Knife sharpening in the field

Joined
Oct 10, 2012
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14
I know there are some experts on here that know a lot more about this subject than me but here is my bushcraft take on sharpening. Let me know what you think...

[video=youtube;XK6Ldhzbc90]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK6Ldhzbc90&feature=plcp[/video]

Ste
 
I use a rock or the file on my leatherman.
When I'm at home I do a quality sharpening with DMT stones.
 
I've carried the 1x3 e-z lapp diamond pocket stone in my back pocket for many years, and its served me well. latley I have been playing with the Fallkniven DC-3 & DC-4 Diamond ceramic stones. So far I like them very much the ceramic side allows lite tuch up to the edge with out removing a lot of metal. diamond side for repair of damaged or seriously dulled edge
http://www.eze-lap.com/product/1x3ds.htm

http://www.fallkniven.com/en/shop/details/368/13/sharpeners/dc3

Links provided for image purpose only
 
That's a fine system and provides you some versatility in terms of grit options. One question tho, doesn't the leather get contaminated with the grit and metal particles when you stack the wooden blocks? Altho, I guess for a field expedient, it isn't that important, just a thought.
 
I used the stone from the pocket on my Randall today to touch up the top edge of my 16SF it worked great. sat on a log just like the video
 
I don't think, I have ever seen anyone using a ngura (Spelling ?) stone with sand paper before. It's good to seen something new:thumbup:

It looks to me like your setup will produce a useful edge.
 
Back in ancient times I learned how to sharpen freehand and do most of my knives that way. With more and more high tech knife steels I use a 1200 grit diamond rod .I have an old E-zee Lap ,made in CA ! that's worn down to 1200 and a newer oval one .It only takes a few light strokes to bring it back to sharp.
 
Great videos! Got curious about the knife so watched them all :) The knife technique video was quite similar to the Ray Mears vid. But all are very clear, great instructions with some good editing!
Have seen many video's; many people don't have that bushcraft skill (they practice 2 times and clumsy around in their vid), others do have the experience, but don't have the (video) director skill. You got both. Keep them coming.

With respect to the sharpening; I use a fallkniven DC4 for the longer trips. For the shorter trips I bring a double sided leather strop with compound (glued leather on both sides of a paint stirring stick). Now and then I use sandpaper in the field as well that I lay flat on the strop, but I prefer dragging the cutting edge backwards instead of pushing it forward. Had sometimes that I cut the sandpaper when I was pushing the edge (but with sandpaper glued on the block this should be less of an issue since you don't have irregularities or wrinkles in the paper).
Last summer I used some stones I found on the beach with great success, the knife passed the ripe tomato cutting test.
And I have used my leather shoes as strop too to bring the edge back to shaving hairs from my arm.

Edit: just remembered a nice setup in a video I saw long ago, never tried this particular one though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkuF1dljmjE
 
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It doesn't appear very different from what a lot of folks do at home so I can see why that works for you.............I'm a simple unit and I prefer simple, light and compact solutions. Each to their own and all that but that kit you have there is something I would never hump around without transport support.............After messing about with lots of different ideas I'm now at the point at which I don't believe I could simplify any further without taking an insufferable performance hit............... I'll start by saying that I don't tend to blunt my knives to a significant degree while I'm out even after quite a lot of cutting. I don't know whether that's because of what they are made from or how they are made, or the geometry I put on them, or the fact that I start with a refined edge that isn't disposed to having jaggy teeth that are easily busted over making it weak or whether it is what it is that I'm cutting, I suspect a conspiracy of all those factors. On that, for most weekend trips I don't bother with the below. I just swap tobacco tins to one I have taped a bit of 600 paper to. I have wiped the edge off a knife PDQ, that was a SAK Outrider and I was cutting through rubber I didn't expect to have a cable in. 600 paper is sufficient to put a quick and dirty edge back on enough to keep me going and freeing me to focus on the self inflicted arse kicking for being a dullard. It's also been handy for when I cut up a carpet to use as a blanket when my two mates beat me to the curtains. This route is usually all the insurance I need. I'd need my powder scales to measure the difference between two tobacco tins, one with this addition.....................That said, last Monday I came back from a protracted trip on which I did take a bunch more just because of the large variation in stuff I was doing. I had the same staring point breakdown – I need a flat surface, abrasives, and a means of affixing them. Well flat surfaces abound; bottom of a pot, side of another knife, back of a phone if need be, anything. I wont take anything specifically for that. Extend that principle as far as you like, for example if you had skis. Double sided carpet tape sticks the paper to whatever just fine if you use a trailing stroke. Even several bits of paper in different grits with tape ready to go weighs very little indeed and is very compact to transport................Because of the nature of that trip I went full bananas and wanted stuff that could just as easily bring a big convex and a tiny V grind to an acceptable standard with minimal fuss. I introduced two other components, a bit of thin and very dense foam and a strop. The foam bit is plain enough, just use another strip of double sided tape to sandwich it between the paper and the flat surface when doing the convex. The strop is nothing fancy either and isn't even made from leather. I know the knife stunts folks go on about types of leather and whether moo is better than baa, or roo is better than horse and all that prattle about natural silicates. Screw all that. I just want to quickly bring the edge to the point at which we don't even comment on shaving hair 'cos that's minimum standard. I'm more concerned with how cleanly it'll slice through a cigarette paper held twixt finger and thumb, or down a sheet of newspaper without catching and with the noise feedback that tells me I'm in the zone. Compound with do that easily, no leather required, you just need something to hold it. In this case I used a section of some cheap and nasty wide vinyl belt I saw in a preppy shop. It was two layers thick and when I split it down it gave me an excellent hard stropping surface about 1mm thick with just the right amount of compliance. I didn't have my green compound handy so I took one bit with black and one bit with white. All up with the foam, the paper, the two strops and the bits of tape the package was still tiny and under 2oz. It was also well in excess of what was necessary. I just got a buzz out of taking knives from 2” to 10” and out in the sticks putting edges on them that will humiliate a lot of blades fresh from the workshop sold as new.
 
