I am a custom knifemaker and I found that both types of grind The scandi Grind and the sabre grind are both useful in bushcrafting. But moreover I found that the use of the tool and the Hand of the user who has maybe more skills with a knife then another person will have an effect on how the night performs.
You hit the nail on the head. I have the Sabre and it’s great for the typical camp task, it can handle the usual wood processing required for typical fire and camp setup work then it performs well at food processing, that’s why I selected the Sabre grind.
I chose the saber grind because I read a few sources that claim the cutting edge of the saber grind is a bit more durable because of the secondary bevel. Not sure how true that is, but I’m sure either will suit the carrier very well.
You could put a micro bevel on a scandi grind knife instead of having a 0 grind to increase the strength of the edge. LT Wright Knives actually does this to their scandi grinds from the factory.
Great video....I think a true scandi has a simple pro that seems to be over looked and that's the ease of sharpening thanks to the simplicity of just laying the knife along the visible grind. Easy to follow and no guess work. So to me easier to sharpen back to a factory edge. To me it seems the pro to a saber grind is just the durability and a bit more strength overall thanks to a bit more steel behind the edge. So to me its really down to just knowing your equipment and using it right, knowing its strengths and weaknesses. Then you can make it work with either or really about anything. Thanks for the informative video, I think those tests actually show pretty dang well the pros and cons pretty well. I would say your feathering technique needs to change between grind types I.E the angle you hold the blade. I think you would have found quite different results and may have preferred the scandi but at the same time you displayed you can make the saber work just fine. Maybe not what you ment but definitly worked out to display you can make either work pretty freakin well. Thanks again and great video.
I couldn’t make up my mind and got both. Awesome, awesome design and fantastic handle comfort. One thing you didn’t try was batoning with both, and there is where the saber grind works better in my option. I still can’t decide between the two and love having both.
I totally agree. They are both fantastic blades. I don't often baton with blades (unless I have to), so I didn't even think to test that aspect. Thanks for the suggestion, my friend.
I've found that a Saber grind is great choice for a general purpose belt knife, it's a tough, durable, versatile cutting edge that won't chip or roll on you. I do love my scandi grinds for bushcraft & wood crafting. I've also learned that a zero degree scandi grind is a delicate edge and can be damaged fairly easy when working with gnarly, knotty hardwoods. LT Wright also makes their Genesis knife in a saber grind but they are kind of rare, I picked one from the Knife Connection last year and have been using it as my main carry knife. I usually just keep a small scandi like my Enzo Elver or one of my Mora knives in my pack for woodworking.
Scandi seems to be a very popular grind in the outdoor community, but you're right. They are very specific tools, and I only use them for woodworking. My go-to all around knife is always my saber GNS. Thanks for the comments.
Addicted 2 Tone You can’t extrapolate a cheap mora onto other scandi knives. I have beat the living crap out many scandi knives (non-Mora) with no damage.
I have several true zero scandi’s, my Enzo Trapper 115 in elmax is by far and away the least delicate edge prone to dinging and rolling. I’ve bought hundreds of knives in my 5+ decades, the Trapper is in the top 2 all time sharpest out of the box… it would shave my fingerprint ridges off. Its spent countless hours whittling on basswood, and has been on several 2-3 night trips into the bush.. its just now about time to sharpen it, but still has no notable dings/rolls or chips. By contrast, my LTKW Forest River, Genesis, Garberg and RB3 all ding fairly easy and need daily stropping. A scandi *can* be durable… But if I were stuck in the woods for a year with just one knife and my little strop I’d pick the LTKW Forest River because I can keep it very sharp indefinitely soclong as I dont do anything stupid with it… and that the whole point behind scandis and why they’re usually made from easily sharpened steels. In the same situation a saber can only be stropped so long and would become fairly blunted without additional honing, and in general it wouldn’t be as sharp for the duration, which effects trap making, skinning, etc.
I just received a GNS saber grind,, bought it for a general purpose hunting knife and I like the visual appearance of the saber grind best... well done video,, enjoyed it :)
Been using knives of various profiles for over 50 years. In my experience, using knives of equal steel quality/hardness/etc, a Scandi grind hole it's edge the best and is the easiest to resharpen - especially in the field. A Mora Companion HD is currently my go to for heading out into the woods. I know it'll do everything I ask of it. Oddly enough, while I've managed to break the top off two sabre ground and one flat ground blade, I've never broken a Mora... I find feather sticks a useful skill building technique, but rarely use them for fire starting. Because I live where it's very dry most of the year I usually use a Dakota fire pit and a pile of small shavings to start my fires. Also usually use a lighter, but practice with flint& steel and ferro rods to stay in practice. That being said, I enjoyed your video.
I'm glad you enjoyed my video. The scandi will always be one of my top overall grinds. (80% of my knives have scandi edges.) Thanks for the comment, my friend. Sounds like you've had some good times in the outdoors.
OK, let's talk straight. The scandi grind performs well in the wood crafting/carving dept, no quibble. The sabre grind is not as good, but not by much, but is much better where cutting, slicing, meat processing, food prep generally is concerned, while the scandi grind can also do these but not as well, so for now they are neck-and-neck. Now comes the crunch. When it comes to sharpening in the field, the sabre grind is in a different league! A few quick strokes of the ultra narrow secondary grind, and your edge is back and good to go. With the scandi grind, the sharpening process is much more complicated, and needing much more skill, and equipment. The reason for this is that the sharpening stroke has to be exactly flat to the zero grind FOR THE WHOLE LENGTH OF THE CUTTING EDGE! This is very difficult to do, even with the right equipment and a lot of practice and skill. To do this in the field with minimalist equipment is going to result in one or two problems. 1. Firstly, one could over-grind the cutting edge or change the angle, as one approaches the blade curve (this is very common). So your edge geometry now becomes variable with the front portion towards the tip developing a secondary bevel (like a sabre grind). The more you sharpen it the wider the secondary bevel becomes. 2. Then, one might also (especially if working on your knee) make little errors and bite into the grind line at the shoulder. This then looks awful, and changes this grind line asymmetrically over its length. Over time it happens that the shoulder almost disappears altogether, giving one almost a convex blade shape. In the hands of a highly skilled user who is aware of these issues, the importance of the issues reduces, especially if that user does all their sharpening at home (or in the workshop), under ideal conditions. The sabre grind is much more forgiving and will be so much easier to maintain efficiency in the field. Personally, I actually prefer the hollow grind, which has the advantages of the sabre grind, but will be easier to maintain over a longer period because of its slightly hollow shape. By the way, those that say hollow grind blades are "weak" are somewhat mistaken. If strength is needed the hollow grind just needs to be a bit deeper so it looks narrow like a scandi grind, except is slightly narrower just above the secondary bevel. It will depend on what the intended purpose of the knife is. That has been my take on the issue.
Couldn't have said it better myself. I have been tempted to get a Scandi grind knife, but you reeled me back in and reminded me why I prefer sabers and full flats. Although, in theory, if you needed to sharpen a scandi grind blade in the field, the best thing to do would be to put a micro bevel on a instead of having a 0 grind to increase the strength of the edge. LT Wright Knives actually does this to their scandi grinds from the factory. Although, one could argue this makes the Scandi grind into a low saber grind technically. So, saber for the win!
When day hiking or lightweight overnight I carry a Guardian 5.5 in elmax, but for bushy primitive overnights I take 2, maybe 3 blades.. lately its a LT Forest River for wood crafty stuff and a Guardian 6 in 3v (or a TKC 6.5 in 3v) for hard use chopping/batoning/etc. I’ll also take a Guardian 4 in m390 for cleaning game, but its not really necessary as the LT handles that well too. Half of it is just for fun, the reality is the LT Forest River or Genesis would take care of everything just fine, but its a toss up… which is more work, carrying 2+ blades, or honing dings out of a scandi? The alternative is to carry only a scandi that has been stropped to a slight convex for durability.
It's so much fun reading different people's approaches to knife carry. I have a similar opinion. Something like an LTWK Genesis would probably take care of all your knife needs, but it's just more fun to carry multiples. Thanks for sharing!
I think the misconception about scandi not doing good feathers is all about muscle memory. I've been a Mora guy for a long time & switching to flat or saber, I have to remember to raise the spine of the blade away from the cutting surface, ever so slightly, to account for the angle of the bevel. If I don't the blade will skate off hardwoods, because i'm not contacting the actual edge properly. Going back to scandi, I have to drop my wrist so the whole bevel is laying flat on the cutting surface. Scandi hogs off wood better than anything else I've used, but my old hands prefer using a hatchet for brute forcing through a limb. That said, I'm a recent convert to LT Wright & am having a tough time deciding between my convex Genesis & Saber GNS, both in 3V. I think the Genesis handle is my personal preference, but the GNS is a better blade profile for notches & detail work. I wish I drank the Kool-Aid years ago. I would've saved a lot of money. Thanks for the vid!
Couldn't agree more, my friend! Thank you so much for the great comment. I totally agree. Scandi is such a useful blade for woodworking, but I really enjoy my saber and convex blades for more general purpose tasks. I usually use either a hatchet or a saw for thick wood, but this was just to test the knife out. Thanks again!
