My First Khukuri: Sharpening question(s)

Rat Finkenstein

Rat Finkenstein

Joined
May 18, 2005
Messages
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Ok, so I just obtained my first HI, from the exchange- it is a BAS model. it is totally brand new. The question is: do they always come dull? This one is dull overall, which wouldnt be much of a problem, except the portion near the tip is totally flat and doesnt even come close to having an edge, it is completely blunt.
Is this a normal occurance? and how should I go about trying to sharpen/ grind this?- (I dont have a belt sander.)
also, should this be a convexed edge?
thanks
 
To sharpen a khukuri, you need to "let the tail wag the dog", so to speak.

Hold the khukuri edge-up in your left hand (if right-handed), and with a file/stone/rod/etc. in your right hand - and approximating a 20-25 degree angle - "steel" the blade, just like a chef would.

The DMT folding sharpener is the easiest to use for this method. However, it can be done with a plain-ole file. Or the rods from a Sharpmaker 204.

If you want a convex edge, then you'll need to try the mousepad method. But since the khukuri has a recurve, you'll want to glue a one-inch wide pad to a piece of wood and use that with sandpaper instead.


I am to the point now where I do touch-up sharpening by hand, using the pads of my fingers to conform to the curve of the convex edge. But this is not for everybody.....:foot:




Oh.......and, Welcome!
 
RF, the khuks range from razor to butter knife in terms of sharpness. Half the fun (once you get used to it) is the sharpening. It REALLY becomes yours when you've put a nice edge on it.

Have fun.
 
Welcome, RF:)

A lot of the time the edges of the standard HI line seem to come dull. This might be due to the high polish they put in the blades before they are shipped to the US. However, this is not a big deal at all. Actually, the "good stuff" of the steel is buried a few sharpening into the steel. You'll notice that after 3 or 4 sharpenings (in general) that you khuks will become sharper and stay sharper longer.

Jake
 
Get yorself a single cut semi-smooth file and a length of 1.5" dowel and some varieties of sandpaper, from 220 up to 1500 grit. It's amazing what a piece of sandpaper wrapped around a dowel will do.
 
I am *not* one of the sharpening pros, but if it's that dull, and you have no power tools, a carbide sharpener/file will remove metal and get down to the good stuff fast by hand. $6 at Loews.

You get a flat grind edge, not convex, but I have two like that. Sharp edge but probably won't last as long chopping wood. YMMV; see the first 8 words.

and somebody correct me if I'm wrong-ish...


Ad Astra
 
Thanks for all the help guys, (keep it coming ;) )
My main concern is not screwing it up, as I have never had to take this much steel off a knife before. the trouble spot near the tip looks like it was ground flat on a grinder, while most of the rest I am pretty sure I can easily sharpen up. So I will plan my strategy carefully so as not to uglify this nice blade.
I was even thinking of seeing if some maker out there might be able to work their magic on the edge, but maybe I should just go for it myself? I guess it would be good practice, considering up to this point I have always simply maintained egdes, not created them.
I just want to add that these things are really nice- a killer value, indeed. I sense more Khukuri's in my future, perhaps some larger ones ;) :thumbup:
Thanks again- I am grateful for the advice.
 
Rat Finkenstein said:
Thanks for all the help guys, (keep it coming ;) )
My main concern is not screwing it up, as I have never had to take this much steel off a knife before. the trouble spot near the tip looks like it was ground flat on a grinder, while most of the rest I am pretty sure I can easily sharpen up. So I will plan my strategy carefully so as not to uglify this nice blade.
I was even thinking of seeing if some maker out there might be able to work their magic on the edge, but maybe I should just go for it myself? I guess it would be good practice, considering up to this point I have always simply maintained egdes, not created them.
I just want to add that these things are really nice- a killer value, indeed. I sense more Khukuri's in my future, perhaps some larger ones ;) :thumbup:
Thanks again- I am grateful for the advice.
Click to expand...

