spitewinter october 2010

[shaggystu]

This is a fascinating paper and there are lots of things to be learned from it. But before I tried to make use of any of those things I'd have to ask myself one question:

"Why am I doing this?"

For example the paper does not talk about the actual applications of the blades, nor their edge retention qualities. It looks at the "quality" of the edges entirely in an optical sense, in other words is what it looks like. As I'm a beard wearer, the blade sharpening angles used in the paper are well below anything that I might normally use. This doesn't mean that there's nothing in the paper of value to me, but it means that I need to be careful how I apply it. I don't know for example if a perfectly smooth edge is going to cut what I want to cut any "better" (whatever that means) than the comparatively rough old edges that I normally use, and I don't know if it will last any longer.

cheers for that ged, you have a much greater ability than i do when it comes to explaining things technical.
i do feel that we're trying to say very simliar things.
i've never looked at the edge of any of my blades under any kind of magnification (when sharpening) because i've never felt the need to. to my mind, sharp, when applied to a cutting tool, means "fit for purpose". if the purpose is to take photo's under an electron microscope then a lovely smooth blade is perfect, if the purpose is to carve wood then i'm not so sure that a perfect smooth blade is so good. mr, mears in all his wisdom very clearly states that running a knife along the edge of a landrover window is the perfect way to get a "working" edge. the theory behind that (as far as i'm aware) is that the tiny little serations that the glass imparts on the edge will improve cutting performance. as for longevity i wouldn't know where to start, i'd guess that a slightly rough blade would stay "sharp" for longer than a completely smooth one, but i'm probably wrong.
i think that we all run the risk of massively over-complicating things when it comes to sharpening our bushcraft blades, after all most of us are only playing with our sharps, it's not like we're doing surgery!

cheers

stuart

 

[ged]

... to my mind, sharp, when applied to a cutting tool, means "fit for purpose" ... i think that we all run the risk of massively over-complicating things when it comes to sharpening our bushcraft blades ...

Spot on Stu, and thanks for the compliment that I snipped.

We should probably have started another thread in a different part of the forum if we were going to get as far into it as we have done, maybe I'll start a list of the things I could bring along for us to play around with, in the 'edged tools' section.

 

[Elines]

Ged - thanks for reading that article and summarising at least some of it - the original was much too dense for me. I'm really looking forwrd to the knife sharpening at Spitewinter in October. I thought I had a lot to learn and now I am certain I do.

Stu - thanks for picking up on the idea and running with it.

 

[shaggystu]

... maybe I'll start a list of the things I could bring along for us to play around with, in the 'edged tools' section.

good idea

cheers

stuart

 

[ged]

... maybe I'll start a list of the things I could bring along for us to play around with, in the 'edged tools' section.

good idea

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61469&p=744555#post744555

 

[Wayland]

I'm hoping to make this one.

shaggystu (probably +1)
Elines
Cliv
dave53 (tbc)
PREPER
IntrepidStu
Ged - hopefully
MartinK9
Wayland (TBC)

 

[shaggystu]

I'm hoping to make this one.......

i've put some seriously deep thought into this and as far as i can work out there's no activity known to man that wouldn't be improved by added viking!

look forward to seeing you there mate

cheers

stuart

 

[WolfCrafter]

I'm hoping too to make this one Stu!

shaggystu (probably +1)
Elines
Cliv
dave53 (tbc)
PREPER
IntrepidStu
Ged - hopefully
MartinK9
Wayland (TBC)
WolfCrafter

---------------

Look forward to the blade sharpening after all this insight that's happening here!! :0)

 

[Wayland]

i've put some seriously deep thought into this and as far as i can work out there's no activity known to man that wouldn't be improved by added viking!

look forward to seeing you there mate

cheers

Stuart

Let's hope I can make it then.

It's tight because I've got Middlewood the next weekend and October is a busy month.

 

[IntrepidStu]

Im at middlewood too. Although its beggining to look like there will be more people there than Manchester city center on a Saturday nnight

Let's hope I can make it then.

It's tight because I've got Middlewood the next weekend and October is a busy month.

 

[Wayland]

That's half the fun there, getting the chance to catch up with everyone.

It's nice to do smaller meets too though.

 

[shaggystu]

OP edited to include:

edit:

we may be sharing the site with a group of explorer scouts. they're visiting on the thursday night to have a look at some of our set ups, and camping on the saturday night. i don't see that this will cause us any problems, i just thought you should be aware.

cheers

stuart

 

[shaggystu]

I'm hoping too to make this one Stu!...


...Look forward to the blade sharpening after all this insight that's happening here!! :0)

look forward to seeing you there, i spent an hour on your blog earlier, some great pics, interesting stuff.
the sharpening should be good, still very open to suggestions for other projects as well.

meet list:

shaggystu (probably +1)
Elines
Cliv
dave53 (tbc)
PREPER
IntrepidStu
Ged - hopefully
MartinK9
Wayland (TBC)
WolfCrafter

cheers

stuart

 

[WolfCrafter]

Hi Stu, cheers for talking time to checkout my blog!! :0)

Sorry, I've made a bobo!! Iv booked the wrong weekend off and can only make the following weekend now at North wood!! (I'll see you there though as I see your names on the list!)

Sorry again dude!! means iv got another week to wait now!!! :0(

 

[shaggystu]

......Iv booked the wrong weekend off and can only make the following weekend now at North wood!! (I'll see you there though as I see your names on the list!)......(

no worries mate, hopefully see you next time (next year).

north wood is same as always, subject to approval from SWMBO, i'll hopefully make it down though.

cheers

stuart

 

[shaggystu]

revised list

meet list:

shaggystu (probably +1)
Elines
Cliv
dave53 (tbc)
PREPER
IntrepidStu
Ged - hopefully
MartinK9
Wayland (TBC)

not long to go on this now chaps, looking forward to it

stuart

 

[PREPER]

I'm looking forward to this one, I can only get there for the Sunday night though!
Real life gets in the way sometimes.
See you in a week,

PREPER........

 

[shaggystu]

.....I can only get there for the Sunday night though!
Real life gets in the way sometimes......

shame you'll only be with us for the night, that real life's a bitch innit.

4 days to go!!!!!!!!!!!!

i'm all excited!!!!!!!!!!

anyone else fancy joining us?

stuart

 

[Istvan]

shaggystu (probably +1)
Elines
Cliv
dave53 (tbc)
PREPER
IntrepidStu
Ged - hopefully
MartinK9
Wayland (TBC)
Istvan (from Friday night till sunday)

Regards

 

[shaggystu]

good stuff istvan, see you friday (you bringing your mate, robert?, with you to this one?)

stuart