Getting back my edge

M

Metalmaniac14

Joined
Jul 2, 2017
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I have a Schrade SCH3F, mostly straight edged but with an inch and a half or so of serrations at the base of the blade. I absolutely love the way this knife feels in my hand, it's my favorite backcountry knife, but the edge needs some serious help. It was given to me and I swear the previous owner tried to sharpen it with a rock. How do I fix the damage and get somewhat of an edge back on it?
 
What equipment do you have for sharpening/honing? Also, pictures of the edge would help.
 
not sure the best way to photograph the edge but hopefully that will work. As far as tools go I have a Smith's Arkansas whetstone, about two inches wide, six inches long and a ceramic stone set from Cabelas. Two ceramic rods that you insert into a base at a 30° angle and it also has a small, one inch by three inch Arkansas stone as well.
 
Sorry I cannot see the images. They have URLs, which cannot be resolved.
It seems that the steel of the blade is 440A equivalent, so Arkansas and ceramic stones should work. Do you know the grits of the stones?
If the edge is damaged badly, you would want a coarse ceramic (preferably diamond) stone to fix it.
 
The edge isn't damaged so to speak, no nicks or chips, it's mostly that it's about as sharp as a spoon. What is the best sharpening angle for a blade that thick? 30° seems like a pretty steep angle and in the blades current condition i feel like it would have to be ground down before you'd even be close to that. I'm open to any suggestions and if there's a better way to upload pictures please let me know. Thank you
 
I don't know what type of steel that Schrade has, but for $30 on the big river site, you can get a coarse/fine diamond sharpener(DMT) that will restore any edge, and re-profile if you want, in short order; and is small enough to carry into the field with you as well.

That's probably my choice if I was in yr situation.

If your ceramic rods have a radius-ed side, (i.e. triangle rods like the Sharpmaker) can use them to sharpen serrations. Or can use a round or half round file maybe. I don't do serrations anymore, but corner of ceramic Sharpmaker stone is what I would use.

Hope this helps.
 
It depends on the original angle. You can use the Sharpie technique to find the angle.
Just put Sharpie on the edge either entirely or at several spots from the heel to the tip. Swipe the blade on a stone to find an angle, at which the marks are wiped off completely. You may need to apply Sharpie multiple times.

But remember this does not assure that the stone grinds to the very apex. It just tells you that you are close.
 
So, Schrade SCHF3, 7cr17 steel (440a equivalent) - should be no problem to sharpen it on a Silicon Carbide or Aluminum Oxide stone. Norton IB8 combo India stone is my favorite for steels in that range. They run about $22 or so.
 
miso2 said:
It did work. I think you can "fix" the edge with a coarse ceramic (as stated above, silicon carbide or aluminum oxide) stone, assuming that you are good at free hand sharpening (I am not).
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I am learning the art of free hand sharpening, well at least trying to anyways. I really think the Sharpie trick will help me establish my angle better, it seems a lot of people recommend that technique. I'm happy to hear that there's all a chance to correct the edge, I was worried I had a useless, great knife! I guess it's time to do a little shopping! I really appreciate all the info. Thank you!
 
jc57 said:
So, Schrade SCHF3, 7cr17 steel (440a equivalent) - should be no problem to sharpen it on a Silicon Carbide or Aluminum Oxide stone. Norton IB8 combo India stone is my favorite for steels in that range. They run about $22 or so.
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Thank you for the reply! I can't wait to give it a try. Where's a good place to find quality stones? Are Cabelas or Bass Pro going to carry anything of worth or should I check out online options? Any particular brand that you suggest?
 
Metalmaniac14 said:
Thank you for the reply! I can't wait to give it a try. Where's a good place to find quality stones? Are Cabelas or Bass Pro going to carry anything of worth or should I check out online options? Any particular brand that you suggest?
Click to expand...

You might get lucky and find a good stone locally but your best bet for selection and price is online.

Simple but proven stones like the Norton India IB8 work great on basic steels. With its Coarse and Fine sides coming in at around 150 and 400 grit it can quickly clean up uneven factory edges or those messed up by a novice. The fine side will yield a toothy but very sharp edge that's easily stropped to very high levels of sharpness if needed.

That said,

There are literally thousands of stones and brands to pick from so your workable budget and what you want from a sharpening stone(s) can sway choices greatly.
 
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