Field Sharpening

D

DPris

Joined
Nov 27, 2003
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1,317
Had hoped to hear from Mike on how he kept his khukuri going for so long in the wild, but no luck.

For those of you who do use one enough to address the edge & the issue, any experience with diamond or ceramic sharpening products?
Denis
 
I'm just getting into kukris, but I do have a lot of experience with big knives in the field, such as Randal 14, etc.
I generally rely on a small fine India stone, although I have used DMT diamond devices. The biggest problem I have found with DMT is that few that I have bought have not had an even dispersing of abrasives. Perhaps I just ran into a bad lot. I have heard a lot of good from others about DMT.

5160 doesn't seem to be a difficult metal to cut. I worked on a 12" AK last night, and have good results. The back curve offers some challenge, but using the side edge of a stone should work. You did say "in the wild" right? It is difficult to carry a lot of specialized gadgets into the field for sharpening. To me, that means a simple stone or DMT device. A stone can be set onto its side for the back curve area.
 
I'm looking at either a short diamond rod, a folding diamond hone, a small pocket Arkansas, or one of several ceramic systems.

I have used all of the above, just wondering about longterm experience specifically on khukuries & what (besides the chakmak) others might be using.
Denis
 
I would rule out the Arkansas stone for field work. An Arkansas soft is for an already sharp or semi-sharp edge, and is fragile. For that matter, an India stone is somewhat fragile. Between all that you have mentioned, the diamond rod is most likely the best, due to the recurve and sweep of the khukuri. In the field, I can see handling this sharpening of this blade much as one would an ax, ditch bank blade, sling blade, etc. I do have a lot of experience in sharpening those implements. In the case of large blades, it is usually easier to manipulate the sharpening device instead of the blade. It just works out better that way. By using that technique, it is easier to follow the original bevel on the larger blades.

My one suggestion for the field: Keep it simple, and practice.
 
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Agree on the rod being easiest & on the device being easier to manipulate than the bigger blade.
The curves & size create their own demands.

I have hard Arkies, softness there wouldn't be an issue, just a matter of matching the right hardness.

A folding flat DMT could probably do well.

Simple's what I'm looking for. :)
Denis
 
Denis, the soft vs hard, is more a matter of density or porousness of the stone. The Arkansas soft is really what most people use as a finishing stone before a stop. The Arkansas hard both black and translucent are not used a lot. They really don't cut, and you can do as well with a good strop and stop compound, IMHO.

The problem with a Arkansas and India stone in the field, beside being fragile, is that these are oil stones. They work best with oil. I've use India stones in the field with success, but I'm always removing the build up with sand. It takes an abrasive to remove the build up, if you don't oil the stones. Also, these stones simply cut better with a honing oil. I think you are better served with the diamond rod. You can use it the same way one would use a small bastard file. A big khukuri is like any large bladed implement. You simply can't cut the stone with the blade. You have to use the stone or rod to cut the blade.

This is my kit for home sharpening knives, kitchen, pocket, fixed blades, etc.
http://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Norton-3-Stone-IM313-System-P48.aspx
I then use a stop with a green compound. Hair popping sharp.

I've also been experimenting with water stones.
 
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The dry diamonds offer the most convenience.
I have a dual-grit flat that folds into 4 inches & a 4-inch rod that fits inside its own carry tube.
Either would be pocket portable & can be rinsed with water.

The stones can be obtained in various sizes & grits, that's not a problem as I see it.

Diamonds can be carried in pocket & used on the fly.
Stones can be carried in a pocket & used dry for quick touchups (like the chakmak), and can be used as the old spitstones were if needed or as an oilstone in camp.

I can make any of those work, to one degree or another.
Leaning toward the diamond rod, but still interested in others actual field experiences with khukuries.

Denis
 
I use a folding oval diamond sharpener to great effect. Works great on anything except chips or bent/rolled edges.
 
Fallkniven DC4 & ceramic stone or sticks followed by leather strop.
Simple & Efficient for field maint.
Works great on Esee & Busse.
 
Guess I'm a cheap Charlie. A 1" X 4", 100 grit carborundum stone is about all I use on the two khuks I use at least monthly for real work. It sharpens the blades well enough that 3-6" limbs are pieces of cake. I figure that If I can chop 100-200 1" to 1.5" saplings before resharpening, I don't need to go into over-kill.
 
Busse never needs sharpening.
Infi is super steel.
Don't you attend the Busse Forum???? :)
Denis
 
I'm getting one of these, period: http://www.edgepal.com/english/forest-17907916 (to use even at home). Guided convex sharpening using a DC3 stone. Chips or rolls, you can fix them on the spot. I'll add a rounded stone for the recurved area, that can be mounted on the same system if I'm feeling pedantic. May be overkill for some.

Had I had more money, I'd go for the "Chef" version (now that is a beast: http://www.edgepal.com/english/chef/precision-grinding-17910496 , http://www.edgepal.com/english/chef/videos-about-chef-8757991) - but not for field use :). With the smaller one, I will have to improvise on longer blades but I've had it enough with my less-than-successful freehand sharpening, mousepads and all. I want to control the angles with more precision. Second, I can't get very cheap and quality fine-grit sandpaper here.

Thomas is an encyclopedia when it comes to sharpening, and a very, very nice fella. These Swedes are really something when it comes to ingenuity.

I'll better pass on two knives and get a rig that's so well build it's going to last me a lifetime. All handmade, no cheap plastic there or Chinese parts. (Heck, I'm even thinking to buy an AxePal, although I have no axe :). Yet.)

Add a strop to that and you're ready for extended stays in the woods. At least on the "cutting" front :).
 
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I used the karda in the field and carried sandpaper strip rolled into a film canister to wrap around a stick if ever needed....it wasn't. It is a nice self contained system as it comes from the supplier which is the charm of the thing.

Duh...chakma....i called it the wrong name for years overseas and normally stuck with "burnishing tool" to be safe.

PS...any clamp fixture assumes a square barstock blade....handforged are neither.
 
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I might sound like an oddball (and I am) but I make sure mine is sharp before going out in the field. It is dang near impossible to put a khukuri out of service due to sharpness but if I did happen to roll and edge bad enough then a couple of round river quartz or chert rocks would do the trick peening it back to chopping shape. Now if I had a blade I planned to use for skinning or cleaning critters....well that actually follows the same logic. I dont use it hard enough to justify damaging it. So to answer the OP's question honestly i dont field sharpen period or even carry anything. Sorry im no help.
 
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