sharpening angle

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sasha

Joined
Feb 28, 2006
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As someone that dont have a realy big knife. I didnt want to spend alot of money and find out that i still use a Mora 99% of the time. So i dicided to get my toes wet with a Bushman figured i cant go wrong with $20. Im very easy on my knifes and always felt o.k with a Mora. Now the big knife camp does make sence so i cant knock the idea down until i try it for my self and see if it works for me too. Anyway i found that the Bushman is not sharp enough for me. Im used to have knifes that are very sharp, one of the faults of having a mora. At what angle would you sharpen the Bushman?? I got a Lansky and can do 17-20-25-30deg. Later maybe i would put a convex adge on. I also handled the RAT7 i must say now when im home im thinking maybe i should have gotten that knife. If felt just right in my hand but thats the only other real large knife i tried. Which mind you needed some sharpening very bad.
On the the other note I followed Bear example and got my self a alumin canten with a cup on the bottom. It holds about a Quart and a half. Dont hold it aginst me that i do take some example from Bear but i like to learn from everyone. Yes i got alot to learn..

Sasha
 
Bushman is tough, but on the soft side. Go thin, use it as hard as you plan to, and if it rolls or such, simply go a little thicker, until it stops.
Good Luck
Beckerhead
 
Thanks beckerhead. I got another Q's to ask. I been reprofiling lots of knifes and now i found that the stone is very smooth. What is the best way to roughen up the stone again.

Sasha
 
sasha said:
I also handled the RAT7 i must say now when im home im thinking maybe i should have gotten that knife. If felt just right in my hand but thats the only other real large knife i tried. Which mind you needed some sharpening very bad. Sasha
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Hey sasha;

I've never handled a RAT7, but by all accounts is supposed to be a superior knife. I'm assuming you want a larger knife to use as a chopper. I, personally, find that 7" is just a bit short for this purpose. I bought a Becker BK-7 just before Camillus went belly up, and while it's ok, it doesn't cut it (pun intended) as a chopper IMHO (although I know many on this forum would disagree). I wish I had picked up a BK-1 before the well dried up.

Not a major problem, though, as I have a Cincinatti (sp?) Becker Machax which is my favourite blade (9"). I also have one of the older Tramontina Bolas (thicker blade) which does a fine job, and I recently bought a Linders with a 10" blade but have not had a chance to try it out.

Some people may point out that an axe is a much better tool for chopping than a large knife and I don't disagree. However, I have a bad back and cannot use an axe and I find hatchets can be a little on the hazardous side so the aforementioned big blades fill the void quite nicely.

Anyway, good luck on your quest, and keep us posted.

Rambling on and on, Doc.
 
I'm kinda like you in that I'm not particularly hard on my knives, and favor edge kenness over brick bustin' durability. I've had pretty good luck at 25 degrees with my Bushman. it does chip and roll now and again, but it's not frequent, and comes out within a sharpening or two anyways.
 
Hi Runs With Scissors, I went with the 25deg too. Did feel that the 30deg was too much.
Hi Doc from handling the Rat7 i can tell you that the Bushman is not even comming close to the feel and build. The Rat7 is so much better it fit my hand almost perfect. I could easy use it for every chore from cleaning fish to build snares. For me i just dont see my self using a knife to chopping as everyday activity. For that i would take the proper tool. But to consider the just in case worse come to worse i can use a rock to hammer on the knife. As all bets would be off.

Sasha
 
I sharpen my Ka-bar dozier folding hunters at 20 degrees.

My Bushan, I sharpen it at 25.

I figured 20 is the razor sharp Dozier, so I made the angle greater because I use the bushman for batoning, chopping, etc. This was on the Lansky.

Later,
Scottman
 
I have the RAT7 in 1095 and find it to be one of the better overall designs out there :thumbup:
It's a cutter and slicer, not really a chopper tho' it can be used as such if needed.

As for edge angles, I don't pay much attention to degrees anymore.
Thinner edge for when sharpness matters and thicker edge for when durability matters.
On the RAT 7 I have it thin on the first 1/3 of the blade than thicker on the last 2/3 going towards the point.
Works for me.
 
ShotGun its one side only... Im using a lansky system. My mora i like to use the 17deg makes it ohhhhhh so sharp. Then some strobing it seems to last longer as the knife cuts realy good.
Magneto its the red stone a 120 coarse.

Sasha
 
sasha said:
ShotGun its one side only... Im using a lansky system. My mora i like to use the 17deg makes it ohhhhhh so sharp. Then some strobing it seems to last longer as the knife cuts realy good.
Magneto its the red stone a 120 coarse.

Sasha
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Ahh...then I would say that my Howling Rat is at about the 17 ish range and I'm considering thinning it a bit. I would put the Bushman at about 20 and see how that works if you're going to chop. You might have to go a little higher but I don't think you would. Remember you can give a thin edge a micro bevel to increase durability without compromising cutting ability too much. I have my Fiskars hatchet at 14-15 with a 20 degree micro and it does great.

And sorry for the approximations. I free hand convex them.
 
Very intresting info about the proper angle Thanks Akabu.

ShotGun thats sound like a very sharp knife you got there. I convex the edge as the last thing on the edge so its not a full convex. Works very well for me on a Mora.

Sasha
 
sasha said:
Very intresting info about the proper angle Thanks Akabu.

ShotGun thats sound like a very sharp knife you got there. I convex the edge as the last thing on the edge so its not a full convex. Works very well for me on a Mora.

Sasha
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That's what I do too. It's high flat with convexed edge. The hatchet was scandi ground at that angle (14), I think it's scandi?, and I'm convexing slowly with each sharpening.:)
 
Thats funny ShotGun. I got a collins Axe i guess most people would call it a hatchet. I got it profiled first with a file at the lowest angle i could get away with and not make it flat. Done it on both sides. When it was realy sharp i used a 600 sand paper and convexed the edge. Talk about a very sharp axe. A friend cut his finger wanting to see how sharp it was and i cut my hand on it touching the head. I bet you had a big all smile on your face when you were done lol.

Sasha
 
sasha said:
Thats funny ShotGun. I got a collins Axe i guess most people would call it a hatchet. I got it profiled first with a file at the lowest angle i could get away with and not make it flat. Done it on both sides. When it was realy sharp i used a 600 sand paper and convexed the edge. Talk about a very sharp axe. A friend cut his finger wanting to see how sharp it was and i cut my hand on it touching the head. I bet you had a big all smile on your face when you were done lol.

Sasha
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LOL, I'm actually pretty much a novice at the doing but an expert on the reading.:D My knives can use some work but my hatchet came out wicked. First time too. I had a proud moment.:o
 
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