sharpening a sak

RescueRiley

RescueRiley

Joined
Mar 22, 2006
Messages
5,944
what's your tools ? whats your methods? what grit? angle ? etc etc.. the mor ein fo the better, thanks.
 
I just use a Norton course/fine stone (with a few drops of 3-n-1 oil) and try to match the angle that came from the factory. Of course I am not an expert at sharpening knives, but the SAKs seem to be the easiest knives to sharpen that I have ever owned. Using my method I easily get my SAKs plenty sharp for what I use them for.
 
I just freehand it on a stone (I have a diashrp 2 sider, one extra coarse, one fine) till I get a burr, flip it over and do it again, then strop it if I have one near, if not, then I cut into a piece of wood to make sure theres no wire edge. Edge angle? not sure, I just eyeball it, and go by feel.
 
I use the mouse-pad and sandpaper method, then I strop. Sometimes when I don't feel like spending much time, or for just a little touch-up, I'll use the Fallkniven 12" ceramic sharpening rod. When on the go I'll use the Fallkniven DC4 ceramic pocket stone.
 
Sal used a SAK in the video for the sharpmaker. It worked really well. I dont use SAKs but if I did I would use the sharpmaker.
 
SAK's and Sharpmakers go together real well. Victorinox has decent steel in their stuff and it responds well to most sharpening methods.
 
I use a Spyderco Sharpmaker, but have also used freehand on a stone in the past.
 
I have quite a few two-bladed SAKs secreted in assorted places. On these, I like to take the small blade to a very acute polished edge of about 10 degress (per side). It makes for a *really* good cutter; ideal for slicing through soft materials like flesh (to remove splinters, fish hooks, whatever - done that a few times). Not much good on harder materials as the edge will start to roll if you don't keep a perfect technique, although I've used it carefully on softwoods without a problem.

I do the small blade on 3M brand wet'n'dry paper on a flat aluminium plate, starting at 240 grit and working up to 1200. Then I polish up further on strips of cardboard loaded with diamond paste, working down to 1 micron. Then finish with a dry strop. You could just go from the 1200 grit to a strop; wouldn't make too much difference I don't think, if any.

On the larger blade of the two, I do one of two things depending on what mood I'm in:

1. Use a 15 degree grind. I put this on initially by hand on the 240 grit sandpaper, then finish off on the sharpmaker with the brown, then white rods, then strop. If I had courser sharpmaker rods I would just use that for the lot.

2. Convex the larger blade with sandpaper on leather. This takes longer to do but looks really pretty when polished up. Not sure if it really increases cutting ability much over the flat bevels.

For the bigger SAK's, the ones with locking blades, so far I have just used flat grinds but have two different areas of finish on the blade. I get an angle of 15 degress with the 240 grit sandpaper, followed by 400. Then, on the edge nearest the handle for about half the blade length, I'll progress down to 1200 grit to remove the courser grind marks. The tip-end half of the edge stays at the course 400. Finally I'll polish the whole edge on 5 micron down to 1 micron diamond paste. This gives a tip end that is a really good slicer with a bit of bite due to the polished 400-grit 'teeth'. The rear edge is a great push cutter for making fuzz sticks or whatever.


I keep the edges acute, rather than going up to 20 degrees for instance, because I see the blades primarily as light-duty cutters, like a Mora (which I don't have), not really for heavy use. The larger SAK's could be batonned carefully I suppose, but I've never needed to. I might reconsider this if it was to be my *only* knife in the outdoors.

Another thing to bear in mind is how easy the edge is to sharpen in the field, if you think it's likely you would need to. I think that comes doen to personal preference - do you prefer/find it easier to work on a flat edge or convex?

Keep 'em sharp,
Rick.
 
i sharpen all my knives including my sak's by free hand on a spyderco double stuff pocket stone. but if you are not well experienced in sharpening knives get yourself a spyderco sharpmaker kit. you wont regret it. it does a fantistic job of sharpening any knife back to hair shaving sharp.,,,VWB.
 
For my SAK I use a 8" butchers steel I got at the flea market for $2. It responds very well to that sharpening method. It the edge is very dull I use my pocket fine stone and then strop on my leather belt.
 
I use a vee ceramic stick like a Crock Stick or Spyderco Sharpmaker. They seem to be a perfect match for the hardness and alloy in the SAK's. I use a diamond stone if the blade is really dull and finish up with the ceramic. I carry a Lansky Dogbone, a credit card style diamond stone, or the DMT folding keychain style diamond stone for touching up on the trail. I was drooling over the folding DMT rig that has fine diamond on one side and ceramic on the other.
 
Reprofiled on a Norton coarse to 10-15 degrees per side.

Once I reprofiled one side, would then go ahead and hit the same side again with a medium grit Carborundum aluminum oxide stone, flipped and did the same to the other side, then finished with the bown sharp maker stone (flat side).

Works great.

sp
 
I use the mini X Gatco ceramic/aluminum sharpener. No clue as to degrees of angle, but it does a decent job of getting the blade shaving sharp.
 
Tool I use for most of my knives to touch up is a blue ceramic crock stick. It might even be a replacement for a sharpmaker set. I just hold the stick at the angle I want, and run the edge down it 8-10 times. Switch hands, repeat if necessary. Works well if there is not too much metal to remove. This technique gets the stainless in the Vics sticky sharp, as well as the 12c27 in my EDC.
 
I have an old Spyderco Sharpmaker with fine and medium as well as the old diamond speed sleeves. I have a set of Spyderco Pro-Filer stones (2) and a pocket sized EZE Lap that looks like a shortened writing pen. I have some of the Tri-Steps jobs...it doesn't matter, I usually use any of them handheld. If something is giving me a bit of a trial, I will use a black Sharpie and carefully paint the edge and brush on the ink until it's gone and this usually means the knife is really, really sharp. :)

I don't use a piece of wood to test for the wire edge, I just use the end of my fingernail and pull the tip of the fingernail lightly from spine to edge and the nail will grab on the wire edge if it is there. No problem, leather, cradboard or whatever to knock that off.
 
Sharpmaker (medium and fine stones) followed with a leather strop load with polishing compound.
 
Should take no time to sharpen. I strop mine 90% of the time 4 full passes and it shaves.

Easy steel to bring up.

Skam
 
Various grits of wetdry paper on top of my strop leather (which is mounted to a 2x4) finishing at 1500 or 2000 US grit. Then I'll give it a few strokes on the leather (loaded with mothers metal polish). I've found this works exceptionally well for me and results in an edge with good push cutting and slicing properties as well as good edge retention (for a sak). Not to mention its a fairly quick proces that isn't overly aggressive in metal removal for the "softish" sak steel.
 
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