Dedigitisation

[AJB]

Hi,

I received my first Crook knife this weekend.

One observation and two questions.

O – Good God, crook knives can really make a mess of your fingers (typing this with my nose)

Q1 – What’s the best technique to use them with out causing dedigitisation! It seems very difficult to keep your fingers out of the way.

Q2 – What’s the best technique to sharpen them? I didn’t think mine was particular sharp when I received it. I have succeeded in knakering it, I think!

Thanks for any help.

AJB

 

[Ogri the trog]

Hey Andy,
I hope your not hurting too badly.
I find the best way to use a crook knife is to brace your knife arm against your body and use wrist action only to move the blade, this way you'll have a limited arc of movement of the cutting edge and it should be a case of keeping other bodyparts out of that arc. If you pull using your arm muscles, that arc can extend right across your chest and as you say cause de-digitisation. Take small cuts to further avoid exerting too much force.
As to sharpening, most recommendations say to use a piece of wooden dowel with wet and dry abrasive paper wrapped around it (progressively finer grades) for the inside surface and a normal flat stone will suffice for the outside surface. Pay attention to the angle you produce at the edge, you'll need to utilise flowing hand movements to get a sharp edge all along the blade.
Are you sure you want to make your crook sharper than it is already?

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[tenbears10]

A bit of practice helps as well Andy. Within 5 mins of getting my crook knife out of the packet I was working out how to get the blood off the spoon I was carving and how to use my thumb with a curved hole in it. But after a few uses it seemed to come together and small cuts using your wrist, like ogri says, work much better.

Good luck

 

[Slimey]

I couldn't really justify the expense of a crook knife so I dug out an old woodworking gouge and sharpened it up. It's about 8mm wide and it works great for carving spoon bowls. I also found a crook knife a bit awkward the one and only time I used one, the gouge is nice and easy to use though. It feels a lot safer to use as you can rest the spoon on a block and keep your fingers well away from the sharp end!

I've seen them for sale at car bootys for pence, pick one up and give it go.

Simon.

 

[sandbender]

Quick question, if I'm holding my crook knife in my right hand should the cutting edge be facing away from me or towards me?

 

[raskusdrotti]

Brilliant Slimey!!

I, like you cannot justify a crook knife - so i'll be at the boot sales this weekend!!
I should imagine that a gouge is easier to store in your kit too

Neil

 

[tenbears10]

Quick question, if I'm holding my crook knife in my right hand should the cutting edge be facing away from me or towards me?

If you are right handed and holding it in your right hand the edge should be facing you.

I nearly sent mine back because I thought it was a left hander but I am assured by those in the know that you use it towards your thumb. Like I said before it feels strange (and painful) at first but it makes sense with practice.

 

[sandbender]

I nearly sent mine back because I thought it was a left hander but I am assured by those in the know that you use it towards your thumb. .

Thanks for that, I have ten spoons with no bowls, so I better get the band aids out

 

[Paganwolf]

band aid your thumb first while your practicing stops unneccesary blood shed

 

[AJB]

Thanks, but I just have to be in the same room with that thing and I start bleeding!