what is so special about chisel grind?

S

saiyan blood

Joined
Jan 17, 2014
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i was browsing on the custom knifemaker forum because i am considering getting my first custom knife done.

i noticed that a majority of the knifemaker sells their knives with chisel grind and i wonder what is so special about it? it looks easy to sharpen but what is the benefit of having a chisel grind?
 
Its quicker and easier to manufacture :D

all kidding aside its supposed to be easier to sharpen.

Most people prefer "double sided" grinds, but honestly a well executed chisel grind performs about the same.
 
Chisel grinds can be a pain in the ass thought depending on what is your dominant hand and what side it is ground on. Granted, it depends on the task but for some things like slicing wood, having the grind on the wrong side can make it a lot harder to use. They say its easier to sharpen but since Skandi Grinds are a thing I don't see much reason to use Chisel grinds other than to lower production costs.
 
ninjarabbi said:
Chisel grinds can be a pain in the ass thought depending on what is your dominant hand and what side it is ground on. Granted, it depends on the task but for some things like slicing wood, having the grind on the wrong side can make it a lot harder to use. They say its easier to sharpen but since Skandi Grinds are a thing I don't see much reason to use Chisel grinds other than to lower production costs.
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I think you hit the nail on the head.

I can crank out chisel grinds very quickly however matching a bevel on the other side so that everything is to spec can take some time.

Some call it laziness and some say its efficient. I guess its all about perspective.
 
Chisel grinds are far sharper than double bevel grinds.

It is NOT easier to sharpen, only seems so.

I avoid chisel grinds in folding knives but have a kitchen slicer that is chisel grind, I'd say with confidence it's sharper than 99% of knives here.
 
Not a fan, I'm always disappointed when I like a knife and find out its a chisel grind. Total deal breaker, but that's just me.
 
My opinion is likely completely unfounded and I admit that, but I don't respect chisel grinds. I almost bought a custom a couple years back that was a chisel by accident. The guy had pictures on his website and the blade looked good, but no pictures showing it was a chisel grind. Had I pulled the trigger and gotten it without realizing it was a chisel grind, I would have been furious.
 
Only time I've found a chisel grind to be useful is when using it as a chisel (surprise). I actually have one chisel grind tanto that I keep when I'm doing engine (or other gasket cleaning) work.
 
I assume we are talking about the secondary grind (the edge bevel) when talking about a chisel grind? IMHO, I wouldn't say it's easier to sharpen (as you still have to maintain the proper angle), but faster as you only have to knock off the wire edge on the other side.
 
saiyan blood said:
i was browsing on the custom knifemaker forum because i am considering getting my first custom knife done.

i noticed that a majority of the knifemaker sells their knives with chisel grind and i wonder what is so special about it? it looks easy to sharpen but what is the benefit of having a chisel grind?
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The majority of custom knives made do not have a chisel grind.
 
HwangJino said:
Chisel grinds are far sharper than double bevel grinds.

It is NOT easier to sharpen, only seems so.

I avoid chisel grinds in folding knives but have a kitchen slicer that is chisel grind, I'd say with confidence it's sharper than 99% of knives here.
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I cant agree with this. Sharpness/slice ability has a lot to do with edge geometry.

Your kitchen knife could be the sharpest knife you own because the bevel is extremely thin.

Most knife makers who double bevel don't make the bevels that thin, therefor the knife is perceived as less sharp.
 
Only chisel grind knife I own is an Emerson Mini-Commander, given to me by a very good friend. Love the knife but it's definitely harder for me to sharpen. That's just me, though. My sharpening skills are less than mediocre.
 
Industrial knives, blades that cut hundreds, if not thousands of sheets of paper, at a time, are chisel grinds. They are more precise in a lot of applications that involve slicing/push cutting, and are by geometry, sharper. Not 100% sold on whether they're more practical on carried knives, but the ones I have do perform well. Their ease of use is situational though. My Emerson CQC-7 for instance, with the true left-hand chisel, affords more control when I'm drawing a cut towards me and the blade is laid a close to horizontal (like when cutting an apple for instance, or opening up a box). When cutting away from me though, a V grind or right hand chisel is better. For food prep, right-hand chisel wins (since I'm right-handed), easily. Conversely, my sister who is left-handed (and is a professional chef by occupation), loves her custom left-hand ground knives.
 
wolf5391 said:
I cant agree with this. Sharpness/slice ability has a lot to do with edge geometry.

Your kitchen knife could be the sharpest knife you own because the bevel is extremely thin.

Most knife makers who double bevel don't make the bevels that thin, therefor the knife is perceived as less sharp.
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My bevel is nearly an inch wide.

But Im saying that similar knives, if one is 2 bevels and one is 1 bevel, I'd say single bevel (chisel grind) is sharper.
 
HwangJino said:
My bevel is nearly an inch wide.

But Im saying that similar knives, if one is 2 bevels and one is 1 bevel, I'd say single bevel (chisel grind) is sharper.
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+1 to this. res1cue started a thread on a seatbelt cutter i made and he said he could not get over how sharp the knife was. we were talking on the phone and he said he was treetopping hairs with it.

striderco started the thread below about a necker i made him. he sent me an email last week saying he cut his little finger on it. he said he was kind of scared of it now. singularity_35 cut his finger. i posted the link to his thread below also.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...amed-the-Pitbull!-Kinda-sharp-well-you-ll-see!!
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/960269-Knife-from-Richard-J knife i made for singularity 35


https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B_Q47m-c082VNF9iWmExR2szSms cutting free hanging newspaper with k II. first time i did this the paper never messed up like it did in the vid.
 
grownstar said:
Only chisel grind knife I own is an Emerson Mini-Commander, given to me by a very good friend. Love the knife but it's definitely harder for me to sharpen. That's just me, though. My sharpening skills are less than mediocre.
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i can help you get it sharp if you want to learn.
 
HwangJino said:
My bevel is nearly an inch wide.

But Im saying that similar knives, if one is 2 bevels and one is 1 bevel, I'd say single bevel (chisel grind) is sharper.
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very high bevel means very keen acute cutting edge, but also sacrifices edge stability/strength.

Again and I stress that edge geometry is everything.

You can have the same knife sharpened 2 different ways (convex,flat) but at the same grit and you have two completely different performers.
 
Yes I agree. If I were to chop with my chisel ground slicer, it would fold over instantly.

When I cut soft proteins with it, usually only the very tip makes contact with cutting board. It is designed to be as sharp as it can get, was not designed to make contact on edge to board.
 
While chisel grinds are not my first choice, I do have a couple that Richard J made for me that are possibly my best cutting tools. They are both ground on the proper side for a lefthander to cut with and they are amazingly sharp. They are also very easy to maintain.
Try one, you may find that you like it. Just make sure it's ground for the hand you'll be cutting with.
 
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