Need help with cleaning this old not-so-sharp

[loz.]

Hi,

Had this since demob - been used for camping/gardening - and never cleaned - sharpened !

I know im very bad.

Where do i start - and can these be re-handled with ease ( note the tape holding my handle on ).

I have no real tools to aide a clean up - for shrpening my other tools - i use Reds 10 pound wetndry kit ! ( red rocks )

Thanks

Loz

 

[Johnboy06]

I posted similar question bout an opinel knife (smaller scale) general advice was wd40 and something to scrub with eg one of those abrasive green washing up sponge. As for sharpening i only know wats been put on the threads. Someones got better advice probs :

 

[spamel]

Go over to british blades and you will see a thread about martindale machetes, or the old tree beater as it is better known to soldiers, and it has been reprofiled and with a better hand grip put on. I can't remember for the life of me who is doing the job, but it is fantastic work.

Some emery or wet and dry on a wooden block will do a good job of getting rid of the surface rust, you can get coarser grades to sharpen it aswell, and if you use the wet and dry and a mouse mat to make a "Hoodoo hone" (do a search on it) you will be able to put a convex edge on which will give you a better edge and is quite easy to maintain. I'd do a search if I was you, there is so much info out there!

Good luck!!

 

[Stew]

Go over to british blades and you will see a thread about martingdale machetes, or the old tree beater as it is better known to soldiers, and it has been reprofiled and with a better hand grip put on. I can't remember for the life of me who is doing the job, but it is fantastic work.

I'm not picking on Spamel's spelling, just noticed he added a g by mistake that would bugger up your search. It's Martindale.
I was looking at the thread on BB earlier today. Bardster is doing a good job with them! Makes me tempted to get one and mod it a bit!

 

[spamel]

No worries, I'll edit that post to save someone searching for a name that doesn't exist!!!

Cheers!

 

[bent-stick]

I got a decent edge on mine with my scythe stone. Wire wool and oil or wd40 if you want to remove some of the rust.

 

[loz.]

Thanks All !

I'll have a look and post when im done !

 

[spamel]

Here's that link, as you can see the handle was removed and the whole tang reground to move the eventual new handle forward towards the cutting edge. That way, the tang goes through the whole handle instead of 3/4 the way through.

http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33839

 

[rapidboy]

This just reminded me of one of my earliest projects.
I found this in a pile of scrap metal, scales rotted away and very heavily pitted.
Spent about a week working with wet n dry to clean it up .
I was only 14 at the time and my father had just got a new band saw so i found some oak from an old bed and I used that for the scales and scabbard.
I remember being amazed at how thin i could cut the wood on the saw and the idea for the sheath came from that and also the fact that o didn't have anything else to use fof a sheath.
The bolts are just brass bolts with the head turned down by hand on a bench grinder.
Took me ages to do but it was a great project and i learnt to use a lot of tools.

You can hardy make out the joints in the scabbard.
It's was one piece of wood split into 3, the profile of the blade was cut out of the middle piece and the 3 pieces glued back together.

Seems so rough now but back then this was one of my most prized possessions .

 

[spamel]

I like it a lot. Maybe a turks head in spruce root at the top would make it look really nice!!

 

[loz.]

Nice Scabbard !!! Bit over my skill level i think ! Very nice altogether. - And thanks the BB link Spamel, something to aim for maybe in the future !!!!