Keepin it sharp

G

garage_logician

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Jul 9, 2013
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I have my first Becker on the way, a BK16. For sharpening I typically use a Work Sharp belt sharpener when knives get dull but I am looking for something to provide touch up in the field when needed. I ran across this Gatco Double Duty sharpener :

http://www.gatcosharpeners.com/product/ceramic/double_duty.mgi?mgiToken=2N9J67N3AB5BAD49816

Would this work well? I know that the belt sharpener creates a convex edge, which the Gatco will probably remove. Are there better field sharpening alternatives? Should I not convex sharpen the BK 16?

Thanks!
gl
 
I would say stay far away from pull through sharpeners! They are not a good method for maintaining a blade at all. The carbide strips away metal, the ceramic does little to fix it. I would say use this....



Smiths double sided diamond stone... CHEAP, PORTABLE, and you can pick them up almost any where, and they can sharpen just about anything...

Really any type of double sided diamond stone works well because it allows you to correct an edge relatively fast, and upkeep on these things is almost NILL... just rinse them off every once in a blue moon. I have nice old wet rocks and sometimes I still will use this just because its so darn handy... Worksharp also makes a nice portable one like this but its really fancy. Maybe tell a look at that.

so essentially.. PULL THROUGH=BAD, SMALL PORTABLE DOUBLE SIDED SHARPENERS=BUENO....
 
If you want to keep a convex in the field I recommend using sandpaper over the top of your strop. A nifty set up I have been wanting to build can be found in this video. [video=youtube;n7Xwli9-OAI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7Xwli9-OAI[/video]
 
Don't let it get dull. Strop it on the heel of your hand often and you shouldn't have to sharpen it. Or, make a small strop with a paint stir stick and a scrap of leather.
 
To get to convex, I use this method here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...tory-edge-to-convex-with-the-BK2-(and-others)

To get sharp from there, I strop on the higher grit nail files detailed in that thread

For field maintenance, after convexing, something like this here works: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/971949-Sharpening?p=11063567#post11063567

For less than $10 you can get several different options in all sorts of grits. The files are basically wet/dry sandpaper with a firm yet slightly giving foam backing, so as to be very similar to a leather strop, but prefabricated with the desired grit. Hope that helps.
 
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cschol said:
http://www.worksharptools.com/manual-sharpeners/guided-field-sharpener-221/flypage.pbv.tabs.tpl.html

I just ordered this. I am in the same boat as the OP here. I have a Lansky, Gatco diamond, Norton dual grit, Strops, cardboard...but none really lend well to carrying to the field.

I do Like Derek's idea, using the nail files. The wife is at work currently so maybe I'll....(not incriminate my self.)
Click to expand...

I ordered one of those too, should be here tomorrow. I am intrigued by the files though, looking into them as well. :-)

Thanks to everyone for the feedback, much appreciated!

-gl
 
For field touch ups, I've been carrying this:

SOG-Mini-Sharpener-SH03-CP-600x500.jpg


Small (only about 4" long), diamond pad and ceramic rod (plus a fire starter). Can touch up plain or serrated edges. Nice little device. Around $13.
 
I've used Derek's suggestion & it works great. The nail files are extremely light and easily packed. Plus they're cheap.
I've found that I can put a shave sharp edged on a fairly dull blade in less than 10 minutes using 3 nail files.
I still love my Worksharp & use it most often but nail files are awesome for field use.
 
This may be slightly off topic... but despite sharpening devices, tools, or mediums. Whats yall take on field sharpening primitive style? IE rocks and naturally found items in the field. Less than ideal, but I have always been an advocate that free sharpening is somewhere between 97-99% technique/skill and then 1-3% tools. In essence, if it can dull a blade, somehow it can sharpen it.

