pros and cons of a scandi vs. convex?

M

murderedsongbird

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Apr 12, 2006
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i'm thinking about having some of my convex-edged blades ground to scandi. any information on the pros and cons of this would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance.
 
If you're looking for a primarily woodworking knife, I'd have one done then see how you like it.

DancesWithKnives
 
the uses would be fine cutting, woodworking, food prep, general camp skills. i have a hatchet and axe to handle heavier work. though just out of curiousity, is it generally bad to baton with a scandi?
 
murderedsongbird said:
the uses would be fine cutting, woodworking, food prep, general camp skills. i have a hatchet and axe to handle heavier work. though just out of curiousity, is it generally bad to baton with a scandi?
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We Scandinavians do it all the time:D Try to avoid wood with knots though. Scandie grinds vary a lot in edge angle and therefore toughness.

Most of my outdoor blades are convex and since I strop my scandies they become slightly convex with long term use. For finer woodwork I'd take a thin scandie edge over a convex one.

Sverre
 
I prefer a Scandi because they slice through wood very easily and they are the easiest edge for me to sharpen.
 
First, I would stronly advise against having a convex blade ground into a scandi: Scandis have flat sides and wide, flat bevels. A blade that already has a grind will not have enough metal for a real scandi grind to be put on it.

I second that you buy a mora and give a scandi grind a try, and if you like it, move up to higher-end knives.

In my own experience, the grind doesn't really matter too much as long as the total inclusive angle is sensible for the use, overal cutting geometry is good, and the edge itself is sharp.
 
+3 buy a mora. It will set you back $15 and will give you a chance to evaluate a scandi grind. If you really like it then upgrade to a Kellam, Helle or go with one of our fine makers who make them (CharlieRidge, Brian Andrews etc).

I went with a mora#1 laminate, one of their more expensive models. It is good at wood working and lives up to peoples claims in that task. In the end though, I really didn't like it that much as I would have thought.

As Siguy indicates, neither a full flat or convex knife are well suited to modifying into a scandi. They are designed to gradually taper and there is a lot less metal at the edge to carve your main scandi bevel than in a knife blank with no edge. You could do this with a sabre grind more easily.

Why not send you convex blades to somebody like Siguy or Richardj and have them professionally sharpened. You may just fall in love with them again.
 
I like both kinds of blades but I don't think I'd grind a convex to scandi.

I might slightly convex a scandi to give it more strength if I was getting a lot of chipping.

For me the great advantage of convex is it's slightly stronger edge than a scandi but a slightly better cutter than V grind and is the easiest edge to sharpen for me.

The great advantage to the scandi for me is the thinness of the edge makes it a great cutter.

Of course the angle on either type really makes the difference.
 
what knives do you want converted from a convex to a scandi? the blade shape can have a lot to do with the ability to turn it from a convex to a scandi. its possible that the blades you have can be turned into a full scandi. if you want your knife sharpened i can fix you up. here are some vids of what i can do http://sites.google.com/site/richardjsknives/Home/more-knife-pics-and-vids i use the real paper wheels to sharpen with.
 
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hollowdweller said:
For me the great advantage of convex is it's slightly stronger edge than a scandi but a slightly better cutter than V grind and is the easiest edge to sharpen for me.

The great advantage to the scandi for me is the thinness of the edge makes it a great cutter.
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+1 - that pretty much sums it up for me. More material behind the edge on a convex equals a tougher edge - less material behind the edge on a scandi means it really cuts. Lately I've been putting really small convex secondary bevels on my scandis to try and strengthen them a bit.
 
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