HELP!!! Sharpening my 2

B

BushOgre

Joined
May 18, 2011
Messages
747
I am having fits trying to get an extremely sharp edge on my blade. :mad::mad::mad: Heck, for that matter, I am unable to get a decent edge. I have an Arkansas Stone medium and one fine. I also have a Smith diamond rod with ceramic and carbon V-rods (field sharpener) and various metal files. Plus I have a bench grinder and belt sander. I have not used the last two as I have never used them on a "quality" knife before.

Tips? Tricks? You can even point and laugh at my ridiculous inability to sharpen my 2.
I am not having any problems sharpening my Mora, OKC SP10, CS Canadian, CS Bushman, CS Magnum Kukri, cheap pocket knives or my 30+ yr old fillet knife. I am even able to get a good edge on my cheap no name utility "survival" knife.
Honestly, I am average to better than average in my sharpening skills but the 2 has me failing time and time again. This Ogre is frustrated beyond comprehension.:confused:
 
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Don't feel bad. I did also. I am still getting it sharper everytime i try. What made the magic happen for me on a stepped up timetable, was my handy-dandy Harbor Frieght 1"x30" belt sander. I finally got up the courage to put a Becker to it. Then, i did some convexing on my HD paint stir stick/mousepad doohicky with 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500 wet/dry sandpaper. It shaves paper like nobody's business now. But it took a while to get there. I am 47 & started sharpening knives when i was 7, so don't feel bad. You could always send it out & have it professionally convexed with a mirror finish, but the REAL PRIDE, is being able to do it yourself. You'll get there. It may take you a little longer though with those sausage fingers !!! LOL j/k- no hate mail please. :D


Those other knives you mention are a LOT thinner than your BK2. Thats where my issue was as well. It takes longer-much longer, to get the same results on a 1/4" thick blade. The key for me was (you prolly already know this), keeping the blade cool. I had a tupperware container full of cold water & dunked after a pass on each side. I held the blade pretty close to the belt & barely touched the knife on each pass. The harder you press, the more heat it will generate, & IMHO, shorten the life of the belt bigtime. I guess i actually raised the grind a little bit by doing that, but it is a chopping beast now. The other day while hiking in the county park, i found a piece of dead wood & tried to make a primitive walking stick by just breaking it. It did'nt break, so out came the BK2. The wood was hard as a rock, but i went through it in less than minute, with NO damage to the blade or its edge. It still shaved hair afterwards. I was happy & impressed at the same time.
 
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That's some quality advice right there. Thirty something bucks and you'll use it all the time. You can get belts down to 9 micron and even leather for the HF 1x30.
 
i havent tried to get my 2 hair pooping sharp lately since i dont need it that way, but it got scary sharp by only using a wetstone 250/1000 then stropped with black and green compound.
 
I can get mine usably (is that a word?) sharp with my Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpener and a couple various diamond stones. Got a 4-sided diamond block from Harbor Frieght, a medium EZ-Lap and one of those very useful new two sides diamond hones Smith makes they started selling at Wal Mart a few months back.
 
There are MANY different methods that will work. The fastest is the belt sander with a semi course belt, as it SURE speeds up the whole "by hand convex" edge thing. I also have a Gatco system that i like a LOT. It is by far my most used sharpener. I did have to go to the hardware store & get some longer hex head bolts for my thicker knives (1/4" & 3/8") Just get it about where you want it, then start with the next thing you got. I am no expert by any stretch, thats for sure. It may not be getting any sharper, because while you think your sharpening it, you may be just thinning down the sides of the edge & not really hitting the edge at all. I think thats what my problem was. I about wore out my course diamond stone in my Gatco kit on my BK2. Magnifying glasses & a handheld magnifying glass are your friends. LOL At least with my eyes.
 
If you're truly hard core high speed and bad to the bone, you can hang out the door and grind it on the street. Then strop it on a live Copperhead's belly.
 
tradewater: If you're truly hard core high speed and bad to the bone, you can hang out the door and grind it on the street. Then strop it on a live Copperhead's belly.

