Fisking a BK5

M

m.j.carp

Joined
Apr 25, 2012
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I recently bought a 5, and during my research I found out about fisking. So, my main question is what are the advantages and techniques you use to fisk? Also, any more information is useful. Feel free to post pics of your fisked knives, too.
 
Here's mine - done just a few weeks ago.

Biggest advantages to me are (1) it was fun to do - and (2) I think it looks much better than how it came from the factory. Some with more expertise than I will tell you that it will slice better because both shoulders are gone or at least smoothed over and I'm sure that is correct.

Techniques: stripped it with a product called Citristrip - comes in a spray can and is easy to use. Then for convexing I used a belt sander with a 2000 grit belt, then strips of sandpaper glued to boards, (1000, 1500 and 2000 grit) and then a strop. Final touch a set of Bubinga grips.
 
Fisking is to thinly convex the edge of a knife. It makes the knife very, very sharp and slicey, without compromising the strength of the edge very much. I've chopped wood with my 5 (it's not a great wood chopper) and the edge didn't chip or roll, despite being much thinner than the factory grind. The extreme convex is strong. Yet, my 5's are the sharpest knives I own. They'll cleanly slice crumpled-up notebook paper, which is very hard to do with most knives. The rounding of the grind lines on the swedge also means that the blade will encounter less resistance as it passes through whatever medium you are cutting.

I approve of this mod.

 
wasatchdan said:
Fisking is to thinly convex the edge of a knife. It makes the knife very, very sharp and slicey, without compromising the strength of the edge very much. I've chopped wood with my 5 (it's not a great wood chopper) and the edge didn't chip or roll, despite being much thinner than the factory grind. The extreme convex is strong. Yet, my 5's are the sharpest knives I own. They'll cleanly slice crumpled-up notebook paper, which is very hard to do with most knives. The rounding of the grind lines on the swedge also means that the blade will encounter less resistance as it passes through whatever medium you are cutting.

I approve of this
Click to expand...

Interesting. I could prob do this unguided on my worksharp. Sounds like a good option for the 15.
 
My 15 on the right, has been. On the left is a standard V on a 25 degree.
20130602_174903_zps139e6950.jpg
 
As far as I know, this is the original fisk video (by averageiowaguy):

[video=youtube;DzBSjQFWyhM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzBSjQFWyhM[/video]
 
burns said:
Interesting. I could prob do this unguided on my worksharp. Sounds like a good option for the 15.
Click to expand...

That's how I did the one on the right. 80/220/6000 belts. I basically just laid the blade on the belt first, and then graduated to steeper and steeper angles until it looked right.

As C-bear noted, the Snakeskin 5 was Fisked by Clich. I basically copied how he had done it, only he used a belt grinder.
 
ok, so can anybody explain the difference between fisking and convexing?
 
Convexing usually involves just rounding off the shoulders so that you do not change the thickness of the blade behind/above the secondary bevel. Fisking requires that you use a belt sander or similar device to remove some of the steel on each side of the blade above the secondary bevel. It gives you a slightly thinner blade all the way up to near the spine but still convexes the cutting edge.

If you can watch the whole video, it's worth it. I had never seen anyone do this to a blade until I saw Jerry Fisk do it. If you get it right it turns a good to very good slicer into something almost magical.
 
Why does this sound like a FFG with a convex edge? What am I missing?
 
RWT said:
Why does this sound like a FFG with a convex edge? What am I missing?
Click to expand...

You don't take off enough metal to make it a true FFG. Just enough to break the shoulders and round them out. Also, to thin the edge out quite a bit and make it much sharper than a normal factory grind or even a standard convex.
 
TD, you may want to experiment with trying it with sandpaper, not a belt sander. Sure, it will be slower, but there's less chance of jacking up your knife.
Sandpaper taped down to a flat surface.
 
Carp, around the house here, Fisking generally refers to saran wrap, vasaline and at least one cat.

The guys are leading you in the right direction to kick up the performance of your knife with the convexing and the proper stone. It makes a LOT of difference in the cutting. I do not make knives for money, I make knives to work in the field as my wife Bob and I get out in all kinds of situations in the bush. Of course that is another story.

If you ever get the chance drop on in on the Beckerhead gathering. Good times, good education about knives with good people
It was good to see some of you slugs at the Blade show by the way.
 
aaaah, that explains it then. Always wondered about the cat and the vaseline :D
 
Dammit. That man stole my line! Well, it was his line first, I guess. That poor, poor cat. :D
 
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