So I'm not really a "bushcrafter" - just an old Boy Scout. The scandi grind concept was kind of new to me until a few months ago. I will say this first: I've never used a scandi ground knife for anythng at all. The discussion about scandi vs. sabre seems to me to be a lot like the discussion of so-called "micro-bevels" on cabinetmaker tools - chisels and plane irons. If I think about it from the perspective of what I understand "bushcrafting" to be, a scandi grind looks like it would be easier to sharpen "free-hand" since the edge bevel is much wider than a sabre ground edge, so it's easier to maintain that angle on your stone. However, to get a really exquisitely sharp edge on a scandi ground blade and still keep the true scandi grind, you really need to remove a great deal more steel. I suspect that the bushcrafters that aren't VERY skilled at free-hand sharpening in the field are in truth putting a secondary bevel on their scandi ground knives in the field and turning them into micro-beveled or "sabre" ground knives. Perhaps when they go home, they then put their scandi ground knives on a table or a supported whetstone and reprofiling to get the true scandi grind back, I don't know. No offense meant here, I think the tests shown in this video were pretty meaningless - would have liked to see some batoning perhaps, but also I'm not sure that would have made the comparison more meaningful. I think things like making feather sticks is more about skill/practice and edge sharpeness than it is about the specific blade/edge profile/type. WIth that said, I am glad you posted this video. In any event, I will be buying a scandi ground knife soon - probably a $20 Mora - in part to check them out for myself from a performance perspective, but MOSTLY as a way to help myself learn and practice free-hand sharpening.
Thank you so much for the awesome comment, man! Bushcraft is a fun term people use for a more primitive camping. No offense taken (it's pretty hard to offend me.) These tests are to simulate what I generally do with my knife, but it's completely personal preference. I agree with you completely on the sharpening issue, and I think traditionally the scandi grind was convexed after sharpening enough times. I know people love the high-end blades and the fancy grinds, but I use my $9 Mora more often and for more things than any of my $200 knives. Haha!
Pretty sure that most "scandi" knives are actually "modified scandi", aka scandi w micro bevel, aka saber lol. Just about every Mora I've seen actually has a very fine micro bevel, for sure. My Finnish puukkos, while marketed as scandi, definitely came with micro bevels. Indeed, once I started shopping and reading, I noticed that if you want an actual zero degree scandi, you have to look for a maker who specifies that that's what it is- otherwise you'll be buying a very low saber ground knife.
Great video Jude! You’ve got me very excited about my first LTW knife I’m gonna get in a couple months. Looking at the genesis scandi right now but haven’t decided 100% on all the details yet.
Thanks, man! The Genesis scandi is like a bushcraft standard. One of the best knives made anywhere! What details are you having a hard time figuring out? Maybe I can help.
Jude Streicher Outdoors I am big on having the ability to readily and effectively sharpen a bushcraft knife in the field, hence why I like scandi grind more than a blade profile with a secondary bevel. I have watched a couple videos on the LTWK genesis scandi and saw LT bring up about the micro bevel on the scandi and wasn’t sure if that would make sharpening more difficult versus just a regular scandi grind from somewhere else. I have been practicing sharpening my knives with a secondary bevel and am getting better but I am just still not that great. Also I was deciding between A2 and CPM 3V. I think I like the idea of A2 more because it’s a bit easier to sharpen in the field although I know it’s not as rust resistant as the 3V. What do you think about those two items ? Thanks man!
The micro buff on the LT Genesis is really easy to maintain with a leather belt. Just strop it a few times and it'll polish back up. LT uses the micro buff on the Genesis to strengthen the fine edge and prevent rolling. I used an A2 Genesis Scandi for my survival training and maintained it with stropping every couple days. It was two weeks long, and I only had to actually sharpen it once after working the hide of a ram. I'm a big fan of A2. I haven't had a ton of experience with CPM3V, but I know it will hold an edge a bit longer and be a lot tougher. Many people I've talked to tell me CPM3V is not that much harder to maintain in the field as long as you don't let it get too dull. If you're worried about corrosion and you're going to really be tough on your knife, go CPM3V, it'll probably hold an edge long enough that you'll only have to strop it a couple times to maintain it. Getting A2 saves a little money and gives you a great all-around steel, and you can probably sharpen it with things you find out in the field. Hope this helps! (PS: I'm saving up for a Genesis Scandi in 3V next)
Jude Streicher Outdoors that definitely does help Jude thanks for the thorough response. I’m actually leaning towards A2 at the moment all things considered but not 100% yet. I’ll be sure to tell them you sent me! Keep up the great work buddy
Nice comparison and much appreciated! Have you experienced different edge retention by the two grinds? Recently I've been chopping and debranching with my true scandi Garberg (no secondary bevel) and it gets dull quite soon (and by dull I mean it can't slice through paper). So I was wondering if a sabre/flat grind with secondary bevel would have better edge retention. I know a hatchet should be used for those tasks but sometimes I just like to go outside with just my knife.
Yes, a true scandi will have a more fragile edge when sharpened to a razor, I've experienced that for sure. I think convexing an edge strengthens it up if you're going to be chopping with it. Not sure if a saber grind would be much toucher with that kind of use, though. I feel like any flat edge when sharpened to a razor will be "fragile" for those types of heavy tasks. Steel will also play a role in how it handles those types of tasks. Long story short, pretty much every true scandi I have is sharp enough to suffer some edge damage when doing heavy tasks with it. The ones that seem to survive better are usually slightly convexed.
@@SurvivoTekThanks for your reply! How do you "slightly convex" your blades? Recently I've been experimenting by adding a very small convex secondary bevel on a true scandi knife by stropping. Edge retention seems to have improved but it's hard to tell.
@@gpietra Of course! I'm happy to help! And that's exactly how I add a slight convex. Just gentle stropping. Too much pressure and I've noticed it will actually dull the edge!
Great video I just love knives lol. I change between several of my blades and grinds when I go camping. From flat, scandi, saber and at times hallow. All of them seem to take a little time to get used to when I switch from one to the othe except the scandi. I can pick up a scandi and work with right away. Now the hallow grind is the most difficult one to work with when I switch from one grind to another. The flat and the saber take a little while but not too long. Once comfortable I find the flat and saber to be the best for all around use when I look at everything I might do in a weekend camping. Cutting, carving, notching, feathers, chopping, batoning, press cutting, food prep, game processing and blade maintenance. This is what I find with my use. I love those knives.
Yeah, I was a little out of practice with the scandi during the filming of this video. Haha! I can usually get anything done with a scandi as well. Thanks for the comment, brother! I love knives too!
@SurvivoTek Your review made me want to buy a scandi LTWK but sold out at the moment in the Netherlands. When you have this with you for bushcrafting I can recommend an Opinel to do foodprep with. Cheap and the non stainless easy sharpened to razorsharp. I have 2 ( a no 9 and a no 12) which I just use on daily basis next to my regular cooking knifes. They are great for pealing and slicing. It is nice to drool over expensive awesome looking knifes which I like to do now and then but sometimes the solution is simple ;) The LT though is one to have in my collection, the handle looks super comfy. Thanks and take care.
I️ always said the saber is a great all around grind especially for those just starting out. I️ carry a pocket knife the Enzo Borka 90 flat grind in n690co and a 4-4.25 in scandi fixed blade. The flat grind is awesome for camp/food prep and the scandi for Bushcraft. Takes a little bit but once you get the feel for scandi I️ think the excel at feather sticking but it’s a learned skill where as it’s really easy to pick up the saber and feather stick. Great video as always.
Yeah! I love both grinds for different purposes. My folders are really lacking right now. Gotta talk to you about good options. Thanks for checking out the video, brother!
New subscriber and great comparison! I have the saber grind and love it. I'm a hunter and processed two deer with it last season. Good cutting ability and used it all the time in camp this summer.
Could you say that the overbite of Scandigrind is somehow linked to the blade thickness? Tradinitionell scanidinavien knive designs have blades about 2mm thick, wich slice pretty good.
Hey brother what do ya think ...GNS OR GENESIS..? I'm finally gonna get an lt but I'm really struggling with choosing but also there is hardly nothing to pick from. I got big mitts so if I do get a gns I need liners even the GENESIS needs liners imo. All the coolest colors are sold out ...That said I'm almost tempted to buy the Larry Robert's edition its got white liners and I love the mouse 🐁 symbol and history LOL. I also am considering the Benchmade bushcrafter, I've always wanted one . When ya can only buy one its very hard to choose.
That’s super exciting! So happy for you. If I had the choice, and I could only choose one, I’d go with the Genesis. It’s handle is universal. It’s blade is tried and true. And with the liners, it fills up the hand perfectly. As good as the GNS is, and as much as I enjoy working with it, the Genesis will always beat it in my book if you can only have one. The benchmade bush crafter is nice conceptually, but its handle is not nearly as comfortable as the Genesis and it’s a pain in the butt to sharpen in the field. Hope that helps!
The bite should be much closer between the two of them If you put a polished shallow con vexed edge on the saber ground blade, at least in my experience.
I have a good friend that actually polished a shallow convex on that saber edge and now it's even tougher and more efficient. Thanks for the suggestion and the comment!
