Like what you see? Want more? Visit us at.. www.coalcracke... / danwowak / coalcrackerbushcraft Want a FREE PILLOW? tribe.outdoorv... and as always.... Stay in the Woods, Dan
Come here, after watching you on Townsend! So impressed by your skills.👍🖐 Thank you for sharing your knowledge, and wilderness life skills. Moira From England.
Thank you for putting this video out, brother. I’m 63 and I’ve been collecting knives most of my life. I did notice that the two knives in the center both appear to be Scandi- grinds to me, one with a higher bevel than the other. A saber ground knife has the primary bevel starts maybe midway down from the spine but then there’s a secondary bevel that has a larger angle. So a saber grind is actually a lot more durable than a Scandi or a flat ground because it has the secondary bevel. The flat found knife should have a secondary bevel unless it is for cutting soft foods. You didn’t show that in your drawing. The secondary bevel and the mass above the primary bevel are what gives the saber it’s great strength. And you actually have to raise angle of attack in order to get it to feather wood. This is just my opinion. But I think I am correct on this one. God bless you. John
There are tons of blades out there touting as scandis but many have a secondary micro bevel for durability. What then, would you call what's essentially a flat grind but with a larger angle than a flat as the grind doesn't reach the spine of the knife? Is that not a Saber?
I fall in between a hiker and a bushcrafter, and I carry a small folding saw and a scandi grind knife. Works great for me. Still super lightweight for those 15 mile hikes, but can do Bush crafty things on my base camp trips.
Secondary bevels are yeah don’t like them haha but what he means by saber is kinda like a condor knife where it’s still a scandi but pulled back more flat it really depends what brands your looking at if your looking at actually bushcraft types knife brands you won’t run into secondary bevels I mean really at all just depends where your looking if your looking at more modern tactical type knives like yeah almost all will be secondary bevels
When I'm out in the woods, I have learned to bring two blades: a flat grind (2-3in neck-knife or a SAK) and a very small hatchet (3in convex cutting-edge). Thanks for explaining why that works so well. PS: In winter I also bring a 21" folding saw, for firewood.
@@bbtb785 I hear you regarding the weight. As I am fast going towards sixty every gram counts! But I prefer the splitting power of the hatchet over the tomahawk. Personal preference!
I know it's not in the scope of this video but I think it's also worth bearing in mind the knife material and the effects it has on the behaviour of an edge.
At last, someone promotes the sabre grind. All I see on bushcraft videos is the scandi. I too use the sabre, it gives me greater flexibility if I have the one, full-tang knife with me.
I love that you are knowledgeable, and that you share that knowledge about things that others want to know but that veteran bushcrafters don't realize others need mentorship with. You're awesome, Dan!
I bought my first bushcraft knife that is quite thick .25" spine w convex/sabre grind advertised. Cool! So how do I sharpen it?? Both at home vs field w no electricity....🤔🤔🤔 I keep researching yet no tangible method w/o electricity! Buffer wheels, "slack belts" I tried a whetstone n just scratched up the convex part!😮. Thank You! Your video only one that shared the balance between durability vs sharpness Thank You
Already in the thumbnail incorrectly. You get any of the these grinds equally sharp. The difference is in the cutting performance as some of these grinds have more wedging/splitting capabilities instead of cutting ones. It depends on what you want to do with your knife which grind you should consider.
THANK YOU! I've heard of ALL of the different types of grinds on a blade...minus what each one is best for! I'm beyond thankful for this video, and it really makes perfect sense. Thanks so much for this video! Stay safe out there!
full flat is best for full through slicing and food prep. Saber grind will perform pretty much the same as a full flat on most tasks except will have more mass and a broader blade overall making it worse for through slicing, but maybe better for chopping/splitting. Scandi is best for bushcrafting not because it's tougher, but because there is no secondary bevel... meaning you can consistently make very fine feather sticks and easily carve precisely. It gives you very easy control of the edge and depth of cut in wood. Honestly, the Scandi grind is basically the best grind for everything (feather sticks, chopping, carving, etc) except maybe thin slicing foods.
My grind is usually slightly coarser than filter... (Bad coffee joke) Great video, bad drawings, thank you for your expertise. I've got a 25 year old SOG Seal and I never dared sharpen it... At least now I know what type of grind it is. Keep up the good work.
