Regrind High Saber to Full Convex

[Father & Son Traditional Sharpening]

I'm looking at regrinding this Scrap Yard 511 from a 3/4 Height Saber to Full Convex geometry. Any tips on going about this project? I'm mainly wondering where to start the regrind, I was thinking of starting at the shoulder of the saber grind and working my way down the edge. Does this sound right?

I am doing this by hand as I don't have access to a belt sander/grinder setup. Any recommendations for the method I should use? Sandpaper with some sort of soft backing?

I am also hoping to eliminate the choil with this regrind by reducing the width, does this sound feasible or am I being too ambitious?

 

[Rey HRH]

You can do anything you want. But why? I'm asking because I'm thinking of the considerable amount of metal you are going to have to remove to get that choil flush with the rest of the blade. Considering you would be doing this by hand also.

Why not just get a knife that you actually like? If it was me, I would just put as fine an edge on the knife as I want to and say it's good.

 

[Father & Son Traditional Sharpening]

Quite frankly, the only way to get the blade I want is by regrinding this one.

Basically I want this knife minus the choil, I realize it will take a large amount of time doing this by hand but so be it.

[video=youtube_share;sxJiwfocHng]http://youtu.be/sxJiwfocHng[/video]

Let's not focus on the why in this discussion, but rather the how……. given what I am limited to in tools or lack thereof.

 

[Father & Son Traditional Sharpening]

I would also potentially be willing to add a slight recurve to the blade to facilitate eliminating the choil, if that makes more sense than reducing the width so much.

 

[Rey HRH]

If it was me, I would take a file and file down the knife to the right profile. After I get the right profile, then I'd work on putting putting the convex edge to it. I'd probably use a finer file first to thin the edge before going to sandpaper if sandpaper is what you want to use.

Otherwise, I think you'll go through a lot of sandpaper and a lot of time to get the blade profile to where you want it.

 

[FTR-14c]

The best advise I can give you is to buy a thirty five dollar 1x30 belt sander from Harbor Freight and go to work. You will be glad you did. I have had one for years and used it for many modifications and sharpened miles of blade with it. Pick up a 1x30 leather strop belt as a last stage for sharpening and you will be producing razor sharp edges in no time.

 

[REK Knives]

The best advise I can give you is to buy a thirty five dollar 1x30 belt sander from Harbor Freight and go to work. You will be glad you did. I have had one for years and used it for many modifications and sharpened miles of blade with it. Pick up a 1x30 leather strop belt as a last stage for sharpening and you will be producing razor sharp edges in no time.

+1! .

 

[Father & Son Traditional Sharpening]

Point well taken on the belt sander, guys. I may have to put this on hold until I can swing one. That being said, how well do those HF models function and hold up?

 

[HeavyHanded]

Definitely do not bother removing enough steel to erase the choil - would be far easier to buy a new knife. As for convexing it, you could get a coarse Silicon Carbide stone and work it down over time. Performance will slowly improve and you won't burn yourself out getting it done. Something like a XXC DMT or a Norton boat stone will work faster. You can also go the belt sander route, pick up a few extra belts and go slow.

If the steel is low enough RC, using a file is a great idea for roughing it out.

 

[Father & Son Traditional Sharpening]

It's roughly 58-60 RC 52100 steel, I'm thinking the only file I could use would be something along the lines of a Valtitan at 72 rC. Not sure if that's well recommended either, thoughts?

I've got a DMT Extra Coarse (XC) I could use to work it down, may just end up going that route.

 

[HeavyHanded]

It's roughly 58-60 RC 52100 steel, I'm thinking the only file I could use would be something along the lines of a Valtitan at 72 rC. Not sure if that's well recommended either, thoughts?

I've got a DMT Extra Coarse (XC) I could use to work it down, may just end up going that route.

AT that RC you'll likely wreck the file before you're done - the XC DMT sounds like a good bet for non-powered approach. I've convexed a couple of overbuilt sabre grinds by hand, it takes time but is well worth doing.

 

[Father & Son Traditional Sharpening]

That's about what I expected to hear, it's looking like I will tackle this with the DMT XC unless somebody has a better idea. Thanks for all the help so far guys….

 

[chiral.grolim]

I would definitely recommend using a power-tool for the re-grind. Just so folk have a bit of perspective, i used to own a 511 and sold it off because I wasn't using it due to the thick grind as represented in this schematic (red), I also enlarged the choil and convexed the shoulders on sandpaper. FYI the primary grind has a slight convex already. Like others said, if you don't like the choil then maybe sell this knife (worth ~$100) and get a different one, or you could send it someone (maybe even Swamp Rat or Scrapyard) to do it for you... at cost, of course, but professionally done.

I use a HF 1x30 for sanding and grinding, it isn't all that powerful but can get the job done quickly with the right belts. Use 80-grit zirc for the initial grinding, or you could start with 40-grit to move more metal faster/cooler, then 120-grit AlOx or get some other belts from another source (e.g. 3M Trizact from LeeValley tools: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=66268&cat=1,43072&pb=1). Before the Trizact, you've spent ~$70.
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-in-x-30-in-belt-sander-61728.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/sanding-belt-cleaner-30766.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-in-x-30-in-80-grit-zirc-sanding-belt-2-pc-60424.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-in-x-30-in-40-grit-zirc-sanding-belt-2-pc-60426.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-in-x-30-in-120-grit-sanding-belt-5-pc-69846.html

I put a thin piece of leather over the platen and lay the grinder on it's back with the belt running away from me. I hope to be grinding-down a Rodent 9 (similar geometry to the 511 but bigger blade) when i get the opportunity. Work down the shoulder near the spine first.


As an alternative, you could use a DMT XXC stone (~$90) and do this by hand: http://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/8-2X-Diamond-Stone-P59.aspx
DMT XC will take a LONG time, especially if it's a small hone. Clean it often and don't use too much pressure.

Good luck!