Backup Blades And Who To Keep Em' Sharp

Y

youfoundnemo

Joined
Feb 5, 2009
Messages
74
I am thinking of keeping a back up blade, one thats always light sabre sharp, and I am wondering what knife YOU would pick, and who you would choose to keep it sharp?

I will be keeping a Benchmade 940 as my back up knife, but Im unsure who I will send it to for sharpening, because considering its a back up knife for emergency cutting tasks, I dont want to be the one behind the stone, EDC sharp I can manage but I would be more comfortable having it razor sharp.

Who does the best re grinds and/or sharpening?
 
I am of the opinion that I maintain my own blades. My backup knife will be used regularly so I am totally familiar with it. I can get all my blades to shave easily. I can't see sending a blade to someone else unless you want to majorly reprofile the edge. I also see no reason that I want my backup blade any sharper than my EDC blade. I want the blade that I use all the time to be just as sharp.

YMMV
Doc
 
I would try practicing your sharpening skills. If you really want somebody for a good reprofiling, try Tom Krein, he's well known and skilled at his work.
 
DocGP said:
...I also see no reason that I want my backup blade any sharper than my EDC blade. I want the blade that I use all the time to be just as sharp.

YMMV
Doc
Click to expand...
+1 to that. Learn to sharpen, because you will be afraid to really USE your knives until you are confident in your ability to maintain the edges on them. Besides, sharpening is fun to do.
 
My sharpening skills are adequate for my edc purposes but I will never be as proficent as some of the members we have here at BF. I would love to be able to sharpen a knife so well that I could push cut toilet paper but i think we can all agree thats not gonna happen =O lol
 
I would pick something with a supersteel and I would choose myself to keep it sharp. I would use a DMT aligner kit and strop afterwards and it will be sharper than I will ever possibly need for any scenario.
 
I also suggest doing it yourself that way when you do need to use it and it dulls some you don't have to send it out to be sharpened up all the time. What if I tell you how you can cut arm hairs above the skin and be able to be close to whittling hairs with your current skills?

If you want to do that you will need to pick up a few things which you should be able to buy with the money you save from not paying someone to sharpen your knife a couple times a year. It can be done with your S30V knife but it's not quite as easy and won't get as sharp as easily. I suggest picking up a knife with M4 blade steel. It has good edge retention and gets super sharp easily. If you can sharpen well enough to shave then you are good.

You need to buy/make a leather strop and order some Hand American (.com) 1 micron diamond spray. You can get any size as it is all priced the same per carat. I personally went with the 18 carat in an 8 oz bottle (about $25). Load up the strop and when your knife can shave then strop it edge trailing for about 5 minutes and it will be scary sharp. You just need to be able to hold an angle slightly less than what the edge is sharpened at. I guarantee you will be impressed with the results, especially if you go with an M4 blade like the Spyderco Gayle Bradley or the M4 Ritter Grip if still available. Plus with the M4 once it does get dull, even where it won't shave anymore, you can just strop to bring back the scary sharp edge and don't usually need to use a stone.

Anyways, that is my suggestion. If it sounds like something you might want to do let me know and I will answer any questions you might have.
 
I have a few Delicas... If I use one and don't have time to sharpen it, I just carry my next one. Then I sharpen everything on the weekend and then have my fresh batch of Delicas again for the next week.
 
I would never trust the edge of the knife I may stake my life on in anothers hands.

Learn to convex the edge on your knife. Then maintain it at hair pushing sharp yourself.

knivesshipfree.com has some excellent videos on their site. And many here will give a detailed description of the process if you ask.

Every one of my knives will easily push hair, wipe it off as though it isn't there. If they make contact with tissue it results in an immediate cut. Just the way I like em.
 
I keep a Spyderco street beat as my back up knife.
I sharpen my all my knives to hair popping sharpness.No matter if it's my back up or my utility.

You should really learn to sharpen your own knives.
 