I feel your pain... I've never really spent much time sharpening any knife but my boy scout knife and my AF Survival knife (nothing else managed to avoid getting lost long enough to really get touched much), and those weren't a terribly difficult thing to do (and I was young enough and they were cheap enough that I learned on them with no worries about mistakes - by the time I was attached to them, I had sharpening them down pat)...

You likely have more sharpening experience than I do, but something very basic to consider straight off though is running the chakma along the blade on both sides a few times followed by a litle stropping. It won't help the flat grind you mentioned, but it's made my out of the box knifes noticably sharper right off and might give you an idea of where to focus the bulk of your work.

If you run your fingernail parallel with the blade from the center of the blade downward toward the edge, you may notice it kind of catching right at the edge, seemingly only on one side (maybe from the last side being buffed it kind of pushes it over?) - the chakma and strop take this off.

The mandatory be careful... 1) The side that doesn't catch will let you slide right off the edge with no resistance. 2) While that fold over is blunt perfectly perpindicular to the blade, your skin will wrap around and catch on it makig a nice cut...

There's some nice stuff in the sharpening FAQ from Yvsa about stropping and not taking off alot of steel... As well as another by Daniel (I think) about repeatedly pushing the edge from side to side...
 
I doubt very much you could ruin it. Sharpening it will teach you a lot.

On khuks I've recieved that are somewhat far away from being true convex, I just sharpen. Gradually, they approach convex the more I sharpen in use. I'm in no hurry. I know a lot of folks re-profile immediately for one reason or another depending upon the khuk and task.

munk
 
Hi Rat. I've seen you around the Cove and other places so, Welcome to the Cantina/Psycho Ward, glad you finally made it!!!!:thumbup: :D

If you get an extra coarse/coarse DMT Duofold, or one of the carbide files Mike suggested from Lowes, you can do a convexed edge. Just don't try to maintain any set angle and the convex edge will generate itself.
Actually you can "rock" the file or hone and/or the blade and it will do the same.
Convex edges really are easy if you don't try to put a lot of thought behind them.
I'd do it for you myself but there won't be time before my short stay, hopefully, in the hospital and the subsequent recovery, maybe in about a month I can do it. Then again Steve (Ferguson) might do it for you as well if you get tired of fooling with it.;) :thumbup:
I'd also suggest Dan Koster but he's too busy these days doing major knife work.:yawn: ;)
Lots of helpful guys here.:cool:
 
Email me if you are willing to pay postage both ways...

I'm not Dan or Steve, but...
 
Once again, welcome RF:)

I hope i'm not stepping on Kismet's toes when i say this as this is normally his job;), but Read the safety thread, then re-read the safety thread, then once you're sure you absolutely have it down pat...read the safety thread again. Once you get it sharp and even before you get it sharp this thing is going to turn into a blade heavy 1.5lb razor.
Keep us posted and please feel free to hang around. New blood is always welcome in the Cantina.


Jake
 
Nasty said:
Email me if you are willing to pay postage both ways...

I'm not Dan or Steve, but...
Click to expand...

Yep, Nasty is another one that can put a scary sharp hair poppin hoppin convexed edge on it. Just didn't want to volunteer Nasty out of hand.
He may be an Uwinv, Nephew, of mine but he's still big enough to kick my arse into the middle of the second week of 2007 ifen he wanted.;) :D :cool:

Edit:
I wonder if Spark fixed the bug that was plagueing IE when posting quotes? The last several I have quoted has went right through with no trouble!!!!:thumbup: :D :cool:
 
Welcome RF : ) You've gotten a lot of good advice so far, but I find starting the coarse grinding of the edge in one place and then slowly spreading it to the rest of the khuk before giving it all-over touching up seems to help keep it looking good. If your BAS is anything like the fresh khuks I've seen, it's just the edge being buffed off to a varying degree. Except for the tip, of course.
 
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