Just found your channel. Thanks for making it. I believe I will be getting an LT Wright soon..not sure yet which one but the GNS with a sabre blade is looking awfully tempting! I own a Gransfors Bruk wildlife hatchet I use for more of the forest "tasks" so perhaps a sabre blade would be the way to go....thanks again...Later!
Hello there! Thanks for checking out the channel. The GNS Saber is a fantastic blade especially in combination with a hatchet. You could easily accomplish almost anything in the woods with those two tools.
As always, it depends. Scandi & flat grinds are great for woodworking, food prep and fine work. But if you want a general purpose knife, that would serve you well if you found yourself needing to operate in the wilderness...sabre 💁
Interesting results, In my experience I find that the saber is more useful in general uses. The results of the pressure test and rocking test resulted in a very contradictory finding since typically the 25 degree scandi edge does not penetrate into a static piece as well as the saber 18 - 20 degree edge. The scandi edge will push the wood side ways and not penetrate as deep. This is where you get the scandi over bite effect due to the higher angle. Its also why the saber grind is much better than a scandi at batoning. I completely agree that the scandi is a great bushcraft grind. I also found that its horrible at food prep.
A saber grind is better for blade lengths over around 6". 6" and under, a scandi if usually a better option. Of course, it all depends on the primary use of the blade.
I don't like either grind. I use a shallow full blade convex grind with a 24 deg nano-bevel. It's so shallow in fact that if you don't look at it closely, it looks flat. It carves wood better than the sabre, but has more control than the scandi, but what it does better than either of the other two is slicing juicy things like meat, tomatoes, onions and taters. Also, I don't take my edges beyond an 800 G finish, other than knocking the burr off with a 2400 G stone. The microscopic serrations at that degree of finish shear through wood and rope fibres with no effort, but keep the edge from blunting quicker than a full 2400 G, or even an 1800 G, finish.
Grinds are totally a personal preference thing. I haven't worked with convex a ton, so I'm not super familiar with its versatility, but I hope to get a good convex blade soon and really put it to work. I really appreciate the view and comment, my friend.
@@SurvivoTek True. In reality the scandi grinds are just less forgiving I about how you start the cut. Once you start the cut that is the direction it is going to go. However wood whittling knives are often scandi grinds and there are techniques you can use to avoid overbite.
You could have stopped the comparison at 3:40. For me that was "the test" for the differences between the two grinds. I have a GNS and a Lagom both in scandi grind & both are favorites of mine. Most of my other knives are flat or saber ground and for me it's great to have both grinds. I prefer the flat or saber grind but I've learned to control the bite of the Scandi. I've also found that LT's scandi is not delicate and his 01 is one of my favorite knife metals. It's very easily maintained and very tough. My next LT knife will probably be another Scandi. maybe in A2 if he makes a scandi in that material. There's no one better in the biz for that edge. Thanks for the video! Quick suggestion - I'd love to see a comparison of LT's 01, A2 and 3V for edge retention, hard use and for maintenance (i.e. just stroping) & resharpening (with stones or diamonds).
Feathering is definitely one of those clear tests of an edge. I'm usually way better at it, but had gotten out of practice by the filming of this video. The LTWK Genesis comes standard in A2. Exceptional blade and exceptional steel. Used it exclusively during survival training. Thanks for the video suggestion. I'll try to come up with something along those lines.
@@SurvivoTek Great, I look forward to it!! FWIW I practice edge control at my desk by cutting the edge of 20# or 24# paper into very small/thin rolls for as far as I can manage.
Good vid review between the different grinds. Just a thought. In my mind it is much easier to hone/sharpen the Scandi vs a saber. Perhaps a review demonstrating the ease of sharpening the two grinds???
Yeah, knife maintenance is something that should be considered when making a decision. That sounds like a great (and useful) video. Thanks for the suggestion, man!
@@profd65 you sir are obviously untested. Has nothing to do with the grind that has to do with the quality of steel and your ability to sharpen. Nice try to jab at the scandi but pointless against the initiated, and we are initiated
Great video, I’ve always been a scandi grind man and have considering a sabre grind blade. I think I will get a sabre grind knife. Can I add that you said that both came with a factory edge. Usually the factory edge on flat grinds, sabre grinds etc. are usually a “v” edge which are terrible. Sharpen it to a convex edge on your own sharpening stones and I think you’ll find a noticeable difference in the cutter performance of the sabre grind. 👍🏻
I've worked with convex blades in the past, and you're right, they are incredibly useful and tough when handled properly. I know a lot of people like to see how blades perform straight from the factory, which is why I did this test in that way. Thanks for the comment, and I definitely recommend the GNS saber for a utility/ camp knife.
There is not much difference between Sandi & Sabre blades when doing bush-craft. The match point is the toughness of blade points on doing stabbing. Why? Low grind line means giving more supporting the blade point, due to providing more coverage for the point.
I like your Reviews! I’m gonna subscribe because you’re concise, succinct and keep it relevant with wasting too much time. I appreciate your logical, well spoken thoughts. Dr. Dave
Scandi is amazing...you have to use less pressure..saber doesn’t cut as well...and once you get the hang of a scandi it is the best bc it does it all...and it in the long run is SO simple to keep the same grind while sharpening...just keep it honed and it will last a while
@@SurvivoTek me too and I think they’re better with a convex. In fact, all LT Wright scandi’s have a slight convex edge from a hard buff. Makes the edge tougher than a true zero edge scandi.
My vid on the G3 , I use my ofitw genesis to feather showing differences in the sheer size of the blade compared to the regular sized genesis. I feathered a bundle of paper thin feathers with the scandi in about 1.5 seconds lol. It’s a learning curve . I prefer scandi over saber because I do a lot of wood carving , notching and such. It’s far superior to the saber on wood working by far for myself. Great vid ,brother.
I can usually make super fine feathers with a scandi. This day was just an off day (plus the stick was a little thin.) Thanks for watching, brother! I really enjoyed your G3 video.
Trouble with all these beautiful 150 dollar 3-4" general purpose bush blades is I can do all the same things with a 12 dollar carbon mora robust. Mora is actually more functional than 90% of the bush blades in the 50-150 price range. Hell I can do all the same stuff except maybe extensive batoning with a 15 dollar Opinel no8. I get far more use out of my robust than I do out of my ESEE or any of the other 100+ dollar knives I've bought before I began to figure out what I was doing precisely because it was 12 dollars. Even my garberg is too expensive to go beat the hell out of it when one of the 5 robusts I bought off of ebay for 60 dollars will work just as well. Don't get me wrong, these are great knives and I love how they look and many are quite functional, but is that really what you want in the bush? I want a workhorse, a brute, a tool. Something I can abuse and modify and regrind and lose and not really worry about it. Why should a sharpened bit of metal cost more than a good framing hammer or a decent pair of pliers or any other simple tool? Some of these bush blades cost more than high end simple tools like Knipex. As a piece of art I get it, but by definition bush knives are function first and form dead last. For a pocket knife, yea, absolutely, I see the point of burning a few bills. It's like wearing a 1000 dollar watch. A 300 dollar microtech OTF or ZT flipper is jewelry with a function. And I have my high polish ultratech 75 tanto in elmax that I slip in the pocket of a freshly tailored suit because it's an eye catcher, it's the same reason I always bring a pair of 40 dollar gars to any formal gathering; it shows you have some taste and some flash, but you have balance to maintain function and restraint to avoid being gauche. I have it because its an easy way to make an impression. But who matters in the woods?
Rat Utoplan well said. Mora for knife things and a hatchet for hatchet things. I own some fancy knives but essentially quit buying them. Nice to own a couple but not really better than a mora. I laugh when I see guys testing for splitting wood.
That is very helpful advice! Thank you so much for sharing. There is definitely a bit of technique to it. Check out some of my recent videos. I can feather much better now.
Nobody wants to deal with scandi maintenance saber gets sharp quicker with more durability and ease of labor when honing and sharpening. Scandi edge is better suited for scalpels and skinning and kitchen applications but if im out in the woods or something I like durability. I bring just a finishing sharpener on trips and do my honing at home. I'm also not a fan of rolled or folded edges so I opt for saber for grunt work and scandi in the kitchen
Saber is much easier to sharpen in the field. Scandi take much longer to sharpen correctly. With the saber you can easily improvise, like using the bottom of a ceramic plate or mug, or fine sandpaper/diamond rod, or ? If the angles are similar, the Scandi will be a stronger cutting edge, with more cutting friction due to the blade thickness (wedge effect) while cutting a dense material such as wood. The saber edge will be better for detail work. Either or...
It's so interesting to me how much versatility you can get just by grinding a blade differently. Those angles and edges alter so much of the performance and functionality. If you put a minor secondary bevel on your Scandi grind in the field, will it perform the same or more like a saber? Thanks for the comment and view. I really appreciate it.
Out of curiousity, where do you live? I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on a gary wines bushcrafter. I have a few mora's but all my other knives are saber. I just want a "higher end" scandi.
Thanks for the question. I am currently living in southern Idaho. I've never worked with a gary wines, but anything from LT's shop is usually great quality. There's nothing quite like a high-end scandi knife. Thanks again.
