“Discovered” the Hollow Grind WOW!

P

Peakbagger46

Gold Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2017
Messages
1,572
I got a great deal on a used large Sebenza 21 drop point about six weeks ago and have been using it every day since. That hollow ground blade plain cuts! I thought a full flat grind was good but this is even better.

My understanding that with it being thin behind the edge that subsequent sharpenings won’t effect things, also a big plus. Why aren’t there more hollow ground folding knives out there?
 
Some reading will reveal that hollow grind is great at slicing. Most of the custom slip joints are hollow ground, I think. Full flat is good for chopping, which is about all you can do with a lot of the pocket tanks because of blade thickness.
 
Mitchell Knives said:
Many companies/makers go with flat grinds because they are a bit more robust for the average user who doesn't understand how to use a knife.

High hollow grinds are great cutters if done properly.
Click to expand...

Exactly. It's easy to chip a thin hollow ground edge if it's being used for anything other than slicing and basic knife stuff. Any prying at all or force applied to that edge in the wrong direction and a customer service department is looking at a bunch of returns with half a dime sized chips out of the blade and emails full of dubious explanations .
 
It’s harder to change the blade geometry if it’s hollow ground. I think I prefer flat. If it’s flat I tend to thin it a little. I like to be able to lay the blade flat on a stone and clean/thin it a little if needed.

The flip side is that hollow ground blades usually don’t need thinning.

They both have their place it’s good to know their strengths and weaknesses
 
Hollow grinds are great, but I think they arent too popular because they are thought of as weak and/or cheap. Its just a matter of hype. Hollow grinds are "so 5 minutes ago" for many knife nuts. Everyone wants a flat ground blade (and they are good too) because of internet hype, but a hollow grind makes a great cutter, and depending on the knife they really arent that weak.
Also I think (as someone already said) that companies avoid it because people break hollow ground blades. Personally, this happened to me when I let someone borrow my knife once, they snapped the tip off of my Benchmade Presidio Ultra by prying. :mad: The solution is easy, dont do stupid things with knives (or stupidly hand them to someone to use). Common sense isnt so common though...:(
 
dirc said:
most buck's are hollow grind... & been around forever

110's, 112's, vantage, bantam, spitfire... prolly a few more (including many of their fixed blades)
Click to expand...
Both flat and hollow grinds work and cut well, but I think a hollow grind just looks more pleasing to my eyes.

MYauzjw.jpg


lhvSzmE.jpg
 
luv the concaved look of a hollow grind
it somewhat lightens a blade .
thins out the geomatry.
makes a good slicer.
i've been told it has a history
in mass produced kitchen knives.
not quite the grind suited for
heavy duty wood processing.
 
To say that full flat grinds are best suited for chopping just isn't correct. We need only look to pairing knives, the myriad style chef's knives, and butchering blades to know this. Flat grinds are excellent slicers.

I have a number of hollow ground knives and I just wouldn't call them fine slicers. Now, none of them are highly refined hollow grinds and are production examples but I wouldn't want them in the kitchen.

A sharp, thin behind the edge, distal tapered, and thin spined full flat grind makes an outstanding slicer. But, wet foods are of course prone to sticking to the sides whereas a hollow grind promotes them falling away.

I'm in no way anti-hollow grind for pocket knives as they have their advantages, but I'm yet convinced they surpass a properly done full flat in slicing.
 
I like hollow grinds on some knives for some jobs, mostly folders. I do have larger hollow ground knives. I generally prefer flat or convex grinds on fixed blades. As long as it cuts, and I can sharpen it, I'm good to go, either way....
 
Many more knives should have a hollow grind. It may cost more to have a hollow grind during production and hence the prevalence of flat grinds.
 
Full height hollow grinds (The hollow grind extends from the edge to the spine like a full flat grind.) executed with a large diameter contact wheel make fantastic cutters that are still fairly robust. Most people just assume they are flat ground based on the appearance.

They are pretty rare for a multitude of reasons with the exception of Case as Hickory n steel mentioned above.
 
Mitchell Knives said:
Many companies/makers go with flat grinds because they are a bit more robust for the average user who doesn't understand how to use a knife.
Click to expand...

Crap!! I never knew that. I have been carrying knives for about 55 years. I have used them extensively for hunting, camping, fishing, hiking, etc. Some are full flat grind, some are nearly full flat, some are saber, and some are hollow ground.

Much more often than not, I use them for work. I have been a full time tradesman (carpenter/cabinets) for 45 years, and never knew that my preference for my flat ground hard work knives was because I didn't know how to use them. Even though you can shave arm hair with some of my saber grinds (harder still to sharpen than a full flat grind edge to spine) and my full flats after I freehand sharpen them, I never knew those were designed for the less enlightened or experienced. Who knew?

I have both hollow grinds and flats, and use them as I please. I use a full flat chef's knife constantly in the kitchen for my daily extensive meal prep (free hand honed a couple of times a week) and have other knives that I use in the kitchen that are full flat "granton" style. They are my meat slicers (you know, the kind of full flats used by professional chefs and servers) and I use them when I am catering small events as well.

That being said, my trusty American Lawman is a nearly full hollow grind, and it is a slicing fiend that works well in the field. It has taken a few years of good work out on site without any sign of damage. I take the use and design purpose of the blade and its geometry into consideration more than I do its label. Like any other aspect of a knife, the blade grind is important and valuable only if it is done well. Crappy hollow grind = crappy knife. Good hollow grind = good slicer. Likewise most other blade grinds and shapes. The value is in the execution.

Robert
 
Personally I don't get the point of hollow grind other than perhaps weight saving. A FFG with great geometry and thin behind the edge is IMO at least a match with shallow slicing and is superior overall due to its additional strength and versatility.

HG vs FFG is an almost religious debate though. You're not going to get many who will agree either way. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top