Sharpening Knives
 

Every Bug Out Bag should have a knife.

What is the best way to sharpen one. I have heard of people saying they can sharpen them razor sharp but I can't.

Best edge I get is with a stone then a kitchen knife steel.

What is the best knife to have something like a K Bar or a lock blade?

E-A

Re: Sharpening Knives
 

Didn't your grandpa teach you how to sharpen a knife? :Sorry:

Those V knife sharpeners will ruin a knife in a hurry. Better to buy an extra knife and learn how to sharpen it correctly. I'm sure there are videos, or maybe you can find someone who knows how to teach you.

I have a tungsten/diamond "stone" that I bought at Wal mart for under 10 bucks. It is about 1"x 4"x 1/8". I keep it on the dash of my truck, so it's usually near, but I also have one in my medicine box (for vet work on cows) and one in my hunting backpack. It would be really handy for a bugout bag as it's small and light. The only drawback is that you must be careful not to miss the tiny stone and cut your fingers.

Or you could buy a couple of serated edge knives and throw them away when they get dull, forgetting the sharpening prob all together.

Personally, I like to carry a "trapper" style knife with two blades, no lock. I keep one blade sharp and use it for cutting whatever comes along, the other I keep ultra sharp and it is for cutting more important things. Mmm, mountain oysters.

Re: Sharpening Knives
 

I sharpen with a stone but it never seems sharp enough. Then I use the steel and I feel the catchness as I run my finger accross the blade.

They seem sharp but not razor sharp.

Thanks

E-A

Re: Sharpening Knives
 

Is 440 Steel carbon steel or is it stainless. My 30 yr old lock blade has that steel and its the sharpest.

E-A

Re: Sharpening Knives
 

A Lanskey is the failsafe method for "as sharp as it gets".

The bottom rim of a ceramic cup or bowl (it's not as glazed) works as a rough cut and can be smoothed with a steel.

It's got more to do with keeping a steady angle than anything else though.

Re: Sharpening Knives
 

I don't know about the 440, but I prefer carbon steel, or Solingen steel, which to the best of my knowledge is a combo of the two.

One trick that may help is using a piece of leather to "strop" the blade after you sharpen. Basically you rub the blade backwards from the cutting edge and almost horizontal with the flat side of the blade. It polishes the small imperfections out of the edge.

You may be getting a similar effect from the steel.

What kind of stone are you using? There are different coarsenesses, from very fine honing stones to extra coarse grit. If your stone is very coarse, it may be harder to get a keen edge.

Gasilat- Sorry, I didn't mean to step on your toes. You said it would remove a lot of metal, I was agreeing. I just don't want a lot of metal removed from my blade. :tee:

Re: Sharpening Knives
 

Yes the leather strap works. I've got an old Gerber piece of steel that has a bit of roughness on the sides, and and a buff surface on the flats.

It cleans the edge pretty nicely.

Re: Sharpening Knives
 

I never did use a leather Strop before but I bet your right it probably takes the finest part of the blade and straightens it.

It seems I remember wood scrapers would actually have a microscopic curl on the blade and the steel and strop probably smooth out the curl.

E-A

Re: Sharpening Knives
 

I generally use a ceramic bar for sharpening. I try to get the concave going on as it really holds for a long time. This takes a lot of practice, but basically you start with strokes that are almost parallel to the blade and slowly work to a 45 degree angle, alternation sides or you might get the blade to bend.

If you bend the cutting blade, a tiny amount will likely break off and it will seem really sharp for about two cuts. Then you'll be really frustrated.

I've stroped with steel, but have never gotten the leather thing to work-- or rather, I can't tell the difference.

It also doesn't hurt to whip out a magnifying lense and take a closer look.

Re: Sharpening Knives
 

Best knife sharpening i have seen.

Spyderco Spyderco Tri-Angle Knife Sharpener

http://www.survivalschool.com/produc...s/spyderco.htm

Just the first link I found, you can find them a number of places.

Hard to say how killer this thing is.

