Bevel Jigs for Newbies

J

jmackle

Member
So, what do you guys think, should a newbie use a bevel jig or put in the time to master freehand grinding?

I have done about 6-10 bevels freehand and obviously come a long way...tho at the expense of a healthy scrap pile. But I keep seeing all these videos on youtube about grinding jigs.

Also, if it makes any difference, I have no ambitions on doing this for money. I have a great job...this is just for fun. So, what say ye? Should the fart-around knifemaker use a jig or freehand?
 
I think it's all in how you see yourself and the knives you build. If you're comfortable without then by all means, keep moving forward. I use a stop at the plunge line but no jigs for anything else and that's how I've done it from the beginning. As you can imagine, each knife I grind gets a bit better, but none are perfect by any stretch of my imagination. I prefer it like that because I'm depending mostly on myself to get thing as close as possible by my mind and hand coordination. I prefer freehand in IMHO, it feels more like your a craftsman. I don't do it for money either, although every now and then I do get paid for a knife, lol. Have fun!


Wayne
 
I agree with Wayne. And I'll add: if your goal is to turn out the same, *consistent knife- then a jig makes all the sense in the world. If on the other hand, your knives are always a work in progress to refine and improve the design, then a jig is of limited use. Common sense, right?

Some designs lend themselves to using a jig. If you're into Scandi knives or bushcraft stuff where the grind comes 1/2 inch up the blade then it's jigs all day. Why the heck not. But what kind of jig do you use on a Chef knife with a full height grind, no plunges, and a a full distal taper, but the edge thickness is the same along the full length of the blade from heel to tip? That knife involves some crazy geometry of several converging tapers which have to be blended to appear flat and smooth. That's where finesse comes in. Sooner or later you have to freehand something, and it takes practice to be any good at it.
 
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Jigs are great use them to get for your immediate gratification. however continue your free hand for future gratification.
 
For repeat-ability, jigs are certainly a option. That being said, I have strong opinions against a "newbie" using them. The reason? Because someone new to grinding will quickly become dependent on them, and the limiting factors they bring. I've had a number of folks in my shop who started grinding with a jig, and without it they are simply lost. A "healthy" scrap pile is a good thing....its a reminder to always seek improvement, and that we are always learning. :)
 
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