Grind

About Grind

A blade's grind is its cross-sectional shape in a plane normal to the edge. Grind differs from blade profile, which is the blade's cross-sectional shape in the plane containing the blade's edge and the centre contour of the blade's back (meaning the shape of the blade when viewed from the side, i.e. clip point, spear point, etc.). The grind of a blade should not be confused with the bevel forming the sharpened edge; it more usually describes the overall cross-section of the blade, not inclusive of the beveled cutting edge which is typically of a different, less acute angle as the bevel ground onto the blade to give it a cross-sectional shape. For example, the famous Buck 110 hunting knife has a "hollow ground" blade, with concave blade faces (which aid in slicing through materials), but the cutting edge itself is a simple, flat-ground bevel of lesser angle. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to put a "hollow grind" onto the actual cutting edge of the blade itself, which is a very narrow and small bevel. Grinding is the process of creating grinds. It involves removing significant portions of material from a blade, which distinguishes it from honing and polishing. Blades are ground during their initial sharpening or after having been sufficiently damaged, such as by breaking a tip, chipping, or extensive corrosion. Well-maintained blades need grinding less frequently than neglected or maltreated ones do.