question for commander owners?

Wallaby7747 said:
ALSO forgot to mention that my commander is of the partially serrated variety so I don't have to sharpen the recurve portion in a traditional sense.
Click to expand...

Yeah - when I eventually get mine I had decided to get the serrations. Quite a history with this specific piece. Heck- with Every design but some of the stories and back stories are extraordinary.
I am finding the Emerson serrations extremely valuable and super easy to touch up.
**FWIW my inbox in now open.
 
MrPocketsOfSteel said:
Yeah - when I eventually get mine I had decided to get the serrations. Quite a history with this specific piece. Heck- with Every design but some of the stories and back stories are extraordinary.
I am finding the Emerson serrations extremely valuable and super easy to touch up.
**FWIW my inbox in now open.
Click to expand...

Where can I locate that information in regards to the history?
 
This might sound wierd. I'm no expert when it comes to knives at all. I'm still pretty much new to this hobby but I find it a lot of fun and useful too. So I really don't know how to properly sharpen a blade on an Emerson recurve or any other blade for that matter.

It started with a Commander. The blade started out wicked sharp. I mean if I touched it with my finger tips it seemed like the blade would grab hold and want to bury itself in my skin. I'll call it almost sticky for lack of what to call that. Dangerous is what it is.

So I get to using it here and there. Letters, cardboard, fruit, loaf of italian bread, string, paracord,etc. I'd clean it of course after using it especially with any kind of food with water and a dish sponge that already had dish soap in it. Dry it and done.

I noticed as I put my finger tips back on the blade after a while that sticky thing wasn't going on. Still really sharp but not like it was. Also I'd have like water spots or areas of the blade that seemed different shades than the other. Alchohol would bring back a uniform satin finish.

While I had this going on I was also polishing a couple pocket clips for different knives that I wanted to sell off. I found that hiesting the wife's emery boards for her nails took the black finish off relatively
easily.

Then I came across a nail file that was like rubber. It had a dark side and a lighter side labeled with step 1 and step 2. I tried it out and it mirrored the pocket clips easily. So I picked up three sticks of buffing compound. There's black, white, and red.

I'd rub the black on the step 1 side and then switch to the other side and apply the white. The package said the black was for initial buffing and the white was for finishing. The red was for plated stuff and plastics. Those clips were shining! So I used it on the blades of those knives I was selling just to shine them up a bit and it worked great.

So I'm cleaning the Commander blade and decide to buff it up a little with that rubber nail file and some compound. It made the satin blade uniform and gave it a frigging mystical like glimmer. I started working that file on the edge in a downward one way kind of stroke. As if i'm sharpening it. Although I have no idea how to really sharpen it.

I did that on both sides. I then wiped it down with alchohol to remove any compound. I touched the blade and that sticky feeling was ever present. It was actually more agressive than before. It actually sharpened the blade. I forgot to mention but I'd also run that file through the dragons teeth at an angle.

So now this mad rubber file is kind of shredded pretty good but still usable. I'm gonna confess to the wife about taking it and ask her to get me another one. So I might end up with a black eye or missing teeth but hey, it's worth it if I get another one of those things.

So that's how I keep my blades wicked sharp. A rubber nail file and some buffintg compound. It's probably the wrong way but I'll tell you, it looks great and does get sharp for me.
 
nk- Cool. It sounds like you are buffing, somewhat polishing, the edge. Way to go.
You can wipe the blade down with some WD40 on a cloth also. This gives the blade a nice uniform look.
 
Newknif, that's good stuff. Essentially, you stropped your commander. I use a two sided leather strop, one side is loaded with green compound, the other side is loaded with black. They're great for daily touch ups, and it keeps things razor sharp.

I have a big one for home and a small one for travel. Here's a pick of a larger one...

14366438313_d1812c57c6_c.jpg
 
straitr said:
Newknif, that's good stuff. Essentially, you stropped your commander. I use a two sided leather strop, one side is loaded with green compound, the other side is loaded with black. They're great for daily touch ups, and it keeps things razor sharp.

I have a big one for home and a small one for travel. Here's a pick of a larger one...

14366438313_d1812c57c6_c.jpg
Click to expand...


Where did you buy that device?
 
Akapennypincher said:
Where did you buy that device?
Click to expand...

You know what, I tried to remember that and put a link in my original post. It was either Knives Ship Free or The Knife Connection, but I couldn't find one that was similar on either website. I paid about $25 for it. My smaller one is a Flexxx Strop, which is much better quality than the bigger one shown, so I'd look at those first anyway.
 
straitr said:
You know what, I tried to remember that and put a link in my original post. It was either Knives Ship Free or The Knife Connection, but I couldn't find one that was similar on either website. I paid about $25 for it. My smaller one is a Flexxx Strop, which is much better quality than the bigger one shown, so I'd look at those first anyway.
Click to expand...

Now that I know what's going on, I'm gonna get a good strop. I won't have to tell the wife why all her nail supplies are missing. Thanks straitr.
 
I've used 1" diameter x 12" sections of PVC wrapped in 400 grit SiC wet/dry sand paper on recurves. It works really well, but it's not all fancy and glamourous. :)

Lycosa said:
PS=Partially Serrated.
CarterR- Congratz.
Plain edge?
Click to expand...

One on the exchange right now.
 
RevDevil said:
I've used 1" diameter x 12" sections of PVC wrapped in 400 grit SiC wet/dry sand paper on recurves. It works really well, but it's not all fancy and glamourous. :)



One on the exchange right now.
Click to expand...

Well we certainly require fancy and glamorous. Anything less would be simply barbaric.
 
Make your own strop with any scrap wood, glue and leather.
I like the pvc + wet/dry sandpaper for recurves idea too.
 
RevDevil said:
I've used 1" diameter x 12" sections of PVC wrapped in 400 grit SiC wet/dry sand paper on recurves. It works really well, but it's not all fancy and glamourous. :)



One on the exchange right now.
Click to expand...

I actually use an old roller out of my digital press, about 1.75 inches diameter and fairly dense rubber. Works like a charm, just wrap my paper around it and pinch it together on the back side, hold it at an angle, and run my blade down it sorta' like a Spyderco SharpMaker. Seems to be working rather well.

 
Just stop it everyday after use, that's what I do and it works great. Haven't sharpened my benchmade flipper in months and is still shaving sharp.
 
newknif said:
Where can I locate that information in regards to the history?
Click to expand...

You can go back in the archives of this sub forum at the bottom of your page search feature. Check the spot that says *Beginning*. Great place and some great stories. I wonder where many of those people are now, kind of makes you think.
 
RevDevil said:
I've used 1" diameter x 12" sections of PVC wrapped in 400 grit SiC wet/dry sand paper on recurves. It works really well, but it's not all fancy and glamourous. :)



One on the exchange right now.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I have read before about the sandpaper thing. I'm a stropping fool no doubt and I own a Sharpmaker.

I know this isn't the sharpening forum but I'd rather ask here with you guys. Is it easier to do a home made setup for sharpening like that or use some sandpaper wrapped around a sharpmaker rod?

Is the type Rev mentioned cool to use all the time when an edge actually needs to be sharpened not stropped. And one last question - I've never sharpened the Emerson serrations before. When it's time would it be easier to use the Sharpmaker or the sandpaper technique. Thanks fellas.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top