I like convex...in fact it’s my preferred grind and around half of all my knives are designed with convex blades. The other half, some of which are flat grinds, have blended convex bevels applied; the other bulk of my knives are “scandi” grind knives which I also slightly convexed at the apex, or the whole bevel has been raised and convexed slightly. I do it by hand as I have no belt grinder to speed things up, but it’s well worth it. The reasons I like it so much is it works well, it’s very easy to maintain its original sharpness for long periods (gentle stropping) before having to remove metal from behind the edge, and it seems to me to be more durable. This makes sense to me for the same reason that the Roman Arch is stronger than a triangle or rectangle.
That makes sense and all, but there's some times I like a flat grind, like when I have a small blade I use very often, but not for prolonged periods, for very light tasks. It's just easier to run it along a fine stone a couple of times than to have to get out 3 mouse pads and two leather straps and 2 kinds of compound and try to guess where to start with all that. For a knife intended to do a lot of work in a day, I see where he's coming from: it's better to have the sharpest most durable edge possible to begin with and then see about resharpening it after whatever you're doing is done.
I know Derrick doesn't give you the time you so richly deserve on his channel, Mike. But maybe he'll let you do a part 2 to this one, where you could explain how the convex edge and blade grind just plain cut better, bite deeper and release better than v-ground edges too 😉
@Seamus Shea: For some reason I can't see your comment on the list here, but got it in my notifications. While all steel has carbide in the annealed condition (completely counter intuitive I know), several steels will have none in the heat treated condition. 1084, 1075, 1055, 5160, and similar low alloy steels, and a very few stainless steels, will have no carbide when heated and quenched. The carbide is dissolved during the heating prior to quenching and doesn't have time to reform during the quench, if properly done.
Convex is fine , but BR drives me crazy with their version of a bushcrafter. A bushcraft is used for carving wood! lol They need to make one with .9" tall .125" thick and 4-4.3" long spec. Love the quality and CPM3V offering from Bark River but your Bushcraft is not a bushcraft in my eyes. Add a neutral handle, expose the pommel and BR would kill the rest of the market in my opinion.
There's no One Knife Grind To Rule Them All. Bark River focuses on one type of knives, and use the edge that's best for that type. If they had been in the business of wood carving knives, where you do a few cuts, strop, do a few cuts, strop, or if they had made surgical scalpels where you make one incision, discard the scalpel and grab a new one, the answer would have been different. If you're out in the woods, sure, edge retention is a big plus. If you carve a raven's beard or slice sashimi, edge retention is way down the list.
for the same spine width, scandi grind should be the strongest .for other types of grind to have the same amount of steel just behind the edge of the blade, they end up thicker . simple geometry .
A flat grind on good steel holds an edge just fine, and a convex edge the on any wilderness knife truly sucks. If your convex knife doesn't get dull with a day's work, you really didn't work very much. I stopped using convex edges because regardless of the steel, they DO get dull faster than I want, and when they do, they're true pain in the behind to sharpen in the field. And even if you were right, which you aren't, what about those of use who spend a week or more in the field, and use our knives hard every day? I know how to sharpen a convex as well as anyone, but I don't want to do so in the field because a good field knife, a good wilderness knife, should be easy to sharpen on a river stone, and this means no convex grind. Anything can be done, but that's not a reason to use something that makes doing it a lot harder. If you don't like a flat grind, that's fine, but you should know that everyone i know who really knows anything about knives, and is good enough at sharpening to change a grind, a profile, etc., does change their BR knives over to something else. Sometimes it's changed to a better convex, if it isn't going to be a wilderness knife, but most often it's changed to a flat grind, or even a type of sabre grind. More, those who really don't know much about sharpening knives destroy the convex grind of a BR the first or second time they sharpen it. A convex grind is the most difficult grind there is for most people to learn how to sharpen properly. Most can't even sharpen one correctly at home, let alone in the woods. These people can sharpen a Scandi, and can usually sharpen a full flat grind, but beyond this, they're lost, and they sharpen any knife with a convex grind as if it had a flat grind, or even turn it into a bad Scandi without even realizing they're doing it. I love a convex grind for some uses, none of which involves going into the wilderness. Unless you're a true expert at sharpening knives, and unless you carry the right items to sharpen the knife, nothing is sillier for a wilderness knife than a convex grind. The real question is why doesn't BR give customers what they ask for, what the great majority can actually sharpen and use? The convex grind is precisely why I don't buy BR knives. There are other very good knife companies out there that have what I want because they listen to their customers This is more than enough reason to make me buy from them, rather than from BR.
