Best method for sharpening

J

JustNobody

Joined
Jul 15, 2016
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6
My WWII didn't come with a very sharp edge and after an embarrassing accident with a grinder, my khuk now has a couple of dings in an overall very dull edge. I'm curious about the sandpaper/mousepad method of sharpening as it appears relatively easy to perform. Does anyone know what level of courseness would work best for working out a couple of dents and spikes in the edge and getting it to a good working edge?
 
JustNobody said:
My WWII didn't come with a very sharp edge and after an embarrassing accident with a grinder, my khuk now has a couple of dings in an overall very dull edge. I'm curious about the sandpaper/mousepad method of sharpening as it appears relatively easy to perform. Does anyone know what level of courseness would work best for working out a couple of dents and spikes in the edge and getting it to a good working edge?
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If you can post a closeup picture of the edge you might get more specific advice. I guess it's too late to mention that it's not a good idea to use a grinder. :) A file can do anything that a grinder can do on a knife edge, and you have much more control. With a grinder there is also the danger of changing the edge geometry, which will probably reduce chopping performance whether the edge is sharp or not.

Before using sandpaper you should try to remove any rolls, chips or dings along the edge. How to do that depends on the severity of the blemishes. The chakma that probably came with your khukuri is good for straightening out rolls in the edge. You might need to use a file if there are small chips. Again, a photo will help.

Once you are past that and on to the sandpaper sharpening, I suggest that you start with something pretty fine, like 600 grit or 400 grit, and see if that takes off enough material. If not, go to 360, 280 or 150 grit. Once you find a grit that actually sharpens the edge, work your way up the grits until you are satisfied with the result. A good hardware store will probably carry sandpaper up to 2,000 grit, though that might be overkill.

Lastly, if you plan to use your WWII as a chopper, it is not necessary to make the edge "shaving sharp" or very sharp at all. I consider it plenty sharp if the edge will cut smoothly through a sheet of ordinary paper without tearing it. Of course others might disagree. That's what makes horseracing.
 
davidf99 said:
If you can post a closeup picture of the edge you might get more specific advice. I guess it's too late to mention that it's not a good idea to use a grinder. :) A file can do anything that a grinder can do on a knife edge, and you have much more control. With a grinder there is also the danger of changing the edge geometry, which will probably reduce chopping performance whether the edge is sharp or not.

Before using sandpaper you should try to remove any rolls, chips or dings along the edge. How to do that depends on the severity of the blemishes. The chakma that probably came with your khukuri is good for straightening out rolls in the edge. You might need to use a file if there are small chips. Again, a photo will help.

Once you are past that and on to the sandpaper sharpening, I suggest that you start with something pretty fine, like 600 grit or 400 grit, and see if that takes off enough material. If not, go to 360, 280 or 150 grit. Once you find a grit that actually sharpens the edge, work your way up the grits until you are satisfied with the result. A good hardware store will probably carry sandpaper up to 2,000 grit, though that might be overkill.

Lastly, if you plan to use your WWII as a chopper, it is not necessary to make the edge "shaving sharp" or very sharp at all. I consider it plenty sharp if the edge will cut smoothly through a sheet of ordinary paper without tearing it. Of course others might disagree. That's what makes horseracing.
Click to expand...

I'll make paper-shearing sharp my new goal then!
Here are pics of the damaged areas, http://imgur.com/gallery/QiOCH, my apologies for the off-site hosting.

They were much worse, but thanks to that handy chakmak and a whetstone, the damage has been minimized.

I should probably add that this khuk is the only blade I own other than a Buck knife I got from my dad a while back. I'm kind of inexperienced with the whole shebang!
 
What kind of grinder did you use? Not a stone I hope. If your careful a belt sander (I have a 2x42) works great with the right grit belts.
 
Is this a Himalayan Imports khukuri?

The good news is that the two areas that you circled in the photos are nowhere near the "sweet spot" so the steel is probably pretty soft, thus easier to work on. There seems to be another questionable area a couple inches back from the circled area in the second photo, but the picture is too blurry to tell.

