Terminology questions

C

cgdavid

Joined
Sep 12, 2005
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85
I hear these terms used and not exactly sure what they mean. does anyone have good definitions and why they are used?

Distal taper

Slack belt grinding

Convex grind

Thanks! Curt
 
Distal Taper: thinning the blade gradually so that when you look at the spine you see it slowly get thinner started at a wide spine and ending at a thin tip.

Convex grind: Convex shape of the grind. Instead of a flat grind which forms a V, you have either bevel rounded- opposite of hollow ground.
 
cgdavid said:
I hear these terms used and not exactly sure what they mean. does anyone have good definitions and why they are used?

Distal taper - Peter covered this pretty well above.

Slack belt grinding - Using the unsupported belt where ther eis no platen or wheel under it to get a convex grind or edge.

Convex grind - Also called an appleseed grind, it tapers in towards the edge as a curve that bellies outward, giving a profile like the cross-section of an appleseed. Some people grind the whole blade this way, others just the edge.

Thanks! Curt
Click to expand...

The convex edge is the strongest and will outcut a normal beveled edge.
 
Actually I don't see any pics of distal taper in the ebay knife, though it does have a very nice tapered tang. Distal taper is the same as a tapered tang except it's the blade, not the tang.
 
Here is a 12 inch knife with a full taper from 1/4 inch to zero. Since this has a large 7 inch blade the wider taper in the handle adds more balance to the overall knife.

1 distal.jpg
 
Good questions Curt and good replies. I was never too sure about the distal taper thing, now it is crystal clear, thanks.

Anybody got info about the slack belt question? Is it just when you use the belt between the drive wheel and the platen or contact wheel???

Lovely taper there Jim. Must have been quite a mission.

Mike :thumbup:
 
miden said:
Good questions Curt and good replies. I was never too sure about the distal taper thing, now it is crystal clear, thanks.

Anybody got info about the slack belt question? Is it just when you use the belt between the drive wheel and the platen or contact wheel???

Lovely taper there Jim. Must have been quite a mission.

Mike :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Distal tapers may also run both directions from the ricasso, or just involve the blade.

I believe I answered the slack belt question above:
Slack belt grinding - Using the unsupported belt where there is no platen or wheel under it, to get a convex grind or edge.
 
Thanks Steve, I was not paying attention.

I see in your profile that you are a geologist. Would you maybe know where I could get my mitts on some green malakite? Or is all malakite green, or do you get green malakite? Anyway, you get my drift.:D

Mike
 
shgeo said:
Distal tapers may also run both directions from the ricasso, or just involve the blade.
Click to expand...

I thought when it's in the tang it's not called distal taper, was I mistaken?
 
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