Scandi grind dissapointment - what am i missing here?

Dunno, this bad boy is great with food prep

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retzius said:
Hi all.

I have been trying all my knives out in the kitchen for the last few week to see how they cut different kinds of food etc. I have had some really interesting results which I will summarize once I have all the information compiled. Yesterday I had a really surprising experience though..

I busted out my Mora Triflex to process some potatos, carrots, apples etc thinking that the scandi would slice these like crazy since it bites wood so well. Much to my surprise it was HORRIBLE! When cutting an apple I had to practically pry and break the thing apart. :confused:

This was a shock to me. I have always heard that the thin scandi grind is favored by many because it slices and cuts so well. It does great on wood and sticks just fine but it just stinks in the kitchen.

How can my Mini-griptilian cut an apple so much better than my Mora? Whats going on here? :confused:
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That really isn't surprising as that blade geometry isn't the best for slicing in general, the FFG grind is better suited for that purpose.

Also the thinner the blade stock is the better for slicing, that's a given though as the thinner the blade is the better it will pass through the media being cut.

Edge geometry, well the thinner the edge is the better it will slice and move through the media being cut, that could be either Convex or Flat Grind as long is they are thin and low angle.

Most of this is really basic physics and common since, things that aren't always portrayed on the forums in favor of bias and agendas.
 
I use kitchen knives for food preparation. And I have seen no kitchen knives with scandi grind yet.
It is not even physics: it is basic geometry!
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Ah--but how thin is the stock, and what food specifically is it great with? Those are the real questions. ;)
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So far, everything I've needed it to. peppers, onions, mushrooms, herbs, apples, oranges, strawberries, nectarines, Carrots, fish, I'm sure I can think of more
 
Weird double post

It absolutely has to do with thickness of the blade, I've owned several other thick scandis that are terrible in the kitchen
 
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Jroden5446 said:
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So far, everything I've needed it to. peppers, onions, mushrooms, herbs, apples, oranges, strawberries, nectarines, Carrots, fish, I'm sure I can think of more
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3/32"

That's about right, now if it was only a FFG it would slice even better. :)

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Yup! A scandi on thin stock is a much better slicer than a thick one. Still not as good as a flat grind with equal spine thickness, but it makes food prep much more manageable. I've never been a big fan of thick scandis.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Yup! A scandi on thin stock is a much better slicer than a thick one. Still not as good as a flat grind with equal spine thickness, but it makes food prep much more manageable. I've never been a big fan of thick scandis.
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A thin FFG that is really thin behind the edge with a Distal taper is unbelievable in the kitchen. :D
 
hollowdweller said:
I have a mora 2000 that Spookypistolero gave me and it's pretty much on permanent duty in my kitchen and it slices great.

I think it was Cliff Stamp who once said something to the effect that the reason people think a convex cuts so well is because they are used to Bark River and they do the convex grind so low it's like a full flat grind, and any really low bevel cuts well.

It's sort of a shame that most knifemakers that do a full flat grind put a somewhat steep bevel on it so it cuts down on the efficiency.
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Hollowdweller speaks volumes right there.





Big Mike
 
Ankerson said:
A thin FFG that is really thin behind the edge with a Distal taper is unbelievable in the kitchen. :D
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Tell me about it! Just out of curiosity, have you scoped out the Opinel chef's knife? It's a very fine example of the class, though technically a full convex.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Tell me about it! Just out of curiosity, have you scoped out the Opinel chef's knife? It's a very fine example of the class, though technically a full convex.
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Haven't looked at those, I am pretty much covered in the kitchen at this point. :)
 
My Opinel paring knives are much better than my Mora Scandies in the kitchen. The first time I tried a Scandi in the kitchen, I was disappointed. In fact my Green River knives (boning, belt, and butcher) out cut my Scandies in the kitchen. That being said, I wouldn't gripe if a Mora was all I had.
 
Thx all.

Lots of good responses. BTW, if any of you are bored, trying out all your different knives in the kitchen is a pretty fun experiment. It really demonstrates some interesting principles about blade geometry and grinds.
 
Bo T said:
My Opinel paring knives are much better than my Mora Scandies in the kitchen. The first time I tried a Scandi in the kitchen, I was disappointed. In fact my Green River knives (boning, belt, and butcher) out cut my Scandies in the kitchen. That being said, I wouldn't gripe if a Mora was all I had.
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There has been a lot of hype in the past few years about that grind due mainly to the Bush Craft crowd and the fact that most of the knives are very cheap (That always helps fuel things), but as with most things the real facts will come out as time moves on.
 
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Ankerson said:
There has been a lot of hype in the past few years about that grind due mainly to the Bush Craft crowd and the fact that most of the knives are very cheap (That always helps fuel things), but as with most things the real facts will come out as time moves on.
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Jim,

A hype is like a broken down watch which gives the right time twice a day. I've bought my first Mora many years ago; at that time i didn't know what bushcraft was, i had by necessity, not for a hobby, to size fence pickets, tool handles and the like. I even didn't know it was a "scandi" grind and didn't care to give it a name. I was just happy to work wood with an efficient affordable tool. I insist on that point: to work wood, nothing else. A full flat grind is better for almost every thing else including deep cuts in wood but when it comes to wood carving, i mean remove in the right direction, at the right angle, at the right length a wood chip, then the real fact is that a "scandi" grind is a proper geometry for the task. Time won't change that.

dantzk.

P.S.: Your Phil Wilson custom (South Fork?) is a marvel. A full flat grind of the best taste.
 
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"Geometry cuts. Steel determines the limit of functional geometry"

I still want a Mora, but it's more out of morbid curiosity. I don't hold any belief that it will out cut anything I already have.
 
me2 said:
"Geometry cuts. Steel determines the limit of functional geometry" I still want a Mora, but it's more out of morbid curiosity. I don't hold any belief that it will out cut anything I already have.
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me2,

I always have taken benefit from the reading of your posts. So it's with all due respect i give you my opinion: buying a Mora, for the price they are sold, isn't of a great risk for your wallet. I don't know if it could outcut anyone of your knives but it could surprise you if you use it for it's intended purpose which is, (have i already said it?) carving wood.

dantzk.
 
I ALWAYS use a Mora when I'm doing wood carving. They really do a wonderful job for the task and I do enough wood shaping that I wouldn't want to use anything BUT a scandi at this point, but not enough to want or need anything more expensive than a Mora. :D
 
dantzk8 said:
Jim,

A hype is like a broken down watch which gives the right time twice a day. I've bought my first Mora many years ago; at that time i didn't know what bushcraft was, i had by necessity, not for a hobby, to size fence pickets, tool handles and the like. I even didn't know it was a "scandi" grind and didn't care to give it a name. I was just happy to work wood with an efficient affordable tool. I insist on that point: to work wood, nothing else. A full flat grind is better for almost every thing else including deep cuts in wood but when it comes to wood carving, i mean remove in the right direction, at the right angle, at the right length a wood chip, then the real fact is that a "scandi" grind is a proper geometry for the task. Time won't change that.

dantzk.

P.S.: Your Phil Wilson custom (South Fork?) is a marvel. A full flat grind of the best taste.
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Oh I know what you mean, but when we read OH get a Mora they are cheap a lot .... And I am not talking about carving wood here.

Making things sound like more than what they really are after reading a few posts on a Bush Craft forum and thinking well if it's good for that it should work the best for everything...... ;)

Thanks, yeah it really cuts as you could imagine. :)
 
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