Multi-Grind Blade

[TempusExMachina]

Would it make sense to have a knife blade with its cutting edge be convex grind near the tip, flat grind in the middle section, and hollow grind near the ricasso so that the knife can adapt better for multiple tasks (e.g. batoning near the tip and more precise carving away from the tip)? Just curious...

 

[Dorito Monk]

Something like the Nightmare Grind?

It'd be a nightmare to produce, to be sure.

 

[TempusExMachina]

Thanks for the knife examples!

Is that knife profile more effective for various survival tasks (e.g. batoning, cutting, etc.)? Or, is the marginal benefit over, say, a flat grind too small to bother worrying about it?

 

[RevDevil]

For processing wood, get a hatchet or a large chopper. I've never been a an of using folding knives in place of more appropriate tools. I don't know that there is any specific benefit for multiple angle grinds on a knife aside from aesthetic appeal and craftsmanship of the knifemaker.

 

[CWL]

Would it make sense to have a knife blade with its cutting edge be convex grind near the tip, flat grind in the middle section, and hollow grind near the ricasso so that the knife can adapt better for multiple tasks (e.g. batoning near the tip and more precise carving away from the tip)? Just curious...

People have tried it, but the knives generally turn out to be "Jack of all trades, master of none" type of result. The Tom Brown Tracker is a classic example.

I am of the opinion that your knife working skills mean much more than knife design. -Do you really need something that is optimized for batoning?

 

[gooeytek]

Daniel Fairly and Jeremy Horton are a couple of knifemakers here that do compound grinds:

 

[Esav Benyamin]

The Chris Reeve tanto has a convex tip and hollow grind main edge. But as CWL pointed out, the Tracker is the classic, designed for multiple roles. It works best when used by someone trained to consider each aspect for different woodcraft tasks. It is not a good knife for picking up and using for general utility. It is terrible in the role the movie showed, as a tactical tool.

As a card-carrying intellectual, it kills me to say it, but sometimes humans think too much.

 

[weinerd]

convex grind near the tip, flat grind in the middle section, and hollow grind near the ricasso Just curious...

As an owner of a Nealy Pesh Kabz, I find it a bit more useful of a grind vs the brous:

 

[Grease]

I have only ever seen one multi-grind blade that made sense, and it was on a custom machete that BlackForestGhost had made for his own use. The spine had a few inches ground at a very steep angle and convexed into an axe-like edge for use in chopping wood. It was a brilliant idea and worked great.

Here's his video about it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58zN8eimYDo