sharpening advice which stones

D

digga

Joined
Apr 5, 2015
Messages
4
hi hope im posting this in the right area
been doing some research on different hand sharpening systems . i do coppicing and hedge laying so the main tools i will be sharpening will be axes billhooks . at the moment i tend to drawfile if need to re profile then different stones mainly carborundum stones axe puck or indian slip stone ( nice for getting in the curve of the billhooks .

have tried sandpaper and m3 lapping films work well but think could turn out expensive after a while had a couple of dmt diamond stones in the past but didn't seem to last that well.
i can get the tools shaving sharp normally finish on a strop but takes a fair bit of time .
the edge on the hedge laying tools when doing a job or even competitions can get fairly beat up due to wire grown in or hidden stones in the hedge .

been looking up about water stones seems they cut quicker so can restore and resharpen in less time but they wear quicker and need flattening ? is this right are they that much better and worth the extra money any recommendations or advice on grits or am i barking up the wrong tree ??
any advice would be greatfull
 
Where are you located? Local availability will affect what I'd suggest. In general, though, I'd suggest looking into scythe stones. They're excellent for billhooks and can be found in a range of grits.
 
Thought as much. "Cigar" style hardware store scythe stones will be a great coarse option. Check out Simon Fairlie's "Scythe Shop" for some finer options.
 
have a couple already different grits nice for the billhook for basic work but allways trying to improve my sharpening game especially when doing a hand tools only hedge laying comp it can make a big difference as not only are you against the clock but are judge on on how clean the cuts are
 
digga said:
have a couple already different grits nice for the billhook for basic work but allways trying to improve my sharpening game especially when doing a hand tools only hedge laying comp it can make a big difference as not only are you against the clock but are judge on on how clean the cuts are
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Diamond stones cut the fastest if you are trying to cut down time. I have no idea what’s available across the pond. Diamond to take out the deep chips etc and finish with what you know best.
 
Sounds like you just need to work on technique rather than getting more stones, then! You ought to be able to get a shaving sharp edge off of even the coarsest stones. You may find stropping with a dowel or other piece of bare wood helps true up your apex.
 
Interesting question! Learned some new stuff.
I searched YT and found some videos. It seems to depend on how dull your blade is. The edges are finished on those cigar shaped stones. But if the edge is blunt you start with peening the edge - hammering the edge and drawing it out. There are special anvils for this. I watched one by One Scythe Revolution from 2014. Turns out the guy is based in my home state.
After watching some vids, I can see why people would use a scythe for clearing a field.
 
yes do need to work on techniques always trying to improve on sharpening every day is a school day and if you dont try new things every now and again you wont learn . dont agree you can get a real clean shaving edge on even a course stone .
 
digga said:
yes do need to work on techniques always trying to improve on sharpening every day is a school day and if you dont try new things every now and again you wont learn . dont agree you can get a real clean shaving edge on even a course stone .
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You absolutely can and must. Right now I'm carrying a Case Mini Trapper with the clip blade sharpened on just a 300 grit diamond and few light stropping passes over bare leather. It will shave the hair off my calf muscle.
 
Getting a crisp shaving edge off of coarse stones requires good burr discipline. You have to create a crisp edge without generating a big folded-over burr. This is very doable, and actually the kind of edge I use most commonly, but you have to know what dynamics you're trying to work with and how to assess them. A very simple test for burr management is to gently rest the edge on your thumbnail and try rocking it side to side. If it slides in both directions, it's totally dull. If it sticks in one direction and slides in the other, you have a burr rolled over on the side that's sticking and need to cut it off, and if it sticks in both directions it's sharp and at least very close to true.
 
Ourorboros said:
Interesting question! Learned some new stuff.
I searched YT and found some videos. It seems to depend on how dull your blade is. The edges are finished on those cigar shaped stones. But if the edge is blunt you start with peening the edge - hammering the edge and drawing it out. There are special anvils for this. I watched one by One Scythe Revolution from 2014. Turns out the guy is based in my home state.
After watching some vids, I can see why people would use a scythe for clearing a field.
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It's worth noting that peening is only done on Continental European style scythes. American, English, and Nordic blades are made of harder steel and are beveled by grinding. Many of them are laminated and would be damaged or ruined by peening. Both styles are excellent vegetation management tools in a lot of contexts, and can even compliment mechanical mowing methods nicely. It's just important to know what kind you have so you use the right approach in maintaining it. :thumbsup:
 
D digga I was super busy today so I didn't have time to explain much but I wanted to take a minute to come back and say, that I totally get having some issues on lower grit stones.

In fact, in an ongoing thread I have, post #75 from just a couple days ago, I brought up this very topic: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/sharp-talk-honest-musings-and-mad-ramblings.1598690/page-4

So in no way did I mean to across "holier-than-thou" and I hope you didn't take it that way. But, struggles or not, achieving sharp edges off low grits, in the long run, is necessary and the right way to sharpen and the proper goal. I hate it when I don't get the kind of edge I want off a low grit stone!

As you'll see, the fellas recommended I focus on pressure and that for sure did help. But I still think that some of it is my angle consistency. When I use diamonds or my beloved Arkansas stones, I think I might be more in tune to what I'm doing. With the diamonds I think I'm concerned about messing them up and also with how fast they cut. With the Arkansas I think I just enjoy it so much I'm really into it. I also think that either of those mediums, I don't spend too much on the stones. I get my edges pretty fast on those stones so maybe on other types I spend too much time and screw them up sometimes. I don't know, maybe I'm cracked. :confused::D

Point being, get your angle right, get your burr right, and you have a sharp edge no matter the grit. So, for me at least, when I don't have an edge I like off any particular stone, I generally think that I messed up one of those two things. It isn't the stone, it's me.

:)
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
It's worth noting that peening is only done on Continental European style scythes. American, English, and Nordic blades are made of harder steel and are beveled by grinding. Many of them are laminated and would be damaged or ruined by peening. Both styles are excellent vegetation management tools in a lot of contexts, and can even compliment mechanical mowing methods nicely. It's just important to know what kind you have so you use the right approach in maintaining it. :thumbsup:
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Good to know, I didn't see mention of that on this guy's site and didn't hear it in the video.
Yes, I can see how scythes nicely fill the gap between what a mower can do and what a tractor does. It's impressive to see how easily a good scythe cuts down long grass.
 
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