Sharpening Systems

All Things Sharp and Pointed: compound and crossbows, knives and swords.
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Moin.
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Re: Sharpening Systems

Post by Moin. » Tue Aug 28, 2012 6:14 pm

Mack The Knife Bana wrote:
Also, It's so comparatively easy to ruin a good blade free hand than with a guided system.
Only if you did not know how to freehand.
But my question was comparing the edges free hand vs a guided sharpenin g system by someone who know what's he doing. Can you get a KMT like edge freehand ?
I haven't felt a KMT honed edge, so I really wouldn't know. However, I can get an edge that I would be very afraid to shave with. I think Kyley Harris puts a better freehand edge on his knives compared to what I have seen on the Edge Pro and Wicked Edge promos.

P.S.: Would you really want a scary sharp edge on a user knife? I wouldn't. It's easy to chip or roll a very fine edge. It's all very well for claimimg bragging rights but when I am outdoors, I just want my knife to cut without edge failure.

Kyle Harris is an exception. Fine edge would be say a 17 degree, for outdoor use you can do a 25 degree and the knife can still be shaving sharp. A sharp knife is a safe knife.
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Re: Sharpening Systems

Post by Mack The Knife » Tue Aug 28, 2012 6:18 pm

Skyman wrote:Mack The Knife, can you elaborate on this glass business? Also i know good leather guys can help you out if you wish.
The glass is a backing for the sandpaper. Unlike leather/mouse pad, which compresses a little under the weight of the blade (thereby creating a convex bevel/edge), glass has no give and hence is used as a backing when honing a v or scandi edge. It also has a uniform flatness to it which is desireable. You can always substitute metal, wood or any other hard material for glass.

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Re: Sharpening Systems

Post by Mack The Knife » Tue Aug 28, 2012 6:49 pm

Kyle Harris is an exception.
Not everyone is a YouTuber or needs to promote his/her knives. There are plenty of folks who can freehand sharpen exceptionally well.
Fine edge would be say a 17 degree, for outdoor use you can do a 25 degree and the knife can still be shaving sharp.
My outdoor knives are shaving sharp but that is hardly my test of a knife's true potential for sharpness. I get my knives hair shaving sharp at the 60 or 80 grit level before moving on to the next level.

I think our idea of a SCARY sharp knife differ. You really wouldn't want to get a scary sharp edge next to your skin. Trust me on that.
A sharp knife is a safe knife.
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Re: Sharpening Systems

Post by Skyman » Tue Aug 28, 2012 6:53 pm

Does your use of sandpaper differ with steel grades? DO certain grits work better on certain types of steel?

Also, can you elaborate on your sharpening process, ie- what you start out doing and what are your finishing touches, if any.
I would rather hit my target gently than miss hard.

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Re: Sharpening Systems

Post by Mack The Knife » Tue Aug 28, 2012 7:26 pm

Does your use of sandpaper differ with steel grades? DO certain grits work better on certain types of steel?
Nothing to do with the type of steel being sharpened.
However, if I am reprofiling the edge, say v-edge to convex, then I start at 60 or 80 and go all the way to 6000.
If I feel an edge needs a bit of touching up, I may start at 600 or 800 or 1000, depending on what I think is required.
If I am merely touching up an edge that has seen sparing use at the end of the day, as is my habit, I will only strop it on a compound loaded strop.
Also, can you elaborate on your sharpening process, ie- what you start out doing and what are your finishing touches, if any.
Some other time but I have posted some links on some recent posts and that is primarily the method I use.

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Re: Sharpening Systems

Post by Skyman » Tue Aug 28, 2012 7:49 pm

Thanks for the info.Will try sandpaper sharpening.
I would rather hit my target gently than miss hard.

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Re: Sharpening Systems

Post by Mack The Knife » Tue Aug 28, 2012 8:28 pm

Learn on an unwanted knife first.

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Re: Sharpening Systems

Post by pistolero » Wed Aug 29, 2012 6:02 pm

I was a on quick stop business trip, and just got back, thanks for sharing your experiences.

After reading all the posts Im definitely going to try the sandpaper!

Wanted to discuss Strops and Honing Compounds as well, Im currently using my old belts as strops, I start stropping on a .5 Micron Chromium Oxide and finish with a .25 Micron Diamond paste.

Do let me know what kind of strops & compounds you guys are using.

Look forward to hearing from you all :)
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Re: Sharpening Systems

Post by Skyman » Sun Sep 02, 2012 4:10 pm

Yes Mack The Knife, i will.Aadtha Aadtha Raaga, Balitha Balitha Rooga, as they say.DO you do anything for edge setting?
I would rather hit my target gently than miss hard.

