Field pracitcality of convex grind?

[scars]

(that's practicality)

I've owned and used my BRKT Bravo-1 for over a well over a year now. I love it, it is an awesome knife that I take back packing and camping. It is the first and only convex grind blade I own and have no experience sharpening this type of blade. I don't abuse any of my knives so the only sharpening I've had to do on my Bravo-1 is light touch up work with a ceramic rod.

After last weekend in the woods it is now time for a real sharpening. I've watched the YouTube vids and ordered a KSF double sided hone and I'm hoping that is will do the trick. We'll see how it turns out...

But I've been wondering how practical this type of blade is for troops in the field. As we know, Marine Force Recon has apparently adopted this knife as their own and it seems to me that this may be a hassle to sharpen this type of blade while running around the hills and deserts of Afghanistan?

 

[BryFry]

It really isn't that hard to sharpen if you know how. You can maintain the convex with a peice of sandpaper and some leather. Even a simple leather belt with some compound on it will work.

And if you are not comfortable with, or do not have the means to keep it convex, you can simply sharpen it with any flat stone or rod. If you're skilled you can even maintain the curve of the edge by rolling the blade or stone as you sharpen.

If that fails, you can just sharpen it into a V edge with no problem and it will still perform exceptionally well. It is a great knife no matter which edge you choose to put on it.:thumbup:

 

[marcinek]

The double sided strop hone only maintains the edge. It doesn't sharpen.

Use sandpaper over the leather on the hone to sharpen the blade. If you haven't trashed the edge, 1000/1500/2000 should do.

The convex edge is incredibly easy to maintain. Stropping on the loaded leather after each use will maintain the edge for a very long time. The methods BryFry mentioned will work. So will stropping compond on cardboard.

The point is to maintain (strop) regularly and sharpen rarely.

 

[vickmacky]

They pretty much nailed it. My only addition is that, unless the edge is trashed, 2000grit then stropping should be fine. I will also add that I am used to sharpening V-grinds and doing so tip to heal and for some reason this does not work for me on a convex blade. I have to go heal to tip to make it sharp. Just something to think about if your mostly a V-grind person.

I also made something very similar to this for field use.

 

[PayetteRucker]

There are ways to do it by hand with stones, ways to do it with a strop/compound and ways to do it with sandpaper. A practiced hand can sharpen a convex edge with just about anything, short of a V style rod sharpener...

 

[sambo.]

just so you know.....

there's nothing mystical about a convex edge.

if you were to get a lump of steel (a straightened out Leaf Spring for example) and sharpen one edge of it on a stone, the edge will naturally form as convex.

if you sharpen any knife freehand on stones for any length of time, the edge will naturally form into a convex edge.

seriously, convex is the "natural shape" of a hand-sharpened edge.

nothing weird or strange about them.

for a nice sharpener, look at the Fallkniven DC-4 or DC-3 diamond/ceramic hones. they work a treat.

 

[JParanee]

easiest sharpening and best edge in the field

 

[JCK]

I've got to agree with what sambo and JParanee said. I've got a bravo 1, and like you I think its a great knife. Its convex edge isn't hard to sharpen, despite alot of what you seem to hear on this and other forums. If I were you, I'd get a a old style mousepad, one with a nice colourful backing, as they seem to have the recycled tyre rubber which has the right density and give. Then get some wet n dry sandpaper in 320, 400, 600, 1000, 2000, and use that like the videos on KSF show, and finish on yoru strop, and you'll get a great edge. Check out the maintenance, tinkering and embellishment section, it helped me alot when I was learning to sharpen my B1.

 

[lambertiana]

A good example is how I once sharpened a convex edge when I had nothing else available. I picked up some really fine dust from the ground and put it on a piece of cardboard, and used that as a strop. It worked quite well. You can't get more field maintainable than that.