Thoughts?
 
iwouldhurtafly said:
This may be slightly off topic... but despite sharpening devices, tools, or mediums. Whats yall take on field sharpening primitive style? IE rocks and naturally found items in the field. Less than ideal, but I have always been an advocate that free sharpening is somewhere between 97-99% technique/skill and then 1-3% tools. In essence, if it can dull a blade, somehow it can sharpen it.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I think you are right on the money. I've sharpened a Cold Steel Bushman on a rock before and had it shaving. None other than Jerry Fisk strops his knives on the heel of his hand. The leather belt you're wearing or a piece of cardboard will work. The edge of your car window, bottom of a coffee cup etc., etc.

If your knife is that dull, look around and you can find a way to hone or strop it.
 
Anybody ever try those DMT credit card size "stones"? I'm thinking about strapping those into my BK2 sheath as a useful fix for FSS (floppy sheath syndrome). Big "A" has a set for about 25 clams. Anyone?
 
I've had the Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener for seven months now and it works really well. It's light and you can do a lot with it. When I'm in the woods I normally keep it with me in my messenger bag. During extended use, I'll touch up my knives every so often on the fine ceramic rod and the strop, which I've loaded with green compound. It does the job very well. It's nice having all those tool in hand instead of having to mess around with sandpaper and stuff. Very handy.

Most of the time, though, it seems like all you need to use on a Becker is a double-sided strop with black and green compounds to maintain the edge. I've downright abused some of my Beckers and they only need to be stropped every so often to keep the edge scary sharp.
 
You just need a $3000 2"x72" belt grinder :D

Really a cheap home made strop works wonders.

I have some scrap leather glued to some scrap wood flooring and it loaded with black buffing compound and on the other side white compound, with that I can take anything from my sharpmaker and mirror the edge in about 10 minutes or touch up the edge in about 2 minutes.
 
Here is my review of the Worksharp Field Sharpener:

I have used the Field Sharpener to sharpen 3 knives so far. One beat up Gerber Para frame, a Becker and also my new Kershaw Burr in S30v Steel.

The softest metal of the 3 was the Gerber, and the worst edge to start with. I used the course and fine diamond, then the 2 ceramics and finished with the leather strop per the instruction sheet. It took no time to put a sharp working edge on this little blade.

Next came the Becker BK15 which is a much longer blade. I only needed to use the course and find ceramic stones and strop to hone the edge a bit. Mostly I just wanted to see how a larger blade would work. I found the stones to be a little bit small but not impossible to work.

Lastly, the Blur. With the harder and much more wear resistant steel, I re-profiled the blade to using the20 degree guide. Starting with the course diamond only took a dozen passes on each side to match the bevels and raise a bur. Same for the fine diamond .
The part that I really liked was using the course ceramic. It is slotted along the length of the rod and really does a nice job removing the troublesome bur that this steel is known for. The fine ceramic honed a nice edge, quickly. I worked the fine a little bit longer to polish up the edge and make it look pretty.
Just a few passes on the leather and I was done.

One note, the ceramics and strop angle guides are set at 25, while the diamonds which do most of the metal removal are set to 20 degrees. Thus creating a micro bevel. OK if that's what you want. I just didn't use the guides and maintained my 20 degree edge.
 
granitestateofmind said:
Anybody ever try those DMT credit card size "stones"? I'm thinking about strapping those into my BK2 sheath as a useful fix for FSS (floppy sheath syndrome). Big "A" has a set for about 25 clams. Anyone?
Click to expand...

I carry a medium grit in my wallet for touchups if needed. End up using it more on other people's stuff when I see how dull their knives are. Works great actually. For small edges I lay it down and run the knife across it and for larger ones I run the "card" across the blade. Pretty handy actually. Hope this helps.
 
1) defiine sharp

2) ignore 1... what are you using it for?

#

a blade optimized for shaving probably sucks at choppin.... probably sucks at slicing/cutting... you can do this all day

or: a knive optimized for one thing? not so much those other things...

ya know?
 
koryshar said:
I carry a medium grit in my wallet for touchups if needed. End up using it more on other people's stuff when I see how dull their knives are. Works great actually. For small edges I lay it down and run the knife across it and for larger ones I run the "card" across the blade. Pretty handy actually. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback - I should probably start another thread so as not to hijack the OP.
 
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