What the hell is "Tactical Bushcraft?" I stopped watching after the title. Bigfattyt mentioned a circular motion. I don't normally do this unless to remove material aggressively. I drag across the paper, also. In the end, you have to try things and find out what works for you. Get to sharpening!
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What the hell is "Tactical Bushcraft?" I stopped watching after the title. Bigfattyt mentioned a circular motion. I don't normally do this unless to remove material aggressively. I drag across the paper, also. In the end, you have to try things and find out what works for you. Get to sharpening!
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Well, while we are confessing about doing things the easy way, I don't use guides to sharpen either. I learned to sharpen free hand as a very young man (Dad always said, no reason to have a pocketknife in your pocket if it won't cut anything) and have continued on to this day. My Dad's stones were a fairly coarse Norton stone of some sort, and a Washita Soft Arkansas stone that was so hard it would almost mirror steel. Love it now, hated it then.
As a kid I always took the Norton because progress was so damn slow with that Arkansas stone that I could never tell if I was doing anything. Later in the very early 70s I bought a Buck 119 and it had a small leaflet in it that gave advice on sharpening on a stone.
It went something like "apply a few drops of oil to your stone. Lay the knife flat on the stone, and carefully raise the spine of the blade approximately 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. Starting at the heel of the blade, slowly move the blade across the stone from heel to tip as if you were cutting a very thin slice off the stone". It had a little drawing of a knife at 90 degrees to the stone with arrows showing the motion.
That little bit helped me more than anything. Currently, I sharpen all my knives on a 12" 600 grit diamond rod. I is probably down to about 700 now, but it still cuts well and will achieve a good edge. The only edge I strop is on my peanut or tiny whittler that I use to cut my cigars. Everything else is free hand on the rod.
As a sweaty guy in a very sweaty business, I carry stainless blades in the summer to lower maintenance, and carbon in the winter because I love carbon. A dot of 3 in 1 works great on the joints, and I put a bit on the spring with the blade half open from time to time. On a lazy afternoon I might dig the "stuff" out of the handle with a toothpick, but that's about it. Not much maintenance other than sharpening, really.
Robert
As a kid I always took the Norton because progress was so damn slow with that Arkansas stone that I could never tell if I was doing anything. Later in the very early 70s I bought a Buck 119 and it had a small leaflet in it that gave advice on sharpening on a stone.
It went something like "apply a few drops of oil to your stone. Lay the knife flat on the stone, and carefully raise the spine of the blade approximately 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. Starting at the heel of the blade, slowly move the blade across the stone from heel to tip as if you were cutting a very thin slice off the stone". It had a little drawing of a knife at 90 degrees to the stone with arrows showing the motion.
That little bit helped me more than anything. Currently, I sharpen all my knives on a 12" 600 grit diamond rod. I is probably down to about 700 now, but it still cuts well and will achieve a good edge. The only edge I strop is on my peanut or tiny whittler that I use to cut my cigars. Everything else is free hand on the rod.
As a sweaty guy in a very sweaty business, I carry stainless blades in the summer to lower maintenance, and carbon in the winter because I love carbon. A dot of 3 in 1 works great on the joints, and I put a bit on the spring with the blade half open from time to time. On a lazy afternoon I might dig the "stuff" out of the handle with a toothpick, but that's about it. Not much maintenance other than sharpening, really.
Robert
Last edited:
black mamba
Gold Member
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I freehand sharpen using diamond hones followed by stropping on either leather or cardboard.
I use the circular motion with 300-600 grit for reprofiling, and a straight draw or push stroke with 1200 grit for finishing.
Mineral oil for the joints and rust prevention.
I use the circular motion with 300-600 grit for reprofiling, and a straight draw or push stroke with 1200 grit for finishing.
Mineral oil for the joints and rust prevention.
I would like to hear more about this. I've had really good success with my Lansky system but it did take me a while to get confident enough to "go after" the edge on older knives with damaged blades. If the blade is dinged up and badly worn, I get pretty aggressive with the course stone. One trick that a buddy showed me is to lightly run my thumbnail (carefully, very carefully) along the length of the blade. It's very easy to feel gouges and rough spots in the edge this way. Also very, very easy to slice open your thumb so I'm not suggesting this, just saying what works for me. I won't move down to the medium and fine stones until the edge is free of bumps and gouges.
Another tip that I think is important is to work one side of the blade till you can feel the "burr edge" by running your finger tip across the edge. I put my finger on the unsharpened side of the blade and lightly rub down across the edge. It's a way I can track what part of the blade I've worked with the stone and which parts I've missed.
Note, I don't maintain my knives with the Lansky once their initially sharp. I use a small ceramic rod system for quick touch ups and, of course, a strop. All of the knives will pop hair off my forearm, and I'm pretty much an idiot on these things. I'm not good enough to freehand sharpen my knives.
In any event, would like to hear more about how you're using the Lansky rods. I've found they give me (an idiot) really good results so perhaps it's just a matter of making some adjustments with it?
I do my light knives at 20 degrees and my heavy duty knives at 25.
If the knife is new to me and especially if the blade is worn, I'll put 2 bevels on it (aka breaking in the edge). I do this with the course stone only. So, if my target final bevel is 20 degrees, I'll break it in at 17 with the course stone (till I get a burr on both sides) and then do 20 degrees with the course stone (till I get a burr on both sides) and then move down through the finer stones at 20 degrees each.
I made mine from scrap lumber and a cheap belt. Paint on some elmers glue and put some weight on it for an hour or so. Then you're all set.