what is so special about chisel grind?

They can be very useful for some types of precision cutting, since the grind tends to not push the flat side of the material being cut, and just ejects the waste/cut side away. So you see them in industrial push cutters (giant paper cutters), and can be useful in the kitchen (if you know what you are doing). But for general use, not something I typically bother with.
 
Knife porn
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Everyone should own one of these in their lifetime. You will likely not use a sharper knife.
 
Personally, I'm not a fan. If I want a chisel grind I'll buy a chisel. I'm ambidextrous, and prefer a traditional grind where I can switch hands when needed (like when Mr. Arthritis comes out to play).
 
In my opinion, no.

My chisel grind will chip on a lemon seed, no joke.

If you want a good camp knife, get a scandi ground knife.

It'll be like a chisel grind, but on both sides. So the Super thin edge has nowhere to go (durable).
 
IMO, chisel grinds are a very poor choice for a general utility type knife. Chisel grinds shine for knives designed as weapons but only if they are done as a zero bevel. IMO putting a secondary bevel on a chisel grind defeats the whole purpose, which is to cut the bevel angle in half, reduce friction and thus produce the sharpest most aggressive cutting edge. I would almost go as far as to say any chisel grind with a secondary bevel is done mostly as a sales gimmick and cost cutting measure. I can see the kitchen knife as a decent use because they cut only very soft material but there again if done as a zero bevel then resharpening is a problem.
 
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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A majority? Not a chance. :thumbdn: Chisel grinds are great for chisels. Other than that, not so much. Try cutting a straight line with a chisel grind blade. :rolleyes:
 
I am not a SEAL, nor do I play on on the TV. However, I did have a SEAL for a roommate once upon a time, and he was mainly into guns, but a bit into knives. He made a pair of combat knives to suit whatever hand-to-hand style they are taught over in SEAL college and his edges were set at 45 degrees. Not 45 degrees inclusive. 45 degrees per side. I was but a young infantryman, so I asked him why. He said it was because in his experience, the really sharp bevel edges got hung up on bones. He demonstrated a few moves for me in slow motion. I nodded and backed slowly from the room.
 
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 would have to disagree chisel grinds are "far sharper than double bevel grinds".


Chisel grinds can have a more acute grind or less acute than double beveled knives. They can be made thicker, or thinner.

If you get a very thin double beveled knife, and compare it to a much more robust chisel grind, the chisel grind won't cut as well.

If you have a laser thin chisel grind kitchen knife, comparing it to a thicker ground double bevel kitchen knife is not really a comparison of chisel grind vs double bevel performance, it is a comparison of overall geometry.

It is like the convex vs v edge debate. Geometry is the key.

Chisel ground knives can have specific uses (thinking of chisel ground sushi knives, etc).

I don't own any chisel grind. I am not opposed to them, just have never bought one.
 
precisionshootist said:
True, so the idea is they are only used in a combat situation, not for any other use and thus preserving the razor edge until the time of need.
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Which does not answer the question "WHY?"

Such grinds are very rare in fighting knives.

As for sharp, razors are not chisel ground.
 
Thomas Linton said:
Which does not answer the question "WHY?"

Such grinds are very rare in fighting knives.

As for sharp, razors are not chisel ground.
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They are usually done with relatively narrow/thin angles or "high bevels" and with the bevel only on one side of the blade it reduces friction when slicing through the target. This is done to maximize cutting ability at the expense of durability. I'm not saying they are common in fighting knives, I'm just stating how they can have an advantage. Think Japanese swords, fighters and swords made by Phil Hartsfield, handmade Emersons (CQC6) etc. Adding a secondary bevel eliminates most of the advantage of the chisel grind.
 
precisionshootist said:
They are usually done with relatively narrow/thin angles or "high bevels" and with the bevel only on one side of the blade it reduces friction when slicing through the target. This is done to maximize cutting ability at the expense of durability. I'm not saying they are common in fighting knives, I'm just stating how they can have an advantage. Think Japanese swords, fighters and swords made by Phil Hartsfield, handmade Emersons (CQC6) etc. Adding a secondary bevel eliminates most of the advantage of the chisel grind.
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I own real Japanese swords. None has a chisel grind. I have examined hundreds of real Japanese swords. None had a chisel grind.

Phill Hartsfield sword: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtAwbIdB1Ag
 
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I bought an Emerson mini CQC-7 just so I could try out the all and controversial chisel grind. In my opinion, for EDC use it is fine. I can sharpen it easily, it takes a good edge, and cuts just fine. It holds up like any other knife I own in an EDC realm. No better, no worse. If you really want to know how it performs just get one and try. Thats what I had to do, every time I looked for info on the chisel grind I found the treads all ended up in arguments. Just try one out and see how it fits in to your cutting needs, thats the only info I would suggest.
 
I find it humorous when people think that chisel grinds are automatically sharper than other grind types. If you take a piece of steel .100" thick and 1" wide and chisel grind it to .005" at the edge then do a full flat double-bevel grind to .005" on the same size piece of steel they will both have the exact same geometry. The only difference is that the spine will have a slightly different angle. It all boils down to simple geometry.
The only difference between a full flat grind and a full height chisel grind is that the full flat grind is on the same plane as the tang and the chisel grind is canted x number of degrees depending on the height and thickness of the blade.
Simple as that.
 
Nic S. said:
I bought an Emerson mini CQC-7 just so I could try out the all and controversial chisel grind. In my opinion, for EDC use it is fine. I can sharpen it easily, it takes a good edge, and cuts just fine. It holds up like any other knife I own in an EDC realm. No better, no worse. If you really want to know how it performs just get one and try. Thats what I had to do, every time I looked for info on the chisel grind I found the treads all ended up in arguments. Just try one out and see how it fits in to your cutting needs, thats the only info I would suggest.
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darrin sanders said:
I find it humorous when people think that chisel grinds are automatically sharper than other grind types. If you take a piece of steel .100" thick and 1" wide and chisel grind it to .005" at the edge then do a full flat double-bevel grind to .005" on the same size piece of steel they will both have the exact same geometry. The only difference is that the spine will have a slightly different angle. It all boils down to simple geometry.
The only difference between a full flat grind and a full height chisel grind is that the full flat grind is on the same plane as the tang and the chisel grind is canted x number of degrees depending on the height and thickness of the blade.
Simple as that.
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I should make a short and sweet thread out of these two posts and stick it as "All you really need to know about chisel grinds".
 
I find it humorous when people think that chisel grinds are automatically sharper than other grind types. If you take a piece of steel .100" thick and 1" wide and chisel grind it to .005" at the edge then do a full flat double-bevel grind to .005" on the same size piece of steel they will both have the exact same geometry. The only difference is that the spine will have a slightly different angle. It all boils down to simple geometry.
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Exactly. The idea that a chisel grind imparts some magical sharpness is absurd. A blade with an x degree edge bevel is the same regardless if it was ground symmetrically like a normal pocket knife, or asymmetrically, like a chisel.
 
Chisel grinds can work well depending on your intended use.

I certainly wouldn't suggest using a chisel ground kiridashi as a hunting knife, but a well made yanagi-ba cuts flesh exceptionally well.

Most commercially produced chisel grinds do no perform well because they have horrible edge geometry.

That said, I typically only offer chisel grinds on my Japanese inspired knives.
 
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