Knife Sharpening

[lamper]

Hi All,

First post so go easy!


Just getting back in bushcraft/ultralight backpacking. I have always wanted a nice knife but I wont spend the money on it mainly because I have little idea on how to care for it.

To start with I have bought a Frost Clipper (http://www.greenmanbushcraft.co.uk/cutting-tools/knives/frosts-bushcraft-training-knife-clipper.htm) and a stone (http://www.greenmanbushcraft.co.uk/.../fallkniven-dc3-diamondceramic-whetstone-.htm)

I have watch a couple of videos on youtube, and experimented with some old pen knives etc, but I dont want to upgrade my knife until I am happy I can care for it.

****** Stops beating about the bush *********

Basically what I want to ask is...

"What stone would you recommend for out in the field, and for at home" --- Ideally I would like a dual sided one for the field to keep the weight down but I am unsure what I should be looking at.

Any and all advice will be welcome, please just bear in mind I dont want to spend loads of cash on something whilst I am still fine tuning my technic etc.

Thanks all in advance.

 

[Tadpole]

Hi All,

First post so go easy!


Just getting back in bushcraft/ultralight backpacking. I have always wanted a nice knife but I wont spend the money on it mainly because I have little idea on how to care for it.

To start with I have bought a Frost Clipper (http://www.greenmanbushcraft.co.uk/cutting-tools/knives/frosts-bushcraft-training-knife-clipper.htm) and a stone (http://www.greenmanbushcraft.co.uk/.../fallkniven-dc3-diamondceramic-whetstone-.htm)

I have watch a couple of videos on youtube, and experimented with some old pen knives etc, but I dont want to upgrade my knife until I am happy I can care for it.

****** Stops beating about the bush *********

Basically what I want to ask is...

"What stone would you recommend for out in the field, and for at home" --- Ideally I would like a dual sided one for the field to keep the weight down but I am unsure what I should be looking at.

Any and all advice will be welcome, please just bear in mind I dont want to spend loads of cash on something whilst I am still fine tuning my technic etc.

Thanks all in advance.

IMHO you almost never need a "stone" in the field. A *strop and some stropping paste is all you need. Look after your edge little and often, and stropping is all it takes. I haven't sharpened my main knife in over 6 months, I use it weekly mostly for carving wood/spoons, battoning fire wood for my hobo, even for prepping larger quantities of meat in the house, as well as all the normal thing a knife gets used for. I strop it couple of time per carving session. And before and after butchering meat. (I have a carbon clipper) a wipe down with oil, afterwards and I'm good to go.

*2 1/2 inch wide, 24 inch long bit of 4mm veg tanned leather, with autosolve as a stroping paste

 

[malente]

Welcome to the forum!

Fällkniven DC4 is a good allrounder. I use it exclusively in the field. It's light enough, small enough, but still big enough to use. 2 sides (rough & fine). Highly recommentded for the price.

Mike

 

[lamper]

Cheers all.

Tadpole: Thanks mate, I look into that as it will probably be lighter than a stone.

For home though....

Malente: I have the DC3, its the 4 a double sided one? (is this the one you mean? - http://www.greenmanbushcraft.co.uk/.../fallkniven-dc4-diamondceramic-whetstone-.htm)

 

[Treemonk]

Lamper, I think fundamentally you need to learn how to use a bench stone, be-it waterstone, oilstone or diamond, and use that system at home for a proper sharpening where you want to produce a really good finish. Use this for the infrequent "big" sharpens.

The DC3 of yours is a good field stone, and is of course, a dual sided stone. The ceramic is good for little and often sharpening.

I agree with tadpole that stropping is underated. A good strop will help maintain a fine edge. I might add that if you are sharpening a scandi grind like your clipper, having the strop mounted on some board stop you rounding the edge profile so much. This is particularly an issue with strops with paste on as they are far more aggressive and will remove more metal.

Do learn how to properly sharpen a scandi edge on a bench stone though - you will then be better able to maintain the blade with other methods.

Hope that helps.

 

[lamper]

Treemonk - It does indeed.

Last thing then, would you recommend any videos or books etc on Stropping/Sharpening?

Thanks again in advance.

 

[Treemonk]

Lamper,
the extras bits of Ray Mears' Bushcraft series are really good - they take you through benchstones and field sharpening very clearly. Stropping is very easy, the DVD section shows him using a belt - you'll get the idea! The great bit about having it on DVD is that you can play/replay/freeze to confirm whats going on. I think all these are on youtube or veoh, but then you could always get the set and enjoy the rest of the content! I think this sequence is probably the clearest I've seen it put accross - barring having an instructor behind you - so very much recommended.