I usually just use a handy rock of "about" the right grit also. use the rock and leave it where you got it from. very light weight!
 
One time, me and a friend were waiting for our food at a diner. I noticed the knife in my cutlery set was very dull and had a heavily rolled edge. I used the fork to realign the edge, then the back of a stoneware saucer to hone it. 2-3 minutes later, I sliced a dollar bill with this knife. My friend was floored. At work, I often hone my pocket knife on a 2X4 or piece of cardboard. Point is you can sharpen a knife on anything hard and hone it to a fine edge with almost any material.

This is the sharpening kit I carry when backpacking. A small Arkansas stone and a ceramic rod. I can do just fine without it, but it only weighs around 4 ounces and does a nice job. A leather strop could have been a nice addition, but the small gain in fine sharpness is not worth the extra clutter and weight.

DSC_0212b.jpg


DSC_0210b.jpg
 
I think gerber has been getting there priorities back in order, that new field sharpener looks pretty solid. Plus Paul Howe is the man! Can't wait to give it a try next boar hunting trip.
 
DMT Mini Sharp Extra Fine
Very small and light
I run it across the blade, not the blade across it
Carry it all the time

I have the Fine but I never use it
Would use it for an axe
 
Wow, some amazing systems there. I used to have a DC4 but found it too small. Halberider i'm quite intrigued with your set, i can see me trying to hone my knife on various things around the house and woodland haha. That clay brick video is incredible, i never knew paper was grained like that. I've never used a stone from nature on my knife before, i might try it on a cheap one and see what result i get. I suppose the floor with my system is that it does take up more room than your average light weight sharpening system, and as Stickman said the leather will get contaminated with sand and metal partials. Also i should mention that I use a stropping paste on the leather but i didn't have any for the filming of the video.

Ste
 
I'm more interested in realigning an edge in the field. I've carried a ceramic rod, and even a grooved butcher's steel when going out to play with bigger knives. Have also used the spine of a blade or SAK saw to steel an edge, but have never needed to cut enough of anything abrasive that would require an actual sharpening. Almost all of the edge damage I've experienced has come using larger blades to clear brush in a suburban environment, where you get into discarded building materials, or rocks, due to intentionally cutting as close to the ground as possible. Aside from rolling an edge by using a lot of force while making big shavings from a stick whose end was supported by a rock(you can see where that's going), I don't know know that I've ever even damaged one in true field use.
 
Wow, some amazing systems there. I used to have a DC4 but found it too small. Halberider i'm quite intrigued with your set...


To describe what you're looking at, the stone is 1.5" X 4" and the ceramic rod is 3/8" X 4.5". Total weight for the set with the pouch is 5 ounces. Holding the stone or rod stationary and stroking the knife blade across, I can only sharpen a pocket knife or small fixed blade with these. But if I use the stone or rod to stroke across the cutting edge of the blade, I can easily sharpen a large machete or full size axehead. So I really don't see a need to pack anything larger and heavier. And like Owen said already, you rarely take metal off in the field. I could in fact get by with the little rod alone for almost everything I need out there. The stone is mostly for axes and a 'just in case' piece of gear.
 
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