What is your favorite edge style and why?

[psy-ops]

I love The flat ground.

Cantled edge seems too steep for really fine slicing. A flat ground edge is easier to sharpen and seems to slice best. I guess my daily cutting chores involve more slicing than whittling. Maybe edge preference is an urban-wilderness debate in disguise?


I know Cliff Stamp is going to chime in but I would like everyone's opinion.

Let's learn and have some fun.

 

[psy-ops]

Oh yeah, the knives which have the flat ground are: Salsa, Manix, Military, I think G10 Police, MY Endura

 

[Larrin]

I prefer a thin convex.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Cantled edge seems too steep for really fine slicing.

The curvature doesn't define a thickness, I have convex edged blades which have an edge bevel of about 3/6 degrees (primary to secondary sweep). Many people use convex grinds on really heavy blades but Opinels for example come with a really gradual convex taper on a thin profile. I would not get too hung up on the curvature of convex vs flat because all actual edges (the micron or so that does the cutting) are flat and pretty much all hand honed primary edges are convex by nature due to angle variance from stone wear or just user imprecision.

Most properties that people associate with the type of bevel have more to do with the cross section than the curvature. The common increase in cutting ability due to application of convex bevels for example comes mainly from the reduction in edge angle due to a relief grind. It isn't as if you took an edge which was honed at 20 degrees per side and turned it into a convex edge which swept from 20 to 40 degrees it would cut better. If you of course changed it so it sweeps from 10 to 20 then that convex profile will cut better, and if you just flat ground it to 10 it would cut better still.

I prefer edge profiles which are a minimal thickness to give the necessary strength to prevent rippling and at an edge angle which will prevent chipping, denting and compaction. Really light cutting knives have primary hollow grinds and are sharpened flat to the stone with a light roll to induce a more obtuse angle at the very edge for strength. Heavier chopping knives run flat or convex primary grinds, usually flat, and the very edge is usually multi-beveled to suit the wood type and task.

-Cliff

 

[db]

Wow Cliff and I kind of agree on something for once. Good post.
I do prefer a convex grind because I do sharpen free hand and the convex edge and blade grind is the easyest for me to maintain and sharpen.

 

[DRider]

I have a lot of folders, all either flat or hollow ground.

Flat wins, hands down. Better slicing, better shearing, better resharpening.

For a while, I figured hollow ground was just a fast way to get an edge while you were grinding the knife. But so many makers use it, it must be good for something!

I've just had far better results, especially over time, with flat.

 

[USAFSP]

My favorite are wide flat ground blades. Most of the cutting I do requires slicing and slash type cutting. This is why I prefer Strider and Spyderco. They seem to have the best flat ground production blades. If I were to chop I would rather have convex, but semi-hollow works if it is the right steel.

 

[barrabas74]

I love flat ground blades due to ease of sharpening and how wicked they slice. My military is a monster slicer and though I love other knives the flatground is sweet. For Chopping CONVEX baby or at least partial convex and flat like Busse but for pure slicing flat ground.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

[vs hollow]

Flat wins, hands down. Better slicing, better shearing, better resharpening.

Many hollow grinds such as Strider and TOP's are very narrow and leave very thick cross sections and thus the blades don't cut well and are inefficient to sharpen and would be much improved in general with a higher flat grind. However that same higher flat grind could be hollowed out with a high concave relief grind which would improve the cutting ability and radically increase ease of sharpening, see how the Japanese hollow grind their blades for example.

-Cliff

 

[fudo]

wide, thin, flat ground or high hollow ground

 

[ahgar]

another vote for the flat grind, easy to achieve and maintain. later, ahgar

 

[allenC]

For thin blades I prefer a full flat grind like those used on Victorinox SAKs.
But for an average size locking folder I prefer a high hollow grind.

My old Buck 110's are excellent slicers and so is my Pacific Salt.

 

[psy-ops]

I knew Cliff would clarify. Many thanks.

Actually, my Endura is still a cantled edge but the grind bevel has been flatten to perfection.
Sal Glesser, on his sharpmaker video, recommends before tackling the actual edge, do a pass or two on the grind bevel. I might have gotten the terminology wrong, sorry.

It seems most people prefer the flat ground edge.