My co-worker is clueless when it comes to sharpening....

J

jk904jk

Joined
Jun 20, 2006
Messages
139
I'm sure you all know somebody that is clueless about knives and edged tools in general, but my co-worker marc is the worst. We cut fences along the interstate with machetes. When it comes to sharpening them, he goes to the grinding wheel and attempts to put an edge on it, but all he really does is build up such a thick burr on one side of the blade that it doesn't do crap. Then, out in the field, he uses the company's file they bought years ago that is a super coarse file that is beyond rusted and dull. The dullness is due to him going back and forth with the file rendering its functionality null and void. He also barely holds onto the machete out in the air and basically goes back and forth rapidly (:jerkit:) and without much pressure (due to the machete being held in the air). I have tried to kindly give some advice, but he is such a stubborn hot-headed guy. I am 26 and he is about 50, and is the type that thinks anyone younger than him doesn't know jack. Me on the otherhand, I don't use the grinder at all. I clamp the blade with two wide-mouth vise grips onto the steel rails of the trailer with the edge just hanging over. I use my own personal Nichols brand file that is just the right coarsness. I use solid pressure and make smooth and even strokes at a consistent angle against the edge. After the filing, it pretty much is ready to cut, but I will go over to the trucks plastic bedliner on the bedrails and "strop" it for a minute. After that, the thing is able to cut things like a hot knife through butter. He hacks and hacks and hacks away at the simplest of things, but he still refuses to admit that my machete and method is far supperior. Rant over.

btw, I got a new one today and painted the handle flourescent orange because....well, I just do that to my handles for when I stab it in the ground when not in use, I like to be able to see it so I dont cut open my leg since it's so dang sharp. I like imacasa brand. They are stainless (for the most part), VERY comfortable handle, thin which allows for easy fence trimming and is easy on the arm after 6 hours a day of it, and the steel they use is really resilient. Here she is in all her new glory. http://i.imgur.com/Qzi6U.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/XBklY.jpg
 
For some people 20 years of experience means 20 yearly improvements, for others it simply means a year experience repeated 20 times.
 
Sep said:
For some people 20 years of experience means 20 yearly improvements, for others it simply means a year experience repeated 20 times.
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I LOL'd so hard I almost woke up my wife and son in the next room, very true....VERY true :D
 
Take your machete, slice a piece of copy paper. Then take his and attempt to do the same. Ask him which one is sharper:thumbup:.
 
when you guys start working, ask to swap machetes for a few minutes so you "can see if his handle is more comfortable". after he uses your machete for 5 minutes and then goes back to his, for the rest of the day he'll be thinking about how good your machete cuts ;).
 
I have some relatives, older than me, that do not value any information that I have. I was a chef for 12+ years. I can't "reach" them when it comes to learning anything. It could be my approach, but I've been dealing with them for many years.
Yeah, try his machete, if swinging your sharp machete doesn't change his mind, then maybe nothing could. Have fun!
 
jimnolimit said:
when you guys start working, ask to swap machetes for a few minutes so you "can see if his handle is more comfortable". after he uses your machete for 5 minutes and then goes back to his, for the rest of the day he'll be thinking about how good your machete cuts ;).
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He might accidentally cut his own leg off from swinging too hard on the first cut:eek:.
 
Noctis3880 said:
He might accidentally cut his own leg off from swinging too hard on the first cut:eek:.
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as a courtesy, the OP could throw in a quick "be careful, my machete is sharp"

p.s. that would be one great machete/sharpening to go through a post and a leg in one swipe ;).
 
Those old coots that think just sitting and aging makes them smarter irritate me to no end. I finally saw a co-worker put on in his place and I laugh every time I think about it. It was an old welder who "had been doing it this way for 20 years". My co-worker told him "You must be really excited now that you've finally had someone tell you the right way to do it."
 
Maybe he is'nt so clueless after all,I mean think about all the time you spend working your arse off while he spends putting on a crappy edge(at his own pace)-and repeat this xtimes a day ,in the end you'll have alot of crazy stories to tell.
 
batosai117 said:
I LOL'd so hard I almost woke up my wife and son in the next room, very true....VERY true :D
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marknett1 said:
Wow thats should be put in a fortune cookie .... good stuff :D
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I wish I can claim credit for it, but I can't. I got this gem from a guy who has been a CEO of 40+ years. When he started the job he used to look up to a certain old guy who knew a lot about his craft. That is, until he realized that the guy was utterly incapable (or unwilling) to learn anything new. While other people grew professionally, the old dude stayed where he was.
 
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