Sharpening a convex, is it different to a scandi?

nigeltm

Full Member
Aug 8, 2008
484
16
55
south Wales
I have a F1 and Lansky kit to keep it in condition...

but

I'm not certain I'm sharpenning it correctly!

Is it just the angle of the grind that's important? I believe the overall process is the same (coarse to fine grit, inceasing the number of passes each time and finish off on a strop with paste) but what about the angle? The convex grind has (if I'm getting this right) a sharp angle which "cuts in" to the edge of the blade and is steeper than the face of the blade.

So is the difference between sharpening a convex and scandi just that the scandi is sharpened on the whole of the face of the blade, while sharpening the convex only removes material from the edge?

Not sure if I explained myself properly but it's the best I can do on a Friday!
 

Ratbag

Native
Aug 10, 2005
1,017
12
50
Barnsley
I wouldn't use a Lansky, I'd use another method. Have you tried using the mousemat + wet'n'dry method? I find that really easy to use on my F1 and H1.

Rat
 

The Big Lebowski

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 11, 2010
2,320
6
Sunny Wales!
The humble mouse pad on wooden block with w&d is the most effective...

With a flat hone, you have to file a series of faces (think 20p shape) and then use a finer hone to round off the corners of those faces, producing the convex 'curve'.
Something best left to the few people (not me) that know how to do it.

Have a read here about convex http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26343
 

Longstrider

Settler
Sep 6, 2005
990
12
59
South Northants
If you are sharpening an F1 by only working at the edge you are definitely doing the wrong thing. F1's are full convex and should be sharpened over the whole of the convex grind if they are to be done properly.
Due to Fallknivens slightly less than perfect approach to grinding, the 'full convex' on an F1 is actually more often than not a 3/4 convex .... but you should definitley be working on the whole curved surface.

It's perfectly feasible to do this with flat hones, whether they be waterstones, a DC4 or similar, or (As I always use) DMT hones.

Here's how I do it .... http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?110303-Sharpening-Convexes-with-Flat-Hones
 

PeterH

Settler
Oct 29, 2007
547
0
Milton Keynes
In a way I am glad to hear you say that Longstrider, I have a "black" F1 which has a tendency to lose the coating when battening greenwood and I was toying with the idea of removing it completely.

It was 2nd hand and Bernie originally tidied the blade at a meet and since then I have just given it the odd run over with a DC4 but it could do with a bit of attention over the long nights.
 

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