Caper---Hollow or Flat

[tippit]

The caper is my every day knife whether goin' to the store or field.  It's small enough not to even notice it on your belt but capable of skinnin' & dressin' out a deer or bear.  Equally at home for cuttin' the cheese & crackers with a nice glass of wine    

Since the bear hunt knife trials, I know I don't need to fuss with changin' the design of the caper.  My Question now is:

Will it preform better as a hollow ground blade or a flat ground blade   :confused:    Only one way to find out...made up one of each with spalted oak courtesy of 4runr.  Top flat ground, bottom hollow ground...Doc

 

 

[JC]

OOOOOOOHHHHHH....the agony! Jeff....jest downright painful to look at knives that purdy.  

[vermonster13]

You have my address Doc.    

[robtattoo]

Flat grind, for definate! Have you tried one with a Scandi grind?

[4runr]

Emma, Connie and I like the hollow grind best. Adam's too busy playin this mornin to care!!
         

[Nakohe]

Doc, I like the Flat grind. If you want a field test, send it to me and I'll test her on Caribou for ya.        

Donald

[BigRonHuntAlot]

Beautiful Doc     Tough decision to make... LOL

[tippit]

Rob,  What is a Scandi grind  :confused:

[Over&Under]

What JC said - it HURTS!!!!!!

[Jeremy]

Kind of depends on how thinly the edge is ground prior to sharpening IMO.

If the edge is ground extremely thin (ie the sharpened bevel is actually just a barely visible micro bevel) the hollow ground edge will cut better, but not hold up as well to heavier use.  Great as a skinner, but for other chores... ?

If the edge is left thicker and the sharpened bevel is more pronounced (like in your knives above) there is little difference IMO.

For skinning and cutting up work, I doubt there'll be a difference in the two knives above.  Slicing cheese would be a different story  

[tippit]

Jeremy,  
I have been playing around with how thin I can hollow grind and still keep a durable blade.  Here's a skinner that I finished ground before heat treating...oops got a little warping  :eek:  It still sharpened well just won't be able to sell it     It should be a great skinner that I don't have to make pretty...Doc



PS:  Are you a Daddy yet?

[robtattoo]

Here's a Scandi ground blade (& a shameless plug!)



It's basically a 20-25degree grind, running 1/4 to 1/3 of the way up the blade. Very durable, very easy to re-sharpen & makes for a very strong blade because you're leaving a lot more material on the back. It can be a bit of swine to get straight & looking right though, but that's just practice! If you can hollow grind (& by gum, you really can!) a scandi ought to be a breeze!
It's named for the Scandinavian style of working knife (Puukko) it originated from.

[the Ferret]

Dayum those are pretty Doc  

[Stripstrike1]

How can I get one of those?

[tippit]

Stripstrike,  I guess you have to sign up for the 2nd Annual Quebec Bear Quest and shoot the biggest bear!  One will be in the pot...Doc

[tippit]

Rob,  What I've seen of those blades is they are pretty uniform steel...ie not forge tapered?

[Shakes.602]

All of those Have Beautiful Wood for Handles!    Especially the 2 in the Start of the Thread!!
  WOW!!  

[sticshooter]

Flat looks great. But I like them both.<><

[robtattoo]

Jeff, no there's no distal taper to the blade. I forge & grind them flat before I do the edge grind. Although, saying that, I've made plenty with a forged taper & a scandi grind.

[IB]

     

I wanna be Jeff's stable boy and Rob's ticket to FEEDOM