Need some advice, on care....

[neetones]

Hello everyone, this is my first post, and i'm fairly new to collection/care of knives. I currently own an Airlight Aluminum Beretta, 8" overall (AUS6), a large Crawford Kasper Folder, and i'm about to recieve a Polkowski/Kasper Companion. My question is basically, how do I take care of these knives? I don't like letting an investment fall apart, but I don't plan on spending a great deal on sharpeners, etc. So, any advice on how I could maintain an edge on these blades would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, in advance.

Nitin

 

[MarcV]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2"> how do I take care of these knives? </font>

If you will not use them, be sure to put a bit of silicone or light oil on the blades and hinge to prevent rust.

If you will use them, sharpening is a subject you should research (Internet is handy for that).

1) Don't let the edge get really dull. Use a 'steel' to burnish the edge before use.

2) Learn to maintain the edge with a sharpener that has a fixed angle of attack. The popular crock sticks are excellent, the popular Spyderco Sharpmaker is better. If you can afford it, purchase the Sharpmaker model 204 because it includes an excellent training video tape.

3) Buy a cheap knife and practice on it. It's easy to ruin a nice blade while you are learning to sharpen. The $2.00 knives you sometimes see in a bucket at the checkout counter of your hardware store would be good for practice. They are usually junk, but you won't hurt so much when you scratch the blade or grind it down too far.

Welcome to the group! This forum has more than 10,000 participants but every one of them had to get started. You've come to the right place.

 

[The Magician]

Welcome to the forums. I suggest a look here
bladeforum's sharpening F.A.Q. After you are done there order yourself a sharpmaker 204 and some tuff cloth and tuff glide from bladeforums store
Last, just keep hangin around. You have some great knives there. You do need several more however........


------------------
Brian
The first knife was probably used to cut stuff.

 

[Bugs3x]

Welcome to the forums, neetones!

If you're going to be using any or all of the knives heavily, then you can expect to do a lot of sharpening. All of them have AUS6 blades, a steel known for good corrosion resistance, relatively rapid edge loss, and being easy to sharpen. If you are going to be doing a lot of sharpening, can only recommend the Sharpmaker 204. Given the price of the knives you've purchased thus far, the $42.50 or so it costs may sound like an awful lot. You can look at diamond hones some, to make that price not seem so terrible.

If, on the other hand you don't plan on doing much cutting, then as suggested, get a Tuf Cloth, and Tuf Glide. One of the relatively inexpensive sharpeners out there that will do a decent job for you is the Gatco Triceps. Usually around $7-$8 or so. It is a single ceramic rod, triangular in shape, with an end which has a number of flat surfaces to offer one options so the proper honing angle can be chosen. Clean the rod periodically with warm water and soap, and enjoy your knives.

As bteel said, you've only just begun. Need several more knives. Am glad to see you've discovered CRKT, probably the best bang for the buck, tho some disagree.

Stick around, and enjoy yourself. One piece of advice, if you've not already discovered it -- very few subjects have not already been discussed ad infinitum here. In addition to the FAQs, use the search features and check out the archives too. Three or 4 forums were just recently archived. There was nothing wrong with this post, but some old timers can get pretty hot when a FNG -- that's you -- asks questions that have been answered time and again. If you're not asking what BTTT is or similar frequently asked questions, I think you'll find most of the forumites quite helpful. It is just expected that you pay some dues by using the resources available to you, rather than expecting others to take their time to answer a question they may have answered umpteen times before.

Good luck. Hope you enjoy the forums and stick around.

------------------
Asi es la vida

Bugs

 

[neetones]

I really appreciate the advice everyone, i'm glad to see everyone's so helpful. i think i just might stick around.

nitin

 

[neetones]

oh, i forgot....one quick question. Let's say i go ahead and get the Sharpmaker, would there be anything else I would need to buy? specifically, would I need to purchase a steel?

thanks again

nitin

 

[The Magician]

neetones,
Some folks here swear by the steel, some folks strop on leather using secret polishing pastes bought from the local witches coven. Imho(in my humble opinion) I think the sharpmaker 204 will be all you need. It will also sharpen your kitchen knives, scissors, chisels, drill bits, fish hooks nad about anything else that has an edge. It even comes with a video that teaches you everything you need. I am pretty sure that you will not find one person here who will not agree that the Sharpmaker 204 is the best in the medium price range of sharpeners. For fun try searching for "sharpmaker 204".

------------------
Brian
The first knife was probably used to cut stuff.

 

[Cosmic Superchunk]

I also recommend the Sharpmaker 204 for keeping a sharp edge. Another option would be a clamp style sharpener like those produced by Gatco, Lansky and DMT. For rust prevention, I recommend Tuf Cloth.

 

[HJK]

I like that Polkowski

You may be tempted to sharpen it a bit when it arrives. Al doesn't always sharpen them up as much as some folks like, so don't be surprised. It is a superb tactical, not really meant for uti;ity, but it is surprisingly good for that too. And the best carry outside of Nealy's MCS sheath system.
ATS34 isn't the best stainless and it can rust. Some people like a light oil coating but some prefer Tuff Clth, or Marine Tuff Cloth which a little more potent, or Renaissance Wax. If you keep the knife clean there should be no problem. The kydex sheath will probably leave some scratch marks. There's not alot you can do about it. For sharpening there are an enormous number of options. I still like an Arkansas stome, but it pretty inconvenient and you have to have a confident hand for the angle. The lansky system is better in giving several choices of stone and way to keep a specific fixed angle. But I really now prefer a ceramic rod. A diamond rod is ok if it is pretty fine, but be careful with the angle so you don't scratch up the knife by trying to put to shallow an edge for "razor" sharpness.
I don't have much to say of the folders. They wear more acutely and require periodic adjustment and lubrication.

 

[neetones]

well, again everyone, thank you kindly for your advice and help. i've gone ahead and (after thoroughly researching and searching the forums) ordered a Sharpmaker 204 from that Bayou store, and hopefully it should arrive soon along with my Companion. Next thing I need to do is get some Tuf Cloth, and some sort of lubricant for my folders, the Beretta seems determined to stay shut.

Thanks again everyone, much appreciated.

Nitin