I was surprised too! Usually I'm way better at feathering with a scandi, but I think the stick was so thin and dry it just kept falling apart on me. Haha! Saber is a surprisingly versatile grind. Thanks for watching, Joe!
@2:25 Scandi grind is physically sharper and stronger, it can handle batoning and other tasks needed for survival much better than other, weaker, grinds. while still being sharp enough to outperform thicker, stronger, grinds. it's overall much more superior ... that is if you know how to use it. This man used his other knife that same as the scandi, and to get the correct results that just not how it works. Not that it takes skill to use a scandi, really, just that it takes practice to learn how not to "overbite" as he calls it ... "Overbite" appears to be the result of not using the blade properly ... as I can fether a stick with my scandi very well and just as fast as he did with the saber.
I think a lot of the issues I was having with the scandi is that I had been practicing a lot more with the saber lately. The scandi is great for splitting wood and getting through the fibers, but the saber has a narrower edge angle, which is why it can potentially slice through material easier.
No regular person would ever tell the difference when using either knife they will both do whatever you need them to do. The difference is sl slight it doesnt even matter when using both.
Excellent video my friend,im buying the Enzo trapper knife and I can't make my mind up between Scandi and flat grind.Also I'm a Scandinavian knife fan, any advice would be much appreciated.Stay safe.
Thanks for the comment! My suggestion would be to decide what sorts of tasks you'll be doing more often. If you want a wood-working, camp-carving tool, always go scandi. If you want something for prepping food at camp, skinning game, or light wood tasks, go flat. Personally, I carry two blades. One in saber (or flat) and the other in scandi. Hope that helps.
I love scandi for almost anything in the woods, but I'm really seeing the merit of having something in either a saber grind or a convex. I'll just carry both.
You should check out Dulo knives he will make any blade you want outta almost any steel you want...amazing craftsmanship and for $100 less than 99% of knife makers...he even works with dye steels like k390..65hrc...vanadis4E..62hrc...somehow amazing edge retention and toughness...vanadis8 m390...etc
That sounds amazing! I'm definitely going to have to check out his work. Been on the lookout for someone who can help me create my "ideal" knife. Thanks for the info!
I have the GNS in scandi and the LT Wright Outback in sabre. I agree with just about everything in your conclusion. I’d much rather slice an onion or tomato with a sabre, but make a spoon or bow drill with a scandi. They can both cut onions and make spoons, but the blade profile definitely favors certain tasks.
Exactly! So glad to hear you agree. They were developed to perform different tasks. One is an all around edge (saber) and the other is a woods tool (scandi). Thanks so much for the comment.
Scandi grinds rule for wood working. Way easy to sharpen than saber grind. Micro bevels on Scandi grinds suck. I have never found a saber grind that would carve wood half as good as a scandi.
For wood-working, I always choose a Scandi grind. I think the saber is really good for all purpose work and food prep. My ideal situation is to have an over 4 and under 5 inch Scandi blade and pair it with an under 3 inch saber or flat grind.
I'm a big scandi guy, but the saber is growing on me. Ever since I had my scandi Genesis chip on bone, I've been a little more cautious with it. Haha! Thanks, Jacob!
That's a good point. I should get a edge angle measurement device or something so I can share it in the videos cause you're so right. Edge angle is key to success or failure of a blade.
SurvivoTek I got one home made. Its really helpful. Indeed, it's interesting to see how some bushcrafters say their scandi knives have fragile edge and when they show their knife it is 4mm (0.16 inch) thick knife with short thick zero grind which tells it has about 30 degree edge angle. That is literally the most robust construction one can have. Maximum amount of metal and stout steep zero grind. Yet because its been labeled bushcraft knife they carve spoons with it.
@@ReasonAboveEverything I think these myths are perpetuated by novices who usually do most of their "testing" in a backyard for videos. (I admit I was guilty of that when i first started. Mainly just regurgitating information I heard from other people. Now I'm striving to learn by experience and from trustworthy sources.) Do you think using mathematics to calculate edge angles is just as effective as an actual measuring device?
SurvivoTek I own a couple of so called bushcraft knives... They have their place and it is a matter of preference of course. Why not. Pythagoras theorem should work(and sin, cos, tan). Of course the edge might be little convex so the actual edge angle could be little bit steeper.
The way I look at it is this: if you have a scandi grind knife, you’ll need two knives. If you have the sabre grind, you won’t. Scandi is a master of one task, and the sabre is a jack of all master of none.
enjoyed the video. The GNS is probably my favorite knife. I have the saber grind in O1 steel. Will be getting the scandi grind in A2. I have come to roughly the same conclusion with the same grind types. Each works differently at different tasks. I wonder if the different steel types will affect the grinds.Probably only noticeable in edge retention. I always take two knives when I go on extended trips in the woods. I think the GNS in both grinds will accomplish everything I need done. Keep up the good work. Cheers from Idaho.
A scandi grind is a wood hog, but with a little practice and skill building, it can handle fine shaving work just fine. It just takes some getting used to. On wood, it excels, but on other materials, it does not perform as well as a saber, in general. I love my scandi on wood..I do a lot of carving, and nothing else compares, but if you want a general use blade that you can also use for food prep, then ya, buy a saber grind or full flat. If you want a knife primarily for wood work, the scandi is the better option, although a well executed convex grind does pretty damned good as well.
Couldn't agree more, my friend! Those scandi grinds are fantastic for wood-working (I usually don't use any other knife for wood.) And I'm usually a little better with feathering. Just a little out of practice. ;) Thanks for watching, my friend.
Dude u need to put that tip down your pushing at a power cut ,slow down and work the edges you dont have the fence to feather so you trash it get some training
I am a custom knifemaker and I found that both types of grind The scandi Grind and the sabre grind are both useful in bushcrafting. But moreover I found that the use of the tool and the Hand of the user who has maybe more skills with a knife then another person will have an effect on how the night performs.
You hit the nail on the head. I have the Sabre and it’s great for the typical camp task, it can handle the usual wood processing required for typical fire and camp setup work then it performs well at food processing, that’s why I selected the Sabre grind.
I chose the saber grind because I read a few sources that claim the cutting edge of the saber grind is a bit more durable because of the secondary bevel. Not sure how true that is, but I’m sure either will suit the carrier very well.
You could put a micro bevel on a scandi grind knife instead of having a 0 grind to increase the strength of the edge. LT Wright Knives actually does this to their scandi grinds from the factory.
@@jolier1313And all you gotta do is strop it and voila, secondary bevel achieved.
Great video....I think a true scandi has a simple pro that seems to be over looked and that's the ease of sharpening thanks to the simplicity of just laying the knife along the visible grind. Easy to follow and no guess work. So to me easier to sharpen back to a factory edge. To me it seems the pro to a saber grind is just the durability and a bit more strength overall thanks to a bit more steel behind the edge. So to me its really down to just knowing your equipment and using it right, knowing its strengths and weaknesses. Then you can make it work with either or really about anything. Thanks for the informative video, I think those tests actually show pretty dang well the pros and cons pretty well. I would say your feathering technique needs to change between grind types I.E the angle you hold the blade. I think you would have found quite different results and may have preferred the scandi but at the same time you displayed you can make the saber work just fine. Maybe not what you ment but definitly worked out to display you can make either work pretty freakin well. Thanks again and great video.
Scandi over bite= Human over bite. It's all user comfort level and skill.
Hahaha. Good point. Gonna get back out there and practice with that Scandi.
@@SurvivoTek it becomes a primal surgical light saber when you grow on it.
I couldn’t make up my mind and got both. Awesome, awesome design and fantastic handle comfort. One thing you didn’t try was batoning with both, and there is where the saber grind works better in my option. I still can’t decide between the two and love having both.
I totally agree. They are both fantastic blades. I don't often baton with blades (unless I have to), so I didn't even think to test that aspect. Thanks for the suggestion, my friend.
I've found that a Saber grind is great choice for a general purpose belt knife, it's a tough, durable, versatile cutting edge that won't chip or roll on you. I do love my scandi grinds for bushcraft & wood crafting. I've also learned that a zero degree scandi grind is a delicate edge and can be damaged fairly easy when working with gnarly, knotty hardwoods.
LT Wright also makes their Genesis knife in a saber grind but they are kind of rare, I picked one from the Knife Connection last year and have been using it as my main carry knife. I usually just keep a small scandi like my Enzo Elver or one of my Mora knives in my pack for woodworking.
Exactly why I prefer saber over scandi. I have rolled a mora pretty quickly in the woods doing minor prep. It's all personal preference though.
Scandi seems to be a very popular grind in the outdoor community, but you're right. They are very specific tools, and I only use them for woodworking. My go-to all around knife is always my saber GNS. Thanks for the comments.
LT Wright makes Boattail Scandi which is a great pukko style knife, ideal as secondary, woodworking blade.
Addicted 2 Tone You can’t extrapolate a cheap mora onto other scandi knives. I have beat the living crap out many scandi knives (non-Mora) with no damage.
