What type of grind should I have on my knife?

S

Shaggy DA

Joined
Aug 16, 2014
Messages
113
Okay, I'm pretty damned new to all this 'grind' stuff on knives. I'm ordering a bushcraft knife from a maker I found here on BladeForums. He has offered me either a full height grind (what is that?) or a semi-scandi grind (secondary bevel).

I've heard great things about the longevity of convex grinds and how strong they are as well as how strong and easily sharpened scandi grinds are too... So I'm going to give you some specs on the knife I'm going to order and what my knife will be used for so maybe it'll help with the suggestions of what type of grind the knife should have:

About the steel: 9 1/2" overall 5" blade 1/8" thick and made of 0-1 Tool Steel

Uses: This will mainly be for camping, hunting, hiking, fishing, and general purpose knife

Yes, I am VERY new to all the geekiness of the knife world. :)
 
We don't know. We don't know what kind of grind you like.

Maybe, and I'm just throwing this out there....maybe you might want to gain a little more experience before committing to a custom?
 
What are you cutting? How precise are you with your cuts?

Full height is probably what he calls a full flat grind, like many Spydercos offer. Between that and a 1/2 grind, I'd lean toward the FFG, unless there's going to be a lot of abuse, as the FFG is thinner behind the edge and more susceptible to cracking/chipping out if you absolutely beat the life out of it. For that kind of application, a convex would survive a little longer.

Like marcinek said, learn more so you know what you want. I would suggest that you play with others' knives and find out what is suitable for your use - this depends on the availability of knife enthusiasts in your area.

Good luck, and welcome to the world of sharp and shiny.
 
If I were offered those two options, I'd go full flat every time.... But that's me. What do YOU want your knife to do?
 
marcinek said:
We don't know. We don't know what kind of grind you like.

Maybe, and I'm just throwing this out there....maybe you might want to gain a little more experience before committing to a custom?
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+1

Knowing the very basics of blade grinds and how they apply to tasks is something you should know long before getting a custom knife. Blindly making choices without educating yourself is foolish. As to convex grinds, most of what you have read is probably more myth than fact, many tend to give a convex grind near magical powers. Because of this most of the correlating info is incorrect and misleading.

There is a ton of info on this site, spend a little time researching the questions you've asked.
 
Jason B. said:
+1

Knowing the very basics of blade grinds and how they apply to tasks is something you should know long before getting a custom knife. Blindly making choices without educating yourself is foolish. As to convex grinds, most of what you have read is probably more myth than fact, many tend to give a convex grind near magical powers. Because of this most of the correlating info is incorrect and misleading.

There is a ton of info on this site, spend a little time researching the questions you've asked.
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Couldn't agree more.
 
Shaggy DA said:
Okay, I'm pretty damned new to all this 'grind' stuff on knives. I'm ordering a bushcraft knife from a maker I found here on BladeForums. He has offered me either a full height grind (what is that?) or a semi-scandi grind (secondary bevel).

I've heard great things about the longevity of convex grinds and how strong they are as well as how strong and easily sharpened scandi grinds are too... So I'm going to give you some specs on the knife I'm going to order and what my knife will be used for so maybe it'll help with the suggestions of what type of grind the knife should have:

About the steel: 9 1/2" overall 5" blade 1/8" thick and made of 0-1 Tool Steel

Uses: This will mainly be for camping, hunting, hiking, fishing, and general purpose knife

Yes, I am VERY new to all the geekiness of the knife world. :)
Click to expand...
As many have said, do research before committing to a custom. First of all full scandi grinds (I don't like secondary bevels on a scandi) are good for woodwork and bushcraft. They are NOT good for slicing, skinning, food prep, and things of that nature given that a scandi grind does not cover the entire blade resulting in thicker material that needs to be pushed through something. Convex grinds are a bit misunderstood. Say you have a regular knife with a V-edge. If you give it a convex grind you will make the edge thicker and less efficient of a cutter. On the plus side the shoulders will be more round if that is what you want. Now if you have a full convex grind from spine to edge with the same given stock thickness as my previous example you will have a thinner edge that will be a more efficient slicer but also weaker. Nothing is wrong with a good convex grind, just make sure it's not overly thick making things like bushcraft or other common outdoor tasks inefficient. When people are saying how great a convex grind/edge is all they really did is make the edge thicker with rounded shoulders. The only point I feel of having a convex edge is if you want the rounded shoulders for the edge to pass through material more smoothly. I personally feel a full height grind is the most versatile. Also if you are capable of freehand sharpening well you can put on a edge that best suits your purposes being thicker, very thin, or slightly convex.
 