An flat grind being edge heavy convex. Like a full flat except having a microbevel that is convex. Is it a good compromize? Any thoughts? I think I would describe the Fallkniven f1 as a convex although it almost look like a flat, but carves great. It seems to be very durable. Thoughts?
Would be nice to see the techniques with a whet stone for getting those grinds. I (no expert at all) think I’ve been doing the third one as I usually raise my knife edge slightly when using a whet stone. Guessing the drawings are exaggerated to make the point (no pun intended)
You did very well but your depiction of the convex grind is far from accurate. I use a 15-20 degree convex on my blades & will take the Pepsi challenge against the others on any day. But thanks, I enjoyed it.
I sharpen my knives by hand and end up with some kind of weird asymmetrical hollowed out half flat saber scandivex kinda thing. But this grind coupled with the right blade and handle geometry is absolutely Brilliant!
It's cute, but in reality you can manage with any grind. People focus on gear too much. Just get something you like, and practise. Also, in my experience true scandi isn't durable, unless with a micro bevel.
I see that a space ship has landed behind you. Are the aliens taking a bushcraft or survival class? Just play it cool like you're doing and maybe they'll leave. Are saber grinds flat, hollow or convex? Never mind I found out elsewhere, they are all of the above grinds. Good thing I didn't wait to get a reply. I've never received a response to any comments on this channel.
I have some knives that almost has a concave grind, some sharp, most sabre grinds, a couple of sabre->sharp progressive grinds and two convex grinds. Funnily, the two convex grinds are sharpened bayonets.
At first look I thought that was a UFO parked behind you… Then I realized it was a hard structured roof. You never know… Aliens may need to learn Bushcraft too.
It's interesting that you choose the 4 most difficult grinds to sharpen, while talking about camp use. Yet you ignore the one grind that is particularly useful for all non-axe related tasks, and is the easiest by far to keep sharp in the field. I refer of course to the hollow grind. The hollow grind will probably do more different types of tasks at least adequately, while not being excellent at any of them. What interests me most, however, is that most recent videos lauding the Scandi grind give it high praise for how well it executes fine wood carving tasks, and fine feathering etc. Now, this does not fit in with what you're saying. What is the secret behind this advice?
Can we stop scandi grinding every bushcraft knife out there please? Scandinavian grinds were available in a rather small part of thr world back in the day of boats, walking and horses, and those without Scandinavian grinds got along well enough in the woods I personally find this particular grind is great at wood working, but is mediocre at best in every other category
I appreciate the effort you put into this video but I think it should be noted that "slicey" and "sharp" are different things entirely. It's important to know that 99% of flat grind knives have a secondary bevel similar to a saber grind. As a result, a flat grind is more "slicey" than a scandi grind due to the overall thinness of the the entire blade, which you notice especially when trying to slice meat/food, but the scandi grind can actually get much sharper at the very edge than the flat grind due to the lack of a significant secondary bevel. This is the reason it carves wood so well- there's no resistance at the edge from a secondary bevel (or very little due to a microbevel).
So helpful...thanks, Dan. I'm rather new to bushcraft and scandi grind seems to be the most popular that most people talk about. The sabre grind has rarely been mentioned. Your vid will help a lot with my choice of knife to purchase.
I'd like to hear your opinion on the Condor Selknam knife. That convex edge brought me here because I'm having difficultly with feather sticks and the new knife
The 3 grinds that are totally different are convex, hollow and flat. Saber and scandi are simply an offshoot of flat as the difference is well after the edge.
Ty you helped me already but the biggest question for me rn is what’s the worst to sharp ? And so on and yeah still what’s the best grind for edc prob a holo?
Would have been helpful if you included degrees and angles for people. So what degree angle is a flat versus a sabre? What is that versus a hallow or a Scandi?
I tend to use convex and chisel grinds. You can shave with a convex grind, but it takes practice to get a feel for the necessary cutting action. Chisel grinds dig hard, but give you the ability to lay the knife dead flat and shave the surface flat in ways that aren't always easy with a wedge grind.
Not true about a saber grind when you said not good at battoning a saber is like a wedge if done right and is my favorite grind for processing wood . Its also great for quartering game . Also you touched on durability saber has the most meat when again done right
I had a Schrade SCHF51 hollow grind that was too deep and off center making it weak in the middle of the primary grind and horrible for feather sticking right handed. I then bought a thick flat grind Ontario tak1. Great feather sticking and thick enough to baton carefully. Otherwise I'd pick a saber grind like a ESEE 5. They do sound like a good all arounder.
