Scandi Grind Question

M

Mitchell Knives

Member
An individual that has purchased several of my knives in the past has requested that I make a small "Scandi" ground knife for his bushcraft bag.

I have never been a fan of this particular grind. However, the customer is always right! :D

I understand that many knife makers will simply set their tool rest to around 12 degrees to ensure a truly flat and uniform bevel.

A true Scandi grind should essentially be a "zero" edge. How is everyone achieving this without going too far and having a slight dip along the entire edge?

I'm thinking that my best bet would be to grind the edge to the point that it just barely forms a burr, then buff with a medium compound.

I may be totally over thinking this though.
 
I have to agree . Not ment in a offensive way but a scandy grind looks like someone turned a lawnmower blade into a knife.
 
for me, quickest, easiest to grind and sharpen. mine end up being a mod-scandi because it finish with 400 grit slack belt, is edge is a little convex.
 
I have only done ONE scandi grind....so please don't pay much attention to this!!! I am actually working on the handle for that knife at the moment. First of all, I think (on another forum) you have the angle right.....13 degrees per side is about right. I didn't do enough research, and ended up with a TOTAL angle of 15....which is going to need a secondary bevel....negating the true zero grind I was after. Back to your knife. Use trigonometry to find your grind scribe line height. sin13=1/2 spine width/x. Where x will be the height of the grind line above the edge. If your spine is 1/8" thick, and you want a 26 degree TOTAL angle, then your grind line should be scribed .277" above the edge. Then grind a center scribe line for the edge, and grind to that line. I found that if I clamped a half sheet of sandpaper down on a dead flat surface, I could grind to both scribe lines and have a perfectly flat facet on both sides.
 
AkWildman said:
I have to agree . Not ment in a offensive way but a scandy grind looks like someone turned a lawnmower blade into a knife.
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Agreed. The scandi ground knives that I have used performed poorly. I'm not quite sure why they are so popular. But if that is what he wants, I may consider making it.
 
Smallshop said:
Mitchell....by performance you are not talking about kitchen knives then are you?
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No, not kitchen knives. Actually, I don't think I have ever seen a scandi ground kitchen knife. I imagine they would perform terribly.

I was referring mostly to Moras and a few random customs that I have tried. A lot of guys seem to like them for bushcraft though.
 
I don't think I understand what I scandi grind is. I thought it was a flat ground blade like a fillet knife for fish with a fairly shallow included angle that runs completely up to the spine.

The bushcraft knives I've seen look like a knife that could be used as a light axe. Is that a scandi grind?
 
here is pretty good definition http://backyardbushman.com/?page_id=13
the biggy is there is not secondary bevel. when you put your knive on the stone, you can feel when the angle is right, so it is easier to sharpen. the article says 12.5 a side, total 25. with a hard blade(Rc62 and up), i do 7 or 8 a side, works well in the kitchen(about the only place i use a knife). as always dear friends, JMHO.
 
My understanding is that a scandi grind is a flat grind from the edge to some point up the side of the blade. That point will be decided by the thickness of the stock and the final angle desired. I have tried it one time and I used an angle gauge that is nothing more than a circle of brass with various angle cut into it to judge the angle. I do have to say that it one of the hardest grinds that I have attempted.

Doug
 
We have a local maker, Bush Monkey, Look in Jeff's forum and you will see a well executed Scandi grind.

I have never made one but did used Mora knives camping years ago. I prefer a FFG. Many these days with the current growing Bush Craft crowd swear by the Scandi for a small Hunter, Fire maker, survival knife.

Scandi grind knives have their origin with the Finnish, Swedes, Laplander people's etc of the northern Euro countries to my knowledge.

I am sure Jeff at Bush Monkey can answer a few questions on them.
 
You do have to consider thickness of steel . The first picture is 3/16 with 10 or 11 degree per side can't remember exactly but around there. and the second picture is 5/32 with 12 degree per side . This is how I do it. I have learned all this on my own right or wrong. I sell many knives in this configuration . As far as people who use scandi knives , all of my orders for them are from people who practice bushcrafting . The use it mostly for carving or processing wood. That is exactly why they buy it. Most of them use other knives or carry a super slim bird and trout style knife to compliment it.
 

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Thanks for starting an entertaining thread.

You will need a jig to make a "lawnmower blade" like the ones shown below. The "sling blade" bevel, aka "Scandi" is ~12 degrees/side and ~1/2" the working bevel angle of most knives.

IMG_5075thf.jpg


IMG_5175.JPG
 
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Bush Monkey said:
Thanks for starting an entertaining thread.

You will need a jig to make a "lawnmower blade" like the ones shown below. The "sling blade" bevel, aka "Scandi" is ~12 degrees/side and ~1/2" the working bevel angle of most knives.
]
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nice knives. oh gee dad, tell us more. i like the grind because it is so easy to get sharp and stay sharp.
 
well scandi grinds for my money aint my favourite but do suit numerous purposes ,

i did one yesterday partially as a vege knife for a gent to cut pumpkin and other tough skinned vegetables and partially cause a another gent in the deep outback asked me to show him how to make a blade without power tools , and a scandi is perfect for that

i went a bit nuts combining the two projects as i used a crucible steel 154 CM so the brand new file i bought to do it with got through the first blade barely and the second blade is still on the bench ...

then while fitting the blade to the handle i cracked my last block of golden beefwood ( i broke the tip off the burr i used to clean the hole out with before adding the epoxy and press fitting the blade )

the blades great , a real razor

horses for courses , scandi will do tough jobs better than other grinds , its not perfect for everything , but what is ??

Pics 708crsm.jpgPics 710crsm.jpg
 
I prefer the term "Saber" over "Scandi". However, my favorite term for the bevel I use exclusively is "Sling Blade".

At any given angle, the bevel height is determined by stock thickness. I make symmetric and asymmetric "Sling Blades", both versions are in the hands of Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, outdoorsmen, special operations forces, housewives, firefighters, police, SWAT teams and "regular" guys like me. The bevel appears to work.

Jeff
 
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Here's a picture of one of our proud USAF Pilots that purchased one of jeff's Sling blades.

Unfortunately there do seem to be some side effects from owning one of these great knives!

monkey-pilot.jpg
 
lol - good one, Laurance. We always have slots available in our re-education camp.

ps Thanks for the pic of me when I was in flight training.

Bush_Monkey_ZIP.jpg

rhinoknives said:
Here's a picture of one of our proud USAF Pilots that purchased one of jeff's Sling blades.

Unfortunately there do seem to be some side effects from owning one of these great knives!

View attachment 49089
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