I have been using knives for work as well as bushcraft for 30 years or more. Any grind will work just as good as any other grind. You can nit pick if you want, but as long as you can get a knife sharp is all that really matters.
 
muddog15 said:
I have been using knives for work as well as bushcraft for 30 years or more. Any grind will work just as good as any other grind. You can nit pick if you want, but as long as you can get a knife sharp is all that really matters.
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THAT'S the kind of answer I like to hear! The knife maker I found on this forum makes GORGEOUS bushcraft kinives! Which, is mostly what I'll be using it for. I've GOT to get back to the basics of living off the land again, you know, just in case SHTF, and well, it's just FUN and therapeutic. :) Nothing beats going off the beaten path and making something out of nothing. :) With the information you guys on blade forums have shared with me and the research I've done, I think I'm just going to go with the full flat grind. As muddog15 stated (and from my experience) as long as it's sharp (and a good steel that will hold an edge), I don't see how a grind will enhance or decrease the cutting performance of a blade. I did research on my Hellion and it's got a full flat grind. I've gone out into the yard with it, cleared 2"thick oak saplings (in one chop), batoned some firewood, and I could still shave the hair off my leg with it and that's a knife that is made of 5160 spring steel. No where CLOSE to a tool steel as far as holding an edge. I also had NO problems making feather sticks, whittling snare triggers, or cutting paracord. All I REALLY wanted from the question was to know if any of you guys had a preference for 'your' bushcraft knives, not condescending remarks about being a 'newbie.'
 
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Shaggy DA said:
THAT'S the kind of answer I like to hear! The knife maker I found on this forum makes GORGEOUS bushcraft kinives! Which, is mostly what I'll be using it for. I've GOT to get back to the basics of living off the land again, you know, just in case SHTF, and well, it's just FUN and therapeutic. :) Nothing beats going off the beaten path and making something out of nothing. :) With the information you guys on blade forums have shared with me and the research I've done, I think I'm just going to go with the full flat grind. As muddog15 stated (and from my experience) as long as it's sharp (and a good steel that will hold an edge), I don't see how a grind will enhance or decrease the cutting performance of a blade. I did research on my Hellion and it's got a full flat grind. I've gone out into the yard with it, cleared 2"thick oak saplings (in one chop), batoned some firewood, and I could still shave the hair off my leg with it and that's a knife that is made of 5160 spring steel. No where CLOSE to a tool steel as far as holding an edge. I also had NO problems making feather sticks, whittling snare triggers, or cutting paracord. All I REALLY wanted from the question was to know if any of you guys had a preference for 'your' bushcraft knives, not condescending remarks about being a 'newbie.'
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You need to do more research. You accept one opinion, because it agrees with what you wanted to hear. Was it necessary to make this thread if you already knew what you wanted?

You don't know about blade grinds, but you know for certain that 5160 is no where close to a tool steel in edge retention. Do some research...


marcinek said:
The why would you even ask us "What type of grind should I have on my knife?"

What was the point if you don't care? Ridiculous.
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Welcome to the internet LOL :foot:
 
DAVE_M said:
You need to do more research. You accept one opinion, because it agrees with what you wanted to hear. Was it necessary to make this thread if you already knew what you wanted?
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Precisely. Guy opens a thread, asking us what grind he should have on his knife, when he really only wants someone to agree with him that grinds don't matter, and then calls everybody condescending because we couldn't figure out what he wanted to hear.

Actually happens all the time, but doesn't make it any less aggravating. Anyway to get back on topic...

1) While it's perfectly fine for grinds not to matter to you ShaggyDA, hopefully you will continue to use knives long enough to appreciate what different grinds do well and don't do well. Thoughtful knife designers choose their grinds for a reason.

2) Full flat happens to be my favorite grind..particularly with the edge convexed.
 
What I think is truly funny is that he had to do research on a knife HE OWNS to discover it had a full flat grind...... :/
 
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