomfortable. Especially in the cold.

We had those triangle side folders at the place I worked in the sandbox-they will not do your teeth any favors. They benefit from some padding.

 

[Spectre]

That's a good looking knife, J W. What's the blade length, OAL, and spine thickness, if you don't mind? The handle looks comfortable. I also don't generally agree with knives with a protruding tang, for reasons similar to the problems you encountered.

Our Camp Defenders- in Blade Mag Sept, 2015- have convex blades, but the dedicated deployment knife Sam and I have in development will have a Scandi grind for easy sharpening by deployed troops.

Bawanna, Bento Box has been giving an option for folks to donate an ARK to a deploying service member, and then contacting me to find who to send them to. Please drop me a line as your son gets close to deployment.

John Shirley

 

[Bawanna]

Sent you an email John. Thanks

 

[J W Bensinger]

That's a good looking knife, J W. What's the blade length, OAL, and spine thickness, if you don't mind? The handle looks comfortable. I also don't generally agree with knives with a protruding tang, for reasons similar to the problems you encountered.

Our Camp Defenders- in Blade Mag Sept, 2015- have convex blades, but the dedicated deployment knife Sam and I have in development will have a Scandi grind for easy sharpening by deployed troops.

Bawanna, Bento Box has been giving an option for folks to donate an ARK to a deploying service member, and then contacting me to find who to send them to. Please drop me a line as your son gets close to deployment.

John Shirley

The cutting edge is six or so-that guard/choil is about 3/4" and the OAL is maybe 11"? (It's upstairs and I'm not lol). 1/4" to nothin" distal taper in the blade, 1/4" to 1/8 tang taper.
The one I deployed with was about five in the blade-this one just felt right at this size-felt really good doing some silat freeplay...and I'm done going downrange.
Scandi with a microbevel, or straight scandi?

 

[Dobe_1]

I've found that a chisel edge will get as razor sharp as any v egde, but it holds that edge a lot better, and is also less prone to damage. It's also easier to sharpen, since you only work the steel on one side. It does take a little while getting used to how it cuts, but if you hold the blade at a little bit of an angle, that edge cuts just like a v grind. The blades on AK-47 bayonets were chisel ground, which I've always thought was a fun fact.

I had some custom work done to an Emerson CQC-15, which has a recurve with tanto tip. I had the recurve reprofiled from a chisel to a convex chisel, and the tip chisel, but a thinner angle than before. It cuts like a dream.

Dobe, what knives have you used that had chisel grinds? And have you used a Scandi grind before? Curious to know your opinion on those

I have a couple of Emersons also, a CQC-7, which is a full chisel grind, and a Commander. I must disagree that a chisel edge holds an edge better, or that it is less prone to damage. In order to make a chisel just as sharp as a V grind, the edge actually needs to be recessed more than any ONE side of the V grind. I do agree that it is simpler to sharpen.

The problem I have with a Chisel grind is that the cut will take a path determined by the side of the chisel location. That's not always optimum.

This is more of a problem for a full chisel grind, such as a CQC-7, but I found it to be also a problem even with the Commander, which is a V grind with a chisel edge.

I've not used a Scandi grind, although this grind is very popular on the Mora knives.

Emerson uses a chisel grind, in my opinion, due to his training in Filipino martial arts, i.e Kali. Chisel grind is pervasive in the Philippines. In areas where machinery is not easily accessed, simpler methods are use for knife construction. The chisel grind is simpler to make and get "right". There is no matching the angles of the edge.

 

[Dobe_1]

Using a chisel grind in the bush generally involves arranging all your cuts to be forehand cuts putting the flat side towards the limb/trunk being cut-small stuff cuts ok lefty/backhand but if you're tired or distracted it'll skip badly and hard.

One can find successfully used full chisel grinds in sushi knives. Sushi knives are right or left handed, due to the fact that a chisel grind will direct the path of a cut. There is a place for chisel grind blades, I'm just not an overall fan.

 

[gurkha berserka]

We had those triangle side folders at the place I worked in the sandbox-they will not do your teeth any favors. They benefit from some padding.

Yeah... It is pretty much the worst folding stock I have ever used on an AK. They get burning hot in the summer and stick to your face cold in the winter time. I learned to squeeze my lips real tight when firing to avoid the cheek slap that always sent lightning bolts through my teeth. I much prefer the Type 56 side folder, although it is very rare. The underfolder style makes for a much more comfortable rifle even if it makes the rifle rather wide. I much prefer the standard stock in warsaw length... not nato length. The short fixed stocked just seems perfect to me on an AK.

 

[Dobe_1]

I'll check when I get the forge going in the AM. Catalox? Something like that.

JW, good looking blades for sure.

 

[Jens Schuetz]

Regarding the weird east german stock.

How was it intended?

From what I've seen which was limited since I was only 11 when the wall came down it was carried by MP and guys who jumped from aeroplanes.
Close quarter mobility and not having long stuff banging into you seemed to be the idea. More like a machine pistol which could be turned into an assault rifle in a pinch. What speaks for this is that the folded stock does not interfere with the function of the gun and leaves it's trigger nicely accessible from both sides, many other foldable AK stocks don't.
Thinking of it as a foldable assault rifle instead of an extendable machine pistol could explain the disappointment with some.

When I was in the reunited German military I got injured from my heavy and long HK G3. Securing backwards out of the top hatch I didn't see when our APC was jumping over a sidewalk and got the drum rear sight slammed into my face. Wouldn't have happened with a folded and lighter gun...

Anyways that's just what I've observed and a real AK I've only held twice. Once they let us shoot the single shot .22 version (how cool is that?) in 2nd grade or so and then later in the army we had a few as props when training people for Bosnia.

 

[Spectre]

J W, I'm checking with Sam to see which grind, since I can't find the discussion in question.

gurkha, I prefer the Warsaw-length fixed stock, too. One of my ARs actually has a Sully stock, which is a fixed stock that's even shorter.

 

[J W Bensinger]

I like the Warsaw length as well. Last time out I ran a Bulgarian milled reciever w/an aimpoint-in '06 I ran a Tabuk underfolder (that I chopped 3" out of the stock and rewelded, because with body armor I couldn't reach the controls lol)
The stock is built up with SAM splint and 100mph tape

 

[J W Bensinger]

This is what it ended up like by the end of '06. Yes, that foregrip is far enough forward to change mags.