I have several true zero scandi’s, my Enzo Trapper 115 in elmax is by far and away the least delicate edge prone to dinging and rolling. I’ve bought hundreds of knives in my 5+ decades, the Trapper is in the top 2 all time sharpest out of the box… it would shave my fingerprint ridges off. Its spent countless hours whittling on basswood, and has been on several 2-3 night trips into the bush.. its just now about time to sharpen it, but still has no notable dings/rolls or chips.
By contrast, my LTKW Forest River, Genesis, Garberg and RB3 all ding fairly easy and need daily stropping.
A scandi *can* be durable…
But if I were stuck in the woods for a year with just one knife and my little strop I’d pick the LTKW Forest River because I can keep it very sharp indefinitely soclong as I dont do anything stupid with it… and that the whole point behind scandis and why they’re usually made from easily sharpened steels.
In the same situation a saber can only be stropped so long and would become fairly blunted without additional honing, and in general it wouldn’t be as sharp for the duration, which effects trap making, skinning, etc.
I just received a GNS saber grind,, bought it for a general purpose hunting knife and I like the visual appearance of the saber grind best... well done video,, enjoyed it :)
Sweet! That's awesome. GNS in saber is fantastic! Thanks a ton for the support.
Been using knives of various profiles for over 50 years. In my experience, using knives of equal steel quality/hardness/etc, a Scandi grind hole it's edge the best and is the easiest to resharpen - especially in the field. A Mora Companion HD is currently my go to for heading out into the woods. I know it'll do everything I ask of it. Oddly enough, while I've managed to break the top off two sabre ground and one flat ground blade, I've never broken a Mora... I find feather sticks a useful skill building technique, but rarely use them for fire starting. Because I live where it's very dry most of the year I usually use a Dakota fire pit and a pile of small shavings to start my fires. Also usually use a lighter, but practice with flint& steel and ferro rods to stay in practice. That being said, I enjoyed your video.
I'm glad you enjoyed my video. The scandi will always be one of my top overall grinds. (80% of my knives have scandi edges.) Thanks for the comment, my friend. Sounds like you've had some good times in the outdoors.
@@SurvivoTek More than a few. And some that weren't exactly pleasure trips - but that's a whole nother story.
Very well shot comparison video! Can never see enough LT action, thanks so much.
So true, my friend. LT for the WIN!
OK, let's talk straight. The scandi grind performs well in the wood crafting/carving dept, no quibble. The sabre grind is not as good, but not by much, but is much better where cutting, slicing, meat processing, food prep generally is concerned, while the scandi grind can also do these but not as well, so for now they are neck-and-neck. Now comes the crunch. When it comes to sharpening in the field, the sabre grind is in a different league! A few quick strokes of the ultra narrow secondary grind, and your edge is back and good to go. With the scandi grind, the sharpening process is much more complicated, and needing much more skill, and equipment. The reason for this is that the sharpening stroke has to be exactly flat to the zero grind FOR THE WHOLE LENGTH OF THE CUTTING EDGE! This is very difficult to do, even with the right equipment and a lot of practice and skill. To do this in the field with minimalist equipment is going to result in one or two problems. 1. Firstly, one could over-grind the cutting edge or change the angle, as one approaches the blade curve (this is very common). So your edge geometry now becomes variable with the front portion towards the tip developing a secondary bevel (like a sabre grind). The more you sharpen it the wider the secondary bevel becomes. 2. Then, one might also (especially if working on your knee) make little errors and bite into the grind line at the shoulder. This then looks awful, and changes this grind line asymmetrically over its length. Over time it happens that the shoulder almost disappears altogether, giving one almost a convex blade shape. In the hands of a highly skilled user who is aware of these issues, the importance of the issues reduces, especially if that user does all their sharpening at home (or in the workshop), under ideal conditions. The sabre grind is much more forgiving and will be so much easier to maintain efficiency in the field. Personally, I actually prefer the hollow grind, which has the advantages of the sabre grind, but will be easier to maintain over a longer period because of its slightly hollow shape. By the way, those that say hollow grind blades are "weak" are somewhat mistaken. If strength is needed the hollow grind just needs to be a bit deeper so it looks narrow like a scandi grind, except is slightly narrower just above the secondary bevel. It will depend on what the intended purpose of the knife is. That has been my take on the issue.
Couldn't have said it better myself. I have been tempted to get a Scandi grind knife, but you reeled me back in and reminded me why I prefer sabers and full flats. Although, in theory, if you needed to sharpen a scandi grind blade in the field, the best thing to do would be to put a micro bevel on a instead of having a 0 grind to increase the strength of the edge. LT Wright Knives actually does this to their scandi grinds from the factory. Although, one could argue this makes the Scandi grind into a low saber grind technically. So, saber for the win!
@@jolier1313 Glad I could be of help! Thanks for the reply.
It’s so easy sharpening a scandi
When day hiking or lightweight overnight I carry a Guardian 5.5 in elmax, but for bushy primitive overnights I take 2, maybe 3 blades.. lately its a LT Forest River for wood crafty stuff and a Guardian 6 in 3v (or a TKC 6.5 in 3v) for hard use chopping/batoning/etc. I’ll also take a Guardian 4 in m390 for cleaning game, but its not really necessary as the LT handles that well too.
Half of it is just for fun, the reality is the LT Forest River or Genesis would take care of everything just fine, but its a toss up… which is more work, carrying 2+ blades, or honing dings out of a scandi?
The alternative is to carry only a scandi that has been stropped to a slight convex for durability.
It's so much fun reading different people's approaches to knife carry. I have a similar opinion. Something like an LTWK Genesis would probably take care of all your knife needs, but it's just more fun to carry multiples. Thanks for sharing!
Good test. Buy both of them. Thanks for showing us. Take care.
Haha! Yes, that's a great solution for sure. Having two is definitely better than just choosing one.
I think the misconception about scandi not doing good feathers is all about muscle memory. I've been a Mora guy for a long time & switching to flat or saber, I have to remember to raise the spine of the blade away from the cutting surface, ever so slightly, to account for the angle of the bevel. If I don't the blade will skate off hardwoods, because i'm not contacting the actual edge properly. Going back to scandi, I have to drop my wrist so the whole bevel is laying flat on the cutting surface. Scandi hogs off wood better than anything else I've used, but my old hands prefer using a hatchet for brute forcing through a limb. That said, I'm a recent convert to LT Wright & am having a tough time deciding between my convex Genesis & Saber GNS, both in 3V. I think the Genesis handle is my personal preference, but the GNS is a better blade profile for notches & detail work. I wish I drank the Kool-Aid years ago. I would've saved a lot of money. Thanks for the vid!
Couldn't agree more, my friend! Thank you so much for the great comment. I totally agree. Scandi is such a useful blade for woodworking, but I really enjoy my saber and convex blades for more general purpose tasks. I usually use either a hatchet or a saw for thick wood, but this was just to test the knife out. Thanks again!
So I'm not really a "bushcrafter" - just an old Boy Scout. The scandi grind concept was kind of new to me until a few months ago. I will say this first: I've never used a scandi ground knife for anythng at all. The discussion about scandi vs. sabre seems to me to be a lot like the discussion of so-called "micro-bevels" on cabinetmaker tools - chisels and plane irons. If I think about it from the perspective of what I understand "bushcrafting" to be, a scandi grind looks like it would be easier to sharpen "free-hand" since the edge bevel is much wider than a sabre ground edge, so it's easier to maintain that angle on your stone. However, to get a really exquisitely sharp edge on a scandi ground blade and still keep the true scandi grind, you really need to remove a great deal more steel. I suspect that the bushcrafters that aren't VERY skilled at free-hand sharpening in the field are in truth putting a secondary bevel on their scandi ground knives in the field and turning them into micro-beveled or "sabre" ground knives. Perhaps when they go home, they then put their scandi ground knives on a table or a supported whetstone and reprofiling to get the true scandi grind back, I don't know. No offense meant here, I think the tests shown in this video were pretty meaningless - would have liked to see some batoning perhaps, but also I'm not sure that would have made the comparison more meaningful. I think things like making feather sticks is more about skill/practice and edge sharpeness than it is about the specific blade/edge profile/type. WIth that said, I am glad you posted this video. In any event, I will be buying a scandi ground knife soon - probably a $20 Mora - in part to check them out for myself from a performance perspective, but MOSTLY as a way to help myself learn and practice free-hand sharpening.
Thank you so much for the awesome comment, man! Bushcraft is a fun term people use for a more primitive camping. No offense taken (it's pretty hard to offend me.) These tests are to simulate what I generally do with my knife, but it's completely personal preference. I agree with you completely on the sharpening issue, and I think traditionally the scandi grind was convexed after sharpening enough times. I know people love the high-end blades and the fancy grinds, but I use my $9 Mora more often and for more things than any of my $200 knives. Haha!
Pretty sure that most "scandi" knives are actually "modified scandi", aka scandi w micro bevel, aka saber lol.
Just about every Mora I've seen actually has a very fine micro bevel, for sure. My Finnish puukkos, while marketed as scandi, definitely came with micro bevels. Indeed, once I started shopping and reading, I noticed that if you want an actual zero degree scandi, you have to look for a maker who specifies that that's what it is- otherwise you'll be buying a very low saber ground knife.
