Home upgrades on a khukuri's blade

Drdan

Drdan

Joined
Dec 24, 2003
Messages
1,390
I've recently seen what some of the forumites have done as far as upgrading their handles, and I must say that I'm very impressed. The thought that I can possibly get my GS's handle similiarly tweaked will be an exciting and enjoyable experiment for me...

Can the blade itself be similiarly upgraded in a "do it yourself" fashion using basically sanding paper, steel wool, a bit of muscle (let me re-phrase that LOTS of muscle) and a keen eye? I've got the patience; that's not an issue. If I were meticulous, albeit a beginner, could I significantly upgrade the blade, and remove some of the blade's blemishes without making things worse? What's possible, and what's not possible or advisable for me to attempt?

I've heard that if you're not careful with grinders, you can change the steel's Rockwell ratings... I don't have one, and don't have access to one, so I would do everything using hand abrasive pads and steel wool. I'd love to see "before and after closeups" of the khukuri blade just out box, and after the transformation.

Thanks for putting up with a newcomer's incessant questions! Dan
 
Drdan-- What exactly do you want to do to your blade? If you are going for a satin finish, it's definitely possible to do blade modifications with muscle-powered abrasives. However, I've yet to be able to obtain the original HI mirror finish with sandpaper, polishing compounds, etc. I think you need some sort of buffer for that. Dan, aka "Pendentive", suggests a rubber hand sanding block with various grits of wet dry sandpaper for shaping/convexing the blade as well as sharpening it. The technique works very well. He had a CD full of sharpening info available a while back. He might still have some available. I think they were $5 or so.
--Josh
 
I'm going to be doing some light cutting with it. Would it be easier to have a mirrored finish or a satin finish being that it would obviously be getting a bit roughed up in the process, albeit minimally? What would be an easier to maintain finish given the use I plan to put it through. CD sounds great! I can send a 5 Euro bill through the mail, which is about $6.00 U.S. Dan, if you read this, please let me know if you still have the CD available.

Thanks, Josh! Dan
 
Drdan-- I gave up on the mirror finish a long time ago. It's pretty much gone the first time you put the khukuri to good use. I sharpen my khukuris with sandpaper, so I don't worry about scratches too much. A nice satin finish is easy to apply and easy to maintain. I usually put a patina on the blade with mustard or vinegar, then coat it with mineral oil. It isn't the most durable finish in the world, but it's easy to maintain and reapply when needed. Personally, I prefer the appearance the blades take on after they have been used for a while. The new blades are probably prettier, but the used ones have far more character.

Here's a few links that discuss sharpening techniques to tide you over until you can get in touch with Dan:

Convex sharpening

another sharpening link

and yet another...

--Josh
 
Originally posted by Drdan
I've recently seen what some of the forumites have done as far as upgrading their handles, and I must say that I'm very impressed. The thought that I can possibly get my GS's handle similiarly tweaked will be an exciting and enjoyable experiment for me...

Can the blade itself be similiarly upgraded in a "do it yourself" fashion using basically sanding paper, steel wool, a bit of muscle (let me re-phrase that LOTS of muscle) and a keen eye?

I've got the patience; that's not an issue.

If I were meticulous, albeit a beginner, could I significantly upgrade the blade, and remove some of the blade's blemishes without making things worse?

What's possible, and what's not possible or advisable for me to attempt?


Thanks for putting up with a newcomer's incessant questions! Dan
Click to expand...

Now w're talking. That's what I was trying to tell you in a previous post when you were still talking about perfection.:D
I see Josh has posted with excellent info while I was accessing this thread and so has saved me some words.:)

Dan I prefer a satin finish put on with what's known as Scotch-Brite here in the states.
Scotch-Brite is an abrasive pad sold in most home improvement and hardware stores. It can also sort of be purchased in grocery stores here under the guise of a dishwashing aid used in scouring heavily soiled pots and pans but usually has a sponge backing on it, but I've also seen it in thin small pads.
Out of necessity it should be used pushing it away from the edge as the material will seriously dull any knife.
Sandpaper in the grit of your choice can result in several degrees of satin finish from very rough to very fine to almost polished.

