Scandi edge?

[klickitat]

While I am sitting here waiting on my brother to show up, I have been reading posts and contemplating....hhhmmm.

Why does everyone like the Mora's and the scandi edge so much? I have always been of the opinion that it was the middle of the road for edge holding ability; better than concave and easier to sharpen, but lesser to a convex and harder to keep perfect.

Does everyone who loves these Mora knives have other reasons for liking the Scandi edge so well?

[Winter]

I find them easy to sharpen.

[Erratus Animus]

Klickitat, A scandi edge is popular because it is easy to sharpen in the field even by the novice and the blade acts like the grind on a wood chisel. It allows for fine manipulation of wood for creating many sensitive bushcraft items, like trap triggers, carving spoons and bowels, etc. All grinds have pros and cons and there is not a perfect grind for everything.

I build my knives for bushcraft. To me that entails all aspects of procuring food, making a shelter, fire for cooking and warmth, digging for water or plants, etc. That is why I chose a scandi grind for my knives.

I am interested in hearing why other knife makers chose that grind or why they dont for bushcraft needs.

[RichJ]

Mora knives:

Cheap!
made with good steel
very durable
Cheap!
come very sharp
easy to resharpen
and they are very cheap!

best $10 blade on the market, hands down, and probably better than most knives in the $50 range.

[klickitat]

Mora knives:

Cheap!
made with good steel
very durable
Cheap!
come very sharp
easy to resharpen
and they are very cheap!

best $10 blade on the market, hands down, and probably better than most knives in the $50 range.

I understand why people like the cheap little mora knives. I am just more interested in why people love a scandi edge. I think I got my answer above when it was stated that it is easier to sharpen for the novice. I can see that. I prefer a convex edge any day of the week. Once you learn how to sharper that geometry you will will never go back.

[JCavSD]

I really tried to like a scandi grind, but couldn't warm up to it. Handy for woodcraft, but I don't feel it's as versatile a grind as others. A big chunk of my outdoor fun is food prep and this is not a strong suit for the scandi grind. I don't have any issues sharpening flat or convex. To each his/her own...we all have our preferences.

[kyratshooter]

I do consider the scandi a comprimise grind, but each person has their own preferences. It is a convinient teaching tool. Find a smooth river rock, lay the blade grind flat and move it along the stone. At some of the workshop camps I have taught or attended we actually designated a big ole flat rock next to the creek as the official sharpening stone.

I prefer a flat grind on a thin blade. I think that comes from growing up with a pocket knife as my main cutting tool. My Mom also favored flat grind knives in the kitchen. She was very picky about her kitchen knives, so just about every knife I used growing up was a thin, flat grind. I think one of her happiest moments as a parent was discovering that I could put a good edge on her kitchen knives!

I can live with about anything as long as it is sharp and holds a good edge.

[NCO]

For me, I hate moras. They are no good for anything IMO.

The scandi edge, here we call it the "knife edge"... It is the way you sharpen a knife. Why? During the about 2000 years that people have used iron here it has proven itself to be the best grind for the job. An axe you'll sharpen differently, and a Leuku again a bit differently. Here the grinds have evolved to suit the tool and it's purpose. I cannot name the different grinds for you, cause they really don't have any names! They go from father to son. I favor the scandi on my knifes because t is the best for the job.

[Rick]

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[crashdive123]

Hehehehe. You've been waiting to post that for a while haven't you?

[Rick]

I don't have to wait long for NCO. If he's logged on, he's bad mouthing Moras. He's a Puukko snob.

[hoosierarcher]

The scandi grind has an angle of around 16 degrees. This shallow edge cuts wood well and holds up fairly well because of it's depth on the blade. It is too fragile to use chopping but will slice and crave well.

[jgcoastie]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but aren't Swedish mora's and Finnish puukko's very similar in design?

What's the difference? I certainly would not be able to tell you the difference.. Is it a knife? Is it sharp? Does it stay sharp? Is it a value? Sweet, I'll take a dozen of them...

[Rick]

Mora is a brand name that has many designs. Puukko is a design that has a lot of makers.

[canid]

edge-holding ability is completely relative to the bevel angle. i like thin simple bevels like a scandi or chisel edge for slicing; my kitchen knives are all either type currently [though i don't have a particularly suitable chopper].

[jgcoastie]

Mora is a brand name that has many designs. Puukko is a design that has a lot of makers.

Not according to this...

Mora knife (in Swedish: Morakniv) is a term used to refer to a range of popular belt-knives manufactured by the cutleries of the town of Mora in Dalarna, Sweden, primarily by Mora of Sweden. Having been used as every-day knives in Scandinavia for years, the knife has found particular favour in the bushcraft community on the basis of its simple and robust construction, easy maintainability and general versatility of use, and, of course, its comparatively low price-tag. Mora knives come highly recommended by notable bushcraft teachers Ray Mears and Mors Kochanski. Furthermore, in Sweden and Finland, mora knives are extensively used in construction and in the industry as general-purpose tools. Most mora knives are similar in design to Finnish puukkos.

The forging of Mora knife dates back to Medieval swordsmithing tradition. The blade of mora is forged of three slabs of steel. The heart section of the blade has traditionally been crucible steel of extremely high toughness and quality. The sides of the blade are of softer but more resilient steel. The result is an excellent tool which doesn't break easily, holds its edge well, and can cut even wrought iron and softer steel. Modern basic mora knives are blanked out of rolled steel and heat treated on an industrial line.

[crashdive123]

NCO will not be happy about this. No sir, not happy at all.

[klickitat]

edge-holding ability is completely relative to the bevel angle. i like thin simple bevels like a scandi or chisel edge for slicing; my kitchen knives are all either type currently [though i don't have a particularly suitable chopper].

A convex or even a 3 angled bevel with shoulders will hold an edge best.

[canid]

no, it won't. the cutting surface of the edge is at the angle at which both bevels converge, regardless of at which ratio it transitions to another angle further up the bevel.

a complex bevel geometry affects the drag on the sides of the bevel in cutting, and the robustness of the bevel above the cutting edge, but it does not change the fact that the cutting edge is the point at which both bevels [or the bevel and the side] converge, which is where the cutting itself occurs.

[JCavSD]

no, it won't. the cutting surface of the edge is at the angle at which both bevels converge, regardless of at which ratio it transitions to another angle further up the bevel.

a complex bevel geometry affects the drag on the sides of the bevel in cutting, and the robustness of the bevel above the cutting edge, but it does not change the fact that the cutting edge is the point at which both bevels [or the bevel and the side] converge, which is where the cutting itself occurs.

Okay, maybe I'm not getting it. Are you saying a full convex won't hold an edge better than a scandi grind? The way I'm seeing it the convex grind has more meat behind the edge and may be more sturdy and hold an edge better. This is one reason why you'll find a convex grind on an ax.