Staging site: not public yet
Knife Making Courses

Knife anatomy

Knife grinds

A knife's grind is the shape of the blade in cross-section, from spine to edge. The main grinds are flat, sabre, scandi, convex, hollow and chisel. Thinner grinds cut better; thicker ones are stronger and keep their edge in rough use.

Updated 27 October 2026 · 2 min read

At a glance

  • A full flat grind slices very well and suits kitchen knives.
  • A scandi grind is easy to sharpen on a flat stone and is popular for bushcraft.
  • A convex grind is strong, like an axe, and good for chopping.
  • A hollow grind is very thin behind the edge, made on a grinding wheel.
Cross-sections of six knife grinds: full flat, sabre, scandi, convex, hollow and chiselFull flatSabreScandiConvexHollowChisel
Knife grinds in cross-section, spine at the top and edge at the bottom. Drawing: Knife Making Courses.

The main knife grinds

GrindShapeGood forSharpening
Full flatFlat faces taper from the spine to the edgeKitchen knives, slicingEasy, with a small edge bevel
High flatFlat faces start below the spineAll-round knivesEasy
SabreFlat bevel starts about halfway down; the top half stays full thicknessTough outdoor and military knivesEasy
ScandiOne wide bevel running straight to the edge, no secondary bevelBushcraft, carving, puukkoEasiest: lay the bevel flat on the stone
ConvexFaces curve outwards to the edgeAxes, choppers, hard-use knivesHarder to keep even; strops well
HollowConcave faces ground on a wheelHunting knives, razorsEasy; very thin edge
ChiselGround on one side onlyJapanese single-bevel knives, kiridashiMostly one side

Primary grind and edge bevel

Most knives have two bevels: the primary grind, which thins the blade, and a narrow edge bevel that forms the actual cutting edge. A scandi grind is the main exception: the primary bevel runs all the way to the edge, often with no separate edge bevel. Some makers add a tiny "micro-bevel" to strengthen it.

Which grind cuts best?

The thinner the blade just behind the edge, the more easily it slides through food or wood. That's why kitchen knives use a thin full flat grind. But thin edges chip and roll more easily, so knives for chopping and batoning use a thicker sabre, scandi or convex grind.

Which grind should I make on a course?

Most beginner courses use a flat or scandi grind. A scandi grind is especially forgiving: the bevel line is a clear guide, and you can finish and sharpen it by hand on flat stones. Hollow grinds need a grinding wheel of the right size and are usually for improvers.

Questions people ask

What is the best knife grind?

It depends on the job. A full flat grind slices best for kitchen work; a scandi grind is best for carving and easy field sharpening; a convex grind is strongest for chopping.

What is a scandi grind?

A grind with one wide flat bevel on each side running straight to the edge, with no separate edge bevel. It is traditional on Scandinavian knives such as the puukko.

Is a convex grind hard to sharpen?

It takes more practice to keep the curve even on a flat stone. Many people maintain convex edges on a strop or with sandpaper on a soft backing.

What is a hollow grind?

A grind with concave faces, made on a round grinding wheel. It leaves the blade very thin behind the edge, so it cuts well but is less robust.

Learn to make your own knife

34 UK forges teach this. Book directly with the forge.

Bushcraft knife making courses · Kitchen knife making courses

Related pages

Parts of a knifeKnife anatomyFull tang and other knife tangsKnife anatomyKnife sharpening anglesSharpening and carePuukkoKnife styles

Sources

  1. Goddard, W. (2000) The Wonder of Knifemaking. Krause Publications
  2. Knife Steel Nerds (Larrin Thomas): edge geometry and cutting tests

Written by the Knife Making Courses editorial team. Last updated 27 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Suggest a correction.