- Joined
- Dec 30, 2000
- Messages
- 3,805
I'm no sharpening kung fu master, but I did manage a neat trick this past week. I got the blades on a Schrade Old Timer 8OT stockman sharp enough to "tree top" hairs on my arm using just a fine DMT diamond stone and a worn out EZ Lap diamond rod. In the past, my best with those tools was "hair popping." I got "tree top" sharp on a few knives back in the 1980s when I was still using a hard black arkansas stone to finish my edges. It was fun shaving my face with an SAK (dry) to freak-out my friends.
I've never really used a strop. I'm guessing it's probably necessary to get to kung fu master level sharpness.
I've never really used a strop. I'm guessing it's probably necessary to get to kung fu master level sharpness.
I do it for fun though because most people aren't inclined to put the time in that it requires to get the edge right then strop it to the right degree of sharpness without overdoing it. With all the gizmos and gadgets today us old free handers are a dieyng breed. Most people prefer to clamp a blade into a vise and quickly saw the edge down until it will cut. I prefer the tried and true method passed down from generation to generation in my family, freehand honing then stropping and when done properly and maintained properly the knives I sharpen stay sharp with very little maintenance. I hate to have someone hand me a relatively new knife with more steel ground off the blade than I probably would ever take off of it! It's one of those things that makes me sick:barf: . I'll usually give them the standard lecture of how they've take many years life off the blade then agree to sharpen it and repair the damage as best as I can as long as they'll learn a lesson from it, if it's brought back to me again with my beautiful edge ground down I just tell them to keep it because they are going to have a nub left soon anyway. But the one's who appreciate a fine edge that is sharp and stays sharp and bring it back to me to re-sharpen or learn to do it right themselves is a job worthwhile. I'll tell you the short version of a cowhand here on the ranch. One day this boy that trains horses here (it's a racehorse ranch) was custom fitting a halter to a green broke colt to start gentling but he had forgotten his knife, I was there working with them and he asked to borrow mine. I gave him the warning I give everyone before I hand my knife to them "Be careful, it's sharp". I guess their idea of sharp and mine are two different things because 8 out of 10 will cut themselves right off the bat the first time they use my knife. He was going to be doing some fairly complex shaping of leather and cut right through it to the bone in his thumb! With a strange look on his face he gasped "I never knew a knife could be that sharp!" I told him I'd warned him and to come to the ranch house and I'd stitch him up. I got him fixed up and made sure he had his tetanous shot recently, that's one thing most working cowboys keep track of and he had. He sheepishly said he had a special knife in his truck and asked if I'd sharpen it for him because he didn't want to mess up the pretty etching on the blade, I said sure, lets check it out. He pulled out an original Schatt & Morgan Stockman, not a re-made one, an original. He had gotten it from his Dad or Grandad and knew it was a special knife. I told him it really shouldn't be sharpened at all because it was quite a collectors item, original box and all. He said that when it was given to him he'd made a promise that he'd use it because it was a good knife and that was the reason it was given to him, he just hadn't found anyone he would trust to sharpen it yet, I could see why. It was beautiful, the original etching with Schatt & Morgan's makers mark and "File and Wire Tested" scrolled on it with intricate filework on just about every non cutting surface. I asked him if he was positive he wanted to have it sharpened, he said he had a promise to keep. I said I would under one condition, he had to bring it to me until he learned the right way to sharpen it, we had a deal. It didn't take much work to get a beautiful edge on all three blades and I do mean they were all beautiful, these were the knives of legend. I hadn't put as much as a knick on the etching and the edge was as close to perfect as I could get it on all of the blades. I stopped him the next morning on the way to the barn and hollered that his knife was ready, he couldn't believe it. I guess he thought it would be a month or something. He came running up the porch and I opened up the flannel cloth I had it wrapped in and he carefully opened it and one blade at a time looked it over and he actually was near to tears! He was so proud, he had his heirloom knife with the edge he wanted on it. That was about three years ago and I just touched it up a day or so back for him, he'd stayed true to his word. When it started to get dull he brought it to me and I cleaned it and oiled it and then touched up the blade's and after all of the use he's put into it the blades they still look like they have seen very little use. Man those knives are a work of art, it was a real treasure to get to work on it and I enjoy keeping it in good shape for him. Oh, I've taught him how to sharpen a knife the right way, he just won't even trust himself when it comes to that knife. So I added one more old time knife man to the list, actually I have converted several serrated slinging, sawing instead of slicing so called knife using guys to the way of the real edge and they all carry knives of quality with a good edge on it. I love a beautiful knife and can't stand to see one mistreated any more than I can a beautiful woman, either one of them will get me to fight just about as fast as the other, I just won't tolerate rude behavior to a work of art, a beautiful knife or a beautiful woman! They both have to be handled with tender love and care. My Wife appreciates my attitude too! LOL
Keep your knives sharp, your guns oiled and stay off the skyline.
