field maintenance

kamagong

kamagong

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Jan 13, 2001
Messages
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The thread about the Gorkhaharu in Afghanistan got me thinking, "How do they keep the convex edge on their khukuris while they're out in the field?" I know that us forumites use a myriad of stones, sharpening systems, and strops to keep our beloved blades nice and sharp, but a Gorkha doesn't have the luxury of having all of these things in his kit as he has a ton of other gear to lug around. Perhaps he gives his khukuri to the regimental kami whenever it needs a touch up, but it occurred to me that there may no longer be regimental kamis as Gorkha numbers have sunk to an all-time low. What do you think guys? What do/would you do to keep your khukuri's convex edge sharp in the field?
 
Last pics I saw during the Kosovo campaign showed a guy using the carbide "V" dingus on his bayonet scabbard to sharpen his khuk.
 
When I started replying to this post the last time our power went out and knocked me off.:(

I'm with Uncle Bill on this one.
Ed Fowler showed a rock in one of his magazine articles that he had picked up out of the pasture to sharpen his personal knife.
What was funny about it was the amount of people writeing and calling Ed to find out how much he would charge them for one of those rocks.:D:D:D:D

The convex edge is the easiest in the world to maintain IMO as they are what one gets naturally without trying with any kind of stone that's even a little bit abrasive, flat whetstones included.
The edges that are hard to maintain are the flat beveled ones where you almost have to have a very flat whetstone to obtain them, as well as a fixture or a good eye and a strong wrist and sense of angle.

The most important thing in restoreing an edge is getting a burr all along one edge before starting on the opposite side.
If an uneven angle bugs you then start on the opposite side the next time you sharpen the knife and the bevels will remain pretty consistent.
This doesn't matter with a convex edge.:)
 
I didn't realize that a convex edge was the easiest to maintain. I guess that would explain why any old rock would suffice to fix it. And Rusty, I had thought about those "V" type sharpeners, but I didn't think that a Gorkha would be apt to use it as it would probably create a secondary bevel on his nice convex edge.
 
You know young kids nowadays, they ain't got no respect for the old poops who try to pass on life's lessons. ;)

Two things come to mind:

1) a couple of light strokes would set up a khuk's edge for some burnishing to then do it up proper.

2) the gurkha may have done it as a "pose", and using the sharpener would have been self explanatory, where using the steel might not have got the point across.

Make that three things -

3) Maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about.

I'm kinda partial to the last answer.:D :D :D
 
I thought it was funny too and in spite of my age and all that I know about people and their foibles I was still amazed that anyone would ask about buying rocks out of a pasture for cryin out loud!!!!:D
 
I was one of the few people who never had a real one that was bought from the store.;)
 
The guy who dreamed that one up had to be one of the best sales persons in the world.

Let's see. I figure I've got about 10,000 rocks in my yard ( no grass to mow) all of which are capable of sharpening a blade. If I sold them for $10 each I could retire. I'll post a thread tomorrow: sharpening stones for sale.
 
Like a lot of other guys I used to ask all the questions about which was the best way to maintain a convex edge. I used the sandpaper and semiflexable material under it to get a "proper" convex edge and those ways do work but they're not necessary.
The fact that hardly anyone can freehand a perfect bevel on an edge was the clue that finally lead me to realize the convex edge is the easiest one to put on an edge and the easiest to keep sharp.
Left to a persons own devices they will automatically create a convex edge with a flat whetstone if they're just trying to get a sharp edge.:)
And especially if the edge needs to be thinned down a bit.
And as I said before, "The most important thing in restoreing an edge is getting a burr all along one edge before starting on the opposite side."
If one does that without paying to much attention to keeping a flat bevel I can just about guarantee you will come out with a very serviceable convex edge.:)
 
Thanks, Bro, for more expert sharpening info.

Bruise, I don't think I'll offer the rocks for sale but if you really want one.......
 
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