Scandi grind convert

[KennyB]

I just recieved this knife the other day, I traded it with a guy for an ESEE 4. It was made by another member on the forum we traded on. It's got a 3" blade length, .098" thickness and ELMAX at 61-62 HRC sharpened to 30 degrees inclusive.

I love this type of grind so far, though I need more practice sharpening it--the bevel has all sorts of different scratch marks. However it is sharp! I think it's crazy when I look at the bevel width and the edge thickness behind the shoulder it makes me think "Oh, this knife is too thick it won't cut well," but it kind of belies the actual geometry. Plus I really like that since there's no primary grind it won't thicken out with subsequent sharpenings. I've yet to really find a disadvantage with this grind type, but then again I've only had it for a day or two.

The ELMAX seems like pretty good stuff too, not that I really know a great deal about different steels. It's much better than the S30V I had in my Benchmade 930. As compared to my regular 1095 and mild steels it completely outlasts them in wear resistance it's astounding. I think it's the first time I've really noticed a palpable difference in wear resistance between steels. Though that may be because of the hardness levels as it's also the first time I've used steel hardened his high.

Anyway, it's pretty awesome and i wnated to share. Here are some pics.

 

[schmittie]

Scandis sure are nice. I love mine. Some areas they excel, like wood carving. Other areas they suffer, such as slicing. I attempted to slice up some potatoes the other week with my AA Forge bushcrafter and it was laughable. But, I knew that and it's a wood carver for me. I don't need one knife that does it all. Where is the fun in that??

 

[Shotgun]

Scandis sure are nice. I love mine. Some areas they excel, like wood carving. Other areas they suffer, such as slicing. I attempted to slice up some potatoes the other week with my AA Forge bushcrafter and it was laughable. But, I knew that and it's a wood carver for me. I don't need one knife that does it all. Where is the fun in that??

Yeah food prep is really where you see the disadvantages pop up on this grind. If you're cutting up sausage or cheese on a hike it's decent but cutting things like onions or a large squash and it starts to suffer. Great grind for a woods knife and general cutter where you're making shallower cuts though and dead simple to sharpen.

I like the oak leaf on there. I'm usually not a fan of large logos but that's well done.

 

[upnorth]

Cool that you found a nice one Kenny, good for you. :thumbup:

 

[KennyB]

Yeah food prep is really where you see the disadvantages pop up on this grind. If you're cutting up sausage or cheese on a hike it's decent but cutting things like onions or a large squash and it starts to suffer. Great grind for a woods knife and general cutter where you're making shallower cuts though and dead simple to sharpen.

I like the oak leaf on there. I'm usually not a fan of large logos but that's well done.

Yeah, he had to change the names of his knives though--trademark issue or something. This model is called an "Acorn".

 

[Thomas Linton]

You say the knife has "no primary grind." It sure looks like it does, and a secondary grind as well. If it has no primary grind, it would have no edge - no "bevel" at all.

A nice chance for you to try out Elmax. Do you know the hardness?

 

[KennyB]

You say the knife has "no primary grind." It sure looks like it does, and a secondary grind as well. If it has no primary grind, it would have no edge - no "bevel" at all.

A nice chance for you to try out Elmax. Do you know the hardness?

61-62, done by Peter's

I hate "secondary" and "primary". I usually call it the relief grind and the cutting edge so I dunno what to call it. But on this one there's no other angle than that of the cutting edge's bevel, so from the spine it just goes straight down in a 90 degree angle until the edge bevel starts. I had finished it on a 1000 grit waterstone and since tried it out and then resharpened on a 600 grit hone, so it kind of looks like there's another bevel ground onto the big one but it's just the light catching the different grind marks. Like I said I have to get the hang of sharpening such a large bevel.

 

[me2]

And another one falls...Enjoy the knife.

 

[Thomas Linton]

61-62, done by Peter's

I hate "secondary" and "primary". I usually call it the relief grind and the cutting edge so I dunno what to call it. But on this one there's no other angle than that of the cutting edge's bevel, so from the spine it just goes straight down in a 90 degree angle until the edge bevel starts. I had finished it on a 1000 grit waterstone and since tried it out and then resharpened on a 600 grit hone, so it kind of looks like there's another bevel ground onto the big one but it's just the light catching the different grind marks. Like I said I have to get the hang of sharpening such a large bevel.

Peters' does good work.

 

[KennyB]

Peters' does good work.

Yeah, it certainly seems like it so far. It's quite a step up from 1095 @ 57

Only bummer so far is that the tip was a little blunted and it didn't come back to a nice fine point when I sharpened it and I hate wasting metal on small imperfections like that.

 

[Alberta Ed]

My favourite Scandi, by Ivan Campos, has a quite high bevel, and slices extremely well.

 

[HFinn]

There is no just one kind of scandi grind, it seems every maker makes a bit different one. For example take a look at these.

 

[brownshoe]

Scandi grind is only good with a thin stock, like the 0.1" used here. It's also easier/cheaper to put on a blade than a full flat or hollow grind with a bevel. That's why Mora's are so good...and cheap.

 

[McVeyMac]

This is what was confusing me about the scandi ground knife. So just so I am clear There are flats on each side of the blade that are 90 degrees from the spine (some call this primary). then there is an angled grind on this flat that goes all the way to the apex (secondary grind with the nomenclature I started above). Is this correct?

If this is correct, what is the angle of the scandi grind either inclusive or dps?
Does anyone place a micro-bevel at the apex with a greater angle than the scandi grind?

This is why I love this forum, I learn so much.

 

[Thomas Linton]

This is what was confusing me about the scandi ground knife. So just so I am clear There are flats on each side of the blade that are 90 degrees from the spine (some call this primary). then there is an angled grind on this flat that goes all the way to the apex (secondary grind with the nomenclature I started above). Is this correct?

If this is correct, what is the angle of the scandi grind either inclusive or dps?
Does anyone place a micro-bevel at the apex with a greater angle than the scandi grind?

This is why I love this forum, I learn so much.

Take a flat piece of steel. Some distance up from the bottom edge (varies), make a grind on each side so they meet and form a cutting edge - a "V". The grind on each side is a "Primary" grind or "bevel." The result is also called a "zero" edge. There is no secondary grind or bevel. You sharpen by simply laying the single bevel on the stone and grinding away. That would be a "Scandi" ground knife blade as imagined by the "bushcrafters" at Britishblades.com and BushcraftUK. Various benefits are claimed for such a pattern.

In reality, all sorts of patterns are called "Scandi," as noted by HFinn, because it is a good selling word, like "authentic" or "genuine." That is, it encourages buying without meaning anything in particular.

It certainly does not mean that the UK "Scandi" is the traditional pattern in Scandinavia, or Finland for that matter, as makers from those areas have repeatedly pointed out and as shown by the relative paucity of "Scandi-ground" knives actually produced by makers in that area. Almost invariably, those makers add a secondary bevel because they feel it results in a more practical edge. They also produce hollow-ground and convex-ground, and full flat-ground knives with no apology, and have done so for generations. The custom makers from the area -- mostly -- will make what you want.

Those trying to deal with the clash of theory and reality dismiss the common secondary bevel as "only" a "micro bevel" or "only" a "tiny" secondary bevel.

Call it a "turnip" if you please. If you are happy, all is well.

 

[McVeyMac]

Thanks for the info Thomas, based on your description, I was visualizing this correctly. It sort of sunk in when Kenny said that you never have to thin the blade with repeated sharpening's. The sharpening's are thinning the blade as you go. Roger that.