Question on grind type for a custom knife

R

RCS

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Aug 1, 2011
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I plan on ordering a custom made OSK-1 knife from Charles May Knives. The order will take 12 months to complete so I want to make sure I place the best order.

One aspect I'm not sure of is what kind of blade grind I should request. I believe the Scandi grind will provide the easiest to restore from a sharpening standpoint but will a Scandi grind sharpness last as long as other types of grinds?
 
Sharpness is determined by the edge grind, the primary grind affects how the material is parted after it has been cut.

A thick edge sharpened at a steep angle will take more abuse with less damage, but won't cut as well. A thin edge sharpened at a shallow angle will cut much better, be easier to sharpen and stay sharper longer, but will take damage much more easily.
The aim most people should have when sharpening their knives is to find the thinnest, shallowest edge they can use without taking damage in normal use.

Similar to the "full convex" phenomenon, many people are amazed when they first use a Scandi grind because it's a shallow edge, and much sharper than you'll find on normal production knives. Really, there's nothing overly special about it, it's just something different from the norm. Ask for an edge that's .01" thick at the shoulder and sharpened at 20 degrees inclusive and you'll have a very sharp knife. The lowest I will usually go is .005" thick and 15 degrees inclusive, but that's pushing it.
 
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^^^
This!

It really depends on how you plan on using the knife. If you will do any chopping or batoning, go with a fully convexed grind. If it will be used for skinning and slicing, then the scandi or hollow grind will work great. I prefer a convexed edge of full convex grind as I tend to use my knives for just about everything. I've learned how to sharpen a convexed edge to a fine working edge using sandpaper and a leather stop but it took a couple of months to get it right. I started out on my wife's kitchen knives and a cheap Kershaw fixed blade so I didn't ruin any of my good knives.
If this knife is for real world use plan accordingly. If it's a show piece or safe queen pick the one you think looks best. It always a good idea to discuss it with the maker and let Jim know how it will be used. He'll be able to give you the best advice as he will know the properties of the steel and his heat treat.
Best of luck!
 
Are you talking about the sharpening edge grind or the blade grind? A big difference. Assuming you are talking about the sharpening I would go with a convex grind. Its the best all around sharpening edge.

If you are talking about the entire blade then thats a really loaded question. Depends on the size of the knife and what you plan to do with it.
Convex -good for bigger blades, good for chopping, not too good for slicing. Makes a very strong knife since theres more steel on the blade.
Hollow -Better for slicing and skinning. But blade is weaker due to less steel. But this is relative, a well made custom knife with the right thickness will work fine.
Flat - IMO the better all around choice, and probably the most common. Equally well for slicing or chopping.

Personally I would prefer a flat grind with a convex sharpening if I was going to go with one custom knife (but I'm biased since I make my own!)
 
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