Anyone tried sharpening with a stone using circular motion?

M

Moonw

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Nov 19, 2014
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This seems like a pretty commonly used technique with axes, most of which have convex edges that are supposedly kept.

http://woodtrekker.blogspot.ro/2010/08/sharpening-convex-edge-in-field.html

The stone needs not be round, of course:

[video=youtube;CKpsFLNvTD4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKpsFLNvTD4[/video]

Anyone experienced with this, and could compare it w/ the mousepad + sandpaper / eraser wrapped in sandpaper (or variations, like sandpaper over dowel wrapped in soft-baking material)?

Since the point of contact will be small and "travels" as one moves the stone, conforming to the edge, it sounds quite intriguing and potentially time-saving. The only concern I have is that a kukri's bevel (which one will probably want to take material off of, instead of strictly the very edge) is smaller than an axe's, but still seems doable.
 
Oh, and seems somewhat easier on the wrists / less laborious than using a rocking-motion on a flat stone to keep the convex (or even drawing the kukri along the mousepad, resetting when you hit the end, getting the proper angle before each stroke etc.). And hence, less dangerous for noobs (so me included).
 
I never use a stone because the final angle is already built into the convex. A stone will just re-contour the edge and destroy the existing angle. You could try it but I think it will destroy your edge. I find sandpaper or a strop the best method
 
Thanks, an interesting point.

So - that old mousepad, or sanding block, or spend some time gathering money for an Edgepal! (Not giving any link here, you are all adults and can google that). Or convert another cheap rod guided sharpening system by bending some rods. Or getting one, leave the rods as they are, and use a draw-only motion using a mousepad or leather piece w/ sandpaper instead of a stone.

You can all tell I'm a little bit lazy. I prefer to call myself a "researcher" :D.
 
I used a lansky puck to touch up a small hatchet I have like that. I think it works fine for an axe/hatchet which doesn't need that perfect an edge.
 
With an abrasive like that illustrated I often mix things up, a few straight strokes, some circular, some straight at another angle.

Axes are traditionally convex edged, but they are commonly sharpened with flat files and stones. I had a lot of time under my belt sharpening axes before I ever sharpened a khukuri. The same techniques work for me.

Of course, now I'm more likely to give it a quick pass over a slack abrasive belt on a power tool. That's an option I didn't have in my more peripatetic and frugal youth.
 
Moon, all I have is straight stones. Axes have been no problem like for Howard, and the khuks just get the same treatment. I have a couple that have actually split human hairs.
 
Ok, you two guys got me thinking.

I see no reason why, instead of using a rocking motion with a stone, one could not hold the khuk and simply let the stone follow the convex edge, gently, from edge to the other end of the bevel, and back. So - edge towards spine, and all the way back. I guess that is what you'd do with an axe, using a flat stone or file?

(My Grandfather was a what you'd call "village carpenter", he built everything that could be made out of wood from scratch, including whole wagons pulled by horses. While I always loved tinkering around, he went away before I had an interest in the finer details of his craft. I guess leaving this world older than 90 and having worked every day to support 7 kids, after having been a war, coming back unscathed and probably having lived all his life in the same mountains was what he'd call a good life. Where he used an axe, the cuts looked as precision-made with some electrical saw. Don't recall anything about his sharpening in particular. I dearly miss him.)

Lacking any beater knife I don't care about (with a considerable spine enough to experiment on as I would on a kukri), I'm going to cut up something like this:

Metal_strip_cast_by_Elrod_machine.jpg


- (put to use those thick metal strips I have lying around in the garage) then grind something on it that will resemble a "bevel" and experiment some convexing with a stone. This steel being quite soft, it should be quite fast obvious whether I'm doing something right or not.
 
I have an old puck stone that I use on my tomahawks that works fine, and it is flat instead or rounded. Usually, the first stone I use on a khuk is a flat cheap Arkansas. I hold the khuk in my lap and use various circular strokes to bring out the edge. I finish with a loaded strop (not slack, just a flat piece on a table). I end up with a hair popping yet durable hybrid convex edge that suits my needs.

Yvsa used to say that if you sharpen by hand, you'll eventually end up with a convex of some sort. It's just how the edge tends to progress when you don't force it mechanically.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
Yvsa used to say that if you sharpen by hand, you'll eventually end up with a convex of some sort. It's just how the edge tends to progress when you don't force it mechanically.
Click to expand...

As "skilled" as I am when I try things first (not always - but sometimes), I may end up w/ a perfect "V" edge. :P

Thanks for the tips, guys.
 
ndoghouse said:
Thats the way to do it:thumbup: Dont forget the sharpie!
Click to expand...

I'm so doing that!

For now, I'm going to have some serious talk w/all genuine "El Cheapo" knives in the kitchen and progress from there. Blasphemy for some, but these could've used a sharpening years ago :D.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
Yvsa used to say that if you sharpen by hand, you'll eventually end up with a convex of some sort. It's just how the edge tends to progress when you don't force it mechanically.
Click to expand...
Since nobodys perfect theres much truth to that. If you have a wide bevel you can feel it when its flat on flat but on a convex edge no such thing. Every time you pick it up and put it back down it will be at some different angle depending on how good or bad you are. I use Japanese waterstones for blades without recurve and can keep a nice convex profile on them. I have a coarse one that is so worn I can even get into a recurve with it now. Slack belt is very cool but i dont have a real one now.
 
Howard Wallace said:
With an abrasive like that illustrated I often mix things up, a few straight strokes, some circular, some straight at another angle.

Axes are traditionally convex edged, but they are commonly sharpened with flat files and stones. I had a lot of time under my belt sharpening axes before I ever sharpened a khukuri. The same techniques work for me.

Of course, now I'm more likely to give it a quick pass over a slack abrasive belt on a power tool. That's an option I didn't have in my more peripatetic and frugal youth.
Click to expand...

And forgot to thank you, approximating a curve using an "infinite" # of parallel lines and then just doing some touch-up - very interesting. Have quite a lot to experiment with, thanks!
 
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