"Carl's Lounge" (Off-Topic Discussion, Traditional Knife "Tales & Vignettes")

Here is a nice article by R.J. Beatty about carrying a knife in this day and age. I love this part ...

"And now the council's deemed necessary these new security measures -- at 10,000 for the equipment, with another $2,700 a year for guards to operate the stuff. Their constituents might disagree with me, and think that's a wise use of resources.

"But I think it's more likely they're overreacting to a problem that, if it even existed in the first place, consisted mainly of a guy half-asleep in a meeting waiting on his zoning item to come up, who had his dad's old Case knife slip out of his pocket and clatter on the floor." :)

-- Mark
 
Hey everybody, could some of you explain to me how to sharpen with a regular oil/whetstone? I have always used a Sharpmaker because I'm lazy and always got decent results from it, but I want to learn the more "traditional" way of sharpening a knife, plus it would be easier to sharpen my knife anywhere, because there are more stones around than Sharpmakers. I was trying the "circular motion" type of technique on a crappy chinese Schrade barlow and it was working Ok, but the edge just looked sort of scratched and chewed up. Is this normal? Or am I doing it wrong?
 
thesouthernguitarist said:
Hey everybody, could some of you explain to me how to sharpen with a regular oil/whetstone? I have always used a Sharpmaker because I'm lazy and always got decent results from it, but I want to learn the more "traditional" way of sharpening a knife, plus it would be easier to sharpen my knife anywhere, because there are more stones around than Sharpmakers. I was trying the "circular motion" type of technique on a crappy chinese Schrade barlow and it was working Ok, but the edge just looked sort of scratched and chewed up. Is this normal? Or am I doing it wrong?
Click to expand...

I don't know about chewed up looking. When I do it, the edge just looks kind of dull finish like it was stopped on some scotchbrite, but it's sharp enough to shave with. What grit are you using?

Try a 600 (medium) grit eze-lap model L. That's what I carry in my wallet to sharpen up any where. I use very small circles, and no water or oil. Just hone dry. Do about a minute per side, and maybe two minutes on very large blades. When you have it sharp enough to slice news paper, strop the heck out of it on the back of your belt, and it should shave arm hairs at this point.

I wish somebody with a video camera was around here so I could post a video on how to do this. We need an old time sharpening get together, maybe over some good BBQ!

Carl.
 
that would be really cool!!! Thank you for answering my question. The stone I'm using is a Case "Soft" stone, they didn't give it a specific grit, they just call it soft. I think all of us would really like it if you could post some pics or videos on your knives, techniques, etc.
 
That's probably a soft washita stone, a good natural stone kind of medium grit. It should work okay. It may be a matter of just practicing the technique for a bit till you get to feeling natural with it. I've done it with everything from my old boy scout pocket carborunum stone I found in the attic, to a diamond hone. The medium does not matter as much as the method. And don't try too hard, you have to relax and not think too much about it or it messes up. Kind of like instinctive shooting with a recurve vs the modern compound with all the gizmos. You have to just go with the feel of it. Just relax and listen to the shhh, shhh, shhh of the blade going around.

Carl.
 
Hey guys! thought i'd share a VERY new change in my life as it stands...I've been over weight for quite some time, right through high school and struggled with it for years after (granted I'm only 27), anyway I made the descision to make as many aspects of my life healthier that I can. I am cutting my addiction to energy drinks 100%, coffee is gone, soda as a whole will be phased out. I already eat pretty healthy but am working on making it a lot better and get back to the gym focusing on cardio (i'm already built like a house, VERY large arms/shoulders from being a machinist).

Its definitely not easy to change aspects of the day to day that you are so used to but it'll be a good change, I wanna be healthy when my first kid comes along (we're planning kids once I'm back in the US)...so hopefully this is the beginning of the new me, and can get back into some contact sports :D

Wish me luck!!!
 
Robert,
Here's wishing you good health now and in the days to come.:thumbup:

Carl,
Some of the photo shops around my area offer rentals. I rented a video camera for a week a few years ago when I went on vacation to Yellowstone. Would that be an option for you?
 
jackknife said:
I don't know about chewed up looking. When I do it, the edge just looks kind of dull finish like it was stopped on some scotchbrite, but it's sharp enough to shave with. What grit are you using?

Try a 600 (medium) grit eze-lap model L. That's what I carry in my wallet to sharpen up any where. I use very small circles, and no water or oil. Just hone dry. Do about a minute per side, and maybe two minutes on very large blades. When you have it sharp enough to slice news paper, strop the heck out of it on the back of your belt, and it should shave arm hairs at this point.

I wish somebody with a video camera was around here so I could post a video on how to do this. We need an old time sharpening get together, maybe over some good BBQ!

Carl.
Click to expand...

Carl, I need to learn to sharpen, and I need some good BBQ. No video camera though.
 
pjtiA.jpg


At the funeral for Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson (killed a couple weeks ago in AFG), his dog guards him one last time
Click to expand...

Very sad indeed.
 
I got to teach my 16-year old son how to use a chainsaw today. I used to cut timber for a living, but that was many years ago, and there isn't much call for me to use a chainsaw anymore. It's always fun when I get to fire one up. I wasn't too worried about Tim, but though my wife was going to have a heart attack watching her baby boy. We took plenty of time to go over saw operation and safety, then I talked him through a couple of cuts. He did a great job and it was fun passing along some knowledge that I figured was just going to spend the rest of my life sitting inside of my head.
 
Ever since I can remember, the main way to heat my fathers house has been with wood. I've been stacking firewood since I was a kid, and chopping, splitting and cutting wood with a chainsaw and maul since I was about 14, 15 (big kid ;)). It is a pain, but a good feeling when you are done, on a cool fall day, to see the wood pile you put up (okay, it started out being the woodpile my father and I put up, then the woodpile my little brother and I put up ;)).

Also, chainsaws are just plain fun!
 
Thanks Carl. :thumbup:

Well, after much trial and tribulation, the flatbed Toyota is up and running, just as the 4Runner is in the shop. If any MD BF members see this, (hey popedandy), you should join us. Carl is good people and the bbq is damn good. I promise to only bite those that get too close to my sandwich.
 
That image in post #1651 is just too sad for words. (My Weimaraner laying on my left leg as I type this.)
All I can think to say is godspeed.
 
Next time I fly to the US (for any reason), I'll make sure I leave a couple of "extra" days to organize some meeting of the sort.
Meanwhile, the video chat would be great.
This is one of the reason why I love this subforum.
Fausto
:cool.
 
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