Bevels And Blades: Understanding Your Options

A Bowie knife, like any other edged instrument

, can be created with many different bevel geometries. The geometry of the bevel will determine the character of the blade, its performance during various cutting tasks and its overall durability. You'll find that most blades are either chisel ground or double bevel ground. These are very easy to sharpen, for most users, and provide good all around results. Understanding different grinds can also help you understand why some tools are good for some tasks and not for others.

Oftentimes, Bowie knives are sold with the enticement that they can be used for chopping. Technically, a golf club or a hardcover book could be used for chopping, but that's not what they're made for. The bevels used on Bowies are much different than those used on common chopping tools, such as machetes and axes. Those devices have a rounded edge that is not designed to hold a precision edge but, rather, to deliver a great deal of mechanical force along a small inclined plane. A Bowie knife is designed to cut and thrust and, while it may work for chopping in a pinch, it's not ideal.

The chisel ground Bowie knives are ideal for those who need a sharp edge that's easy to restore. In fact, if you're using your Bowie knife for rugged work, the ease with which you can sharpen a chisel edge sometimes outweighs the inherent fragility of this blade. This bevel is one-sided and is very easy to get back into shape if it is damaged. It pulls to the sharpened side when you make long cuts.

The double bevel ground blade is one of the most practical all-around types. It takes an edge well, holds it well and is very durable. It is not, however, usually as sharp as a chisel grind and takes more time to restore if it becomes dull. A Bowie knife with this grind is ideal for precision cutting and for tasks that can be rugged, such as cleaning game.

There are a number of other grinds available for Bowie knives, such as saber grinds, that are rarer. They have their own characteristics but, largely, chisel and double bevels are the most common that you'll see. Some collectors find the chisel ground blade a bit too utilitarian to be beautiful and some outdoors enthusiasts find double bevels to be too finicky for the great outdoors.

by: Sammy Sabot

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