Blade Grinds/Edges

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feathers73

Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
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Do most people prefer convex edges? I’ve been used to a v grind for years and don’t have experience with convex edges. Are there enough advantages to learn convex? Would it be a terrible thing to stick with a v grind on my Fiddlebacks? Thanks.
 
Welcome feathers73.

This is from an old discussion here on Bladeforums:

twindog said:
...Draw any convex edge or blade grind you want. The edge or the blade will be bounded by three points: the apex and the two shoulders. If you connect those three points with two convex arcs, you'll have a convex edge/blade. If you connect those same three points with two straight lines, you'll have a V edge/FFG and all the metal within the FFG will be inside the arcs of the convex sides. That's what convex means.

...If the arcs that define the convex edge are acute, there can be a very large difference between the performance of a V edge and a convex edge, with the V edge cutting much better and the convex edge being more durable. If the arcs that define the convex edge are slight -- think the arc of a circle the size of the earth, there will be virtually no difference between the two edges because the convex edge will be almost exactly a V edge to anyone without an electron microscope.
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Here is what Andy has said on the subject:

Fiddleback said:
My knives are designed to be able to be sharpened with convex methods, or with flat edge methods. There is no harm using stones, rods, or any other HAND method. I designed this into my process at the very beginning because I've seen a lot of folks struggle with convex sharpening.
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My personal experience is that convex lends well to chopping as it has less of a tendency to stick at velocity. Convexity in edge and grind helps axes split wood.

A v edge at the apex tends to slice better as the steel immediately behind the edge, all else being equal, will be thinner. A thin v edge will add to efficiency of slicing and kitchen work.
 
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This is like talking oil for car guys, but for me, the whole thing breaks down to my belief that if you are working in hard stuff like splitting wood and the like, then the convex edge shoulder acts more like a wedge once the actual edge takes a bite and the wood splits before the actual edge has to cut it. Bottom line, try them both, use what works for you for your intended purpose. Just remember, that mathematically speaking, they both are identical as the surfaces approach the intersection at the apex.
 
IMO, as long as you know to draw a burr on from one direction, then even things up and draw a burr on the opposing side, then remove the burr then you will have a sharp knife. The method you use is not important. I guess if edges are your hobby, as is quite common at BF, then you would teach yourself a variety of methods. But for me, I stick to what gets me results the quickest, and I bet most other folks do as well. This is why the knives are designed the way they are.

More important than your method is our practice of grinding the edges nice and thin. A thin edge makes even the clumsiest sharpener look good.
 
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