I'll let others add their advice about how to work on this. Offhand it looks like maybe a small, fine file with a rounded profile might do some good on the circled areas, before getting to the sanding.

Another point worth mentioning: Do not try to add a secondary bevel at the edge. That almost always detracts from the chopping ability of these khukuris.
 
davidf99 said:
Is this a Himalayan Imports khukuri?

The good news is that the two areas that you circled in the photos are nowhere near the "sweet spot" so the steel is probably pretty soft, thus easier to work on. There seems to be another questionable area a couple inches back from the circled area in the second photo, but the picture is too blurry to tell.

I'll let others add their advice about how to work on this. Offhand it looks like maybe a small, fine file with a rounded profile might do some good on the circled areas, before getting to the sanding.

Another point worth mentioning: Do not try to add a secondary bevel at the edge. That almost always detracts from the chopping ability of these khukuris.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, it was a stone grinder. I learned not to use one the hard way.

That other spot davidf99 pointed out is another damaged area. The mark around it didnt get saved I guess.
 
Id use a file since your not experienced with sharpening Khuks. Forget the power tools period. Use finer less destructive sharpening methods like sandpaper mouse pad etc and you'll be more likely to get positive results. Above all do some study and you will get there. File then go to 200 grit, 400,600, then you can go finer if needed. Use a sharpie to paint the edge black so you can see where you are sharpening. Try to follow the edge angle consistant with the rest of the knife. Khukris should be softer in the recurved area to the cho and are easier to remove material so you should be fine with the file and sandpaper alone to restore it to good as new. Unplug your stone grinder and you will be fine!
 
I think it helps to remember that just a year ago the blade of your fine Himalayan Imports khukri was a scrap leaf spring from a Mercedes or Toyota in a junk yard somewhere down in India, brought back to Nepal by a talented kami who rode with it on the top of a railroad passenger car. In other words, there is almost nothing you can do to it that will ruin it beyond recovery. I find it relaxing to sit with a towel over my lap and the sofa sanding a khukri as I watch TV. Don't worry. Do as others have suggested above and become intimately familiar with your knife and its edge. Once it is cleaned up, sharpened and polished to your liking, then really use it. Uncle Bill used to torture-test his blades and delighted in reporting the results. The HI kamis make some of the toughest blades in the world. In a way you are lucky that you damaged it so that you can experience the process of restoring it. When you are done, the knife will really be yours.
 
It might not be the right way but I have been using a Falkniven DC3 to maintain my edge. It isn't the cleanest edge but I am really just learning the use the stone not the blade method so my technique is still a bit off. Hold the blade immobile & work the sharpener in small circles up & down the blade. Really doesn't take much after a good session to get everything back to better... That is of course after you file those whoopsies out!! Just remember less is better when sharpening everything but lawnmower blades :)
 
I'm fortunate to be friends with leather workers and craftsman who grind my blades for a minimal fee.

I be sure to gift them well with good whisky.
 
I totally understand your feelings of uncertainty and frustration.
I was pretty handy with a whetstone but when I got my first HI I realized I had no experience with a convex edge.
The sandpaper and mousepad method is what finally worked for me. It is easy, inexpensive, maintains the correct edge geometry, and has great results.
You can also, if you are brave, rub the sandpaper on the blade by hand..
As an above poster said, rub the edge with a sharpie so you can see where you are removing metal.
This did a fine job on my Pacthar.

Happy sharpening!
 
Agreed on the post above about using the chakma to try and re-align any rolls or dings in the edge first. I severely rolled the edge on the belly of my Tirtha Farm Knife chopping a larger bit or wood than I should have, so severely that I believe I initially had to tap the roil with a ball-peen hammer before them moving to the chakma. What steel that couldn't be salvaged was ground off.

Per reprofiling the edge, depending on how dull it is, you might consider getting a roll or 60 grit emery cloth from an industrial supplier if you want to remove a lot of steel by hand. I've done this a few times, with the cloth clamped to a length of 2x4 on a table or bench. I'd move on to 100 grit, 180, 220, etc... on up to 2000.
 
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