Opinions on Scandi for SHTF?

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Please don't take my post to mean I am some kind of expert on the subject. My comments were based mostly on the idea that in a survival situation, only the fact that the knife is sharp matters (there is no reason you need to maintain a true scandi grind on a knife if you do not possess the means or skills to do so) and that the history of the edge type suggests that it is not as hard to maintain as one might think. I guess one place where some information can be found to get you started on finding the answers is right here on BF:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/scandinavian-blades-history.1278793/
 
Come to think of it... I think from a civilization survival standpoint, I'd much rather have a Scandinavian grind than an Aztec, Inca, Roman or Egyptian grind.
 
C campandtravel a scandi is no more difficult to maintain than any other type of blade grind. If you don't have a sharpening stone, the edge won't be as pretty as it would be with one, but it will still cut. If you want to have a regular sharpening stone, you can get a small one and attach it to your sheath. There are plenty of options, but the traditional type whetstone will last a lifetime.
 
BladeScout said:
Well, define SHTF?.
If you need a good hard use knife for keeping you alive in the wilderness and for making sure, that youll be able to make shelter and a fire etc etc, a Terava carbon scandi Puukko would most likely work well.
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Well said. My 140 is about as reliable as an iron skillet so far.
 
campandtravel said:
Not really looking for the "best SHTF" knife but the TOPS BOB is about the same size and strength as the APO-1 but TOPS BOB is Scandi so maybe this is the perfect comparison. Which one is better long-term do you think not including the steel differences?
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The thing is, most Scandi knives are in fact slightly convexed. So the BOB has an edge which is plenty strong and it doesn't need to be sharpened on a perfectly flat stone. And that would be true for most scandigrind knives!!!
Of the two, I think I would go with the BOB. Primarily because I know what TOPS stands for as a company. Who knows if Survival Lilly somehow doesn't survive, and you are left to dry if you have a warranty issue.
 
campandtravel said:
I just got to thinking that Scandi blades are kind of hard to maintain? You need a flat surface and a good stone or wet/dry sandpaper. But other blades you just need a stone from a river bed. In SHTF doesn't taht mean Scandi is a bad option?

I am not trying to piss anyone off. I would actually like good arguments why I'm wrong.
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I think scandi's are amazingly easy to sharpen. If you can't use a rock flat, just sharpen at a slightly more obtuse angle. Get fancy and call it scandi-vex.

How many times can one say "SHTF" in a post and thread? Who's throwing so much excrement at the rotary oscillator?

Would you rather have a poorly sharpened scandi or a sharpened stick?

Also, I prefer a saber grind for all-purpose use but if SHTF, whatever I have on me will have to do. Scandi grinds are my least favorite, I find they only excel at cuting wood, but they're darn good at it too. When the feces is flying, knowledge trumps the tools you have on hand, including maintenance of the tools you have.
 
"I need a knife in case SHTF, but I don't need any kind of proper sharpening tools if things go sideways...."

The phrase "Cart before the Horse" comes to mind.

Scandi-edges are easy to maintain in the field with a simple small sharpening stone or device. I have a small double sided Spyderco ceramic stone I use when out in the woods. In one of my packs I have a DMT diamond hone. Scandi-edge gets dull, lay the stone flat on the edge bevel & sharpen.

If you can't accomplish a task as simple as this in a SHTF scenario I got bad news for you.
 
Scandi grind is about the easiest to sharpen -- no worry about angle, just lay it flat on the hone. My Scandi in 1070 by Brazilian cutliero Ivan Campos (handle in mouth-watering ivory-ebony by Kris Klammer) is beyond hair-popping sharp.
 
I’ve read this thread through twice, and just figured out what was bugging me about it...

My reply to the OP’s question is, how have you been sharpening your Scandi grind blade up to now... before the SHTF? At home or in camp, what’s your preferred method? For me (and like some others) a Spyderco double-stuff stone or a dmt double sided stone suffices in the field—mostly because you can hone your edge to keep it from totally dulling. The Worksharp Field Sharpener gives you diamond stones and various ceramic rod grits in one compact package... it’s a winner.

I guess my point is, if you have not had to field hone/sharpen your knife yet... ever... is it really the one you want in a SHTF scenario? Scandi or otherwise. For such instances, I would want the tried and true blade and sharpening tool that I’ve used often in the field, is light weight, uncomplicated, and easy to maintain. I don’t like Scandi grinds, so I can’t speak to that; but for my most used knives, I carry the things mentioned, and reach for a carbon steel blade with either a convex or V edge. Best to have the tools you are most proficient with—especially in a difficult situation.

Hope this helps.
 
Halfneck said:
If you can't accomplish a task as simple as this in a SHTF scenario I got bad news for you.
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And there you have it.

If you feel that a knife with a Scandi grind won't serve you well in your years of desparate isolation, get something else.
 
You just assume you'll be one of the 3-8% of the population that survives. I'd rather go out in the first wave, or at least die fighting for something, than to become a human trash-panda scrounging for left-overs that dwindle daily. You'll only carry that scandi until you find, or steal, something better.
 
campandtravel said:
But not smooth enough to make a good sharpening stone.
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Do some reading on sharpening and get some practical experience. One can get a damn decent edge on a brick, perfectly serviceable for REAL WORLD use. You don't need to be able to split hairs to have a good working edge.

Furthermore, if you're really looking for a collapse of civilization type kit? Just get a multitool and a dedicated blade. If you're that worried about your edge, sacrifice the weight for a tool you can use to make can stoves, and do other tasks you can't use a knife for without damaging the edge (especially a scandi edge, which are best to just stick to wood with)
 
Are we talking about the good old fashioned poop knife???

Because grind does not really matter on those.
 
I like the point that if you have not experimented or practiced in the field already, you need to develop the skills to sharpen and maintain your knives. No matter what grind. I think it will be just to fine to have a scandi grind, or a scandi vex grind, after all, Landi people survived deer herding and making a living in the cold climate for generations. I assume they had scandi edges on their knives. And that is surviving and living. But is the skills one has learned that is going to the best tool.
That reminds me, I also have to practice my sharpening skills with my Scandi knives, I got some Moras just for that purpose.
 
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