Sharpening Q (yes, again)

C

Coronach

Joined
Feb 24, 1999
Messages
368
Okay. I'm about to attempt to restore the edge on my poor village khuk. I want to do it the "right" way, that is, with a convex grind done via a leather strop.

Yes, I know it is hard and fraught with peril, but its a villager and frankly thats why I bought it- to beat up and experiment upon.
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I know that the steps to sharpening are detailed in the FAQ and in numerous threads here. My question today is an even simpler one:

Where in the *censored* do you get leather strops suitable for sharpening???? And this mythical tripoli compound...I asked at a couple of local stores and the workers therein looked at me like I was mad.

Any pointers?

Thanks,
Mike

PS also, one brief sharpening Q: Any ideas on how to get rid of the many rough spots on the edge caused by the blade eating nails? Yes, I have already steeled with the chakma and gotten as much steel as possible back 'in line'...I'm just afraid that the ragged/sharp/mangled edge is gonna eat the strop for lunch. I though of a file or a stone, but I was unsure what this would do to the convex grind...

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"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." -Robert Heinlein
 
I don't know about the leather strops, but the last time I purchased tripoli compound I got it from my local Sears store in the hardware dept. It was in the area where the buffing pads were displayed.
 
Mike, The Knife Center carries a variety of razor strops. Plug in the web page. I use an old Bianchi belt 1.75" with good results.

Let me know if you can't pull-up the web page.

Best, Scott
 
“Yes, I know it is hard and fraught with peril, but its a villager and frankly thats why I bought it- to beat up and experiment upon. “

It should be fairly safe, probably safer than a stone.

“Where in the *censored* do you get leather strops suitable for sharpening???? And this mythical tripoli compound”

Locally, I would try looking at wood working stores or Tandy Leather outlets. Leather and wood workers sharpen their tools with a strop sometimes. Lee Valley, a wood working chain store here in Canada carries both strops and Tripoli compound. Is it present in the USA?

“Any ideas on how to get rid of the many rough spots on the edge caused by the blade eating nails”

Once you have the blade aligned, it should not cut the strop. If there are any remaining burrs will scratch and damage the strop. My memory may fail me but Yvsa suggested using a Bastard file the wrong way. The wrong way means moving the file in the direction it does not cut.

Will
 
Lee Valley is online and has stores in the US and even Canada. They sell strops and abrasive compounds. I used a green CrO bar that is I think 10000 grit (.5 micron) and leaves a fine finish. I have a couple of their strops as well.

As for removing large damage. That will never happen with a strop. Well it could, but you will need to pass the blade down to your kids and possibly have them do the same. Use sandpaper on a backing with some give and stroke away from the edge pressing hard enough to allow the profile to sink into the backing material.

You can also sharpen along the entire convex bevel with a normal small hone. I have done this sucessfully a few times but have not quite got the method down yet. You just follow the convex bevel freehand. It was not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. It is easier if the "hone" is actually wood + thick leather + sandpaper, but is possible with a regular stone.

So there you go, no more can't sharpen a khukuri on a flat rock.

-Cliff
 
Hey hey hey. I'm a genius.
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I figured this one out (well, part of it) prior to reading the answers to my question.
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I recently went past Lowes and decided to pop in and grab some sandpaper of varying grits. I knew that I would need a pretty wide range as I went about repolishing (erm, ahem. POLISHING) my village khukuri, and heck...you can NEVER have too much sandpaper. Its like duct tape.

Anyway, so I sat down tonight and decided to see what a course paper would do to the very rough finish on this villager. After a few minutes of work I have a crude satin-like finish that has at least removed all of the drywall residue (
wink.gif
) from the blade.

I sit.

I ponder.

(cut to the great scene in 2001 where the ape is looking at the bones at the base of the Monolith)

Hmmm. Sandpaper removes metal.

I sit.

I ponder.