Ok, convex is better for edge retention. BUT why not a flat/scandi grind/bevel and a convex edge? dude! And sometimes, I just want a scary sharp edge for carving. I may have to sharpen it often, but I need it for some carving tasks. I mean, some bushcraft tasks.
I have the KME sharpening system. So I suppose I should sell it and get rid of it because it only allows for flat grinds. What system Mike do you recommend, something I can buy, so I can properly resharpen my convex Barker knives?
I just purchased and successfully used the Bark River Sharpening strop. So I am moving away from the KME system, which by the way served me very well, until I discovered something better, the strop. So I live and learn. As far as being in the field, my knife steels are of such a quality that I don't anticipate having to every sharpen them in the field.
"what system do you recommend". Buy a leather belt. Stropping a convex grind will get it shaving sharp in no time. If you get to the point it actually needs seriously sharpened (dings and nicks), and you don't have access to a slack belt, strop it with sandpaper. Ken onion's work sharp is great for convex edges.
I would take Mike Stewart over Trump! I 100% agree. Granted, he uses superior mats and heat treat...BUT...I sharpen my BR knives MUCH less then others. I will not use another brand ever again. Love BR convex. I "EDC" my BR 3v Mini Aurora and have yet to sharpen it.
Stropping is not sharpening. Sharpening is removing material from the blade's edge. Stropping, or honing, is simply realigning the metal that gets deformed.
virtuovice made me a convex edge guy. I'm also starting bushcrafting and good edge retention is important while on the field.
I like convex...in fact it’s my preferred grind and around half of all my knives are designed with convex blades. The other half, some of which are flat grinds, have blended convex bevels applied; the other bulk of my knives are “scandi” grind knives which I also slightly convexed at the apex, or the whole bevel has been raised and convexed slightly. I do it by hand as I have no belt grinder to speed things up, but it’s well worth it.
The reasons I like it so much is it works well, it’s very easy to maintain its original sharpness for long periods (gentle stropping) before having to remove metal from behind the edge, and it seems to me to be more durable.
This makes sense to me for the same reason that the Roman Arch is stronger than a triangle or rectangle.
You're the man.., I love them knives..!
That makes sense and all, but there's some times I like a flat grind, like when I have a small blade I use very often, but not for prolonged periods, for very light tasks. It's just easier to run it along a fine stone a couple of times than to have to get out 3 mouse pads and two leather straps and 2 kinds of compound and try to guess where to start with all that. For a knife intended to do a lot of work in a day, I see where he's coming from: it's better to have the sharpest most durable edge possible to begin with and then see about resharpening it after whatever you're doing is done.
Rocking the Newports lol
why do so many ppl give mike a hard time? this guy knows his trade. like him and his work. good stuff.
Love the blades on your monitor
I know Derrick doesn't give you the time you so richly deserve on his channel, Mike. But maybe he'll let you do a part 2 to this one, where you could explain how the convex edge and blade grind just plain cut better, bite deeper and release better than v-ground edges too 😉
Bark River Knives seem to get it right. But when I read some of the comments it is clear that here on YT everybody and their dog is an expert.
Convex is so absolutely good. People are only scared of it because they aren't comfortable sharpening them because they've gotten so used to FFG.
@Seamus Shea: For some reason I can't see your comment on the list here, but got it in my notifications. While all steel has carbide in the annealed condition (completely counter intuitive I know), several steels will have none in the heat treated condition. 1084, 1075, 1055, 5160, and similar low alloy steels, and a very few stainless steels, will have no carbide when heated and quenched. The carbide is dissolved during the heating prior to quenching and doesn't have time to reform during the quench, if properly done.
Bob Dozier uses D2, a very high carbide tool steel, and uses a flat ground edge bevel. His knives are known for the sharpness and edge retention.
I was telling myself the same thing, thinking to a D2 scandi I have: convex grind improves edge retention... for the same steel ;)
This should be a linked video on KSF website.
BRK's hold up well.
Convex is fine , but BR drives me crazy with their version of a bushcrafter. A bushcraft is
used for carving wood! lol They need to make one with .9" tall .125"
thick and 4-4.3" long spec. Love the quality and CPM3V offering from Bark
River but your Bushcraft is not a bushcraft in my eyes. Add a neutral
handle, expose the pommel and BR would kill the rest of the market in
my opinion.
There's no One Knife Grind To Rule Them All. Bark River focuses on one type of knives, and use the edge that's best for that type. If they had been in the business of wood carving knives, where you do a few cuts, strop, do a few cuts, strop, or if they had made surgical scalpels where you make one incision, discard the scalpel and grab a new one, the answer would have been different. If you're out in the woods, sure, edge retention is a big plus. If you carve a raven's beard or slice sashimi, edge retention is way down the list.
for the same spine width, scandi grind should be the strongest .for other types of grind to have the same amount of steel just behind the edge of the blade, they end up thicker . simple geometry .
