Sharpening gear for convex sharpening - Reccomendations

M

Mindz_I

Joined
Nov 6, 2002
Messages
435
I've spent most of this morning reading through FAQ's and all the linked threads to try to get an idea of how best to sharpen a khukuri.

Unfortunately when I try to use the search function (in both IE and Firefox) I recieve an error page and no search results :(

--

I already own a HI AK 15" (Sher) that's a heavy beast of a knife that makes light work of the gardening chores I've thrown at it, and have just made a purchase of a Villager 15" BAS (Bura) that I hope to recieve shortly :D

I presently have a large 'scraper burnisher' I picked up after reading several threads on here which I use in place of my chamka for burnishing duties, but in the past knife sharpening duties had been the sole preserve of my Sharpmaker.

Since I'm adding a second Khukuri to the pile it seems only right to learn / try the right way to preserve and maintain the convex edge, and as such I'm looking to make a few purchases.

--

As far as I understand it, the sharpening process should go something like this; Burnish, Strop, Strop with compound, Sand-paper on mouse mat with compound (increasing in order of severity of metal removal). Is this correct?

I have neither a strop nor stropping compound so that would probably my first point of call, and to these ends I was considering the Single-sided Leather hand strop from Lee Valley along with Veritas honing compound. Are these two items well suited for the chore of sharpening a Khukuri with a convex bevel?

How durable is the leather on these? It's not that I plan to use it heavily, but I notice extra 'strop packs' are sold, which makes me wonder if you need to replace the leather after it becomes clogged or the spongey-ness is reduced?

--

I'm assuming that I'll need something a little more aggressive than the strop to start with as my AK came with a large blunt section right where the sweet-spot is, where the edge is about 0.5mm wide and quite visible with the naked eye (obviously not sharp). So with this in mind I assume I'll need some Sandpaper for a more aggressive hone?

I hear that Lee Valley stock some pretty decent stuff for the job of sharpening khukuris, so was wondering if anyone could reccomend a small range of grits suitable for the task?


Thanks kindly for any help :)
 
I like the Veritas honing compound. As for a strop, one purchased from a store should be good. I'm too cheap to buy one and just use an old leather belt instead.

My procedure is this: when I first get something, I use the belt sander (or sandpaper) to establish the edge profile that I want. If I want it sharper, I'll strop afterwards.

After each use, I'll use a chakmak to iron out any dings and to realign the edge. Afterwards I'll strop again. Depending on the particular khukuri and how hard I used it, it may or may not shave afterwards. Even if it doesn't, it's generally sharp enough.

I make it a point not to actually remove any metal until the edge has degraded to the point where the chakmak and strop can't fix it. No sense in grinding off steel unless I have to, right? And if grinding is necessary, I'll use the finest grit that I can get away with. Removing metal (while necessary) reduces the life of the tool. I want to keep this to a minimum.

As for sandpaper, try an automotive store for a good selection of sandpaper. Back when I did it by hand, I'd use the following grits in this order: #220, #400, #600, #800, #1000, #1500, #2000. Going over #800 is not really necessary IMO. #220 was only needed initially or to fix big dings. I wasn't (and I'm still not) afraid to take a file to the edge if I really banged it up.

The more "steps" of grits that you have, the easier it is to proceed. Theoretically one could do the entire job with just the finest grit they were going to use but it would take a long time and consume a lot of sandpaper. Having a lot of grits makes the job go more quickly. Stropping is the last "step" of grit progression.
 
There is probably a good link to some sharpening tips up in the "Tips" sticky at the top of the forum. Also, I think Ddean has a good link at the bottom of his posts.
There are so many ways to sharpen a khuk that the "right" way is going to be up to however you want to do it, how sharp the khuk is already, and the level of convex that you want.

I don't have any power tools for sharpening...yet (ya hear that Santa?). The way I've done it for the last 3+ years is as follows. Stone the edge anywhere that their is basically no edge. I start medium and go fine. Then I take a groved sharpening steel and sharpen it like a chef's knife. This gets me a uniform file along the edge. Then i switch to a "worn out" steel that acts as a quick and dirty burnisher/finer file. By now I have a pretty good edge on the khuk that will cut, but probably has a good wire edge left on it. (watch what you're doing. I have about a half dozen scars on my thumb from deep cuts I got while running a khuk down a steel while watching TV;))Next I move to a sanding block. All of my khuks are workers so I don't care about the finish. A sanding block will almost always mess up your finish. I get the kind that have a medium and fine side. Usually, fine is all I need. I strop on that until I get the wire down and the edge pretty smooth. Then I cover the sanding block with 600 grit wet/dry snadpaper. I strop on that until I get a more polished edge. Finally, I move onto a piece of leather that I have for finishing work. I lay it across my leg and strop until the edge is smooth, polished, and shiny. I test it down my arm...it makes the hair jump off. The edge is shaped like a "V". That sounds like a convex edge to me;)
Granted, it takes me 2 days of working a couple hours a day to get this effect, but it's fun and gives me something to do when I get bored at work.

best of luck!
Jake
 
Get the double-sided strop kit - it is well worth it.


Do the 220 grit on mousepad trick first, and then go to 400 grit and then strop.

You'll get a pretty decent edge that way. It might not be as finely sharpened as some, but it will definitely be shaving sharp.
 
From now on look for old belts at garage sales and thrift stores. You can probably run up to the thrift store and get a couple right now. They have to be one layer belts with at least one natural "suede looking" side. Dont get any belt that has stitching. Cut off the buckle and the holes. Cut a piece of scrap wood just a little wider than the belt. Tack one end of the belt to the board, and pull the other side as tight as you can and tack it down too. Leave some room for a drill hole so you can hang it on your pegboard. Make one of these rigs for each compound you wish to use (I have two). Get yourself some tripoli for cutting, and some polishing compound to give a mirror edge (gold is what I use, green is even finer, either will do). These are available at woodcraft for <$10 each. Voila!! The belt leather is thicker than those strops and IMHO works better for convexing. Cheap Cheap solution. Someone here suggested Gator Grit from Lowes as the cutting compound. I dunno, but I plan to try it out as soon as I find another suitable old belt.
 
WOW!

What fast responces! and tips :D Especially on the different grits and 'normal' belts, thanks guys.

We actually have a belt-sander in work but it's not at all slack (there's a surface under it and the belt it pulled taught) so I'm assuming that won't do the job :(

I seem to recall on one of the tips threads someone mentioning the pre-impregnated (with compound) sandpaper / sheets they had at Lee Valley. Does anyone have an opinion on those?

Thanks kindly
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top