Chakmak input

[etp777]

OK, working on this Khuk slowly but surely. GOing to make new CHkmak for it(and maybe new karda) but the chakma is what we're considering right now. Using a smaller file I have here, going to grind teeth off one side, leave them on other, going with classic( and more useful) chkama/file setup way they used to. Question is, on smooth side, leave it ferfectly flat, like it is now, or round it some. KNow there are others with morte chkma experience/knowledge than me, but I'm thinking it should be rounded a bit for burnishing inisde curve between cho and sweet spot. Obviously, this isn't the main user part for a Khuk, but with the 15" and unders esp, has seemed to me that a finer edge here, closer to handle, gives you a nice easiliy contorllable part for detail work(that's still a bit big for Karda). But if you put a fine edge there, and curve chakma as a I said, get a great little pull knife/whittler from that part of inside curve, esp. if you choke up to the cho(for once, a useful thing about cho creep, lets you get hand farther up for more control on little work like that)

 

[Bill Martino]

Keep it simple.

 

[Pappy]

The handies Chackmac that I can imagine would be smooth on one flat side and smooth and slightly rounded on one edge. There would be a use for the edge with the file teeth on it also. Other old folks may disagree with me but I seem to have run into most of the files that I have had in my hand that had one side that cut a lot better than the other. That should tell for sure what side to smooth out to use for burnishing. Same with the edges. The edge with the teeth would naturally have to be tapered just a bit on the smooth side of the file. I don't know whether this made sence or just made things a lot more confusing.

 

[Rusty]

If you're going to go for it, get a big thick file. Leave one side with teeth. Make the other as perfectly smooth and flat as you can. Round one edge, the lower, and leave the opposite side flat. That gives you 4 options: a) file, b) rounded edge, c) flat edge to push heavily on to realign blade edges, and d) long flat smooth edge for final dressing.

Course I've been wrong before.