- Joined
- May 18, 1999
- Messages
- 15,395
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I thought it might be time for this again since Ron has become a potential victim of HIKV and also now that Bob has decided which khukuri he is gonna get 1st.
And for any lurkers that may be new and haven't seen it before.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is very good information in Howard's Khukuri FAQ's and the links there to get a khukuri or any knife as sharp as it could possibley be and to maintain the edge bevels that came on the knife. However this question keeps getting asked again and again so I will try to make it simpler for the sharpening impaired.
It doesn't take much in obtaining the tools I use in sharpening all of my knives.
These items are what I use in varying stages and depending upon the condition of the edge that's needing sharpened. And I can cheat by using my Grizzly belt sander, but that is seldom needed after a good edge is established unless you badly impact it on a hard surface. And even then the tools described below will do the job needing done.
You already have a steel in the form of the chakma or the hard back of a good knife. I am fortunate to have a solid piece of smooth round carbide that was used to make metal cutting tools from and mounted it in a brass handle. A good smooth steel is optional since you can _make do_ with the items above.
Get yourself two or three _good files_like the Nicholson Black Diamond brand in lengths of 6"-8" and 10 inches.
If you only get two then get the 6" and 8" as they are the handiest to use. Get yourself a good _file card_ to maintain your files properly.
The best ones have a brush on the opposite side of the wire cleaner which looks something like a wool or other textile carder.
A file with a piece of metal embedded in it will cause gougeing and eventually ruin your file by picking up even more pieces of metal.
Take care of your files as you would any other fine cutting instument by keeping them free of rust and insure that their cutting edges are protected when put up.
A _good file_ is invaluable in maintaining the softer areas of a khukuri's edge.
I like the DMT duofold diamond hones as recommended by Cliff Stamp. They come in several combinations, but one only needs two, the Black and Blue and the Red and Green. The Black is the coarsest and the Green the finest.
Now for the strops.....
You can get some nice leather and make these yourself or you can buy them from sources on the www.
I have found for khukuris that the best size is about 1" to 1/18" wide as this will let the strop get into the recurves nicely.
I like mine glued onto a piece of wood as I think it makes them easier to use.
Now to the sharpening technique.....
First work out all the dings and impacted areas you can by using the steel or other hard surface like the chakma or the hard back edge on a knife.
You will be surprised at what a good steeling will do to bring back an impacted edge.
I brought back the edge on the HI AK Bowie after cutting a soft 3/8" carriage bolt in two with a vise to scary sharp with no other work needed.
If you still have areas that you couldn't steel out then take your file to the edge trying to maintain the original convex edge. Anyone can do this with a bit of practice.
Use the file the same way you do a hone and produce a burr on one side and then the other to insure that you indeed have a true edge to work with while removeing all the dings.
You may not get all of them out in the "sweet spot" with the file so that will be accomplished with the hones.
The final burr is to be honed off.
With the khukuri restored to its original shape and edge and with all the dings and other mishaps worked out you are now ready to proceed with the hones.
Depending upon the edge you have managed to produce with the file will determine the correct hone to use.
The Black DMT hone is _very_ aggresive and a light touch is all that's needed to reform and produce an edge that's ready to be properly sharpened with the finer hones.
The same technique that's recommended in all the FAQ's is used to produce a finer and finer burr from one side to the other.
I find the Green hone to not be needed for most work on a khukuri, however I do use it to produce very fine edges on thinner blades.
After you have proceeded this far and have established a proper sharp edge you are now ready to strop off any remaining wire edge. I have for a long time now used two strops, one charged with Tripoli and the other charged with Jewelers Rouge.
These are adequate and will produce a very sharp edge, however I have discovered like many others before me that a Green Chrome strop will produce the finest edge that I am able to make on any knife.
Starting with the Tripoli strop drag your khukuri with the edge trailing, so as to not cut the strop, back and forth several times until you strop off the wire edge.
This is done with the khukuri held low as Cliff states in Howard's Khukuri FAQ's.
When you have removed the wire edge proceed with the Jewelers Rouge further polishing the edge of the khukuri.
When you are satisfied with that polish proceed to the last and final strop charged with the Green Chrome and put the most incredble edge you have ever made on you favorite khukuri or other knife.
Cliff has stated the proper ways of maintaining the convex edge or putting a flat beveled edge on you knives in the khukuri FAQ's so I haven't and won't get into that.
With practice anyone can maintain a proper convex edge with the tools described here. And with even more practice you can maintain a flat beveled secondary edge on any knife.
In Ed Fowler's book he has a picture of a smooth Wyoming river rock that he picked up to sharpen one of his knive's on in the field and that shows that nothing spectacular is needed to maintain the edge on any knife.
Ed likes the convex or "Moran" edge as do I.
All of my using knive's have been converted to this style edge as I personally feel it is the best edge that can be put on any knife and it will serve you well for a longer period of time than any other method.
If you are unsure of yourself and your abilities the trick is to practice, practice, practice!!!! Get yourself some cheap knives at a flea market or other source and use them to practice on before moving on to more expensive blades.
You will get better and better as time progresses and if I can learn to do it by hand anyone can.
------------------
>>>>---Yvsa-G@WebTV.net---->®
"VEGETARIAN".............