Rambo would love it :=)
Only *one* Tool to do the Work (*Knife*) and not two (*Knife-Sharpener+Knife*) !
*Greetings from Hamburg !*
Thats the point!
very informative
I totally agree.
... says the guy that reviewed so many scandis! ;)
Amen!
I agree
A flat grind on good steel holds an edge just fine, and a convex edge the on any wilderness knife truly sucks. If your convex knife doesn't get dull with a day's work, you really didn't work very much. I stopped using convex edges because regardless of the steel, they DO get dull faster than I want, and when they do, they're true pain in the behind to sharpen in the field.
And even if you were right, which you aren't, what about those of use who spend a week or more in the field, and use our knives hard every day? I know how to sharpen a convex as well as anyone, but I don't want to do so in the field because a good field knife, a good wilderness knife, should be easy to sharpen on a river stone, and this means no convex grind.
Anything can be done, but that's not a reason to use something that makes doing it a lot harder.
If you don't like a flat grind, that's fine, but you should know that everyone i know who really knows anything about knives, and is good enough at sharpening to change a grind, a profile, etc., does change their BR knives over to something else.
Sometimes it's changed to a better convex, if it isn't going to be a wilderness knife, but most often it's changed to a flat grind, or even a type of sabre grind.
More, those who really don't know much about sharpening knives destroy the convex grind of a BR the first or second time they sharpen it. A convex grind is the most difficult grind there is for most people to learn how to sharpen properly. Most can't even sharpen one correctly at home, let alone in the woods.
These people can sharpen a Scandi, and can usually sharpen a full flat grind, but beyond this, they're lost, and they sharpen any knife with a convex grind as if it had a flat grind, or even turn it into a bad Scandi without even realizing they're doing it.
I love a convex grind for some uses, none of which involves going into the wilderness. Unless you're a true expert at sharpening knives, and unless you carry the right items to sharpen the knife, nothing is sillier for a wilderness knife than a convex grind.
The real question is why doesn't BR give customers what they ask for, what the great majority can actually sharpen and use?
The convex grind is precisely why I don't buy BR knives. There are other very good knife companies out there that have what I want because they listen to their customers This is more than enough reason to make me buy from them, rather than from BR.
Well stated! Just subbed
Ok, convex is better for edge retention. BUT why not a flat/scandi grind/bevel and a convex edge? dude!
And sometimes, I just want a scary sharp edge for carving. I may have to sharpen it often, but I need it for some carving tasks. I mean, some bushcraft tasks.
I have the KME sharpening system. So I suppose I should sell it and get rid of it because it only allows for flat grinds. What system Mike do you recommend, something I can buy, so I can properly resharpen my convex Barker knives?
I just purchased and successfully used the Bark River Sharpening strop. So I am moving away from the KME system, which by the way served me very well, until I discovered something better, the strop. So I live and learn.
As far as being in the field, my knife steels are of such a quality that I don't anticipate having to every sharpen them in the field.
faultroy you are ON Point with that comment
faultroy virtuovoice on RUclips is also a great convex sharpener
"what system do you recommend". Buy a leather belt. Stropping a convex grind will get it shaving sharp in no time. If you get to the point it actually needs seriously sharpened (dings and nicks), and you don't have access to a slack belt, strop it with sandpaper. Ken onion's work sharp is great for convex edges.
Love it!
what about steels that don't have carbides?
me2bfc iron makes a carbide called cementite. Therefore all steel has some carbide
Yes sir!
Word!
Is this rough flat grinding done before or after heat treat?
Mike, what models are on the computer screen?
I promise you I can dull a bark river knife with a days work
Convex is king
I would take Mike Stewart over Trump!
I 100% agree. Granted, he uses superior mats and heat treat...BUT...I sharpen my BR knives MUCH less then others.
I will not use another brand ever again.
Love BR convex.
I "EDC" my BR 3v Mini Aurora and have yet to sharpen it.
Another thing many knife people do not know is: The difference between an assisted knife and an auto knife.
he says he uses NOTHING in the field to sharpen, but then he says he strops it on his pant leg...lol
Stropping is not sharpening. Sharpening is removing material from the blade's edge. Stropping, or honing, is simply realigning the metal that gets deformed.
That's not sharpening...
thumbs down or thumbs up for smoking newports
Is this rough flat grinding done before or after heat treat?
Is this rough flat grinding done before or after heat treat?