Different Edge Setups on Multi-Bladed Knives

B

BK14

Joined
Sep 13, 2016
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449
Hi everyone,

For those who carry multi-bladed traditionals, does each blade have a distinct intended use and edge to suit? I have been toying around with different angles since getting a guided sharpener, and have been having a lot of fun with my traditionals. Oh my Case Texas Jack, I did a much more acute angle on the pen blade and I love the way it's zipping through soft materials, and the more versatile angle on the main blade is great for regular edc tasks. Who else sharpens different blades on the same knife to different angles and/or levels of finish? If this thread is better suited for Maintenance/Tinkering/Embellishment I will gladly move it, but since my question pertains to multiple blades on the same knife (which usually only traditionals employ) I thought I would post here first!
 
I carry a stockman almost every day, and I set mine up with an acute 400 grit edge on the clip main, a medium 400 grit edge on the sheepfoot (since it often does tougher work, or cutting into a backing board), and a 600 grit acute edge on the pen or spey third blade for fine work.
 
I will sometimes use different types of edges on my pen knives. Usually, the smaller blade gets a more refined edge and the larger blade gets a more "toothy" edge.
 
I do this too.

Though my main blade isn't really toothy. I just sharpen the pen blade to a higher grit usually than the main. (600 grit main, 1000 grit pen)
 
I mostly stick to 2 bladed folders and don't particularly keep any blade sharper than the other.
My favorite combo is clip main and pen secondary ( not a hard fast rule though ) and I don't currently see how this combo would benefit from different edges.

Now a barlow with say a sturdy sabre clip main blade with a thin flat ground sheep's foot secondary would probably be a very formidable combination though, and would probably provide some real great all around utility.
 
I like a Stockman and two bladed Jack knife for the same reason others have mentioned: I generally keep the pen or sheepfoot blade a bit thinner and more refined than the clip blade. In a Stockman, I usually have the spey blade very thin and super refined, and use it less than the other blades.

I have been intrigued by the Stockman knives I've seen with serrated sheepfoot blades, but don't recall who made them, possibly Schrade?

I've also had it on my list of experiments, to grind an acute chisel edge on a sheepfoot, when refurbishing an old stockman knife, but haven't tried it yet.

A Stockman knife with different steel types or hardnesses in different blades would be an interesting experiment as well, I think.
 
Wurrwulf said:
Yep. My EDC Case Peanut main blade gets the diamond and brown sticks at 20DPS on my Sharpmaker, and the pen blade gets diamond, brown, and white sticks at 15DPS.
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On my Texas Jack I did 19 DPS with a 21 DPS microbevel (IIRC) on the main, and 15 DPS on the pen as well, all on the Edge Pro. I haven't used it much but I'm happy so far.
 
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Yes I go with different edge geometry in the same knife with more than one blade. Definitely.
For example I have two SAKs that travel together in the same belt pouch. The large blade on each is single bevel; one left and one right. I use them for precision "knifed" hand tool woodworking joinery layout lines. The smaller blade gets a double bevel but shallower bevels than what it came with. The sheep's foot on some other knives like my Stockmans I keep stock / kind of wide angle but the little spear blade is ground much thinner and shallower.
 
jc57 said:
I carry a Stockman pattern more often than not. Usually I sharpen all of the blades about the same way on any given knife.
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Ditto.
Depending on the blade steel and the hardness, I may sharpen the blades on one knife differently than those on another. But the blades on a single knife are normally sharpened about the same.
 
Cambertree said:
I have been intrigued by the Stockman knives I've seen with serrated sheepfoot blades, but don't recall who made them, possibly Schrade?
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I've seen Camillus and Camillus-made knives with serrated sheepsfoots, as well as Schrade, although it's entirely possibly one made the knives for the other. The serrations never really intrigued me because the way they're ground they don't look like you'd get them sharp easily; they look like serrations made for people who can't sharpen a knife but still want it to cut.
 
Cambertree said:
I like a Stockman and two bladed Jack knife for the same reason others have mentioned: I generally keep the pen or sheepfoot blade a bit thinner and more refined than the clip blade. In a Stockman, I usually have the spey blade very thin and super refined, and use it less than the other blades.

I have been intrigued by the Stockman knives I've seen with serrated sheepfoot blades, but don't recall who made them, possibly Schrade?

I've also had it on my list of experiments, to grind an acute chisel edge on a sheepfoot, when refurbishing an old stockman knife, but haven't tried it yet.