^^This^^

Hey Ogre,

don't feel bad man.. many have problems with the geometry of thicker blades, including myself, you're not alone...... I see you're in Oklahoma, if you're close to tulsa you can bring it by here and see if we can destroy it for ya!!! :D

if not, just watch your approach with the stone, make SURE you have the proper angle for the fat blade... burr one side, then carefully deburr the other, eventually you find your natural 'guide' for this fatboy.....

good luck
 
Battle Creek Knives said:
tradewater: If you're truly hard core high speed and bad to the bone, you can hang out the door and grind it on the street. Then strop it on a live Copperhead's belly.

^^This^^

Hey Ogre,

don't feel bad man.. many have problems with the geometry of thicker blades, including myself, you're not alone...... I see you're in Oklahoma, if you're close to tulsa you can bring it by here and see if we can destroy it for ya!!! :D

if not, just watch your approach with the stone, make SURE you have the proper angle for the fat blade... burr one side, then carefully deburr the other, eventually you find your natural 'guide' for this fatboy.....

good luck
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Where are you guys located in Tulsa? Do you have a website?
 
I guess I will try the belt sander and see where that gets me.
Glad to know that others have had a problem with thick blades.
 
TwinStick said:
Don't feel bad. I did also. I am still getting it sharper everytime i try. What made the magic happen for me on a stepped up timetable, was my handy-dandy Harbor Frieght 1"x30" belt sander. I finally got up the courage to put a Becker to it. Then, i did some convexing on my HD paint stir stick/mousepad doohicky with 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500 wet/dry sandpaper. It shaves paper like nobody's business now. But it took a while to get there. I am 47 & started sharpening knives when i was 7, so don't feel bad. You could always send it out & have it professionally convexed with a mirror finish, but the REAL PRIDE, is being able to do it yourself. You'll get there. It may take you a little longer though with those sausage fingers !!! LOL j/k- no hate mail please. :D


Those other knives you mention are a LOT thinner than your BK2. Thats where my issue was as well. It takes longer-much longer, to get the same results on a 1/4" thick blade. The key for me was (you prolly already know this), keeping the blade cool. I had a tupperware container full of cold water & dunked after a pass on each side. I held the blade pretty close to the belt & barely touched the knife on each pass. The harder you press, the more heat it will generate, & IMHO, shorten the life of the belt bigtime. I guess i actually raised the grind a little bit by doing that, but it is a chopping beast now. The other day while hiking in the county park, i found a piece of dead wood & tried to make a primitive walking stick by just breaking it. It did'nt break, so out came the BK2. The wood was hard as a rock, but i went through it in less than minute, with NO damage to the blade or its edge. It still shaved hair afterwards. I was happy & impressed at the same time.
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My sausage fingers don't look quite so thick with the 2 in my hands. :)
 
Get you a good guide system, they can handle the BK2.

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Lansky. I got a KME and its better than the Lansky.

Moose
 
I use a Spyderco Sharpmaker and a Worksharp Knife and Tool Sharpener (hand held belt sander). Gets my BK-2 sharp enough for my needs.
 
Why didn't I think of this before. So I put the 2 on the 8" rotary grinder. Its a little ugly now but after some belt work and fine tuning, it should turn out very nice. Right now it is very sharp. Maybe tomorrow it will shave.
 
BushOgre said:
Where are you guys located in Tulsa? Do you have a website?
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no website for BC,us guys is just me, myself, and I.. we tend to argue a bit but..... I'm near the Tulsa/Sapulpa line.. If you still need help just send me an email I'd be happy to help....

btw, moose is a master with the bk2, plenty of sharpening skills...
 
I like my sharpmaker and use it often, but the lansky works better IMO (Thanks Moose) but ended up ordering the diamond stones.

Gotta try the KME tho. Looks like an improvement to the lansky all around.

Usually depends on how much beating you put your edge through.
 
I'm learning to use my WSKTS free hand where you rotate the head and hold the blade static and instead move the work sharp.....for the first time last night I shaved a patch of arm hair with the Bk2.

I you are a Beckerhead and don't have a work sharp....you're messing up! Just order plenty of extra medium and fine belts.
 
just get it "sharp enough" for what you need it for...

if you get it too sharp, it'll get dull when light hits it, and you'll obsess to the end of time that it's getting dull just sitting there :)
 
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