Requires
- Leatherman TTi
- 3 x Inner bicycle tube 1", 1/2", 1/2",
- 3 x Chopsticks all matching with squared edges, They don't actually need to match in the field, but it would take longer if your using two stones and need to keep untying and tying.
- Strip of para cord or boot lace 24" or so long
- Sharpening stone x 2 if you want (I use japanese slip stones) DC4 and DC3 etc would work just as well though.
Set up
1) Open the pliers and extract your large screwdriver bit, do not open it fully, let it stop 90 degrees from open angle...your back plate.
2) Wrap your one inch inner tube over the ends of the pliers, this automates them with quite a bit of force.
3) Place a square edge of the chop stick, against this so it sticks out only one inch on one side.
4) place the inner tubes left, each over on end of the stick.
5) Twist each small tube over the back handle of the leatherman. This places your angle bar.
6) Wrap and tie the sharpening stone to the end of the chopstick
Use
Placing your knife on a solid surface blade down. Take with both hands the TTi, and open the pliers, slip the pliers over the end of the ricasso, until it locks in as far as it will go, there may be a little bit of wobble, and it helps if your guard/wooden handle is squared here...
Sharpen using light strokes with your stone whilst holding the knife handle with one hand.
Remove knife and swap the side of the chop stick sticking out, then repeat strokes on other side.
Start with enough strokes on one side to bring up a burr, count this and use the same number of strokes on the other side, reverse and halve the number, reverse and bring the number to just a few strokes. Making the burr smaller on each completed pass.
Tie your finer stone to the other chop stick and finish off using the above method...
This is the easiest field sharpening angle consistent system I have ever came up with, And I would appreciate it being called the 8thsinner's TTi sharpener. all the better because you can make the chop sticks yourself. And as an alternative you can use any thin stone, or even tiny strips of wet and dry for the whole thing, this would obviously change the angle, so what ever you choose stick to it..
Another advantage is that this system at least on my model works quite well for the convexness, the blade can be tilted perhaps 3-4 degrees and can sort of manage a relief grind, helping the convex nature of the grind. The strop that I use anyway, polishes quite aggressively and helps to maintain the curvature, so I am not too worried about ruining anything.
My blade is D2, which is notoriously hard to field sharpen at high rockwell grades. This system removes any doubt about my choosing it.
Without a strop this leaves the edge of my Bark river hair popping sharp with virtually no effort.
With two finishing strokes each way on a strop it buffs it perfectly, and cutting paper with it is near enough noiseless. letting the blade tip rest on the skin, holding the tip of the handle all you need do to slice the skin, is move it about 2mm, and thats cause i went to far. that left a cut I cannot see without forcing the skin open. And yeah I know most people don't test their own blades on skin like this, but I have always thought the only way to really test a skinning suitable blade is to see how little effort I can get away with using.
Basically this thing cuts like a dream now, And I thought I was pretty damned good with convex hand stone sharpening already.
Really nothing beats an angle system most especially for making your blade last as long as it possibly can before a replacement is needed.
And before you ask, for pictures try and follow the instructions, it's not difficult and is a system worth learning.
- Leatherman TTi
- 3 x Inner bicycle tube 1", 1/2", 1/2",
- 3 x Chopsticks all matching with squared edges, They don't actually need to match in the field, but it would take longer if your using two stones and need to keep untying and tying.
- Strip of para cord or boot lace 24" or so long
- Sharpening stone x 2 if you want (I use japanese slip stones) DC4 and DC3 etc would work just as well though.
Set up
1) Open the pliers and extract your large screwdriver bit, do not open it fully, let it stop 90 degrees from open angle...your back plate.
2) Wrap your one inch inner tube over the ends of the pliers, this automates them with quite a bit of force.
3) Place a square edge of the chop stick, against this so it sticks out only one inch on one side.
4) place the inner tubes left, each over on end of the stick.
5) Twist each small tube over the back handle of the leatherman. This places your angle bar.
6) Wrap and tie the sharpening stone to the end of the chopstick
Use
Placing your knife on a solid surface blade down. Take with both hands the TTi, and open the pliers, slip the pliers over the end of the ricasso, until it locks in as far as it will go, there may be a little bit of wobble, and it helps if your guard/wooden handle is squared here...
Sharpen using light strokes with your stone whilst holding the knife handle with one hand.
Remove knife and swap the side of the chop stick sticking out, then repeat strokes on other side.
Start with enough strokes on one side to bring up a burr, count this and use the same number of strokes on the other side, reverse and halve the number, reverse and bring the number to just a few strokes. Making the burr smaller on each completed pass.
Tie your finer stone to the other chop stick and finish off using the above method...
This is the easiest field sharpening angle consistent system I have ever came up with, And I would appreciate it being called the 8thsinner's TTi sharpener. all the better because you can make the chop sticks yourself. And as an alternative you can use any thin stone, or even tiny strips of wet and dry for the whole thing, this would obviously change the angle, so what ever you choose stick to it..
Another advantage is that this system at least on my model works quite well for the convexness, the blade can be tilted perhaps 3-4 degrees and can sort of manage a relief grind, helping the convex nature of the grind. The strop that I use anyway, polishes quite aggressively and helps to maintain the curvature, so I am not too worried about ruining anything.
My blade is D2, which is notoriously hard to field sharpen at high rockwell grades. This system removes any doubt about my choosing it.
Without a strop this leaves the edge of my Bark river hair popping sharp with virtually no effort.
With two finishing strokes each way on a strop it buffs it perfectly, and cutting paper with it is near enough noiseless. letting the blade tip rest on the skin, holding the tip of the handle all you need do to slice the skin, is move it about 2mm, and thats cause i went to far. that left a cut I cannot see without forcing the skin open. And yeah I know most people don't test their own blades on skin like this, but I have always thought the only way to really test a skinning suitable blade is to see how little effort I can get away with using.
Basically this thing cuts like a dream now, And I thought I was pretty damned good with convex hand stone sharpening already.
Really nothing beats an angle system most especially for making your blade last as long as it possibly can before a replacement is needed.
And before you ask, for pictures try and follow the instructions, it's not difficult and is a system worth learning.
:sad6:
