Crooked knife sharpening...again!

[Toadflax]

I know that this subject has been done to death in previous posts but I was wondering about the viability of final honing a crooked knife using a kitchen steel (like I use for the carving knife).

The finest grit sandpaper I've been able to get easily is P320 and with this wrapped round a dowel (actually a drumstick) I seem to get a fair edge, but I'm not sure if this is fine enough to give a good edge on a crooked knife (given that the DC4 fine side runs to something like 2000-3000 grit).

So does anyone know if a kitchen steel will do the job, or should I be searching for a much finer grit sandpaper than 320? Or what about a tubular strop, a piece of leather glued to a dowel...has that been done?

Thanks


Geoff

 

[Whittler Kev]

Google the micro pics of the effects of different sharpening systems and you will see that when you use a steel to sharpen a knife, you get a micro serrated edge that only holds for a short time (it's why butchers are sharpening every few minutes) that is good for separating the meat fibres, while emery paper and then polishing gives a fine continuous edge that keeps sharp for yonks and gives a smoother cut.
The best way to find out of course is try it, and then post your answers up here. Become a Kinaesthetic instead of a visual learner

 

[Tadpole]

for both my spoon/crooked knives I use wet and Dry P600 glued to a dowel, and stropping with a thin bit of leather also glued to a dowel, You Can go much finer if you like but I've found P600 and stropping with paste is more than enough for me.

 

[FGYT]

400 or 600 gt and polish on leather loaded with solvol autosol is plenty

use a bit of 1" x 1/4" by 6" batton and curve one side to match the internal curl of the spoon knife (sort of like a half round file ) then you an use the flat side with the grit paper for the outside and the crved sde forthe internal

i generally only polish the outside and have a strip of leather glued ot a bit of flat wood

Tip if you can clamp the spoon knife in a vice and use the batton and leather 2 handed like a file etc

this is how i finish my blades for making spoon knives

once sharp you should be able to maintain by just using the leahter strop stick by hand regularly before after and during long carving etc before you need ot use the 400 gt again

ATB

Duncan

 

[MartiniDave]

How about a double edged one like the frosts 162?

Dave

 

[FGYT]

How about a double edged one like the frosts 162?

Dave

exactly the same just have to do both sides

ATB

Duncan

 

[MartiniDave]

OK Duncan, but I can see the odd cut thumb coming up though!

Dave