Sharpener

Joined
Feb 27, 1999
Messages
543

I just bought my first 15" AK. What a blade!!! I intend to use it to it's fullest capabilities and try to test it's limits. My problem so far: I've never been very good at sharpening knives freehand. I've used a Lansky for years with good results. The Lansky just isn't going to "cut" it with the AK. Does anyone have experience with the "Hunter's Honer"? It appears to be 2 ceramic sticks set in a plastic fixture to give a 21 degree angled edge when drawn across the blade. Is this a good angle for my AK? I will endevour to improve my freehand skills but I need something in the meantime.
PS. Do the kamis put any sort of personal signature on their blades?

[This message has been edited by Jaeger (edited 12 April 1999).]

[This message has been edited by Jaeger (edited 13 April 1999).]
 
First stage. Use a steel to maintain the edge. You will sharpen a lot less frequently if you do. The simple chakma that comes with your Ang Khola will do that job nicely but a large butchers steel will do it even faster. Just rub it with little force along the blade keeping it at the same angle or a little higher. You don't need to be that precise.

Second stage. You have dulled you khukuri that much that it does not respond to steeling that well. So you now take a simple ceramic stick and wipe it along the edge just the same as you did with the steel above. You don't need a lot of strokes, just say 10-15 per side, and again you don't need to be that precise. Once again your khukuri is ready to go.

Third stage. You have dulled your khukuri that badly that even a ceramic stick cannot restore the edge. This means you have done something like try to cut through a rock while digging a hole (well - it was only a small rock so I figured ...) . Anyway, you now take out your x-coarse DMT small folding hone and carefully section by section put a new bevel on the edge, working the stone perpendicular to the edge all the way along it. This might seem like a daunting task, but never fear, the x-coarse grinds the 5160 very easy and you will be finished in minutes. "But wait." you say. "I am not that good at freehand sharpening." Does not matter that much. Once you have the bevels roughly set you simply back up to the second stage and use your ceramic stick to align the edge with a few swipes. Once again you khukuri is ready to go.

There you have it, patented three step khukuri sharpening program. Note this will gradually convert the convex edge to a sabre grind very slowly (years) over time.

If none of this makes any sense at all then drink one bottle of beer of your choice and read it again. Eventually it will make sense or you will no longer be worried about your khukuri being dulled so either way problem solved.


-Cliff
 
Cliff,

Thank you! After drinking a Yuengling Lager this morning (I worked 3rd shift.) I tried just what you suggested. After stage 2 the hair was flying off my forearm! Funny though, I tried this method (using the chakma and the fine stone in my Lansky) before you suggested it. I think the knife is speaking to me! Who taught it English?!! I have been taking it everywhere with me and chopping everything in sight. I can't quite seem to put it down. Last night was particularly slow and quiet and I found myself on more than one occasion sitting in my cruiser just staring, playing, fondling the blade. I own some very beautiful very high quality custom knives but they don't speak to me like this blade does. There's just something about it.......
 
I think we have all had this question at one time or another. I remember me asking this one, not to long ago and Cliff comming to the rescue.

Jaeger, don't scare the tourists with it.
 
Ahh, the smell of broken bottles in the garage and the sticky mess on your shoes from bottling it too soon.
 
Sure, Ghost.

My last batch was my “Scottish Bog Ale” made with a peated malt. Another homebrewer to whom I gave a sample characterized it as “unique.” That’s one of the benefits of my homebrews. I don’t have to put up with a lot of competition when drinking them.
 
Much of the time in Nepal I wasn’t sure quite what I was drinking. One occasion in particular stands out. Far back in the hills, my western hiking companion and I were invited into a dirt floored hut for a cup of chang (At least, I think it was chang.) The owner of the hut was a very poor man, by western standards. My companion took a sip of his drink and looked at me with a forlorn expression, saying "Howard, I can’t drink this stuff." I thought it was pretty good myself, similar to sake. I had a great time drinking with the Nepalese gentleman who offered it. Just the thing after a morning hike of several thousand feet with a pack on your back.

Then there’s tea. Nothing like a hot cup of tea with salt and yak butter to warm you up on a cold day. Bill, perhaps you should import the churn-like devices used to suspend the butter in tea. It may start a new fad.
 
Howard, I hate to admit this but when Yangdu makes "Sherpa" tea these days she uses a blender. I've even forgotten the name of that wood churn. I'll have to ask Yangdu but she may have forgotten it as well.

Uncle Bill


[This message has been edited by Bill Martino (edited 13 April 1999).]
 
Who sells the butcher's steel, ceramic rods and the extra course dmt folding sharpener?
 
Any hardware store will have steels, the lined butchers steels are more common than the smooth ones. Ceramic sticks are just about everywhere and so are dmt pads. Discount Knives, or the Knifecenter would probably have all three.

Mike/Spark, this is something you definately should look into for the BladeForums store. While everybody does not have the same tastes in knives, sharpening equipment is much more common.

-Cliff
 
Cliff, as usual you are a veritable wealth of knowlege! Thanks. You know, I've hopped around to different discussion groups (mostly gun related) and this particular forum is most unique. There is a certain "quiet cool"that seems to prevail here. I think I may need to become a regular here. I have a long weekend coming up and look forward to doing some testing with the AK. I haven't been this impressed with a knife for a long time. There's something special about these things.
 
Cliff is a walking encylopedia and I'm not sure what we would do without his valuable input.

And, Jaeger, we hope you do become a regular.
I think you'll find there's a great bunch of guys and gals who hang out here.

Uncle Bill
 
Hmmm...Yuengling lager...

Jaeger? You would not happen to be from Pennsylvania, would you?

Mike


------------------
Hey! Uncle Sam!

(_!_) Nyah nyah nyah!

Refund! You lose! :)


 
Yuengling. A fine brew. I’m partial to their "Black and Tan."

They advertise as the oldest brewery in the US. They even managed to stay in business through prohibition. Although I don’t think we want to consider drinking the "near beer" they produced to stay alive during that period.
 
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