A Comprehensive Guide to Kitchen Knife Grinds: Convex, Flat, and Hollow

When you go to buy a new kitchen knife, you may notice words like “convex grind,” “flat grind,” or “hollow grind” used to describe the blade. What do these terms actually mean and how do they affect how a knife cuts? This guide will explain the different types of knife grinds so you can choose the best option for your needs.

The Basics of Knife Grinds

A knife’s grind refers to the shape and contour of the blade from the top of the edge to the spine or unsharpened portion. It affects everything from the knife’s strength and durability to food release while cutting.

There are three main types of kitchen knife grinds:

ConvexFlatHollow

The grind is created when the blade is being made. The knife maker starts with a thick piece of steel and uses grinding wheels or belts to thin out the blade. By controlling the angle and direction that the metal is ground, different grinds can be formed.

Now let’s look at each grind more closely.

Convex Grinds

A convex grind means the sides of the blade curve outwards in a convex arc shape. Another name for this is an “appleseed” grind because the profile resembles an apple seed.

This rounded shape causes food to be pushed up onto the blade rather than sticking straight to it. You could say the food “rolls” up the blade contour while chopping.

Also, since it has extra metal behind the edge, it’s very durable. Convex blades don’t chip or roll easily.

However, convex grinds tend to wedge more when cutting versus other grinds. Wedging is when the wide section of the blade sticks in the food, requiring more force to cut through it.

Best for: Meat and vegetables. The strength of the edge and food release make it ideal for chopping tasks.

Common on: Western-style chef’s knives, cleavers, vegetable knives.

Flat Grinds

As the name suggests, a knife with a flat grind has straight sides that taper from the spine to the edge at an even angle. Of the three main grinds, this is the easiest and most economical to produce.

Flat grinds make for thin, sharp edges perfect for precise slicing. Food doesn’t stick much while cutting either. This makes flat-ground knives excel at push-cutting tasks like mincing shallots or slicing ripe tomatoes.

The downside is the thin edge isn’t as durable. It’s easier to bend or roll the edge if you chop something too hard like a butternut squash or frozen meat. Just be gentle with it!

Best for: Slicing, mincing, precision knife work.

Common on: Paring knives, slicers, carving knives.

Hollow Grinds

A hollow grind takes the flat grind concept but concaves the sides to look like a trough. You can picture a standard woodworker’s chisel to visualize this shape.

This thin concave area helps food separate from the blade easily. Air pressure and surface tension essentially push food away from the hollowed section while cutting. Plus you still get the keen edge suited to delicate slices.

However, the thin concave section is vulnerable to chipping if abused. As well, hollow ground knives often have problems with knives sticking into cutting boards due to the highly acute grind angle.

Best for: Slicing meats, vegetables, fruits.

Common on: Asian-style chef’s knives Sakuto Knives, slicing knives like salmons or ham knives.

Hybrid Grinds

You’ll also come across hybrid grinds that aim to balance the qualities of different grinds into one. For example:

Convex hollow grinds: Combines the strength of a convex grind with the food separation benefits of a hollow grind.Flat-convex grinds: Joins a thinner convex grind to a flat bevel for balanced cutting.

There are no set rules – knife makers create unique grinds to achieve the desired cutting performance.

How to Choose a Knife Grind

So which grind is right for your kitchen knife? Here are some tips:

What will you cut? Think about which foods you prepare most. For example, hollow and flat-edge knives excel at slicing fish and meats. Go with a durable convex edge for chopping vegetables.Your cutting style: Do you slice gently or aggressively rock chop? Match your habits to an edge that can handle it.Knife type roles: In general, flatter grinds suit paring/utility roles while convex shapes fit chef’s knives. But there are exceptions!

Getting the right grind for your needs helps the knife perform its best. While you can technically slice tomatoes with a heavy cleaver, having the right grind makes cutting easier and more efficient.

If you’re still not sure, you can’t go wrong with a versatile flat-convex hybrid ground knife. Otherwise, think about which knife jobs are most important for you to help narrow down your choice.

Should You Sharpen Differently Based on Grind?

An important question is whether you need to alter your sharpening method for different grinds. The short answer is no. While grinding forms the original shape, regular sharpening focuses on refining the cutting bevel near the edge.

However, there are a few tips:

Use a slightly lower angle for sharpening very thin edges like hollow grinds.Spend more time thinning behind the edge on convex edges to reduce wedging over time.Pay attention to even sharpening since some grinds have less support metal behind the edge.

But generally, sticking to the factory angle and using the same techniques gives good results across all grinds.

Grinds and Kitchen Knives: Final Thoughts

Understanding knife grinds gives you insight into choosing blades that perform how you need them to. It also builds your appreciation for how subtle design choices drastically change the real-world cutting experience.

While you don’t need to become a knife-making expert, keeping these basics in mind helps you select which knives are best suited to various kitchen jobs.

Of course, the grind type is only one piece of the puzzle as far as choosing an excellent kitchen knife is concerned. But when the right grind is paired with the right materials, design, heat treatment, handle, and fit for the user, you will end up with the perfect kitchen knife.

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