One-Sided Edge

[Stogie]

I bought a cheap "good looking" Tarpon Bay knife. It is a 3" ss tanto point 50/50 folder with a liner lock and a cut-out aluminum handle. Again... it is a cheap knife ($7.00). The blade has a sharpened edge on only one side. The other side remains flat. Is this typical on cheap knives? Do you only sharpen from one side?

 

[hardheart]

I have a CS spear point Paraedge and had a Spydie Ladybug, both with the edge bevel on only one side. Don't know why, but they came wicked sharp OOB, so I ain't complainin' Just sharpen one side to a burr, then polish that off with a couple of strokes on the back side.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

Stogie, you've come across a "chisel grind" so-called because chisels are sharpened that way. If you can imagine two such blades sharpened on opposite sides, placed back to back as if to make one blade, you will understand that each single edge is twice as sharp as an ordinary symmetrically gound edge.

Since it is naturally so much sharper, why aren't all knives ground this way? After all, it's only half the work for twice the benefit! One problem is, it doesn't necessarily cut as straight, tending to slide off in the direction of the grind. Also, it can be confusing to sharpen, although hardheart has described the technique perfectly. It is also more fragile and may need more work to keep up.

All tantos are not done with a chisel grind, but it is popular for teactical knives.

All this is referring to the primary bevel, of the main part of the blade. hardheart also referred to the edge bevel, known as the secondary bevel, or cantle. The same rule applies here, that sharpening one side makes an inherently sharper edge. Many combination edges (with part plain and part serrated) will have a two-sided grind except for the single-sided serrations.

 

[Stogie]

Thanks Hard and Esav for your responses. You guys are better and quicker than my Funk and Wagnals.