Indin word for lousy hunter.
I thought it might be time for this again since Ron has become a potential victim of HIKV and also now that Bob has decided which khukuri he is gonna get 1st.
And for any lurkers that may be new and haven't seen it before.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is very good information in Howard's Khukuri FAQ's and the links there to get a khukuri or any knife as sharp as it could possibley be and to maintain the edge bevels that came on the knife. However this question keeps getting asked again and again so I will try to make it simpler for the sharpening impaired.
It doesn't take much in obtaining the tools I use in sharpening all of my knives.
These items are what I use in varying stages and depending upon the condition of the edge that's needing sharpened. And I can cheat by using my Grizzly belt sander, but that is seldom needed after a good edge is established unless you badly impact it on a hard surface. And even then the tools described below will do the job needing done.
You already have a steel in the form of the chakma or the hard back of a good knife. I am fortunate to have a solid piece of smooth round carbide that was used to make metal cutting tools from and mounted it in a brass handle. A good smooth steel is optional since you can _make do_ with the items above.
Get yourself two or three _good files_like the Nicholson Black Diamond brand in lengths of 6"-8" and 10 inches.
If you only get two then get the 6" and 8" as they are the handiest to use. Get yourself a good _file card_ to maintain your files properly.
The best ones have a brush on the opposite side of the wire cleaner which looks something like a wool or other textile carder.
A file with a piece of metal embedded in it will cause gougeing and eventually ruin your file by picking up even more pieces of metal.
Take care of your files as you would any other fine cutting instument by keeping them free of rust and insure that their cutting edges are protected when put up.
A _good file_ is invaluable in maintaining the softer areas of a khukuri's edge.
I like the DMT duofold diamond hones as recommended by Cliff Stamp. They come in several combinations, but one only needs two, the Black and Blue and the Red and Green. The Black is the coarsest and the Green the finest.
Now for the strops.....
You can get some nice leather and make these yourself or you can buy them from sources on the www.
I have found for khukuris that the best size is about 1" to 1/18" wide as this will let the strop get into the recurves nicely.
I like mine glued onto a piece of wood as I think it makes them easier to use.
Now to the sharpening technique.....
First work out all the dings and impacted areas you can by using the steel or other hard surface like the chakma or the hard back edge on a knife.
You will be surprised at what a good steeling will do to bring back an impacted edge.
I brought back the edge on the HI AK Bowie after cutting a soft 3/8" carriage bolt in two with a vise to scary sharp with no other work needed.
If you still have areas that you couldn't steel out then take your file to the edge trying to maintain the original convex edge. Anyone can do this with a bit of practice.
Use the file the same way you do a hone and produce a burr on one side and then the other to insure that you indeed have a true edge to work with while removeing all the dings.
You may not get all of them out in the "sweet spot" with the file so that will be accomplished with the hones.
The final burr is to be honed off.
With the khukuri restored to its original shape and edge and with all the dings and other mishaps worked out you are now ready to proceed with the hones.
Depending upon the edge you have managed to produce with the file will determine the correct hone to use.
The Black DMT hone is _very_ aggresive and a light touch is all that's needed to reform and produce an edge that's ready to be properly sharpened with the finer hones.
The same technique that's recommended in all the FAQ's is used to produce a finer and finer burr from one side to the other.
I find the Green hone to not be needed for most work on a khukuri, however I do use it to produce very fine edges on thinner blades.
After you have proceeded this far and have established a proper sharp edge you are now ready to strop off any remaining wire edge. I have for a long time now used two strops, one charged with Tripoli and the other charged with Jewelers Rouge.
These are adequate and will produce a very sharp edge, however I have discovered like many others before me that a Green Chrome strop will produce the finest edge that I am able to make on any knife.
Starting with the Tripoli strop drag your khukuri with the edge trailing, so as to not cut the strop, back and forth several times until you strop off the wire edge.
This is done with the khukuri held low as Cliff states in Howard's Khukuri FAQ's.
When you have removed the wire edge proceed with the Jewelers Rouge further polishing the edge of the khukuri.
When you are satisfied with that polish proceed to the last and final strop charged with the Green Chrome and put the most incredble edge you have ever made on you favorite khukuri or other knife.
Cliff has stated the proper ways of maintaining the convex edge or putting a flat beveled edge on you knives in the khukuri FAQ's so I haven't and won't get into that.
With practice anyone can maintain a proper convex edge with the tools described here. And with even more practice you can maintain a flat beveled secondary edge on any knife.
In Ed Fowler's book he has a picture of a smooth Wyoming river rock that he picked up to sharpen one of his knive's on in the field and that shows that nothing spectacular is needed to maintain the edge on any knife.
Ed likes the convex or "Moran" edge as do I.
All of my using knive's have been converted to this style edge as I personally feel it is the best edge that can be put on any knife and it will serve you well for a longer period of time than any other method.
If you are unsure of yourself and your abilities the trick is to practice, practice, practice!!!! Get yourself some cheap knives at a flea market or other source and use them to practice on before moving on to more expensive blades.
You will get better and better as time progresses and if I can learn to do it by hand anyone can.
------------------
>>>>---Yvsa-G@WebTV.net---->®
"VEGETARIAN".............
Indin word for lousy hunter.
