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- Mar 22, 2006
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Been debating whether to slightly convex the blades on some of my saks might make touching up a bit easier in the field just by stropping....any thoughts?
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conxex a sak or not...
- Thread starter RescueRiley
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- Mar 22, 2006
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THe steel is definitely soft and responsive...I was also thinking convexing the edge might give the edge a little more support and longevity as well.
Convexing a SAK edge won't give any more support. You're removing material, not adding.
It does improve slicing ability by thinning and tapering the edge bevel.
What I've done on a couple SAKs was to lay the blade flat on a slack belt grinder until the edge bevel goes down to zero. The slack belt creates a convex primary grind, tapering down to a zero edge. No secondary bevel. After taking care of any burr, this transforms the already decent stock grind into near straight razor performance. Microbevel honing takes care of subsequent touch ups.
Convexing just the edge to perhaps 1/8" wide is easier(especially if no power tools are available), and offers near identical results, as long as it tapers down to zero. Go for eliminating the original bevel, which can be clearly seen when reflecting light. Or to be safe, take it down until the original edge bevel is thinner than a hair. Such a thin edge not only slices well, it's easy to maintain.
It does improve slicing ability by thinning and tapering the edge bevel.
What I've done on a couple SAKs was to lay the blade flat on a slack belt grinder until the edge bevel goes down to zero. The slack belt creates a convex primary grind, tapering down to a zero edge. No secondary bevel. After taking care of any burr, this transforms the already decent stock grind into near straight razor performance. Microbevel honing takes care of subsequent touch ups.
Convexing just the edge to perhaps 1/8" wide is easier(especially if no power tools are available), and offers near identical results, as long as it tapers down to zero. Go for eliminating the original bevel, which can be clearly seen when reflecting light. Or to be safe, take it down until the original edge bevel is thinner than a hair. Such a thin edge not only slices well, it's easy to maintain.
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2006
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I do it on some but not others. My Outrider is a woodland lurkin' knife and it works great on that. Cutting soft stuff; wood, string, bits of rope, flesh and food packets etc. is happy. It slices a treat and usually only needs to be stropped on a bit of cardboard to bring it back.
That said, they are way soft. I got some mild deformation just cutting sections from a rope I found on the beach for the dog. In fairness, it was sand encrusted, but still...well below par. Since then I approach my other SAKs the same way but I finish with a few swipes on a ceramic rod at an elevated angle. That preserves much of the slicing power but toughens them up.
The edge is deformed up near the tip on this shot [and no, not by the chocolate].
That said, they are way soft. I got some mild deformation just cutting sections from a rope I found on the beach for the dog. In fairness, it was sand encrusted, but still...well below par. Since then I approach my other SAKs the same way but I finish with a few swipes on a ceramic rod at an elevated angle. That preserves much of the slicing power but toughens them up.
The edge is deformed up near the tip on this shot [and no, not by the chocolate].