Great video Jude! You’ve got me very excited about my first LTW knife I’m gonna get in a couple months. Looking at the genesis scandi right now but haven’t decided 100% on all the details yet.
Thanks, man! The Genesis scandi is like a bushcraft standard. One of the best knives made anywhere! What details are you having a hard time figuring out? Maybe I can help.
Jude Streicher Outdoors I am big on having the ability to readily and effectively sharpen a bushcraft knife in the field, hence why I like scandi grind more than a blade profile with a secondary bevel. I have watched a couple videos on the LTWK genesis scandi and saw LT bring up about the micro bevel on the scandi and wasn’t sure if that would make sharpening more difficult versus just a regular scandi grind from somewhere else. I have been practicing sharpening my knives with a secondary bevel and am getting better but I am just still not that great.
Also I was deciding between A2 and CPM 3V. I think I like the idea of A2 more because it’s a bit easier to sharpen in the field although I know it’s not as rust resistant as the 3V.
What do you think about those two items ? Thanks man!
The micro buff on the LT Genesis is really easy to maintain with a leather belt. Just strop it a few times and it'll polish back up. LT uses the micro buff on the Genesis to strengthen the fine edge and prevent rolling.
I used an A2 Genesis Scandi for my survival training and maintained it with stropping every couple days. It was two weeks long, and I only had to actually sharpen it once after working the hide of a ram. I'm a big fan of A2.
I haven't had a ton of experience with CPM3V, but I know it will hold an edge a bit longer and be a lot tougher. Many people I've talked to tell me CPM3V is not that much harder to maintain in the field as long as you don't let it get too dull.
If you're worried about corrosion and you're going to really be tough on your knife, go CPM3V, it'll probably hold an edge long enough that you'll only have to strop it a couple times to maintain it. Getting A2 saves a little money and gives you a great all-around steel, and you can probably sharpen it with things you find out in the field.
Hope this helps! (PS: I'm saving up for a Genesis Scandi in 3V next)
Jude Streicher Outdoors that definitely does help Jude thanks for the thorough response. I’m actually leaning towards A2 at the moment all things considered but not 100% yet. I’ll be sure to tell them you sent me! Keep up the great work buddy
@@FrankChristopherOutdoors really appreciate that, brother! And I'm happy to help. Picking out a knife is so much fun.
I've owned a GNS 3V Saber grind for years, I'd like to add a Scandi one of these days.
Nice comparison and much appreciated! Have you experienced different edge retention by the two grinds? Recently I've been chopping and debranching with my true scandi Garberg (no secondary bevel) and it gets dull quite soon (and by dull I mean it can't slice through paper). So I was wondering if a sabre/flat grind with secondary bevel would have better edge retention. I know a hatchet should be used for those tasks but sometimes I just like to go outside with just my knife.
Yes, a true scandi will have a more fragile edge when sharpened to a razor, I've experienced that for sure. I think convexing an edge strengthens it up if you're going to be chopping with it. Not sure if a saber grind would be much toucher with that kind of use, though. I feel like any flat edge when sharpened to a razor will be "fragile" for those types of heavy tasks. Steel will also play a role in how it handles those types of tasks. Long story short, pretty much every true scandi I have is sharp enough to suffer some edge damage when doing heavy tasks with it. The ones that seem to survive better are usually slightly convexed.
@@SurvivoTekThanks for your reply! How do you "slightly convex" your blades? Recently I've been experimenting by adding a very small convex secondary bevel on a true scandi knife by stropping. Edge retention seems to have improved but it's hard to tell.
@@gpietra Of course! I'm happy to help! And that's exactly how I add a slight convex. Just gentle stropping. Too much pressure and I've noticed it will actually dull the edge!
I'm rocking a Mora with a full tang and black carbon blade, with Scandi grind.
Nice! I have a Mora with a full tang in stainless steel. ;)
Very happy with my saber GNS. ..also very happy with my scandi grind Mora Garberg
That's like the dynamic duo. The best of both worlds!
Great video I just love knives lol. I change between several of my blades and grinds when I go camping. From flat, scandi, saber and at times hallow. All of them seem to take a little time to get used to when I switch from one to the othe except the scandi. I can pick up a scandi and work with right away. Now the hallow grind is the most difficult one to work with when I switch from one grind to another. The flat and the saber take a little while but not too long. Once comfortable I find the flat and saber to be the best for all around use when I look at everything I might do in a weekend camping.
Cutting, carving, notching, feathers, chopping, batoning, press cutting, food prep, game processing and blade maintenance. This is what I find with my use. I love those knives.
Yeah, I was a little out of practice with the scandi during the filming of this video. Haha! I can usually get anything done with a scandi as well. Thanks for the comment, brother! I love knives too!
Good one! Just bring a decent pocketknife to do foodprep.
That's really what I haven't invested in. A good pocket knife. One day, I'll find one that I actually like.
@SurvivoTek Your review made me want to buy a scandi LTWK but sold out at the moment in the Netherlands. When you have this with you for bushcrafting I can recommend an Opinel to do foodprep with. Cheap and the non stainless easy sharpened to razorsharp. I have 2 ( a no 9 and a no 12) which I just use on daily basis next to my regular cooking knifes. They are great for pealing and slicing. It is nice to drool over expensive awesome looking knifes which I like to do now and then but sometimes the solution is simple ;) The LT though is one to have in my collection, the handle looks super comfy. Thanks and take care.
I️ always said the saber is a great all around grind especially for those just starting out. I️ carry a pocket knife the Enzo Borka 90 flat grind in n690co and a 4-4.25 in scandi fixed blade. The flat grind is awesome for camp/food prep and the scandi for Bushcraft. Takes a little bit but once you get the feel for scandi I️ think the excel at feather sticking but it’s a learned skill where as it’s really easy to pick up the saber and feather stick.
Great video as always.
Yeah! I love both grinds for different purposes. My folders are really lacking right now. Gotta talk to you about good options. Thanks for checking out the video, brother!
@@SurvivoTek check out the Enzo Birk 75. Very good Scandi folder. I've carried mine for 2 years now. Very strong and well made!
New subscriber and great comparison! I have the saber grind and love it. I'm a hunter and processed two deer with it last season. Good cutting ability and used it all the time in camp this summer.
Thanks for the sub! Saber grind is an incredibly versatile grind. I'm a big fan of it. Congrats on the deer and good luck this season!
Could you say that the overbite of Scandigrind is somehow linked to the blade thickness? Tradinitionell scanidinavien knive designs have blades about 2mm thick, wich slice pretty good.
Hey brother what do ya think ...GNS OR GENESIS..? I'm finally gonna get an lt but I'm really struggling with choosing but also there is hardly nothing to pick from. I got big mitts so if I do get a gns I need liners even the GENESIS needs liners imo.
All the coolest colors are sold out ...That said I'm almost tempted to buy the Larry Robert's edition its got white liners and I love the mouse 🐁 symbol and history LOL.
I also am considering the Benchmade bushcrafter, I've always wanted one .
When ya can only buy one its very hard to choose.
That’s super exciting! So happy for you. If I had the choice, and I could only choose one, I’d go with the Genesis. It’s handle is universal. It’s blade is tried and true. And with the liners, it fills up the hand perfectly. As good as the GNS is, and as much as I enjoy working with it, the Genesis will always beat it in my book if you can only have one. The benchmade bush crafter is nice conceptually, but its handle is not nearly as comfortable as the Genesis and it’s a pain in the butt to sharpen in the field.
Hope that helps!
@@SurvivoTek It seems this is a common answer from Lt users .. Thanks. I'll let ya know what I get.
Yeah, man! I can’t wait to see what you decide.
Use the tip of the knife with your scandi knife and you will do super fine curls
Thank you! I will do that.
The bite should be much closer between the two of them If you put a polished shallow
con vexed edge on the saber ground blade, at least in my experience.
I have a good friend that actually polished a shallow convex on that saber edge and now it's even tougher and more efficient. Thanks for the suggestion and the comment!
@@SurvivoTek your welcome, glad to be of help.
Great video very good info! I like flat grind! TX! Keep up the great videos!
Thank you, sir! I'll definitely keep up the content.
I like to do woodworking and your video was helpful. Very well done! Thanks.
I am so happy to hear that my video helped! Thanks for the view.
Just found your channel. Thanks for making it. I believe I will be getting an LT Wright soon..not sure yet which one but the GNS with a sabre blade is looking awfully tempting! I own a Gransfors Bruk wildlife hatchet I use for more of the forest "tasks" so perhaps a sabre blade would be the way to go....thanks again...Later!
Hello there! Thanks for checking out the channel. The GNS Saber is a fantastic blade especially in combination with a hatchet. You could easily accomplish almost anything in the woods with those two tools.
As always, it depends. Scandi & flat grinds are great for woodworking, food prep and fine work. But if you want a general purpose knife, that would serve you well if you found yourself needing to operate in the wilderness...sabre 💁
I'm finding that to be the case. Saber is a great all around grind whereas Scandi is my preferred WOOD knife. Thanks for the comment, my friend!
