When choosing a knife, the right blade grind can make all the difference. A knife’s grind is ultimately what supports the edge itself, and the type of grind can drastically affect the way it cuts. Although there is no single “best” blade grind, each one has its own set of strengths and weaknesses that make it better at certain cutting tasks, so read on to find the best blade grind for you:
How does a knife work?
A knife is technically a wedge, which works by changing the direction of a force to push material apart. Downward force at the thick end of the wedge is transferred into sideways force along the sloping sides of the wedge, which separates material as it passes through. The thinner the wedge, the easier it passes through material; the thicker the wedge, the stronger it is.
A good knife must balance cutting efficiency and strength—too thin, and the blade becomes too delicate; too thick, and the blade requires too much force to cut. The type of blade grind affects the balance of these properties by changing the geometry of the wedge, which ultimately determines how the knife moves through material.
We shared the Knife Handle post last week. This has been an excellent series.
Read the whole thing at KnifeCenter.com