Makeshift knife steel?

[addyb]

I've heard that once a Scandi ground blade is well honed even with hard use a short steeling at the end of the day is all that's needed to return it to "scary sharp." (That statement holds true for my Clipper)

So, what can I use as a makeshift steel for when I'm in the bush? I don't really feel like going out and buying a new steel as the only ones I've found in Nanaimo are full length kitchen steels and I don't find carrying one of those around very appealing.

I've heard of hacksawing a screwdriver shaft in half, using the back of another blade..... anyone want to take a stab at this one?

Cheers,

Adam

 

[tomtom]

do you mean a steel as people use for sharpening chefs knives?

 

[addyb]

Yeah, that's what I'm referring to. I've noticed that even if I abuse the heck outta my Clipper, I just need to give it a quick steel and it goes right back to being scary sharp. Truthfully, I rarely even need to do that as the Clipper's edge retention is amazing. Even so, it's always nice to have something with you in the bush as a safety measure, which is where my question came in. The Clipper is my first fixed blade as up until the last year or so I've only used an SAK in the bush like all climbers do.

But in the past year or so I've found msyelf moving further away from mountaineering and closer to bushcraft as it's a lot more relaxing and enjoyable. It's strange how much knowledge this forum has given me, and I really didn't expect to have 557 posts so soon! Most of those posts have been in the Kit Chatter forum as I'm unbashfully a gear junkie.

So what can I use as a steel? I can't exactly shove a foot long chef's steel into my pack can I?

Adam

 

[Ogri the trog]

Perhaps something like this,
http://www.axminster.co.uk/recno/1/product-Arno-Carbcut-1-19991.htm

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[happy camper]

Am i right in thinking you mean something smooth and hard like the smooth steels to realign and maintain the edge, rather than something abrasive like the ridged type steels that remove steel from the blade to sharpen kitchen knives?
If it's the smooth variety then screwdriver shafts certainly work well on a traditional cabinet scraper so i guess it would work on a knife.
Smooth hard stone like marble or granite also work in a similiar way, i have an old marble "strop" for use on cut-throat razors. I might be mistaken but i think razor steel is relatively soft, which might have a bearing on results.
I've heard of people using the edge of car windows aswell so perhaps a small piece of glass might work. Ceramics are also suitable so perhaps even a fragment of pottery might serve.
I'm just making it up as i go along but perhaps a piece of quartz or similiar crystal could work, if you can find or buy a crystalline "point" then the surfaces are hard and flat and might also work.
Having said all that, i tend to use a piece of leather as a strop to maintain the edge, or even my belt, it works brilliantly and done regularly you can easily maintain a razor edge.

 

[longshot]

I've heard that once a Scandi ground blade is well honed even with hard use a short steeling at the end of the day is all that's needed to return it to "scary sharp." (That statement holds true for my Clipper)

So, what can I use as a makeshift steel for when I'm in the bush? I don't really feel like going out and buying a new steel as the only ones I've found in Nanaimo are full length kitchen steels and I don't find carrying one of those around very appealing.

I've heard of hacksawing a screwdriver shaft in half, using the back of another blade..... anyone want to take a stab at this one?

Cheers,

Adam

hey adam greetings from the other end of the country.

i was at the dollar store the other day and saw a steel about 8 inches long including the handle. i may do for in the pack quick touch ups. and only a buck if you lose it who cares.

dean in Newfoundland

 

[C_Claycomb]

How about getting a drill with a long section of un-fluted shaft and polishing that up? You could even mount the fluted area in a little wooden handle with some JBWeld or similar?

I am not a fan of the steels with grooves, I think they remove too much metal, at least, that is how they behave when I use them, so it could just be me.

Screw driver shafts are not really hard enough, they are not meant to be truely hard, so are often softer than blade steel, they can work, but I wouldn't reckon on one being a long term solution. I haven't even had all that good a success rate using screw drivers on cabinet scrapers, not when compared to using the polished back of a gouge.

I was thinking you might get something like a bit of silver steel rod and harden it yourself, which then led me to the drill question. I have steeled 5 inch knives on just a couple of inches of a steel, so the relatively short length of a drill shaft shouldn't be a problem.

Anyway, these days I am a stropper rather than a steeler...it just works on the knives I have.

 

[Goose]

I would have said pretty much the same as happy camper, just to add the base of a mug or cup is usually missing the shiney coating (I know it has a proper name but can't recall what!) where it was sat in the kiln so you have a nice rough area to use.

 

[laurens ch]

I’ve used a ceramic fuse as a steel which removes a little metal, you have to be very careful with your fingers, but it couldn’t be more portable.

 

[Andy]

Are you using a finishing steel or sharpening steel (smooth and doesn't remove metal or abrasive and does). For a finishing steel a short bit of glass rod works, for a sharpening steel you can get little diamound steels which you could use. Buck sell one but there are cheaper options

 

[pothunter]

Tungsten Carbide rod any good for this application as Ive got a shed full of odd diamter / grade, also some strip?

 

[addyb]

Honestly, I'm not picky about steels. When I use one with grooves, I'm just careful not too use too much pressure or as Chris says, they remove too much metal. Yeah, the smooth steels are sometimes nicer to use.....so I suppose I'm going to need to have a think.

Dean, that's a great idea and I might go grab the girlfriend and take a trip up to a dollar store today and see what I can find. Or another day, who knows!

Chris, I've got a zillion old drill bits laying around in the garage so that might also work. I might have a go with the drill bit idea too.

Thanks for the help guys.

Adam

 

[bloodline]

Im happy using the back of another knife.Works for me!

 

[Hawk Hawkins]

A friend of mine along time back used to carry a 3 inch piece of ceramic rod about 3/8" in diameter that he found in one of those ceramic radiators used for home heating. I asked him where he got it from and he told me he found it browsing through a scrap pile.
It worked wonders on a knife that needed just a touch up...
Hawk