Sharpening in the bush?

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Diuron

Joined
Jan 16, 2011
Messages
11
Just wondering what you guy sharpen yall's ESEE knives with while backpacking. I have never tried to sharpen one with a hand sharpening stone and really wouldnt know where to begin (definitely not with my rc-3). Any input would be nice. Thanks in advance!
 
i use a dmt duofold fine and course and a ceramic and diamond gerber sharpmaker that i've had for 20yrs or so.

thats pretty much what i use at home to. they always get tossed in my backpack.

take it easy
cricket
 
fine/xfine diafold and an old ez-lap fine that's worn pretty smooth.
 
I sharpen with a little pocket arkansas stone.. typically I wont need to sharpen knives smaller then 7", the only thing I ever need to touch up would be a chete.. and seriously once you hone in your freehand skills you can use practically anything, like a cinder block and newspaper to strop.. :) seriously
 
1066vik said:
fine/xfine diafold and an old ez-lap fine that's worn pretty smooth.
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This....or a coarse/fine but you shouldn't need anything too coarse unless you chip an edge.....then it would come in handy. I really like the diafolds for size and dual grits.
 
In the field, I usually take my sharpmaker along. at least one of the rods. makes for quick cleanups. I've got a set of lansky diamond plates that I'll sometimes toss in the pack. I don't do this hippee ultralight crap :).

Really, anything works well that's course. a flat stone will do it.

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Yeah, if you have the space for the sharpmaker, you could take out all of the pieces except for one of each stone and it would be pretty light.
 
I really need to learn to free hand. At work we do alot of chete work and i just just a 8 inch flat bastard. Ill have to youtube it to learn. Rightnow i just use a little Gerber compact sharpeners.
 
Eze-Lap diamond rod and a Fallkniven DC-4 does all my sharpening in the bush.
 
I use either a Falkniven DC-4 (kind of hard to come by these days) or a Spyderco fine grit field sharpener. Been using the DC-4 more often lately as it is double grit (diamond one side and ceramic on the other). Spyderco makes a double grit stone as well but most of my field sharpening is done on my axes so the coarser Falkniven is much more useful to me.

I have a Diafold that I bought years back and still use it on rare occasion. I prefer a ceramic stone of some sort for use on my knives though, seems to put a better edge on for me.
 
DMT Fine/Coarse and Spyderco DoubleStuff, which is 1" x 4" medium and fine Spyderco ceramics glued back to back.

I seems like most of us use comparable and very compact gear. I would like to get that Fallkniven.
 
TheLastDaze said:
I sharpen with a little pocket arkansas stone.. typically I wont need to sharpen knives smaller then 7", the only thing I ever need to touch up would be a chete.. and seriously once you hone in your freehand skills you can use practically anything, like a cinder block and newspaper to strop.. :) seriously
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Sorry may be a dumb question but what does strop mean?
 
Diuron, typically sharpening involves rubbing a blade across a sharpener edge first, as if "slicing off a label from the stone". Stropping is the opposite actin, drawing the blade across the stone with the edge trailing. This tends to polish that edge, refining the work that sharpening did.

You can strop on a leather pad charged with a compound, or across a piece of wet/dry sandpaper on a flat surface or mouse pad, or rub the blade on your pants leg.

(Dumb questions are the ones you don't know to ask. :) )
 
Why are you guys using your knives in the field? Hasnt anyone told you, they arent for using, only for looking at when you host a yuppe dinner party and want to go to bed while everyone is still there.
 
I need to refine my skills, but I recently picked up a DC-4 from Amazon so that'll be my tool.
 
600 grit and 1200 grit sandpaper in an altoids size tin, with a piece of leather and a piece of mouse pad.....
 
Delkancott said:
I need to refine my skills, but I recently picked up a DC-4 from Amazon so that'll be my tool.
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Congrats on the DC4:thumbup:
Here's a tip: The glue that holds the diamond plate to the ceramic stone is water soluble. If it gets soaked for a while the halves may shift or separate. Don't worry. I separated mine under hot water on purpose , scraped the glue off , and re-applied the halves carefully with superglue( you could use epoxy)
Be careful; superglue sets immediately so line them up straight. Once done , they're not coming apart.The DC4 is a great pocket stone system but the glue Fallkniven uses is not the greatest.
:)
 
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