"Bushcraft" Sharp

[BlackPaladin]

Good thread.

Just like you get different tools for different purposes, you need different edges for different purposes.

 

[Rick Marchand]

Again, this is my personal opinion...

A flat ground, hollow ground or any secondary bevel type, could be prone to chipping if honed to a razor's edge. A slightly duller edge would beef up the strength in this case.... BUT wouldn't you essentially be creating a micro-convex edge? With the convex or "appleseed" edge you have more steel behind the edge making it less prone to chipping.... I guess I just like convex way too much... lol....My .02

Rick

 

[foxyrick]

almost razor. I don't like a razor edge on my knife unless I'm skinning or field dressing, which is why I carry two or three knives in my pack. If you put a razor edge on a chopper you're asking for rolled edges or chips. But that's just IMHO.

My experience is that a sharper edge on a chopper is less likely to chip or roll. Those things depend on the steel, heat treat, edge angle and poor technique/mis-hits. (BTW I'm not meaning to imply anything about people's techniques)

If an edge is sharp, it will cut in easily and cleanly, without undue effort. A blunter edge will not, requiring more force and be more likely to glance off a little or hit at an angle, causing the chip or roll.

The very best edge (IMHO) for a chopper is a polished, not-too-acute, convex, finely honed edge. Like a good axe has.

The sharper and better polished, the more easily it will penetrate. The more acute ('thinner') edge will also cut more easily/deeply, but will be more prone to damage. That's nothing to do with sharpness though.

 

[coote]

I quite often start off with a hair-shaving edge, but find that this disappears fairly quickly with a bit of use. However the blade will continue to provide good service well after it has lost its ability to shave.

To test a blade, I sometimes sit it at right angles on my thumb nail and drag it sideways. If it grabs the nail, it is sharp enough for most practical purposes. If it skids over it, it is too blunt. This test should be done at several places along the blade.

I'm sure that every successful outdoorsman hasn't always had a "razor" sharp knife. It isn't always practical to spend the time to get such an edge, and all such a person might have with them to sharpen their blade is a medium pocket hone....or maybe just a rock from a creek bed.

A bit of ordinary mild steel sharpened with a file can have a deadly edge, even if it won't readily shave hair.

I think you just have to consider what it is you carry the knife for. Most hunters, trappers or fishermen probably don't carry a knife primarily to remove their own facial, arm or leg hair. If a few wipes on a cheap stone will enable you to skin and butcher an animal, fillet a fish, or whatever it is you want to achieve...then that is all you need to worry about.

Having said that, I am missing a lot of hair on my left arm.

I've never had a blade which hasn't needed re-sharpening after doing a bit of work. You just have to decide at what stage you want to re-sharpen it....and to what degree.

 

[Fonly]

All my field knives have polished edges. Never had problem cutting rope, and they'll shave the hair of a monkiess ass as they say. Dont know as to them being a razor, they will shave but. Master Hunter has a mirrored convex but its a light comvex, the knife almost has one single grind, awsome cutter. The BK7 is convex as is the Trail hawk and both are convexed. The nimravus has a polished edge, but it has a thin blade with a fine grind so again its a great slicer.

 

[StretchNM]

As SHARP as I can get them. As I've said before, I don;t have any problem getting a knife to dull, so why start halfway there?

 

[siguy]

my favorite knife right now, for every cutting task, is my opinel #7.

i took it down to a straight v grind, and found that just cutting some clear maple i was rolling the edge. it was too thin.

i put a bevel on it, and thickened it a bit, and it has performed flawlessly since. it is still a very thin edge, but it is much sturdier now.

that knife gets scary sharp, i sharpen with a med arkansas stone, and strop with tripoli/rouge, to create a well polished edge with just enough tooth to slice very well.

as far as i am concerned, get your knife sharp and keep it that way, and you won't have to spend as much time repairing it when it is dull. it also makes cutting a pleasure, and the knife nicely glides through whatever it cuts.

i also favor a polished edge because i mostly do whittling and wood slicing, as opposed to cutting a lot of cord or fibrous materials. in an informal test, i found that a toothy edge cut cord the same as a polished edge, but the toothy edge tore the cut more, when the polished edge left a clean cut.