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recommended bladesmiths around Madison, WI?
- Thread starter zze86
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chiral.grolim
Universal Kydex Sheath Extension
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- Dec 2, 2008
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- 6,422
There's a Harbor Freight tools just south of the Beltline on Midvale/Verona Rd. where you can get a decent 1x30 belt sander for $40 if you're interested in trying to sharpen/polish yourself... but they don't carry the higher-grit polishing belts, you'll probably need to order those from Lee Valley tools or some such as I did.
I'm not a bladesmith but I've got the belt sander and belts at home some 30 miles west of Madison. I sharpen my own blades, touch ups done with sandpaper+mousepad on a wood block. If you can't find someone reknowned for their skill, I could work it for you. I work in Madison.
Otherwise, there are a number of knife makers in WI that might be able to hook you up, many part of the Badger Knife Club. Hopefully one of them will post. What kind of kukri is it?
I'm not a bladesmith but I've got the belt sander and belts at home some 30 miles west of Madison. I sharpen my own blades, touch ups done with sandpaper+mousepad on a wood block. If you can't find someone reknowned for their skill, I could work it for you. I work in Madison.
Otherwise, there are a number of knife makers in WI that might be able to hook you up, many part of the Badger Knife Club. Hopefully one of them will post. What kind of kukri is it?
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2002
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- 10,317
I don't recommend starting straight with the sanding belts because you can remove too much steel quicker than you realize,- (ask me how I know!) AND putting the steel against a sanding belt for too long will ruin the temper on the blade. You really need to start with someone there next to you to show you how to work the belts.
With that said, if you go with this method, you should buy a leather strop belt to do your final edge honing & polishing.
With that said, if you go with this method, you should buy a leather strop belt to do your final edge honing & polishing.
I didn't want to touch it with a machine because of the reasons CWL pointed out (mainly concerned about the tempering). I thought about doing it myself by hand but figured it would be nice to see this thing professionally done. It's an India made blade, no name on it. I bought it at a gun-show for a great deal, flawed as it was. The previous owner tried to sharpen it with a whetstone and subsequently ruined the polish, especially around the primary bevel.
chiral.grolim
Universal Kydex Sheath Extension
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2008
- Messages
- 6,422
I sharpen my large blades - axes, machetes, HI khukuri - on my 1x30 without concern. Maybe i just have better natural skill than some, or maybe I just understand the underlying physics of sharpening, i.e. abrasion.
To avoid removing too much metal and over-heating the blade, don't hold the blade against the belt - it's that simple. Also, the finer belts don't take off much material quickly, grain size is too small, but they do heat up the edge in a hurry. HOWEVER, steel tempering is performed at ~300C, hot enough to change the color (reference wiki article). Given that a large metal kukri uses the rest of the knife to act as a heat-sink, even with the lower mass near the edge it is difficult to get it that hot unless you are doing something VERY wrong. Sharpening on a belt-sander only differs from sharpening on a static surface in the amount of movement. On a static abrasive, you pass the entire edge in a smooth motion, repeating as necessary to achieve the proper depth at all point along the edge or generate an even burr. Such gentle passes even on a belt-grinder won't burn the blade unless you are grinding to a very fine edge, in which case you probably shouldn't be using a machine at all.
To gain confidence, one can practice on cheaper knives, something you pick up at St. Vinnie's or Goodwill. Use higher grit than hobby-shop 80 (which takes a LOT of material off very quickly). I use 220, 600, and 15 micron belts for sharpening and polishing, maybe stropping on notebook paper just for a final check. Leather belts and compound aren't necessary. Use light pressure, just like static sharpening, letting the abrasives do the cutting for you. Be careful near the tip, it's easy to round off. Check the blade after each pass, and if it is too hot to touch, wait a moment for it to cool.
Belt-sander sharpening is really quite easy and quick, esp. for large blades. Don't worry about ruining the temper, I've never even heard of someone doing that... other than Bark River.
To avoid removing too much metal and over-heating the blade, don't hold the blade against the belt - it's that simple. Also, the finer belts don't take off much material quickly, grain size is too small, but they do heat up the edge in a hurry. HOWEVER, steel tempering is performed at ~300C, hot enough to change the color (reference wiki article). Given that a large metal kukri uses the rest of the knife to act as a heat-sink, even with the lower mass near the edge it is difficult to get it that hot unless you are doing something VERY wrong. Sharpening on a belt-sander only differs from sharpening on a static surface in the amount of movement. On a static abrasive, you pass the entire edge in a smooth motion, repeating as necessary to achieve the proper depth at all point along the edge or generate an even burr. Such gentle passes even on a belt-grinder won't burn the blade unless you are grinding to a very fine edge, in which case you probably shouldn't be using a machine at all.
To gain confidence, one can practice on cheaper knives, something you pick up at St. Vinnie's or Goodwill. Use higher grit than hobby-shop 80 (which takes a LOT of material off very quickly). I use 220, 600, and 15 micron belts for sharpening and polishing, maybe stropping on notebook paper just for a final check. Leather belts and compound aren't necessary. Use light pressure, just like static sharpening, letting the abrasives do the cutting for you. Be careful near the tip, it's easy to round off. Check the blade after each pass, and if it is too hot to touch, wait a moment for it to cool.
Belt-sander sharpening is really quite easy and quick, esp. for large blades. Don't worry about ruining the temper, I've never even heard of someone doing that... other than Bark River.