In addition to the patinas Josh has mentioned you can also blue the blade with a good cold blue of which Birchwood Casey is only one brand.
Not knowing what's available in Italy the cold blue can be purchased online.
The other Birchwood Casey products such as the Tru-Oil for finishing the handles can also be purchased online.
I've yet to cold blue a khuk but have done other knives with it and have been very satisfied with the results.
It will wear off over time, but is easily restored and goes a long way in preventing rust.

Do a search with woodchuck as the subject and Walosi as the poster and you should pull up Walosi's famous post about finishing the handles with Tru-Oil, Armor-All and lots of elbow grease. The pics linked in another thread shows the result of said woodchucking.:D
 
You guys are lucky to be living in the U.S. as far as shopping is concerned! I was stateside in October, and it's amazing how many innovative products and varieties we have there. Malls only began to crop up here maybe about 15 years ago. It's still difficult to track down specific products, or even know where to look for them. The U.S. is much more convenient and infinitely more service oriented. I have "care packages" sent over every once and a while, and I have many of these "taken for granted while living there products" sent over. I'm familiar with all the products mentioned, and it's better to get them sent over being that I'm more familiar with them. The Italian equivalent of Armorall is available everywhere, but I don't even know where there would be a place to purchase the cold blueing. I don't have any guns here (that's another complication here), so I have no idea if there's a gun shop in the city in which i live, although there must be.

I don't understand why you'd want to induce a patina on the blade; if it's a satin finish, isn't that good enough as long as you keep the blade lightly oiled? If it's for aesthetics, you've got me all ears! I've blued steel before, and definitely like the look...

I definitely have a problem with sharpening though! I once purchased a Lansky system, and it worked well for a Gerber BMF and a Cold Steel tanto, and a few other blades. It wasn't the best since the support rods ever so slightly flexed with the strokes, and took a while to get used to, and produce the "scary sharp edges" I prefer. I wish I could sharpen a knife well by eye like some friends can do well. It's a real art; for guys like me, there's Lansky!
 
Originally posted by BruiseLeee
Anyone heard from Wal as of late?
Click to expand...

I have and I owe Walosi an e-mail.:o I'm sometimes bad about answering my e-mail just like I am at writing snail mail letters.:rolleyes: :(
 
Originally posted by Drdan
I don't understand why you'd want to induce a patina on the blade; if it's a satin finish, isn't that good enough as long as you keep the blade lightly oiled? If it's for aesthetics, you've got me all ears! I've blued steel before, and definitely like the look...
Click to expand...

Dan it is for aesthetics but also good for a rust preventive. Methinks a khuk with steel furniture and the blade blued with a dark, or even light, saatisal handle would be awesome looking!!!!:D

I haven't seen Can's sharpening video but I know it has to be good. If you follow it as well as following Dan's directions on sharpening with sandpaper you will be producing beautiful sharp convex edges in a short time.:D
 
I've tried to use browning products ( don't remember which ) but have been disappointed. Probably my own fault, trying to do it too fast.
 
I love the scotch brite satin look, just used piece of scotchbrite to clean up satin finish on a spyderco that I hope to resell here sometime after I'm done modifying it(don't carry it anymore). COupla seconds, oine of those thin scotchbrite pads from grocery store soaked in oil, and that thing looks brand new.


Course, problem is I'm gonna put micarta on taht lslab now probably, but that's not the point. :)
 
forgot to mention, someone ehere needs to do a good gray and/or green park on one of their khuks. Bet if you did it on one of khuks with the steel hardware and a horn handle would look great.
 
Drdan?

"why a patina?"

er, 'cuz.

