Types of Knife Edges and Grinds: All You Need to Know

A standard hunting or camping knife has three main functional parts. The handle, the blade, and the cutting edge. All three combine to make the knife usable. The handle gives you the leverage; the blade adds the weight needed, and the edge does the cutting. Most times, when people talk about knives, folding knives, or fixed ones, the focus is usually around the material of the blade or the design of the handle; rarely do people look at the cutting edge, and that’s a mistake many newbies make. But for experienced knife users, the edge is one of the most important parts of the knife.

We are going to look at some types of knife edges, their strengths and weaknesses, how they are designed for their functions, and compare them with each other to see how they hold up. If you are a knife collector looking to expand your knowledge on hunting knives, then this is for you.

Knife Grind Types

There are many types of knife grinds, each designed for a specific purpose. The grind affects a lot of things as far as the knife is concerned; how you handle it, how it cuts, the weight, and so many other factors. Some of the most notable knife-edge grinds include the following.

Hollow Grind

A hollow grind is characterized by a concave design with the sides curving inward til they meet  at a razor sharp point. This gives the knife a very nice curve although that comes with one major drawback. It is not a very durable design, and knives that feature this grind shouldn’t be used on heavy tasks. It also dulls fairly quickly with continued use, and this is why knives that feature this grind as best suited for quick and light work, like skinning the pelt of an animal you just hunted.

Convex Grind

Full Flat Grind

This is one of the most common and simplest grinds that belong to the flat grind edges that comes in three major variants: the Full Flat Grind that gradually attains a tapering edge that extends from the spine all the way to the hilt on both sides. This gives the edge a very sharp design, although it weakens the durability of the blade. Knives with full flat greens are best suited for tasks that require the knife to be pushed into something, like stabbing an animal, and this is why you will find it in the hands of chefs in the kitchen. It gives the user good control that allows them to apply minimum pressure when driving it into a tough object like the flesh of an animal.

High Flat Grind

A high Flat Grind edge is the type that comes with a section of the blade having the same thickness from the hilt to a certain point a short distance away before it begins to taper all the way to the edge and the knife’s point. This momentary thickness is called a bevel and it acts as a safety feature for when the hand slides over from the handle by accident when wet. Rather than the hand coming into contact with the sharp edge of the knife, it can stop by the bevel before going any further. This makes the knife ideal for hard tasks that require strength.

Scandinavian Grind

Also called the V Grind, this is the third variation of the Flat grind. Unlike the other two, the Scandinavian doesn’t have any tapering the entire length of the blade until it starts getting closer to the edge. So a huge part of the blade is left with a blade of constant thickness, and this gives it a very heavy feel in the hands. Knives that feature this grind make for very good hunting knives as they are easy to sharpen, are heavy rough for a powerful jab, and are efficient for heavy jobs. The only downside is that they are dull easily and require constant maintenance to keep them in tip-top shape, which is a small price to pay when you consider their efficiency and reliability in the most extreme situations.

Chisel Grind

Just as the name suggests, the chisel grind has one side that’s completely flat from the spine all the way to the edge, while the other side has one bevel that usually begins from the middle of the blade before tapering off in a straight line towards the cutting edge. The degree to which this bevel aligns usually varies, but the common one is 25 degrees. It is hard to find hunting or camping knives with chisel grinds, but they are very common in kitchen knives as they add that extra weight needed to make chopping faster and safe at the same time.  The only downside to this is the constant maintenance needed to keep it sharp due to the constant hitting on the chopping board.

Compound Bevel Grind

This is a very complicated type of grind. Instead of the customary cutting edge and a standard bevel, the Compound Bevel Grind adds a secondary bevel on the already existing grind. This not only improves the cutting ability of the knife but makes maintenance a lot easier, adds some extra weight to the knife, and makes the design of the knife look very attractive. This also adds durability that protects the knife blade from experiencing chipping or cracks.

Asymmetrical Grind

This is the type that has two different grids on the same knife, on either side. For instance, it could have a Scandi Grind on one side of the knife and a Convex Grind on the other. The reasons for this are both for aesthetics purposes and for giving the knife an extra edge for multitasking. Maintaining them could be tricky, though, due to the different bevels and edge styles. These knives are, however, handy spare knives that would work well with people who love going camping and hunting.

Saber Grind

This is the kind of grind that you will find in a defensive blade. From a distance, it looks like a flat or hollow grind, but on closer inspection, you will notice that the grind doesn’t cover the entire width of the blade, and it leaves some portion untouched. The line that separates the primary bevel of the blade from the untouched section is called the Svbre Line. It gives the blade a very streamlined shape that can cut through anything with the right application of strength. It has great durability but doesn't perform very well when the task at hand involves prolonged cutting.

The Importance of the Knife Grind

On the superficial level, a knife grind may look like an aesthetic addition, and to some extent, that’s true. However, they serve a number of important functions on a knife, something that every longtime user of fixed blades will attest to. Some of the roles they serve include the following.

• Knife grinds make maintenance much easier. Keeping the knife sharper is easier when there’s a grind to guide you rather than having to sharpen a thick bevel. With a grind, you only take a few seconds to get the knife sharp again.
• The grind gives the knife that signature look. For hunters, a knife is more than just a tool they carry with them; it is their prestige, and looks do matter. A clean grind gives the blade a very shiny edge.
• A knife grind makes the knife stronger and durable. This is the case where the bevels are thicker. It doesn’t matter what the knife comes against; it can withstand any kind of pressure if the grind and the bevel are in harmony with each other.

Conclusion

The grind of the knife should play a big part in your decision when you are looking for a hunting or camping knife. Whether it is a folded knife or a fixed blade, make sure the grind is the type that’s easy to manage. For more information on knives, check out our website （oem knife manufacturers）for valuable tips and tricks of handling your knives.

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