I was given a gift certificate from friends at a particular store, Couldn't find anything I wanted, so tryed this because the guy said they were great. Wasn't very impressed _wrong_

This thing will put a great edge on anything, and keep it there relatively easy. I tossed all of the other knife sharpening stuff in a box that hasn't seen light since.

use the two triangular medium grit stones first

Slice straight down - ten times on the left, ten times on the right.

put in the fine grit round ceramic stones - ten down on the left, ten down on the right -

Slice down thru some newspaper, remove the excess from the blade, polish by drawing the knife backwards along and old wide smooth leather belt (imitating a leather strop)

You can shave with it then.

Initially, you may have to do the medium grit a good bit more to build up the angle.

All of my knifes have the best edge they've ever had. This won't ruin anybody's knives.

it will likely be the best sharpening system you will ever see.

I paid Fifty. Best fifty I've ever spent on knives.

Re: Sharpening Knives
 

I carry lockblades in my pocket for the emergency situation that thankfully hasnt come up yet.

I used to buy $50 knives like SOG or Spyderco but I lost them one to many times. Now I find that I can get a decent SW knife at walmart for $20 or even a cheapo Chink shank for $10. The virtues of a cheap lockblade are that a) no big deal if you lose it, b) no big deal if you have to ditch it and c) therefore you will carry it with you more frequently and will be more likely to have it on hand if the going gets tough.

Since I dont use them for utility stuff, they have the edge they were bought with and I dont need to sharpen.

But the easy thing to do if youre going to be using a utility knife that will need resharpening is get carbon steel, skip the stainless. Stainless is just a pain in the neck to sharpen, simple as that. I got an old kabar that is carbon steel, awesome shiv.

Re: Sharpening Knives
 

I agree. Spyderco Sharpmaker.

And it even comes with a DVD that shows you step by step how to use it.

My little sister got one and now I don't have to sharpen her kitchen knives anymore. And this is a woman who never does ANYTHING mechanical at all.

Some thing you buy and then they end up in the attic. The Sharpmaker will earn a place where you can reach for it regularly.

Gregg

Re: Sharpening Knives
 

Well, I have used many methods over the years to sharpen knives and never got one sharp enough to shave hair until I used chrome.
Chrome works and everyone has some.
You can use a crescent wrench, a large screwdriver, deep well socket.. A 3/8 or � extension works best.
Textured finish is better than smooth.
I herd a bunch of s**t the first time I told my crew about it, but when I showed them, the s**t talk ceased.
Use it like in this animation.
An old man showed me. Old folks know stuff.
OD

Re: Sharpening Knives
 

The link below shows thre models - I believe it said white, single and double - which do you suggest?

Re: Sharpening Knives
 

There is a ton of info on knife sharpening on the web.
Google [knife sharpening]

I use stones (carborundum, arkansas/washita) and steels
(three styles). Some day soon I want to get a Japanese water stone.

Since my carborundum is clogged up, I use kerosene
(in a clicky can, not a pump oiler) as a cutting fluid instead of oil.

Lately I have started clamping the steels in a vise.
Seems to work much better. BTW "they" say a steel is used to
straighten the edge. I don't buy it. A steel removes material.

I can get a razor edge on some of my good knives but it takes some
time. I can get an almost razor edge (good enough for gummint work) quickly, and since I sharpen some of my ordinary shop knives
daily, ... that's what I usually I do.

Sure fixed blades are the strongest, but how often do most
people carry one? Lots of people carry folders every day.
Make sure any folder you buy in the future has an "AXIS" lock.
I have had a liner lock (AFCK) fail, resulting in the blade nearly
closing on my fingers. I have nothing to do with Benchmade,
... they are the only maker of knives with "AXIS" locks, I think.
I loved my AFCK, but after it failed on me, I got a Benchmade /
Elishewitz #730.

dtnwn

Re: Sharpening Knives
 

obtuce duce-

Ahl be, .... flat side of a rarely used
1-5/16" combo wrench,
worked pretty damn good on my
Benchmade #730.