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Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
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Sharpening Becker's or otherwise
- Thread starter FAL'ER
- Start date
imaginefj
Gold Member
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- Jan 15, 2006
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I recently ditched the convex on the bk-2 after losing patience with it :grumpy:
it's finally sharp again!:thumbup:
I think convex is great for machetes and axes. For everthing else I am a V-grind kinda guy. I have a 1/8 thick Ontario CT1 machete that is as sharp as anything else I own. It has a convex edge. But, it never would have happened without the belt sander. Heck the edge didn't even meet is was ground so poorly.
The geometry makes sense for high impact stuff. But it also isn't near as easy to sharpen completely in the field imo.
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2008
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- 707
The higher grit paper can be found at an auto supply store. Lowes and home depot don't carry the higher grits. Harbor frieght carries it also.
Most of the time convex isn't working it's because of two things or a combo. Too much pressure, incorrect spine angle, or a combo. Knives ship free has a good tutorial on how to do it. Once you get it, it's easy.
I do all sharpening freehand, and use both hands, right hand one direction and left for the other. As far as touch ups-Most trips I don't need to touch up my knives until I return , If I do I use a stone. In the field I like my Fallkniven DC4.
You never need to sharpen the entire convex grind, just the very edge. If you do it free hand with a stone it will still be convexed, because you don't hold exactly the same angle with each pass. No matter how steady you are. All knives were convexed before the advent of machine manufacturing.. They didn't use guides when making the blades. Hollow and flat grinds came into the main stream when machines started to be used in the making. Not talking about Japan. Here in the west. Ultimately it's a preference thing, but ya have to have both methods down to know if ya prefer it or not. Don't give up before you get it. It's all just practice!!!
Most of the time convex isn't working it's because of two things or a combo. Too much pressure, incorrect spine angle, or a combo. Knives ship free has a good tutorial on how to do it. Once you get it, it's easy.
I do all sharpening freehand, and use both hands, right hand one direction and left for the other. As far as touch ups-Most trips I don't need to touch up my knives until I return , If I do I use a stone. In the field I like my Fallkniven DC4.
You never need to sharpen the entire convex grind, just the very edge. If you do it free hand with a stone it will still be convexed, because you don't hold exactly the same angle with each pass. No matter how steady you are. All knives were convexed before the advent of machine manufacturing.. They didn't use guides when making the blades. Hollow and flat grinds came into the main stream when machines started to be used in the making. Not talking about Japan. Here in the west. Ultimately it's a preference thing, but ya have to have both methods down to know if ya prefer it or not. Don't give up before you get it. It's all just practice!!!
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2010
- Messages
- 29
I'm using a Spyderco sharpmaker, and it makes my BK11 shaving sharp and I'm using the sharpmaker to fix my BK-2(came with uneven angle on the left side). I order a WSKTS (Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpener), going to give that a try.
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- Nov 6, 2008
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- 712
I use Arkansas stones and a leather belt. As with most things, skill will overcome tools.
There is no magic sharpening anything out there... you spend the time working the edge.
There is no magic sharpening anything out there... you spend the time working the edge.
NixKustoms
Sheath and Knife Maker
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2010
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- 5,883
For the last 10+ years I've been using my Lansky 5 stone setup. But recently I figured out how to use a free hand regular stone. So recently I've been using a cheep set of stones that I bought a long time ago, and stropping. I thought the knives were sharp before, but now they are scary sharp.
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- Jul 14, 2010
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Here is my sharpening stuff. The old stones aren't really up to par on todays steel. Or certainly alot slower than I have patience. The DMT works great. The Sharpmaker is ok. The leather belt on the belt sander...yum.
I like your setup on that Delta. I been wanting to get a better belt sander, but, other things come first, like kids, lol.
Moose
imaginefj
Gold Member
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- Jan 15, 2006
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The Delta is a good machine. If I could do it again I would get the Kalamazoo.
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My DMT stone does a good job with my BK-11 and BK-2 (and my folders and whatnot) but I'm not looking forward to trying it on my BK-9. Freehand + stones + longer knives == probs for me.
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Beckerhead #42
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Beckerhead #42
imaginefj
Gold Member
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- 1,676
My wife is full court pressing for one. I just want to keep practicing.
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Well, if that's the case, she's gonna win, you will lose.
I came home from work, Lady was there waiting with a beer, a back massage, I got a shower, she kept feeding me beer. Dinner, with beer, movie, with wine, she poured me a nightcap of Jack. Bedtime, I got mauled up
9 mos later I was a dad. Oh, you will lose, she will win. You can protest all you want, you can fight, kick and scream, but she will win, you will lose, even if she has to fight dirty.
Be wary of women wanting kids and carrying alcohol.
Moose
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2010
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moose can make a knife sharper then Mr. Carter, he just said so couple posts up..
Funny thing is, I seen Carter sharpen on a cinder block and strop on newspaper to shave with it... put that in your pipe and smoke it
Derek, try first with a different knife, the BK2 is a little harder to get use to because of its size/geometry..do the mouse pad scenario, start low grit like 120, get a burr on one side, flip do say 220, same thing, 400 or 600 up to 1200/1500 done, time to strop using only the weight of the knife..
we all know the convex is king
seriously though I prefer it as imo it holds an edge much longer then a v.. otoh, I like my folders with v's and my fixed with convex. I'd suggest hanging out in the sharpening forum, or I will recommend you talk with RichardJ, hes a great guy and will give you professional advice or sharpen you knife and teach you how to maintain it... He cuts toilet paper in half..............yeah buddy.............
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- Feb 23, 2010
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I see you have some micron belts there... sweet, do you buy your leather belts at lee valley?? or do you have another source?? I'm looking to buy another leather...
also on your grinder there have you ever partaken paper wheels??
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Well, if that's the case, she's gonna win, you will lose.
I came home from work, Lady was there waiting with a beer, a back massage, I got a shower, she kept feeding me beer. Dinner, with beer, movie, with wine, she poured me a nightcap of Jack. Bedtime, I got mauled up
Oh, you will lose, she will win. You can protest all you want, you can fight, kick and scream, but she will win, you will lose, even if she has to fight dirty.
Be wary of women wanting kids and carrying alcohol.
Moose
and that was the best time of your life and you know it.. :thumbup:
men want women to win, or at least i do..
the fun is pretending to care
imaginefj
Gold Member
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Yes! The leather belt came from Lee Valley.
I did the leather wheel thing for awhile. The belt sander wins by leaps and bounds for me though.
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- Jan 1, 2006
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I'm no Murray Carter, But I'm pretty happy with the results I got this weekend on my BK11 using his technique
In all actuality this is a convex edge, I set the knife almost flat to knock down the shoulders of the factory edge, and then worked on the primary bevel. I took it all the way to the 8000 grit water stone and then hit it with a leather strop loaded with green compound, then bare, smooth finished leather. Even though I'm pretty happy with the level of skill I've achieved with free hand sharpening, I really want to get a belt sander so I can work on convexing large blades, and maybe make my own micarta handles for my BK9
In all actuality this is a convex edge, I set the knife almost flat to knock down the shoulders of the factory edge, and then worked on the primary bevel. I took it all the way to the 8000 grit water stone and then hit it with a leather strop loaded with green compound, then bare, smooth finished leather. Even though I'm pretty happy with the level of skill I've achieved with free hand sharpening, I really want to get a belt sander so I can work on convexing large blades, and maybe make my own micarta handles for my BK9
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