Hello, new here, but not to knives. Have an interesting Dremel story.

S

SVT_Cobra

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Jun 28, 2022
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Hello all, was doing some Google searches on knives, and sharpening and this site came up. I witnessed an interesting Dremel experience the other day, and thought I would share and ask for your opinions.

So a friend of mine used my Dremel with a aluminum oxide stone to sharpen his Ontario Marine Raider. (To his credit he has a very steady hand and is pretty good with tools all around.) He made about four to five quick passes up both sides of the edge.

For me personally, I always thought that it would be hard to get the edge even with a Dremel, and I have heard people talk about the dangers of over heating the blade. In this case I saw a few sparks, but no discoloration on the edge (rest of the knife has that black finish), and the knife did not feel warm at all, then again I doubt an aluminum oxide bit creates as much heat as the other bits. Plus, the Marine Raider is a big knife so I wonder if a few passes really created much heat on the edge.

Overall he did a good job, not razor, but a solid chopping edge. I wonder if this would work ok on other larger knives, or if this is just a fluke from a steady hand? According to the Dremel manual the aluminum oxide bit can be used for knives. Thoughts? Opinions? Experiences? I am tempted to practice on a beater machete.
 
SVT_Cobra said:
I always thought that it would be hard to get the edge even with a Dremel, and I have heard people talk about the dangers of over heating the blade.
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It is hard to get an even grind, but as your friend demonstrated, it’s possible. Clamping the blade firmly and moving the dremel against it will help, light touch and keep it moving wil help also. I suppose clamping the dremel firmly and moving the knife past it would work too (but not the way I ever did it).
SVT_Cobra said:
Overall he did a good job, not razor, but a solid chopping edge. I wonder if this would work ok on other larger knives, or if this is just a fluke from a steady hand?
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I favor the latter explanation. But hey, maybe you’re a dremel wizard too. Won’t know til you try.

It’s not so much that a dremel won’t get knives kinda sharp, but that there are many easier and or better options. If all you have is a dremel and a dull knife, it’s better than nothing.
SVT_Cobra said:
I am tempted to practice on a beater machete.
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Cool! Give it a try and report back. Maybe you’ll discover the next big thing. And welcome to BF, by the way.

Parker
 
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Dremel on knife blade is the best method for quick sharpening, if you are able to do it. Much practice needed.

I do it all the time!
I doubt that you can do it though. Only the best can do it.
Like me.
I am the best. From gemani. 🤦‍♀️
 
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I prefer a bastard file for bigger, relatively inexpensive blades.

I have used a Dremel for polishing though.
 
If the bit gets clogged with metal, then the heating issues will get much worse. This is true with any powered grinding apparatus - if the abrasive is clogged, dirty or worn, it can't cut cleanly without generating a LOT more friction-generated heat. Aluminum oxide is regarded as a better working abrasive in powered applications because it's pretty good at dissipating heat. But that's only true if the abrasive grit isn't worn or clogged with swarf.

As mentioned, if done with a steady & practiced hand and some common sense, Dremels are useful for a lot of things.
 
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As Dirty Harry once said, "a man's gotta' know his limits." Hence, I'll not be using a Dremel tool on my knives anytime soon--if ever.

Besides, once sharpened, it doesn't take all that long to maintain a good edge with a Sharpmaker and a strop.
 
One disappointment I’ve had with dremel sharpening is that most of the ways I’ve done it resulted in a scratch pattern parallel to the edge. I strongly favor a perpendicular scratch pattern.

However, one time I clamped a blade vertically, edge up, and ran a 320 grit flap sanding wheel in a “edge-trailing” fashion along it to produce my perpendicular scratches. Worked okay, but slower and fussier than a comparable grit stone (of which I have many). Didn’t pursue it further.

Parker
 
catspa said:
It is hard to get an even grind, but as your friend demonstrated, it’s possible. Clamping the blade firmly and moving the dremel against it will help, light touch and keep it moving wil help also. I suppose clamping the dremel firmly and moving the knife past it would work too (but not the way I ever did it).

I favor the latter explanation. But hey, maybe you’re a dremel wizard too. Won’t know til you try.

It’s not so much that a dremel won’t get knives kinda sharp, but that there are many easier and or better options. If all you have is a dremel and a dull knife, it’s better than nothing.

Cool! Give it a try and report back. Maybe you’ll discover the next big thing. And welcome to BF, by the way.

Parker
Click to expand...

This weekend I am going to give it a whirl on a old machete. Was thinking about ordering a couple cheap ten dollar knives from Amazon as test blades. Let you know. My thing is going to be patience and steadiness.
 
catspa said:
One disappointment I’ve had with dremel sharpening is that most of the ways I’ve done it resulted in a scratch pattern parallel to the edge. I strongly favor a perpendicular scratch pattern.

However, one time I clamped a blade vertically, edge up, and ran a 320 grit flap sanding wheel in a “edge-trailing” fashion along it to produce my perpendicular scratches. Worked okay, but slower and fussier than a comparable grit stone (of which I have many). Didn’t pursue it further.

Parker
Click to expand...

Good points on the patterns, like you said that second method sounds better, but probably quicker on a stone.
 
It’s a quick way to mess up a decent edge if you ain’t seriously skilled. I could do it and make a satisfactory edge without walking the bit over the flats, but I won’t, because I know how easy it is to slip. I’m adept at dremels because I’ve worked with one a lot and know what I can do. A file, used deftly, is a much better choice for a large knife than a dremel, not because of overheating, but because the edge will begin to get wavy after a few sharpenings.

Here’s a choil I added to my 143 with a dremel. No slips, though I taped it up good.


 
I have used a Dremel to sharpen before but usually only used on machetes.
Usually thinning the tip or removing metal back by the handle to prevent a recurve.

On folding knives I prefer not to used the Dremel but if totally necessary I clamp the knife and tape areas I don’t want ground.

I remember putting a choil on my first Recon1 with a Dremel and the wheel skated across the entire blade so that was a lesson learned.
 
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