Scandi vs hollow grind for small fixed blade dedicated to fine tasks

Y

y53p

Joined
May 11, 2022
Messages
307
I’m looking to get a small companion fixed blade for my main large blade, in the 3.5 to 4.5” blade length range for all tasks from making good feathersticks efficiently, food prep, hunting (gutting&skinning) and gutting fish.

I’ve narrowed it down to either the Buck 117 Brahma Pro, in cpm-s35vn steel and green micarta, basically a scaled down 119 with 4.5” blade hidden tang, or a Boker with magnacut, scandi grind and magnacut steel 3.5” blade, mucarta and full tang. Boker’s about 50 bucks cheaper and better steel but maybe less versatile for stuff that goes beyond just making feathersticks but is more sturdily built than the 117, which looks better and is probably more versatile in a wider array of cutting tasks but probably not as good at feathersticking?

What do you y’all think?
 
I think a lot of knife tasks the knife doesn't have to be that good at it.

I think you have to spend hours knife tasking for it to matter

Scandi grinds don't cut food all that great. But for 1 tomato. Who cares.

I carry a 4 max and use that to picnic and food prep for myself fine. Even though it is not the greatest tool for that.
 
I kinda dig scandi grinds, but I don't think you would see a functional difference with either for the tasks you are going for.

To be fair, I think one of the reasons I like scandi grinds is because most of my knives they have them are cost effective enough for me to use them hard. While I appreciate a high quality steel and more robust grind, there is something to be said about the $15 Mora that I can use hard and/or lay flat on a stone and finish with a strop when I need a laser sharp piece of steel for a finer task.

When it comes to a secondary blade, if I carry one it is less about the blade length and more about the effectiveness of the edge. So I might carry a bruiser of a fixed blade for hard work and then a short thin bladed knife that can handle finer stuff that the thicker knife can't as easily.

Of the two, I am pretty partial to Boker.
 
y53p said:
I’m looking to get a small companion fixed blade for my main large blade, in the 3.5 to 4.5” blade length range for all tasks from making good feathersticks efficiently, food prep, hunting (gutting&skinning) and gutting fish.


What do you y’all think?
Click to expand...
Scandi is great for feather sticks. Sucks for food prep. Does OK for game.
Hollow grind sucks for feather sticks. Does OK for food prep, Great for game.

If you want an all round small task knife, I'd recommend a flat ground or flat ground saber.
 
knarfeng said:
Scandi is great for feather sticks. Sucks for food prep. Does OK for game.
Hollow grind sucks for feather sticks. Does OK for food prep, Great for game.

If you want an all round small task knife, I'd recommend a flat ground or flat ground saber.
Click to expand...
Kinda what I thought. Although I had a buck 119 and it was definitely better than a saber grind for feathers, but I never tried scandi. Any model suggestion specifically?
 
y53p said:
Kinda what I thought. Although I had a buck 119 and it was definitely better than a saber grind for feathers, but I never tried scandi. Any model suggestion specifically?
Click to expand...
Did you have a price range in mind?
 
You set on stainless blade steel?
 
Skip the scandi vs flat vs hollow ground debate. None of it takes into account the thickness of the blade. A thin scandi will cut much better than a thick scandi blade.
You'll find alot more options that won't break the bank if you can get past the stainless thing....
I'd just go with what works here. A rhombic grind will do most things quite well, but like anything else it has to be done right.
tMlphPI.jpg
LKk5sj3.jpg

Or, for under $100 you can go on ebay and find a Frosts Mora #1 or #2, and get either a kydex a leather sheath for it from somebody on Etsy.
ducXd6I.jpg

a0i4nvN.jpg
17G3MiG.jpg
 
Wasn't the Scandi originally done mostly as a cheap, easy/ fast grind ?

IDK , don't have any to play with . Might work great ?

Hollow grind , I've always liked , but see done less these days , it seems .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top