Interesting results, In my experience I find that the saber is more useful in general uses. The results of the pressure test and rocking test resulted in a very contradictory finding since typically the 25 degree scandi edge does not penetrate into a static piece as well as the saber 18 - 20 degree edge. The scandi edge will push the wood side ways and not penetrate as deep. This is where you get the scandi over bite effect due to the higher angle. Its also why the saber grind is much better than a scandi at batoning. I completely agree that the scandi is a great bushcraft grind. I also found that its horrible at food prep.
A saber grind is better for blade lengths over around 6". 6" and under, a scandi if usually a better option. Of course, it all depends on the primary use of the blade.
I don't like either grind. I use a shallow full blade convex grind with a 24 deg nano-bevel. It's so shallow in fact that if you don't look at it closely, it looks flat. It carves wood better than the sabre, but has more control than the scandi, but what it does better than either of the other two is slicing juicy things like meat, tomatoes, onions and taters.
Also, I don't take my edges beyond an 800 G finish, other than knocking the burr off with a 2400 G stone. The microscopic serrations at that degree of finish shear through wood and rope fibres with no effort, but keep the edge from blunting quicker than a full 2400 G, or even an 1800 G, finish.
Grinds are totally a personal preference thing. I haven't worked with convex a ton, so I'm not super familiar with its versatility, but I hope to get a good convex blade soon and really put it to work. I really appreciate the view and comment, my friend.
Lol I just used my scandi ground whittling knife to remove callouses off my feet.
Lucky I didn't get any overbite.
Hahaha! That would've been bad. Overbite your ankle off.
@@SurvivoTek True.
In reality the scandi grinds are just less forgiving I about how you start the cut. Once you start the cut that is the direction it is going to go.
However wood whittling knives are often scandi grinds and there are techniques you can use to avoid overbite.
You could have stopped the comparison at 3:40. For me that was "the test" for the differences between the two grinds. I have a GNS and a Lagom both in scandi grind & both are favorites of mine. Most of my other knives are flat or saber ground and for me it's great to have both grinds. I prefer the flat or saber grind but I've learned to control the bite of the Scandi. I've also found that LT's scandi is not delicate and his 01 is one of my favorite knife metals. It's very easily maintained and very tough. My next LT knife will probably be another Scandi. maybe in A2 if he makes a scandi in that material. There's no one better in the biz for that edge. Thanks for the video! Quick suggestion - I'd love to see a comparison of LT's 01, A2 and 3V for edge retention, hard use and for maintenance (i.e. just stroping) & resharpening (with stones or diamonds).
Feathering is definitely one of those clear tests of an edge. I'm usually way better at it, but had gotten out of practice by the filming of this video. The LTWK Genesis comes standard in A2. Exceptional blade and exceptional steel. Used it exclusively during survival training. Thanks for the video suggestion. I'll try to come up with something along those lines.
@@SurvivoTek Great, I look forward to it!! FWIW I practice edge control at my desk by cutting the edge of 20# or 24# paper into very small/thin rolls for as far as I can manage.
2:10 give the focus button the good old reach around
Good vid review between the different grinds. Just a thought. In my mind it is much easier to hone/sharpen the Scandi vs a saber. Perhaps a review demonstrating the ease of sharpening the two grinds???
Yeah, knife maintenance is something that should be considered when making a decision. That sounds like a great (and useful) video. Thanks for the suggestion, man!
Yea, and then make a video showing how wimpy and fragile the scandi edge is.
@@profd65 you sir are obviously untested. Has nothing to do with the grind that has to do with the quality of steel and your ability to sharpen. Nice try to jab at the scandi but pointless against the initiated, and we are initiated
Great video, I’ve always been a scandi grind man and have considering a sabre grind blade. I think I will get a sabre grind knife. Can I add that you said that both came with a factory edge. Usually the factory edge on flat grinds, sabre grinds etc. are usually a “v” edge which are terrible. Sharpen it to a convex edge on your own sharpening stones and I think you’ll find a noticeable difference in the cutter performance of the sabre grind. 👍🏻
I've worked with convex blades in the past, and you're right, they are incredibly useful and tough when handled properly. I know a lot of people like to see how blades perform straight from the factory, which is why I did this test in that way. Thanks for the comment, and I definitely recommend the GNS saber for a utility/ camp knife.
All LT Wrights are hard buffed to a convex micro grind from the factory
There is not much difference between Sandi & Sabre blades when doing bush-craft.
The match point is the toughness of blade points on doing stabbing.
Why? Low grind line means giving more supporting the blade point, due to providing more coverage for the point.
I like your Reviews! I’m gonna subscribe because you’re concise, succinct and keep it relevant with wasting too much time. I appreciate your logical, well spoken thoughts. Dr. Dave
I really appreciate the subscription and support.
Scandi is amazing...you have to use less pressure..saber doesn’t cut as well...and once you get the hang of a scandi it is the best bc it does it all...and it in the long run is SO simple to keep the same grind while sharpening...just keep it honed and it will last a while
I am a huge fan of the scandi grind (90% of my blades are scandi.) I find that I accidentally convex my scandi grinds when sharpening... OOPS! ;)
@@SurvivoTek me too and I think they’re better with a convex. In fact, all LT Wright scandi’s have a slight convex edge from a hard buff. Makes the edge tougher than a true zero edge scandi.
My vid on the G3 , I use my ofitw genesis to feather showing differences in the sheer size of the blade compared to the regular sized genesis. I feathered a bundle of paper thin feathers with the scandi in about 1.5 seconds lol. It’s a learning curve . I prefer scandi over saber because I do a lot of wood carving , notching and such. It’s far superior to the saber on wood working by far for myself. Great vid ,brother.
I can usually make super fine feathers with a scandi. This day was just an off day (plus the stick was a little thin.) Thanks for watching, brother! I really enjoyed your G3 video.
Trouble with all these beautiful 150 dollar 3-4" general purpose bush blades is I can do all the same things with a 12 dollar carbon mora robust. Mora is actually more functional than 90% of the bush blades in the 50-150 price range. Hell I can do all the same stuff except maybe extensive batoning with a 15 dollar Opinel no8. I get far more use out of my robust than I do out of my ESEE or any of the other 100+ dollar knives I've bought before I began to figure out what I was doing precisely because it was 12 dollars. Even my garberg is too expensive to go beat the hell out of it when one of the 5 robusts I bought off of ebay for 60 dollars will work just as well.
Don't get me wrong, these are great knives and I love how they look and many are quite functional, but is that really what you want in the bush? I want a workhorse, a brute, a tool. Something I can abuse and modify and regrind and lose and not really worry about it. Why should a sharpened bit of metal cost more than a good framing hammer or a decent pair of pliers or any other simple tool? Some of these bush blades cost more than high end simple tools like Knipex. As a piece of art I get it, but by definition bush knives are function first and form dead last. For a pocket knife, yea, absolutely, I see the point of burning a few bills. It's like wearing a 1000 dollar watch. A 300 dollar microtech OTF or ZT flipper is jewelry with a function. And I have my high polish ultratech 75 tanto in elmax that I slip in the pocket of a freshly tailored suit because it's an eye catcher, it's the same reason I always bring a pair of 40 dollar gars to any formal gathering; it shows you have some taste and some flash, but you have balance to maintain function and restraint to avoid being gauche. I have it because its an easy way to make an impression.
But who matters in the woods?
Rat Utoplan well said. Mora for knife things and a hatchet for hatchet things. I own some fancy knives but essentially quit buying them. Nice to own a couple but not really better than a mora. I laugh when I see guys testing for splitting wood.
So how about Saber GNS and Scandi Genesis for options?
I can do a video to compare those. I own both of them.
Was that Alvin, Simon or Theodore talking during the 4x parts?
Hahaha! Definitely Theodore. You could hear the food in his mouth.
I'd choose the sabre grind over the scandi grind for durability and versatility.
Nice! I love saber as well for those reasons. But when it comes to woodworking, I'll always choose scandi.
Scandi is a man’s grind sabre is for women, nuff said
Hmm... interesting take on the grinds. Could you elaborate?
This is a perspective from an insecure man.
I have the saber grind, I love it. Nothing wrong with the scandi grind but I prefer saber for my needs. LT makes works of art! Fantastic blades!
Thanks for the comment, and yeah, LT is a master! I think the scandi-lover is similar to the Mac fanatic. The scandi grind can do no wrong. Haha!
When doing feathers with scandi you need to go from left to right using the length of the blade. I can do very thin feather this way.
That is very helpful advice! Thank you so much for sharing. There is definitely a bit of technique to it. Check out some of my recent videos. I can feather much better now.
Good test, I need to test a chisel edge on a feather stick before making a conclusion. Thanks ps band saw blade for feathers is another test.
Your sarcasm is not lost on me. I appreciate the comment.
You gave me some serious Stu Macher flashbacks with that knife. Scandi fan.
Nobody wants to deal with scandi maintenance saber gets sharp quicker with more durability and ease of labor when honing and sharpening. Scandi edge is better suited for scalpels and skinning and kitchen applications but if im out in the woods or something I like durability. I bring just a finishing sharpener on trips and do my honing at home. I'm also not a fan of rolled or folded edges so I opt for saber for grunt work and scandi in the kitchen
Saber is much easier to sharpen in the field. Scandi take much longer to sharpen correctly. With the saber you can easily improvise, like using the bottom of a ceramic plate or mug, or fine sandpaper/diamond rod, or ? If the angles are similar, the Scandi will be a stronger cutting edge, with more cutting friction due to the blade thickness (wedge effect) while cutting a dense material such as wood. The saber edge will be better for detail work. Either or...
