Kershaw Random Leek with Convex edge

[Gary W. Graley]

This must be the week of me with thoughts running through my head, first I grind down a perfectly good Benchmade Butterfly knife to get a different clip point on the BM43, see that thread here and tonight I was cutting up leather as I'm wont to do, much to the displeasure of my wife but hey, you gotta check those edges!
And while the Random Leek had a VERY sharp razor edge, there was a shoulder on the bevel that I just couldn't live with. So out comes the sand paper, some soft leather to lay it on and I commenced to putting a nice convex edge on that sucker, NOW she is not only sharp, but will push cut through leather like a champ, also went to the corner of our phone book and she pushed down through all the pages without as much as a wimper, just plowed right through, a good test of the primary bevel on about any knife.

Here is a scan of the blade after the sand paper treatment, also finished up on Spyderco Profiles and then onto a strop that put a nice finish on it.

If you pinch grip the the blade and can feel an abrupt shoulder before the edge bevel, your knife would benefit from this treatment, BUT beware, as you can see from the scan, traces of scratches show up on the black blade here, it's for the want of a very good strong using edge that I forsake the pretty stuff!
Go for it, start with like 120, then 220, 320 and up as high as you have and then strop the blade.
G2

 

[J D Wijbenga]

Great stuff! I did something like that to a few Spydies, and man, can you tell the diference! They cut so much better now.

JD

 

[Starfish]

I gave a beat-up, old Spyderco Calypso Jr. the convex-edge treatment and wow! the edge looks great and she cuts like nobody's business!

Funny thing about doing this kind of modifications to your knives - I find that I carry the Calypso Jr. more than any of my others now. Not just because she's the sharpest tool in the shed, but because I feel somehow....bonded...to this knife.

Perhaps that was the catalyst for Betty the Blue Benchmade Mini-Griptilian's personals ad in the For Sale forums?

Thanks for the pictures Gary!

Matthew

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Good Starfish!

Along a different line but still with the Kershaw Random Leek, I put one of my bead fobs on there, but found that with the closeness to the end of the knife, the leather would sometimes flop around into the path of the blade as it closed, so I braided the leather tightly, but not too tightly from the hole and put the bead back on, now...it's a lot handier!

G2

ps, this was also taken with my new Fuji S5000 digital camera, pretty slick way to get an image so quick!

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Just an update, as I usually cycle through knives faster than most, I have found that the Kershaw Random Leek has found an almost permanent home here in the Graley' household

Blade with it's new convex edge really cuts well, effortlessly actually. And the torsion assisted opening is just the icing on the cake!

S30v blade takes and holds a very sharp edge!!
Thanks Ken Onion! and Thanks Kershaw! a winner here...
G2

 

[stjames]

The Random Leek is an awsome folder, great shape, great size, great steel. An uncoated, ti handled version would be perfect. Only G2 could improve it!

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Thanks James, it appears my BladeForums Subscription ran out the other day!
Will have to get the Gold again or up to Platinum maybe!

A Ti Model with uncoated blade would be most excellent!
G2

 

[WadeF]

Looks great Gary! I love the bead fob you put on there. I need to learn how to make those.

 

[me2]

I fully convexed a Schrade Old Timer pocket knife about a year ago. It was rusty and needed cleaning anyway. I took it down to 1500 grit then stropped it. Cut better than any of my other knives, and touched up on a strop quickly, but took a little effort to fully sharpen after cutting some sheet rock one day.

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Looks great Gary! I love the bead fob you put on there. I need to learn how to make those.

Not too hard, just run the leather through the bead, bead needs about a 1/2" or so hole, should be about as wide as the leather you're passing through.
Run both pieces through
go AROUND the bead and back up through a second time
I use a paper clip to help push the tips back through the bead
the leather is self locking and works great!

In keeping with this thread, here is a picture of my Random Leek as it just finished push cutting through this book, with little or no resistance.
Try that with one of your knives, if they don't have a convex edge, or if they are very thin bladed, they will balk at attempting to push cut through a book.

Just don't do it where there are words inside, you might want to read it again...
G2

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Also mention that Jimmy Fikes had a home made video that showed just that, push cutting through Thick books easily requires the proper edge geometry.
G2

 

[locomoconomo]

Don't suppose you might have or recommend a youtube video of your convexing technique???