Do you need to know what angle to flat grind a knife? Are you constantly calculating angles over and over again? Finding the right bevel angle for your flat grind is important if you’re aiming for consistent bevels and even edges.
The angle will be determined by the thickness of the blade and the height of the primary bevel. In general, a knife is ground to a tall trapezoid, not a triangle (zero edge thickness). This calculator will work for full flat grinds, single bevel/chisel grinds, cutthroat razors, sabre grinds and scandi grinds.
Not everybody is good at, nor remembers how to do trigonometry. So this calculator is great for finding the angles for your knifemaking requirements.
How to use the calculator:
- Measurement Units: Choose the appropriate measurement unit for your calculations. You can select either “Millimeters” (mm) or “Inches” (in) from the dropdown menu labelled “Units”.
- Bevel Height: In the “Bevel Height” field, enter the desired height of your primary bevels. This measurement is essential as it influences the angle calculation.
- Stock Thickness: In the “Stock Thickness” field, input the thickness of the steel stock you’re working with. This value represents the full thickness of the blade material before grinding.
- Edge Thickness: In the “Edge Thickness” field, input the desired thickness of the blade’s cutting edge. This is the final desired thickness of the cutting edge, before sharpening. This value can be zero.
- Calculate: After entering all the required values, click the “Calculate Grind Height” button. The calculator will perform the necessary calculations to show you the ideal grind angle for your blade. Important note: the angle solved for is the “exclusive” angle (half) rather than the overall “inclusive” angle.