It's so interesting to me how much versatility you can get just by grinding a blade differently. Those angles and edges alter so much of the performance and functionality. If you put a minor secondary bevel on your Scandi grind in the field, will it perform the same or more like a saber? Thanks for the comment and view. I really appreciate it.
Scandi grind any day every day.
I am a big fan of scandi as well, but I've been using my saber and convex knives more often lately.
Out of curiousity, where do you live? I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on a gary wines bushcrafter. I have a few mora's but all my other knives are saber. I just want a "higher end" scandi.
Thanks for the question. I am currently living in southern Idaho. I've never worked with a gary wines, but anything from LT's shop is usually great quality. There's nothing quite like a high-end scandi knife. Thanks again.
Jonathan Deering knives are great also
I would love to get a blade from him, but he sells out so quickly, I never catch it in time.
Hey Jude🙂 great review man. I didn’t think the saber would do that well. Especially with feathers.
I was surprised too! Usually I'm way better at feathering with a scandi, but I think the stick was so thin and dry it just kept falling apart on me. Haha! Saber is a surprisingly versatile grind. Thanks for watching, Joe!
@2:25 Scandi grind is physically sharper and stronger, it can handle batoning and other tasks needed for survival much better than other, weaker, grinds. while still being sharp enough to outperform thicker, stronger, grinds. it's overall much more superior ... that is if you know how to use it. This man used his other knife that same as the scandi, and to get the correct results that just not how it works. Not that it takes skill to use a scandi, really, just that it takes practice to learn how not to "overbite" as he calls it ... "Overbite" appears to be the result of not using the blade properly ... as I can fether a stick with my scandi very well and just as fast as he did with the saber.
I think a lot of the issues I was having with the scandi is that I had been practicing a lot more with the saber lately. The scandi is great for splitting wood and getting through the fibers, but the saber has a narrower edge angle, which is why it can potentially slice through material easier.
I own both and you are spot on 😁
Appreciate it, man! Gotta have both. ;)
My fav is convex
No regular person would ever tell the difference when using either knife they will both do whatever you need them to do. The difference is sl slight it doesnt even matter when using both.
U couldnt use a better stick for feather sticking?
I usually just grab whatever stick is within reach. Haha! Next time, I'll search for a better one. ;)
Excellent video my friend,im buying the Enzo trapper knife and I can't make my mind up between Scandi and flat grind.Also I'm a Scandinavian knife fan, any advice would be much appreciated.Stay safe.
Thanks for the comment! My suggestion would be to decide what sorts of tasks you'll be doing more often. If you want a wood-working, camp-carving tool, always go scandi. If you want something for prepping food at camp, skinning game, or light wood tasks, go flat. Personally, I carry two blades. One in saber (or flat) and the other in scandi. Hope that helps.
For bushcraft I always go scandi. Sabre is more of a general knife to me.
Scandi forever. Much easier and faster to sharpen and sharpness lasts for a satisfactory time for me.
I love scandi for almost anything in the woods, but I'm really seeing the merit of having something in either a saber grind or a convex. I'll just carry both.
You should check out Dulo knives he will make any blade you want outta almost any steel you want...amazing craftsmanship and for $100 less than 99% of knife makers...he even works with dye steels like k390..65hrc...vanadis4E..62hrc...somehow amazing edge retention and toughness...vanadis8 m390...etc
That sounds amazing! I'm definitely going to have to check out his work. Been on the lookout for someone who can help me create my "ideal" knife. Thanks for the info!
I have the GNS in scandi and the LT Wright Outback in sabre. I agree with just about everything in your conclusion. I’d much rather slice an onion or tomato with a sabre, but make a spoon or bow drill with a scandi. They can both cut onions and make spoons, but the blade profile definitely favors certain tasks.
Exactly! So glad to hear you agree. They were developed to perform different tasks. One is an all around edge (saber) and the other is a woods tool (scandi). Thanks so much for the comment.
First press was Saber, second was Scandi. On review he says first was Scandi?
Scandi grinds rule for wood working. Way easy to sharpen than saber grind. Micro bevels on Scandi grinds suck. I have never found a saber grind that would carve wood half as good as a scandi.
For wood-working, I always choose a Scandi grind. I think the saber is really good for all purpose work and food prep. My ideal situation is to have an over 4 and under 5 inch Scandi blade and pair it with an under 3 inch saber or flat grind.
I have the Scandinavian grind one. So i am biest. But LT makes amazing knives. Great video vid
I'm a big scandi guy, but the saber is growing on me. Ever since I had my scandi Genesis chip on bone, I've been a little more cautious with it. Haha! Thanks, Jacob!
10:35 I love the old man voice.
Hahaha! Sometimes I feel like it.
Great job.
Thank you!
Great video
Thank you!
Hey if you ever want to sell that scandi GNS on your guy.
I will definitely let you know.
The hammock owner is right behind you...
Oh dang! Hahaha! Does he also have a knife?
You can’t judge a knife because you can’t feather stick.
It is all about edge angle. 25 degree saber will cut better than 30 degree skandi.
That's a good point. I should get a edge angle measurement device or something so I can share it in the videos cause you're so right. Edge angle is key to success or failure of a blade.
SurvivoTek I got one home made. Its really helpful.
Indeed, it's interesting to see how some bushcrafters say their scandi knives have fragile edge and when they show their knife it is 4mm (0.16 inch) thick knife with short thick zero grind which tells it has about 30 degree edge angle. That is literally the most robust construction one can have. Maximum amount of metal and stout steep zero grind. Yet because its been labeled bushcraft knife they carve spoons with it.
@@ReasonAboveEverything I think these myths are perpetuated by novices who usually do most of their "testing" in a backyard for videos. (I admit I was guilty of that when i first started. Mainly just regurgitating information I heard from other people. Now I'm striving to learn by experience and from trustworthy sources.) Do you think using mathematics to calculate edge angles is just as effective as an actual measuring device?
SurvivoTek I own a couple of so called bushcraft knives... They have their place and it is a matter of preference of course.
Why not. Pythagoras theorem should work(and sin, cos, tan). Of course the edge might be little convex so the actual edge angle could be little bit steeper.
The way I look at it is this: if you have a scandi grind knife, you’ll need two knives. If you have the sabre grind, you won’t. Scandi is a master of one task, and the sabre is a jack of all master of none.
I completely agree with this viewpoint. Scandi is really great at woodworking (or planing material), and a Saber is good at almost everything.
enjoyed the video. The GNS is probably my favorite knife. I have the saber grind in O1 steel. Will be getting the scandi grind in A2. I have come to roughly the same conclusion with the same grind types. Each works differently at different tasks. I wonder if the different steel types will affect the grinds.Probably only noticeable in edge retention. I always take two knives when I go on extended trips in the woods. I think the GNS in both grinds will accomplish everything I need done. Keep up the good work. Cheers from Idaho.
Thanks for the view! What part of Idaho are you from? This video was filmed along the Boise River.
@@SurvivoTek I live in Emmett, about 24 miles north of Boise. We raft that river and the Payette every summer
@@SurvivoTek do you live in idaho?
Yeah, I live in Boise. What a coincidence!
You call it "overbite", I call it "pilot error".
You call it "pilot error", I can it "out of practice". Haha! Thanks for the critique.
Nice video, but we all know that the great plainsman beats them both hands down Jude. Especially when it comes to batoning giant gnarly logs with it.
Hahaha! So true! That Great Plainsman is the only knife you need for everything! Thanks, brother for the comment!
OK First knife will be............ saber grind. Thank you very much.
Yay! So happy I could help.
A scandi grind is a wood hog, but with a little practice and skill building, it can handle fine shaving work just fine. It just takes some getting used to. On wood, it excels, but on other materials, it does not perform as well as a saber, in general. I love my scandi on wood..I do a lot of carving, and nothing else compares, but if you want a general use blade that you can also use for food prep, then ya, buy a saber grind or full flat. If you want a knife primarily for wood work, the scandi is the better option, although a well executed convex grind does pretty damned good as well.
Couldn't agree more, my friend! Those scandi grinds are fantastic for wood-working (I usually don't use any other knife for wood.) And I'm usually a little better with feathering. Just a little out of practice. ;) Thanks for watching, my friend.
scandi 4 the win
Busted, you cut all the way through intentionally and you even try it a couple times without success when making your feather sticks
Hahaha! You got me! I guess I just like to say “whoops” for comedic effect.
Dude u need to put that tip down your pushing at a power cut ,slow down and work the edges you dont have the fence to feather so you trash it get some training
Saber is better for preping meat,scandi all day out doors.
Totally agree! Saber is a multipurpose grind, but scandi is best when woodworking.
My HAMMOCK!!! Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!
Hahaha! Oh no!!!!!
It's your skills that suck not the blade !
Goofball!
come back when you learn how to use a knife properly
sounds good!