(the first timpani from Also Spracht Zarathustra begin to drum offstage)

Hmmm. the misaligned edge is exess metal on one side of the blade.

I sit.

I ponder.

(The brass kicks in. dummmmm....daaaaaaa.......daaaahhhhhhhh....DUM-DAAAAAH! boom-boom boom-boom boom-boom....)
Hey! I bet I can use sandpaper to do this!

Anyway, you get the picture. I fiddled around for a while (like the ape banging the bones against the skull), and after determining that at WORST I would just make the edge slightly duller than it already was, I gave it a shot. I used a rubber sandpaper pad and had the paper on kinda slack, doing basically what Cliff described. Worked nicely, too.

Now, all I have to do is get a strop and some tripoli and I might actually get this khukuri back into fighting shape. As to sharpening, Cliff...am I to understand that you prefer to use sandpaper of varying grits prior to stropping, or is that only useful in cases of, uhm, damage control?

Thanks, all, for your answers. I'll be getting a strop and polishing stuff soon.
smile.gif


Mike

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"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." -Robert Heinlein
 
Q: Can I make use my old leather belt as a leather strop for sharpening purpose? ... and how? LOL!

NEPAL HO!
 
Generally you only have to use sandpaper after you have either put the khukuri through a fairly extreme stress and have visible damage to the edge, or have been using it for a long time and the edge is a bit weak and you want to remove some metal. Using a smooth steel and a loaded strop will go a long way.

Yes you can use an old belt or just about anything as a strop, use it the same way you would a bought one (which will just be more uniform and durable). Similarly you can use just about any hard surface as a steel, including the spine of other knives - which is a logical reason to carry more than one blade at all time, as if a reason was actually needed.

-Cliff
 
I have a question.

I have never been able to get an edge on a khukuri that shaves hair. It feels fairly sharp but not razor sharp. I got a red DMT stone today and tried it out but still, hair is left intact. Will the strop with compound be able to hone it from reasonably sharp to razor? It's driving me crazy!
 
OM, a strop will almost surely get a razor's edge on the khukuri. If you can't get it let me know. I have a little 2 dollar crock stix sharpener that does it every time. I'll find out who makes it and you can buy one and it will solve your problem.

But as I ask Will Kwan. Are you going to shave with the khukuri?

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
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No I'm not going to shave with the khukuri. I just hear everyone say how sharp the get their khuks that now I want to do it, too. Call it peer pressure. The only khuk I want to get this sharp is the 18 inch kobra. I love how it cuts green growth and if that that can be improved I'll be be in heaven. I'm off to look for a strop.
 
For whatever it might be worth to you, OM, none of the khukuris under my bed are razor sharp. They are all "chopping" sharp but not razor. The only tool I ever kept shaving sharp was my old straight razor and I have not used it for about 40 years.

------------------
Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
I just made my own strop using a old leather belt and some heavy rubbing compound found at autozone . Now my balanced khuk IS razor sharp , and it cost me $2.29 for the compound... that's it.
 
I have an old India stone my grandfather (a wheelwright by trade) bought new in 1911.

After a dozen or so strokes per side, I wipe the slurry off the stone onto the strop (an old belt); the particles of stone grit in the slurry work as well or better than any buffing compound I've ever tried.

I've never tried an Arkansas stone, but I'm told they're even better than the India stone.

Confession time; how many forumites have forearms as smooth and hairless as any Hollywood starlet's as a result of constant testing of newly-sharpened khuks?
 
... old India stone my grandfather (a wheelwright by trade) bought new in 1911 ...
Click to expand...
Tom.

It seems you have an antique stone which you can offer for multiple of it's original price!!!

Dear Forumites.

How many of you have antique stone equavalence to Tom's one?

NEPAL HO!
 
I had a lot of old stuff inherited from grandparents but I traveled too far for too long and it all disappeared into the hands of cousins who thought I was either dead or would never return. I had the stone, strop and a couple of straight razors -- all gone now.

------------------
Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
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