A Stockman knife with different steel types or hardnesses in different blades would be an interesting experiment as well, I think.
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I agree, I think a stockman pattern with modern blade steels suited for intended uses would be really cool. Maybe a main blade in S35VN, and a serrated sheepsfoot in H-1 or something similar.
Wowbagger said:
Yes I go with different edge geometry in the same knife with more than one blade. Definitely.
For example I have two SAKs that travel together in the same belt pouch. The large blade on each is single bevel; one left and one right. I use them for precision "knifed" hand tool woodworking joinery layout lines. The smaller blade gets a double bevel but shallower bevels than what it came with. The sheep's foot on some other knives like my Stockmans I keep stock / kind of wide angle but the little spear blade is ground much thinner and shallower.
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Interesting! How did you apply the single bevels on the SAKs?
 
My stockman is the only knife that I put a different angle on each blade. I tend to keep the clip around 20dps, the sheep's foot around 18dps, and the spade as sharp and close to 15dps since it is used for ultra fine slicing. Every other knife it is my standard <20dps so I can touch up on my Sharpmaker at 40 degrees inclusive. These days the angle is meaning less and less since I have been stropping a couple times a week even before they blades see a stone touch-up.
 
I prefer my stockman patterns as of late. It’s what I grew up with and watched dad and grandpa carry and clean a many a rabbits.

I keep all my blades sharp, but the main I usually keep a little on the coarser side. The pen or sheepsfoot I usually keep very finely honed at a shallower angle, and I don’t use it much. It’s the splinter remover, ready when everything else is dulled some blade. I keep the sheepsfoot (or wharncliff if I can choose it) I keep pretty sharp too. Good for opening clam shells or other packages. But I don’t fret if it loses some of its keenness.
 
Planterz said:
I've seen Camillus and Camillus-made knives with serrated sheepsfoots, as well as Schrade, although it's entirely possibly one made the knives for the other. The serrations never really intrigued me because the way they're ground they don't look like you'd get them sharp easily; they look like serrations made for people who can't sharpen a knife but still want it to cut.
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Thanks for the info, Planterz. Yes, I think I came to a similar conclusion to you - I like the idea of a serrated straight edge, or pruner/hawkbill blade on a working Traditional knife - at least I'd be curious to try it, but those particular serrations were a bit lacklustre.

BK14 said:
I agree, I think a stockman pattern with modern blade steels suited for intended uses would be really cool. Maybe a main blade in S35VN, and a serrated sheepsfoot in H-1 or something similar.
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Yes, I'd be interested in a tool steel, and serrated H1 blade, for sure.

This Fieldman by G. Sakai, with ZDP-189 main blade, seems interesting too.
 
I guess I was thinking unusual blade configuration. I freehand sharpen and don't really know what angle I use but it usually pretty much matches the factory angle. I only test my knives for sharpness with push and pull paper cutting and shaving either leg or arm hair. May not be an exact art or meet modern criteria for knife sharpening I'm not sure what DPS stands for but this old school method has served me well for many years.
Now to blades used in multiblade knives here's an unusual Peanut(not my picture).


B9zPUU8.jpg
 
I tend to sharpen everything to about the same geometry, which (ideally) is around ~25-30° inclusive at the edge. It suits my own freehand hold, which usually leaves everything in that ballpark. I try to take advantage of each individual blade's own grind to suit certain tasks. For example, I strongly favor the uber-thin grind and sharp tip of my 6375 CV stockman's sheepsfoot blade for cardboard-cutting & other package-opening jobs; it's a perfect box-cutter. I might be a little more inclined to favor the spey blade for tasks like carving and light scraping; though it sometimes handles 'scalpel duty' jobs as well. And in my desert southwest environs, the extra length of the clip blade, and it's pointy tip, have proven useful in picking around in the interiors of cactus & other thorny stuff, or flipping over and/or stab-picking stuff off the ground that I'm otherwise not inclined to touch with my fingers. All of that 'What IS that?' stuff, in other words... :D


David
 
r redden said:
I guess I was thinking unusual blade configuration. I freehand sharpen and don't really know what angle I use but it usually pretty much matches the factory angle. I only test my knives for sharpness with push and pull paper cutting and shaving either leg or arm hair. May not be an exact art or meet modern criteria for knife sharpening I'm not sure what DPS stands for but this old school method has served me well for many years.
Now to blades used in multiblade knives here's an unusual Peanut(not my picture).


B9zPUU8.jpg
Click to expand...
That is a cool looking blade! When it comes to sharpening, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!
 
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