Scandinavian ground pocket knives?

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Jun 26, 2010
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So something I notice is that the scandinavian ground style isn't very popular outside of bush craft knives, especially in pocket knife forms. I've yet to find anything other than the enzo that is a scandinavian ground pocket knife. Are there any others out there for a decent price? I would think for light use these would be great, sharp and if maintained regularly easy to sharpen. Thanks.
 
I also am interested in this. I know there are many small edc FB's with scandi grinds...but I've never seen a folder. I think it might come down to blade thickness. So far as I know, most FB's are a bit thicker at the spine than folders, which makes a scandi grind more feasible. I've never made a knife (hope to change that soon enough) so I can't speak from experience, just generalities.

I did a 30 second google search for "scandi folder" and came up with the following:
Eka Nordic T8 folder
and the Enzo you were talking about.

I'm sure there are others, but I couldn't see them in my limited search. In retrospect, i'm surprised that there are not more of them available. I have a serious hard on for pretty much anything scandi ground. Easy to sharpen, decent edge retention, hair popping sharpness. What isn't to like? They don't make wonderful slicers though.
 
I would like to see more "scandi grinds" in general. Especially from some of the major knife makers in the US.

What you can do right now, is have someone customize a production knife for you or do it yourself.

I have been wanting to do this to my Emerson A-100. It has a perfect profile to be reground slightly into a full zero scandi grind.
 
nice. I want to make a small 2-3" scandi folder at some point in the future...I just need to get the gumption to do it!
 
Some scandi ground knives of mine.

MinEKA60Woodkolstl2.jpg


MinEKA88masur3-1.jpg


MinokndaEskilstunakniv2.jpg


MinEKASwede603.jpg


MinEKAmtryckknappbild6.jpg


MinEKAkombiknivE8medtillhrandeslida.jpg


EKASwede82.jpg


NormarkSuperSwede.jpg


~Paul~
 
So something I notice is that the scandinavian ground style isn't very popular outside of bush craft knives, especially in pocket knife forms. I've yet to find anything other than the enzo that is a scandinavian ground pocket knife. Are there any others out there for a decent price? I would think for light use these would be great, sharp and if maintained regularly easy to sharpen. Thanks.

Not popular in Scandinavia - period.

Look at the pictures of lovely knives in this thread. See the secondary bevels?

I have Mora, Helle, IIassakki, EKA, Ahti, Roselli, Bruseletto, shop-mades from Karasuando and other production sources made over 80 years -- and customs by the Norwegian maker who was the mod of Bushcraft UK Scandi forum (and they wouldn't listen to him). We won't count Fallkniven. Not one in ten - Hell, not one in twenty -- has the solitary bevel said to characterize the 'Scandi" or "Scandinavian" grind.

It's the British "bushcrafters" who came up with this idea and decided it was the be-all and end-all of woodworking. "Just lay the blade flat on the stone and grind." Even most of them admit it's not a good edge for all-round work in the bush -- too fragile.

And among my collection of woodcarving knives from over a century -- used by professional European-trained carvers? All free-hand sharpened and every one a convex edge secondary edge. But what did they know about wood-carving? Poor uneducated fellows that they were.

So what is the reality? Saber ground with a secondary bevel, and damn sharp they are.
 
I didn't mention it, but I would also like to see more production knives with convex edges/ bevels. I like both styles, regardless of how they differ from one another.:thumbup:
 
Not one in ten - Hell, not one in twenty -- has the solitary bevel said to characterize the 'Scandi" or "Scandinavian" grind...............Saber ground with a secondary bevel, and damn sharp they are.
Agreed :).

~Paul~
 
Yup, I was gonna mention EKA.

Questions...

Where'dja get the friction folder near the bottom. I like that.

On the Normark (made for EKA) in the last pic, did you sharpen out the serrations like I did or buy it that way?

I liked the Normark, and also the other EKA knife in the pics below except for one thing. They both had the tip hit inside the handle to stop the blade closing instead of the "kick" (?) at the heel of the blade hitting in there.

On both of them, I put a pin in the handle for the heel of the blade to hit instead of the tip. I misjudged the smaller knives placement and had to grind more of a cutout on the heel than I wanted to to make it close all the way.

IMG_5548.jpg


IMG_5549.jpg





Some scandi ground knives of mine.

MinEKA60Woodkolstl2.jpg


MinEKA88masur3-1.jpg


MinokndaEskilstunakniv2.jpg


MinEKASwede603.jpg


MinEKAmtryckknappbild6.jpg


MinEKAkombiknivE8medtillhrandeslida.jpg


EKASwede82.jpg


NormarkSuperSwede.jpg


~Paul~
 
Yeah, all the EKAs have secondary bevels, but usually pretty slight and easily removed if you care to. Other oddities are more serious.. some of them (the 88 series) are amazingly light, but not very strong. Others ( the 82 ) are seriously strong, but weigh a ton. None feature one-hand opening or pocket clips, so it's back to the '60s.

I don't really subscribe, myself, to the currently-popular theory that the appropriate response to anyone looking for something on the forums is to tell them why they shouldn't want it.

Other than EKA/Normark, the only ones that I'm aware of are the Enzo folders:

carbond2.jpg


Never held one in person, so I won't presume to critique them. Certain models never seem to be in stock, they're almost mythological, I know one guy who's been looking for years for a specific combination.

P.S. From time to time some of us have half-seriously tried to interest Blind Horse Knives in doing a Scandi folder. They made sort of a reputation for themselves as being one of the very, very few places that made Scandi-grind knives that were neither Scandi designs (traditional or modern, they're mostly pretty eccentric by American tastes) or Mears Buscrafter clones, they were different than everyone else's.

Unfortunately, they always responded that they were no where near ready to turn out a folder (understandable) and now they seem to have mostly lost interest in producing new Scandi designs.. or a lot of their old ones, either... which makes much of their current production look a lot more like everyone else's...
 
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Can you tell me where I might find a knife like this? Thanks.
Unfortunately it's no longer available. The production stopped in the mid 80-ies. This model was developed specifically for a swedish public utility housing association.

~Paul~
 
Ty all for the info in this thread, made for a interesting read. So beyond the Enzo Birk, Eka is the only others producing Scandi folders unless you customize your own. As far as the edge holding abilities, I was aware that a true Scandi doesn't hold a decent edge for long, but for a light use pocket knife I would think they would be great. Don't know, I'll have to bite the bullet and try an Enzo Birk.
 
davek14: The friction folder from EKA is no longer in production as a friction folder. They changed the design a little to include some kind of button lock, and changed the lines a little. Other than that its still basically the same knife/belly-opener combo and very popular with hunters in Sweden. Dont know where you can buy it in the US, but do a google search for "EKA Swingblade" and I´m sure you will find a webshop that holds it.

Brian
 
To The Mastiff:

Sorry, don't know. You could send them a mail ;).

a20791e12b834443f41efb_m.jpg


~Paul~
 
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Nice work! Now, wouldn't it be even better if Benchmade themselves produced this knife? ;) Maybe with another steel though. CPM M4 wouldn't hurt my feelings too much :D.

~Paul~
 
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