Sharpening CRKT Blades

C

Confederate

Joined
Sep 5, 2005
Messages
2,826
The edges of most of the CRKT knives I have come with a good working edge, but not a wicked sharp one. I've also noticed they have chisel grind blades, which many of their customers don't much care for.

Emerson Knives makes many if not all of their current blades chisel ground. The reason is found in its FAQ: "A chisel ground knife, being beveled, (ground) on one side only, possesses greater strength, (due to increased cross sectional mass) and they cut with an ease not found on any other type of blade. This is because there is no parasitic drag produced by the flat side when cutting—no drag points. On top of that, they are much easier to sharpen—you only have to sharpen one side."

If they only knew the benefits of such a grind, they say, most knife owners would want their blades chisel ground. But why did they put the grind on the left side? "Our tests and those of a major government agency determined that there was no difference between right and left side grinds for use as a tool or weapon. The left side was chosen for purposes of visual cue and reference."

Fine. Makes sense to me. The fact remains that even with CRKT's Slidesharp, I'm having a tough time getting my CRKT AUS8 chisel grind knives anywhere near as sharp as my Cold Steel AUS8 blades. Does anyone know why and how I can rectify it? I've noticed that the ground edge is highly polished and I'm wondering if that mirror polish has anything to do with not getting my Slidesharp, or my Spyderco Sharpmaker, rods to bite into the steel.

Please also let me know if you buy Emerson's argument that chisel grind edges are the best way to go for folders.

bladegrinds.jpg


Looks like a tough edge to sharpen if this is an accurate
rendition of a chisel grind.
 
every knife i make is a chisel grind. i have no problem getting them sharp. i have also made a left handed knife for a friend that was ground on the right side. i sharpen both types the same way. which style knife are you trying to sharpen? i might be able to help you more if i knew the blade shape. if you want a good edge on your knife i would be glad to put one on for you. that way you wouldnt have much trouble putting an edge back on the next time.
 
Thanks, richard_j, but I have a boatload of knives with chisel grind blades, and I'd be better off learning how to do it.

In another post, I question the chisel grind's strength and superiority over V grind blades. Seems that most boats I've seen have V-shaped bows, dividing the water on both sides. And for the life of me, if I were going to have a CG blade, I'd rather see the bevel on the right side and not the left. I've also heard it said that the CG blade is superior for self defense, but I don't see why. If I could put a great edge on it, fine, but that's been elusive.

Beling a relative newcomer to sharpening, I think I want 300-, 600-, and 1200-grit synthetic stones. But should they be ceramic or diamond? Does diamond wear out?

Anyway, RJ, to answer your question, the blade I'm trying to sharpen is an M21-14 CRKT Carson flipper. The CG blade is beautifully ground, but despite CRKT's idiotic claim of being "razor sharp" out of the box, I've seen sharper letter openers. So I figure the best way to get started, and please, everyone, let me know if I'm wrong, is by divesting myself of the ceramic rod sharpeners and going to a good set of varying grind set of synthetic stones, either ceramic or diamond. From what I've read, I think I also want to avoid the use of water or oil.

Frustrated by my dull CG's, I just broke out a Cold Steel pre-2006 Recon One and it is blazingly sharp in both point and edge. So I'll carry this until I figure out how to put a sharp edge on my CRKTs.

Thanks, again, RJ!
 
I've found that chisel grind is pretty popular here in Japan, especially with thick bladed kitchen knives and woodcutting tools. I, too, have had a hard time getting a good edge on 'em. I'm eager to read more about how to sharpen them properly...
 
FWIW your boat analogy doesnt hold water when it comes to knives lol(no pun intended). the wings on some planes have a semi CG appearance but its due to "lift" IIRC, an interesting bit of info i suppose but has nothing to due with knives.

this thread looks familiar lol.

like i said on the other one follow the instructions on the EKI website and use a norton india stone and a bit of cardboard, & with practice ya will be able to get them plenty sharp.

if ya couldnt get the things sharp do ya really think EKI could sell dull $200 knives??
 
i would like to know how to sharpen the serrations on my M16-12 . so i need a slidesharp?
 
I think chisel-ground, Japanese kitchen knives like the usuba and deba are actually slightly hollow ground on the unbeveled side to prevent food from sticking. They're also beveled on the outside (right side for right-handers) for precision placement. "The left side was chosen for purposes of visual cue and reference," sounds like, "It looks better in photographs." Not a bad reason for it, but not the best I've heard.

And I'd like to know more about "cross sectional mass." I'm not sure I understand either the concept or how it relates to strength.
 
im about to attempt to sharpen my M16-12 on a mudstone. but my father in law thinks i should be sharpening the back (right) side of the knife. not the mirror /beveled edge (at a 26 degree angle or something) which is what i think is correct. what should i do ?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top