Sharpening a big recurve...HELP! (please)

J

J.Davey

Joined
Feb 10, 2004
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Actually, it isn't so much actually sharpening, but putting a better angle on it.

I have BK&T Brute with a 9+ inch blade, and when I received it the edge angle was really steep...on one side. I touched it up a bit on a Hewlette (spelling?) Jewel Stik (a 10 inch, 3 sided diamond steel), and it cut pretty well for awhile. Well, a year later, the knife is dull and the Jewel Stik isn't doing as well as it once did at re-doing bevels (I've had this sharperner for over 2 years, and it has sharpened my knives, my friends knives, and my familiy's knives many times over). I specifically bought it for longer blades, as my DMT stones were too flat, and my Sharpmaker rods just seemed to small to me (personally) for long blades, but the BRUTE is the first one that has ever needed to be re-beveled.

Anywho, can anyone give me any advice on this (technique, etc.)? Any help would be appreciated!
 
You need to reset the bevels, I'd use a 1"x 30" belt sander, Harbor Freight sells them. Some 120 grit belts will work well.

Do 6 passes per side and alternate. Once a burr forms, stop. Then use a buffer (or a felt 1"x 30" belt -available from Jantz Supply) loaded with white polsihing compound and alternate passes until the burr is gone.
 
I appreciate that, but I'm looking for something that doesn't involve me having to buy something new (and certainly not a belt sander). If I have to spend money, I'm sure I could just send it to someone and have them do it for me. I've never had to re-do bevels, so I'm just looking for some advice. Once that is done, I have no problem keeping it sharp from there.
 
try wrapping your sharpening rig with heavier grit wet dry sandpaper, progressively reducing the grits until you get back to your normal hone grit then sharpen as usual ... should work like a charm. Good luck.
 
Native Justice, thanks for that bit of advice! I never even thought about that. Inexpensive and effective.
 
You could try the sanding belts without the sander. I used this technique for a while. Just hook the belt over something solid and lean away to keep tension on it. Be warned that to get the same bevel angle, you will end up with a wide bevel from this technique. Notice that the spine will have to be closer to the belt to keep the same angle, since the belt will sag, no matter how much you pull on it. I used 1x30, 80 grit belts, about $5 a pack at HomeDepot.
 
I like the idea of sandpaper wrapped around an appropriately curved surface. But, I thought I'd mention that it would be really handy to have a diamond rod that's oval in cross section for long term use. You can find smaller models for $10-$15.

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