After that - practice makes perfect!

 

[Leonidas]

Ever wondered why Ray Mears shows two different blades in the sharpening section of his video's? (Not a criticism, he is being very practical)

In the field he sharpens a blade on a DC4 if I recall correctly, a blade with a small, almost micro bevel, essentially a bevel similar to your average kitchen knife....You could also sharpen this type of bevel on a rock or steel if needed..

Back at camp (or home) with the water stones (and I have a full set, they are awesome) out comes the scandi ground single bevel..

Why? Ever tried sharpening a full scandi ground blade in the field on a DC3 sized stone.....!

Just my 10 cents towards the practicalities you need to take into account, blade selection really does impact many things including the capacity to keep the edge sharp in the field.

 

[Treemonk]

Good point Leonidas - the DC3 is rather small. I have one on my sheath as a when-all-else-gets-lost backup but generally have a DC4 and/or Spyderco double sided stone in my rucksack or possibles pouch. They are just about big enough to work a scandi edge properly. That and a good stropping on my belt.

 

[Shewie]

Not sure what other folk have already said but I use waterstones at home when there's damage to repair and a DC4 in the field. But to be honest how blunt can a knife get after shaving a few sticks and making a pot hanger. You'll find a strop or a leather belt should be enough to put a nice clean edge back on a blade after a day or two out.
I'd say I use my waterstones about once every three months and prefer to use a butchers steel more often than not.

Have a look at British Reds £5 sharpening tutorial.

 

[Treemonk]

Butchers steel on a scandi edge Shewie? hopefully not! British Red will be along directly to - erm - tell people not to do it probably

 

[Shewie]

I find a steel puts a nice clean edge to a blade, then a quick strop and it's as good as new. Old habits I suppose but I'm always up for learning something new if it's wrong.

 

[British Red]

All a butchers steel will do (used well) is align the edge and bust off the wire after sharpening.

If Rich knows what he is doing - it'll do no harm. Its worth remembering there are both cutting and aligning steels - an aligning steel is very fine and can just tidy up the edge and perhaps impart a micro bevel

Red

 

[Shewie]

I've just taken these rubbish pics Red, sorry I couldn't bothered getting tripod out so they're a bit shakey. Can you tell which kind this is, all I can tell you it's made by, cough, Dick of Germany and it's probably older than the moon. It's got really fine grooves running it's length, so fine you can just about feel them with a your nail.
My father in law gave it to me when I was about 16 and helped him on his butchers stall in the market.
I'd be interested to hear if you know what it is, I've used it on all my knives for about the last 18 years now

 

[British Red]

Made by Friedr Dick who have been been making files and steels for more than 200 years. A very reputable firm making professional quality steels (no kitchen toy that) - they make knives now too

http://www.dick.de/en/index.php

If you look on the site they give you instructions on proper use (not that you sound like you need it)

http://www.dick.de/en/productdatabase.php?warengruppe=325&sprache=EN&hauptgruppe=600

- and all the grades they still make

http://www.dick.de/en/productdatabase.php?warengruppe=326&sprache=EN&hauptgruppe=600

http://www.dick.de/en/productdatabase.php?warengruppe=327&sprache=EN&hauptgruppe=600

Yours looks pretty fine to me - if you like it and it keeps your edge in nice condition - keep on keeping on

Red

 

[Leonidas]

I find a steel puts a nice clean edge to a blade, then a quick strop and it's as good as new. Old habits I suppose but I'm always up for learning something new if it's wrong.

I still get cold sweats when I see or read about steels being used on blades.....
(Only in relation to one specific blade)

Made a blade for a friend as his birthday gift.
Mirror finish, gorgeous black buffalo horn handle, scandi grind, sharpened on water stones (so even the bevel was like a mirror) and stropped to perfection, wrapped in a matched leather sheath.

Learned a week later that he had been fiddling and resharpened it with a steel.
Whilst it was his to do with what he wanted, words cannot express..............and this is also a public forum......:twak: :AR15firin :BlueTeamE

Please do not misunderstand, for blades with a small secondary bevel a steel is great for blades primarily used for slicing.

That feels better....My phsychiatrist just thought it would be good to share as part of my rehabilitation.....

 

[lamper]

Guys, you really are a fountain or knowledge. Thanks for the tips.

I'll gonna have a look at a DC4 (as its a little bigger than my 3), read up on stropping, and I'll order the Mears DVDs.

 

[lou1661]

Hi,
You could tey youtube there is quite a few sharpening videos on there, maybe even the one off the ray mears dvd.

cheers
Louis

 

[beamdune]

Probably worth reading this before going at your clipper
http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54593&highlight=is+your+mora+sharp