Can anyone convince me on the Harness Jack?...

adoboyo said:
I'm afraid to use it! Even though, I know this was made to be used and I most definitely will.

I have a question regarding the Ebony...When and how can I condition it? Also, I'm curious...how do you guys normally sharpen yours? I have some Shapton Glass Stones that I'll probably sharpen it with tomorrow and a Sharpmaker. And finally, is the awl supposed to be sharp?

Btw, very fast shipping from NWKC! I ordered on Tuesday and got it today (Friday) and I'm in Hawaii!
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Don't be afraid to use it! I understand the feeling though. Been there, you will get over it. That ebony is amazing stuff. The knife in this picture is almost 100 years old. It will hold up to heavy use.
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Go to Wal-Mart, find lemon oil in the cleaning section. It works really well for conditioning wood.

The SGS will a work great for your knife. GEC runs their knives to a high enough hardness that they will take a high grit edge.

The awl was originally used to punch through harness trace leather, which is fairly heavy stuff. It should be decently sharp, but depending on what YOU plan on using it for, you might not need it so sharp.
 
Ouch! using an awl to open a can is a dicey and finger-threatening proposition.
One of the few things you should not do, using a punch, IMO.

I am glad to see people being won over to Harness Jacks!
I first collected them because they were rare.
They shortly became impossible to find, which eventually led me into this fool's game of Special Factory Orders!
Now some people wonder what they would've done without them!
I see now why knifemakers say, their greatest pleasure is when people use their knives!!
 
ALLHSS said:
Has anyone used their awl to open a can of food?
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In an emergency situation, just take your dullest blade with the most obtuse edge and cut an "X" in the top of the can. Peel back the 4 triangles back, being careful to avoid the sharp lid edges. In the woods, you can even curl back two opposing edges over two long sticks to heat the can above a fire/coal bed.

Back to HJs: I'm amazed at the difference in awls and utility. I have one of Charlies HJ2s and the awl comes to a needle like point and has a dull edge along the length. I really like this combination for poking right through leather and reaming it out. I have teen daughters who like to buy women's-sized belts, and I make extra holes for the buckles. They love it.

On the other hand, I have an AG Russell Premium Scout with an awl that has a very sharp edge but a more obtuse point. It's useful for cutting larger holes in leather, but not poking and reaming small holes.

I've seen all kinds of different shaped and designed awls. Awls on slipjoints would make a worthy stand-alone thread, IMHO.
 
Let me tell you, as you get older the love of food&drink begins to catch up with you...the punch has been known to make new holes on an expanding belt..

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RobbW - very good post. Very similar to something I learned, but we would cut a Y in the lid of the can and peel the folds back. The "Y" method involved less cutting. But using the "X" method you mention is fine, and using the folds to to help cook over the fire is a great idea. Trying to cut along the edge of the can is harder, and the curve torques the edge.
 
Sadly, I haven't been carrying mine. I've been buying GECs left and right and I'm still trying to find out what to carry haha. I'm waiting for my KSF Sharpening Kit to put a convex edge on it. I sharpened mine with my SGS and while it's decently sharp, it isn't as sharp as I'd like. I'm waiting to see how I fair using the kit :)

But thanks to Charlie to bringing works of art into our lives. This and the Radio Jack are just too cool :D
 
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