Knifenut1013 and richard j will do one heck of a good job for you as well. I sometimes send one in then maintain it myself for a long time once it has a killer edge, Nothing wrong with having a knife sharpened by a pro, I like pro's for brain surgery as well.

Of course it is great if you never need anyone to sharpen for you but it does not come naturally to everyone.
 
The first time I got a Spyderco, I was almost afraid to use it since I found the factory edge quite sharp. I was like you thinking of whom I'd get to sharpen it if it got dull. Instead I decided to treat my knife the way I treat my guns, and that's to get to know them as much as possible(I do my own gunsmithing that doesn't need milling machines or lathes). So I took apart my Endura and had a sweaty half hour of putting it back together. I look on sharpening as part of my maintenance routine on my knives. So while I got a sharpmaker, I am practicing as best I can to sharpen my knives freehand(I can get them hair popping sharp at present, no sharper though).
 
Thanks Jim but if Mr. Nemo wants his knife sharpened he will probably need to find someone else.


Nemo, unless you are serious please refrain from sending me emails.
 
DocGP said:
I am of the opinion that I maintain my own blades. My backup knife will be used regularly so I am totally familiar with it. I can get all my blades to shave easily. I can't see sending a blade to someone else unless you want to majorly reprofile the edge. I also see no reason that I want my backup blade any sharper than my EDC blade. I want the blade that I use all the time to be just as sharp.

YMMV
Doc
Click to expand...

Cannot add more to this post. Totally agree with you, DocGP.
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
I also suggest doing it yourself that way when you do need to use it and it dulls some you don't have to send it out to be sharpened up all the time. What if I tell you how you can cut arm hairs above the skin and be able to be close to whittling hairs with your current skills?

If you want to do that you will need to pick up a few things which you should be able to buy with the money you save from not paying someone to sharpen your knife a couple times a year. It can be done with your S30V knife but it's not quite as easy and won't get as sharp as easily. I suggest picking up a knife with M4 blade steel. It has good edge retention and gets super sharp easily. If you can sharpen well enough to shave then you are good.

You need to buy/make a leather strop and order some Hand American (.com) 1 micron diamond spray. You can get any size as it is all priced the same per carat. I personally went with the 18 carat in an 8 oz bottle (about $25). Load up the strop and when your knife can shave then strop it edge trailing for about 5 minutes and it will be scary sharp. You just need to be able to hold an angle slightly less than what the edge is sharpened at. I guarantee you will be impressed with the results, especially if you go with an M4 blade like the Spyderco Gayle Bradley or the M4 Ritter Grip if still available. Plus with the M4 once it does get dull, even where it won't shave anymore, you can just strop to bring back the scary sharp edge and don't usually need to use a stone.

Anyways, that is my suggestion. If it sounds like something you might want to do let me know and I will answer any questions you might have.
Click to expand...

Agreed, but if it is your backup and not regularly used, I'd recommend a stainless steel over M4.
 
wongKI said:
Agreed, but if it is your backup and not regularly used, I'd recommend a stainless steel over M4.
Click to expand...

M4 might not be stainless but it is much more resistance to rust than simple carbon steels like 1084 and O1. I have carried a M4 blade everyday for close to a year, much of that at the coast with salt air, with no signs of discoloration much less actual rust and it gets sharp like no other. The M4 I have seen discolored was done on purpose or from actual use on foods. A simple occasional wipe down should be all that is needed but if it is a major concern then Kershaws 14XXX steel would actually be my second suggestion. It also easily gets very sharp without much effort on a diamond loaded strop, just not as good as M4.
 
Jim: Nothing wrong with having a knife sharpened by a pro, I like pro's for brain surgery as well.

Pros are all well and good, Jim, but Pa always told me, "Boy, if ya want somethin' done right, ya gotta do it yourself."

I saved a heap of money doing my own brain surgery, only thing was I had to make the incision in the front 'cause then I didn't hafta reach around to suture it up...

Parker
 
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