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Re: Sharpening Systems

Post by winnie_the_pooh » Sun Sep 02, 2012 7:49 pm

Wonder how the chaps in India in the old days were able to get anything sharp without all the modern day paraphernalia.....no guided sharpening systems,no edge pro,no diamond hones,no arkansas stones,no leather strops loaded with micron something something....? Yet they were able to cut lots of things including men protected by armor.Perhaps they never felt the need to 'split hair'. A blade is useful several steps below 'hair splitting sharp'....and what is with this trying to use a knife in place of an axe.

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Re: Sharpening Systems

Post by Skyman » Sun Sep 02, 2012 8:28 pm

Whetstones i guess.Same as now.
I would rather hit my target gently than miss hard.

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Re: Sharpening Systems

Post by Mack The Knife » Tue Sep 04, 2012 9:03 am

winnie_the_pooh wrote:Wonder how the chaps in India in the old days were able to get anything sharp without all the modern day paraphernalia.....no guided sharpening systems,no edge pro,no diamond hones,no arkansas stones,no leather strops loaded with micron something something....? Yet they were able to cut lots of things including men protected by armor.Perhaps they never felt the need to 'split hair'. A blade is useful several steps below 'hair splitting sharp'....and what is with this trying to use a knife in place of an axe.
The reason for using a guided sharpening system is the same for why you drive a car and do not ride a horse - freehand sharpening has become a lost skill amongst most urban folk.

Battoning has it's use and place and is a useful skill to know.

As for convexed blades, leather strops and compounds, they are old hat and have been around for centuries, if not millennia.

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Re: Sharpening Systems

Post by Skyman » Tue Sep 04, 2012 5:58 pm

Mack The Knife, do you know if any special compounds were used back in the day? Plain leather i am aware of.And i do believe axes at least were sharpened by whetstones? I guess iron swords were sharpened by heating and hammering, at least in the west.
I would rather hit my target gently than miss hard.

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Re: Sharpening Systems

Post by tandavbaba » Tue Sep 04, 2012 7:35 pm

Dear all,

I would like to share my views about sharping a knife,

Well it is good to keep it sharp but not extremely sharp

I have many reasons for that,
First of all if it gets blunt than you will be heart broken for some time and you might not be able to execute your cutting with a less sharp blade because you are habitual to the very sharp edge, and it also takes a lot of time to resharpen it to perfection, ive done it with ordinary oil stone found in hardware stone(use water instead of oil because oil will attract dust and you will end up wasting some more time with the stone), believe me you might spend 2 hrs doing it, hence keep it sharp not very sharp.

I never use Factory made or imported knives, i get them constructed by a black smith and guide him to do the tempering as per my requirement,
I always use spring steel, its cheap easily available and its easy to construct knives,
i never prefer using stainless steel knives they look pretty but they are good for sailors and they have practically no use for someone who is far away from salty water and humidity, besides you always should remember to keep your knife out of your sheath and cover it with air tight plastic if not using it.

Please never use hollow grind or taper grind knife edges because it is very hard to sharpen them, it would be better for every beginner to use an axe grind or a convex grind.

I make my own knife sheaths too i will soon upload some pics for you, and please do remember that the legal length and breadth of a knife in INDIA is 6 inch blade length and 2 inch in breadth, if you have anything more than that you might end up giving it to the Police walas, i don't know whats your idea about keeping a knife but i never keep a collectors item i usually use a cheap hammer forged knife with a nice sheath and wooden handle that i can use on a regular basis without giving any concern whether some cop will take it from me some day.

Please be Indian and give some money to the Indian Black smiths, the art of blade-forging is at the verge of extinction and we have to support our local blade-smiths, the grand masters are all dead, hence these black smiths might need a little bit of our supervision to craft a good blade, but in the end you will be much happy with a custom made knife specially made for you, hence avoid buying stuff from ebay, u might never know what you are buying and the worst part is that most of these factory made knives never have a heavy spine so go for a custom knife.

regards.

Vikas
Last edited by tandavbaba on Tue Sep 04, 2012 7:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Sharpening Systems

Post by tandavbaba » Tue Sep 04, 2012 7:39 pm

Always remember that knife is a tool as well as a weapon, and use a knife that you can carry everywhere, not too big neither too small.

I have great respect for the Sikh Gurus who came up with this idea of always carrying an edged weapon.

remember that a knife can save lives.
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