Like most of the cutting tools in my wood or leather shop (wood planes, chisels, gouges, drawknives, turning tools, head knives, carving knives, etc., etc.), you just simply won't see the best out of these tools until you learn to sharpen and maintain them properly. I have a small fortune tied up in specialty sharpening tools just in the wood shop alone to ensure that I see the very best that these tools have to offer. Not to mention the decades of learning how to keep these tools at their best.
I have found in my own experience that many of the people who don't like the Scandinavian-ground knives usually don't understand them (the same often applies to the convex-ground). It wouldn't take long to destroy many of the fine tools in my wood shop if you don't understand their specific tasks. I have yet to find a tool in any shop that will do it all in equal measure. Variety is a good thing and I find that the Scandinavian-ground knife falls in to that category. Like the well-maintained chisel, the Scandinavian knives can (if sharpened and maintained properly) really excel at a variety of woodworking tasks that few knives will approach in efficiency. Though I find that my sharp chisels have a place in the wood shop, I see no practical use for them in the leather shop or in the wood pile out back. My Scandinavian-ground knives are great with regards to working with soft woods, light utility, not so good when it comes to chopping, or, heaven forbid, prying. These knives have thin edges and should have!
A friend of mine indicated to me in a phone conversation that he had "little use" for his Scandinavian knives. Seems his edges were chipping out badly whenever he was working with wood. Later, once I had the opportunity to inspect his newly sharpened knives, I could see that all three of the blades still had a very fine burr running along the entire edge. I could understand then why he was having problems! Burr's removed, a lesson in lots of stropping; he is a happy camper with his Scandinavian knives. This gentleman is an outdoor professional with decades of knife use, BTW.
Every year, for about the last 20-years, I teach (either at the college or in my own shop) primitive bow making. These bows can either be selfbows or backed bows. For the first bow, I don't allow the students to use the bandsaws or any power equipment. We use knives, broad hatchets, ferrier files, cabinet scrapers, etc. I have a couple of drawers of 3" - 4" knives for these students to use. In the drawers are flat-ground, convex-ground, flat-ground with convex edges, Scandinavian-ground...a little of everything. I keep all of these knives shaving sharp and highly polished (many of the students are afraid of them...for a time). Most of these students know almost nothing about tools...especially knives. Occasionally I am blessed with a carpenter, cabinet maker, or avid outdoorsman, but not as often as the curious who would like to give archery a try as part of their 'creative journey.' After the hatchet part of the effort is completed and they start fine-tuning with the knives and files; it has been my observation that most of the students have worked through the knife selection and have settled on the Scandinavian knives without any thought to their choice whatsoever. They just simply choose what works the best for what they are doing without any bias or care.
I keep a mirror or highly polished grind and edge on all of my Scandinavian-ground blades. I do the same with my convex grinds. I might add: Many of my custom Scandinavian knives have convexed or V-ground *edges*, and some are even hollow-ground. Not all Scandinavian makers prefer the sabre-grind!
it there a utilitarian purpose for this style of grind? I just think its butt ugly but if I was edumucated by those that know more it would be a help.
-Matt-