These people are either fixing microscopic "blems" that only Yangdu can see, or modifying perfect handles of wood or horn, or polishing mirror finish finishes, or "satin-ing" mirror finishes, or finding sweet spots, or blueing or vinegaring, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera (language here courtesy of Yul Brenner in THE KING AND I.):)

Cantina members mess with stuff. Somehow it becomes more their own.

Welcome to the madness. Please stop applying logical thought to behaviors here, it is a futile pursuit.:rolleyes:
 
Hello All! My first post to this forum. I consider myself to be a knowledgeable amateur when it comes to knife sharpening, and have everything from 8" Arkansas oil stones to an early Spyderco Sharpmaker to an array of DMT stuff, but am just now getting into Kukri's (Kukuri's?), and am puzzled by all the sharpening references to sandpaper and ceramics and belt grinders (I don't own one.) Seems to me the perfect tool to touch up the blade would be one of the DMT hand sharpeners. Either the fine or extra fine tool steels / serrated sharpeners, or the standard 4 inch dia-folds, or the EF/F DMT flat files should work, wouldn't they?

Not arguing with the folks who have actually done the work as opposed to me who is just scoping it out, but want to get your opinion. Only Kukri style blade I have used like hell and still use as a workhorse is the BK&T 12" Kukri sold a few years ago thru Blackjack, and using the fine diamond steel on it seems to work OK.

Thanks for any info.
 
Hello Svashtar. Welcome to the Cantina sometimes known as the Psycho Ward.:)
The DMT DuoFolds do work well. I still use them to sometimes reprofile an edge as well as sharpen it.
The sandpaper and mousepad is, it seems, an easier way for some newbies to sharpen a khuk or any other knife for that matter. It works really well to develop a proper convexed edge.:)
 
Yeah, as Yvsa kidna hinted there, a proper khuk has a convex edge, which many of us do ourselves if itdidn't come that way. FOr a convex edge, to keep it truly convex, you need to use a sharpening device that is flexible, so something liek a sharpmaker or the DMT hones won't work.

For those who prefer standard sharpeners though, it's perfectly reasonable to modify it to a convex grind, but use a regular sharpner to put a flat grind for the final microbevel
 
Thanks for the information. I finally got it after actually looking at the few Kukri's I have. The CS HTC and mini-kukri and the BK&T chopper I own have standard ground edges. I have one older Blackjack Combat Kukri, and it has the convex edge you describe. (I've had it 10 or 12 years and never paid attention to the edge!) I see now what you mean; it is almost as if I am sharpening the entire side of the blade, not just the edge itself.

On the other hand, I think I could do a decent job with a DMT tool steel (4" round and tapering), if I paid close attention and kept the steel rolling along the bottom edge.

However, this method of rubber backing pad and high grit sandpaper sounds really interesting, and I'm going to check it out by looking at the links someone provided earlier in the thread.

Thanks again.

Svashtar
 
CD is still available. Covers how to maintain and sharpen convex edges. Also, putting a satin finish on your khukuri by hand, as well as typical finishing methods for handles (wood/horn).

Shoot me an email, and one will be on its way.


...sorry it took so long for me to catch this thread...:o




You can accomplish alot with just sandpaper. If you want to really do some modifying you need some good Sandvik files (reported to be available all over Europe). They cut fast and with a little patience, you can not only modify your khuk, but give it a convex edge. Still, all-in-all, a belt sander is the best/fastest/easiest way to go.
 
Originally posted by pendentive
you need some good Sandvik files ..... They cut fast
Click to expand...
I found a 8" diamond file at Harbor Frieght for about $10.
Cuts fast & smooth for me.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=38152
They show three different item numbers,
but only this one indicates grit size.
I don't know what grit mine is.

For heavy manual steel removal, I still prefer
the carbide scaper.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=39392

Hmmmmm....
This diamond paste looks interesting for polishing.
15000 & 20000 grit ! :
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=45773
 
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