How do you guys sharpen your BAD's

S

STAGE 2

Joined
Oct 11, 2005
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1,178
I just picked up my first Busse and its a BAD ass knife, pun fully intended. What methods do you guys like to use to sharpen your BAD's.
 
My thinner bladed knives are sharpened with sandpaper on mousepads. I use 600, then 1000, then 1500 grit and sometimes a strop after that. I have a 1084 forged hunter that's .147 and a .088 ATS-34 slippie that are so sharp I can shave with them. Thicker blades, like most of my heavier Busse's, I will sharpen on my APEX Edge Pro and go more for a "V" edge. Not quite as sharp, but the "V" edge lasts a bit longer between sharpenings.
 
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Quoddy said:
My thinner bladed knives are sharpened with sandpaper on mousepads. I use 600, then 1000, then 1500 grit and sometimes a strop after that.
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i put the sandpaper over a strop for the ones with thinner edges just because it's slightly harder to mess up.
 
Quoddy said:
My thinner bladed knives are sharpened with sandpaper on mousepads. I use 600, then 1000, then 1500 grit and sometimes a strop after that. I have a 1092 forged hunter that's .147 and a .088 ATS-34 slippie that are so sharp I can shave with them. Thicker blades, like most of my heavier Busse's, I will sharpen on my APEX Edge Pro and go more for a "V" edge. Not quite as sharp, but the "V" edge lasts a bit longer between sharpenings.
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+1

Ditto on the V-Edge for bigger blades.
 
I go with a red FINE DMT diamond benchstone and then finish off on a translucent Arkansas benchstone. When I need to take out nicks or bring back a really dull edge, I start out with the Extra Coarse black DMT diamond benchstone before going to the red one. In the field I use a DMT diafold sharpener which has a blue (coarse) side and a red (fine) side. A few swipes with the blue and a few more with the red and we're ready to go. Another option is the Eze-Lap diamond rod which is very convenient to carry in the field. I get my Battle Mistress really sharp this way and use for it wood sculptures. Its edge is holding up very well. I am very satisfied with INFI.
 
Just a steel and strop and they make hair go pop.:thumbup: :D

(Ok Skunk really wrote that):grumpy:
 
No BAD, but for my old AD either my Shapton Pro 1000 or, if I want to play in the mud, a AOTO natural stone.

The AOTO is ~2500/3000 and I've never seen much use in going beyond that. I like my edges to be a bit toothy.

Rob
 
STAGE 2 said:
Any advise for sharpening angles either with a strop or mousepad/sandpaper?
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It's much like sharpening a straight razor. Use a very low angle, drawing the blade edge in a trailing motion (last) across the surface, just short of scuffing the sides of the blade too far up from the edge. I use a slight draw from choil to tip at the same time as drawing it across the paper or strop. Most of the blades I use this method on I've already polished the blade with 2000 grit sandpaper. Any marks made while sharpening are very quickly removed with a small square (I use 1 1/2" squares) of the ultra fine grit paper lightly rubbed by fingertip.
 
Fudge, guys. Who's BAD has needed sharpening so far. With the uber-sharp edge and hard heat-treat, I'm surprised anyone's needed it yet.

This isn't a knife to take down a Georgia Live Oak.
 
I use a Spyderco Sharpmaker followed by a leather strop on thin fixed blades and pocket knives - this combo will make a BAD hair popping sharp in just a couple of minutes. I haven't tried the sandpaper / mousepad trick yet, but I picked up the materials last weekend.

Mike
 
mjswan said:
I use a Spyderco Sharpmaker followed by a leather strop on thin fixed blades and pocket knives - this combo will make a BAD hair popping sharp in just a couple of minutes. I haven't tried the sandpaper / mousepad trick yet, but I picked up the materials last weekend.

Mike
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I have a sharpmaker and really like it, however wouldn't this destroy the convex edge?
 
STAGE 2 said:
I have a sharpmaker and really like it, however wouldn't this destroy the convex edge?
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Well, yes.

I like the waterstones, and doing that by hand will give you somewhat of a convex edge since your hand isn't mechanical.

I've found the mousepad a bit soft. Fine grit paper on a strop works well for me or, some of HandAmericas different compounds on a strop.

Try different methods, it's not that hard to go from convex to V or back again.

Rob
 
My BAD was sharp, but not as sharp as it could be. I used my 1"x30" belt sander to convex the edge, the finished on a leather strop. Scary sharp!

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
:p I almost forgot to tell you earlier.....I don't use a mousepad as much as I use horse stall rubber as a backing. It's more fogiving than the work bench and not soo much as the mousepad....I've found it to be absolutely perfect for sharpening knives.
 
STAGE 2 said:
Any advise for sharpening angles either with a stop or mousepad/sandpaper?
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Yes, Don't do it... Unless your planing to make to it convex, which it isn't now.

You will knock off the bevels that way(sandpaper on pad)


Use stones, Sharpmaker(its great, but can dull tip a bit), edgepro or something designed for a standard edge.
Then after sharp strop on leather, or steel knife to polish up the edge.


edit- try a leather strop(with compond if you have it) first before you remove any steel. Sometimes that edge may just need polishing, not sharpening. Cardborad on a box edge will also work, but won't polish the edge as good as leather.
 
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Mine came pretty danged sharp. I was pretty pleased. Of course, the only really really dull blade I ever got was on a skeleton-key. No edge at all. I sold it off instead.
 
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