TBE is a big factor of durability as well... From steels like 8670, 5160, 1075 too steels like S110V, ZDP-189, Maxamet and Rex-121. TBE = thickness behind the edge Thicker is stronger, but thinner cuts better
Thanks for this posting. I picked up a sabre grind knife a couple days ago. Still getting to know it. So far it's performing well. 5mm spine 5" blade, 5" g10 handle. HC steel. D2 steel. Sabre grind. 5" handle. No hot spots. So far I like it. Tour the 1st person that explained the different grinds etc like you did. It was presented perfectly. Thanks.
That’s interesting. I knew edge geometry determines how well a blade like you say shaved or chops and that’s why nobody should limit themselves to just 1 axe or 1 knife. I say that but I only carry a knife during deer season
I recently bought a Buck 692 with a 5ish inch blade and a (I believe) convex grind My purpose is for hunting and some bushcrafting. I also have a larger Buck 650, more of a general purpose. Have yet to use either in the craft. But now I'm considering another grind. Never have enough knives. I Never go into the woods with less than 2 knives.
I think this is why Nessmuk had the Nessmuk trio (Fixed blade, folding knife, and double-bit hatchet) That way you can have multiple grinds and in the case of the hatchet a side for chopping and a side for splitting. Personally, I am not big on folding knives or knives with blades longer than 2 1/2" - 3" for skinning anyway. I learned to skin with a small bladed knife when I was young. I am still better at using a small blade than a large one, my friends often wondered how I was so quick with a small blade. I am planning on getting a woodsman's pal and carrying a modified old hickory boning knife cut down to the size of a patch/paring knife and changing the handle material how it's fastened and shaped with a flat grind and a modified old hickory hunting knife once again handle changes with a saber grind. That should take care of every type of cutting, shaving, whittling, or whatever I could possibly need to do.
Nice video Looks like I was setting up my edged tools correctly. I have my maul and axe for heavy chopping (they ride in the truck/jeep until needed), a 'hawk for light chopping and "heavy blade" needs. And my multi-tools with flat grinds for fine edge work. Still looking for a medium to large blade, and a medium to small blade for tasks in those areas. I like having some overlap with blades, a carryover from buckskinning days. More of a "modern traditionalist" now. I don't need authentic gear, but tried and true gear is always an option.
Depends on the thickness of the stock. A thin stock with a scandi can be MUCH sharper than even a full flat grind if it's a very thick stock. Your diagram of course assumes stock thickness all being equal. But the reality is different. There are many other factors, like broadness of blade for instance. Using the same thickness stock but one blade is broad and one is narrow, you'll get totally different angles. Then there are secondary bevels to consider, etc. The real answer is to have several knives with you at all times, :D.
I didn't see the RAZOR edge, I love a good razor blade for many lighter duty tasks! There are several really nice replaceable blade razor knives on the market now, some kinda flimsy but all are very useful.
I like how he described this I personally like my axes and machetes to be convex I really love my Helko Werk Rheinland pattern axe because it came with a convex and has been extremely durable not chips no nothing and with the Rheinland design it cuts very deep but because of that convex it’s also durable I really love it and on knife for carving tasks most the time I’m usually working a softer or green wood not really working hardwoods very often and for that I really like the saber grinds that are on condor knives I also like the scandi on my knivsmed stromeng but it doesn’t carve quite as smoothly as some of the saber grind knives I have
It wasn't worth it. Just kidding, good video, and well explained. I like to carry a chopper with a convex grind, and a smaller detail knife with either a Scandi or a saber grind. Right tool for the right job.
Great Dan, don't knock your art , you expressed your " point" very well. Art is all about expression. Also you brought together my interest in bushcrafting and knives so really enjoyed your talk. SITW
A bushcrafter once explained these just like you did, but he made one distinction that you didn't. He said those are all double sided grinds. Each of those double sided grinds can be done single sided, leaving the other side flat. That versatility is an easy thing to add to an 8 min video to double the content with 20 sec of drawing. Great explanation of basic grinds and their purposes.
I think a scandi grind on a 2 mm - 2.5 mm thick knife would be ok for diffrent tasks. Also a very fine convex blade on a 3mm blade or a saber with a slight convex secondery on a 2.5 mm - 3 mm blade.
