Howling Rat Question

Q

Quirt

Joined
Oct 10, 2005
Messages
1,030
Hey fellow Rats...I have a older Howling Rat (which Generation I do not know as I don't know how to tell one Gen from another - if there is a resource on this that would be helpful). This Rat has the Res C grips and came from the factory without a sheath and with a convex grind.

I've was gifted a Wicked Edge sharpening system and it has revolutionized my ability to sharpen and maintain consistent "V" grinds. So I was thinking of sending the HR back to SWKW to have them regrind the convex to a V. Mistake? Or does it really matter?

The key issue for me is long term maintenance as I can now easily touch up the edge with the Wicked Edge. I only use the knife as a slicer and whittler and rarely use it as a chopper. I have an old Camp Tramp for that task. I just never got the hang of the leather strop on a board or sandpaper on a mouse pad.

Thoughts? Recommendations?
 
I'd say it depends on how thin of an angle you like to put on the knife and how much you like to do that yourself.

If the knife is sharp and at an angle you like, don't worry about it. When it gets dull, "paint" the edge with marker and figure out what angle on your WE is able to touch the apex. If that angle is too obtuse for you, personally I'd just work it down with the equipment you have rather than pay to have it sent back to the Swamp. I keep all but my choppers at 15-dps. If that is what you like and you find that you have to remove a LOT of material from the edge to reach that, then I'd think about sending it back and having them grind down the primary bevel so that it is thin enough for you to touch up the edge yourself. But my RMD and HRLM were both thin enough that I could put them at 15-dps using a benchstone and DMT-Aligner kit on my own. It took a while, but it was good practice/experience for me. I hope it goes well for you :thumbup:
 
The difference in the resiprene howling rats is choil size. The gen1 howlers had a shallow choil as seen with the top one in this pic. The gen2 have the larger choil (bottom).

HRHR01.jpg
 
Thanks. Yea I have a Gen 2 then. These knives are awesome! Wish they'd bring 'em back...the classic line.
 
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