Need Ka-bar sharpening advice

[Raver]

I'm having a lot of trouble sharpening my black Ka-bar. I have a sharpmaker 204 that works great on my Cold Steel folders, but doesn't seem to do anything on the Ka-bar. I tried putting some dry-erase marker on the edge and using the 204 again. It didn't remove any marker at all except maybe a little where the secondary bevel meets the primary bevel. Also, when I look straight down at the edge, it doesn't look symmetrical, but vears off to one side a little near the tip. I haven't used or sharpened the knife enough yet to have done this, it must have come that way. Does anyone know what angle Ka-bars are sharpened to at the factory? Do I need to reprofile, and how do I go about doing that? I also have a one of the small 4" DMT whetstones, the red (fine) one. It seems to remove metal a lot faster than either of the stones on the 204, but I'm not sure how best to use it either, especially with a blade this large. I'd appreciate any advice, including what sharpening equipment I should get next. I'd like to learn to sharpen freehand, but I'm not sure what I'm doing. And yes, I've read the sharpening FAQ, many times over the last three years.

 

[Jeff Clark]

As I recall the 204 has two angle options. Have you tried the higher angle position? I would lower the angle on the Kabar. I have typically done this with a 6 to 8 inch mill bastard file. It can also be done with a coarse bench hone. You can get them cheap at Home Depot. Either aluminum oxide or silicon carbide stones will work on the simple 1095 alloy of a Kabar. Get stones that are at least 8 inches long.

If you want to go cheap you might get yourself some 90 grit Wet or Dry Paper and glue strips to something like a 2x4.

 

[Roadrunner]

I would just reiterate what Jeff said. You need to do a bit of reprofiling, but judging from my experience with Ka-Bars, not much since they usually have fairly thin edges, especially for that category of knife. An eight inch silicon carbide or aluminum oxide stone would be more than adequate for the job, in fact it's exactly what I do use for that job. You can get one for less that $10 from practically any hardware store. Freehand reprofiling isn't difficult since it doesn't require much precision; just remember that you're not putting a final edge on the blade. All you're doing is removing some metal so that you're sharpmaker's stones will contact the edge. You might feel a little clumsy at first trying free-hand, but that's normal. It's truly something which practice makes perfect. One tip I would give is to pay a lot of attention to raising a good burr. My success improved remarkably when I started paying attention to raising a burr first. I hope this helps, and good luck! If something I wrote here is a little unclear, feel free to e-mail me, sharpening is my favorite subject.

 

[Raver]

Thanks, that's what I needed to know. Do I use the stone dry, or with water or oil?

 

[Jeff Clark]

A stone that has never been used with oil can be used dry or with water. Oil works well, but it takes forever to get the oil off the handle and your hands. Once you use oil on a hone it is almost impossible to remove it. If you use a hone dry the surface will tend to fill up with metal and stone debris. This is particularly true if you have previously used it with oil. This isn't a big problem with a coarse stone. I like to work under running water. This flushes out debris as I work.

Another trick I use is to use the side of the stone instead of the top or bottom. This allows a higher pressure and faster cutting on the blade. I hold the hone in my left hand under the kitchen water tap while I hone. This cuts about 50% faster than normal bench work.