Sharpening small knives on a Hapstone sharpener

[pitonyak]

I own a Hapstone R2 and it does a great job. I do not see that it would be possible to sharpen a small blade such as a Victorinox Classic or a small Buck such as a Deuce (two small baldes) or even a small stockman.

These blades are very small and I do not see a way to clamp the blade and then have any clearance to sharpen. It was suggested that maybe I can clamp the handle (something I have not tried) since I don't think that the clamps could hold something that wide. Especially not a Buck small stockman. If I remember correctly, I have a clamp fixture for my Tormek T8 that can clamp a knife handle (think carving knives).

It was suggested that I could use the magnetic table, but the Victorinox Classic blade is way to narrow for that.

Any thoughts?

 

[Old Biker]

Use the V8 magnetic table. Remove the two side wings, and use just the narrow center section. It will be easier if you fabricate a new blade stop. Or lengthen the center slot in the existing one, so that you can turn it around and use it's square end.

I'll post a picture next time I'm on my computer. I can't get the necessary link on my phone.

O.B.

 

[pitonyak]

Use the V8 magnetic table. Remove the two side wings, and use just the narrow center section. It will be easier if you fabricate a new blade stop. Or lengthen the center slot in the existing one, so that you can turn it around and use it's square end.

I'll post a picture next time I'm on my computer. I can't get the necessary link on my phone.

O.B.

Really appreciate that. When I put the blade on the table it was so narrow it did not even engage the magnets.

I tried one other holder but I needed roughly a 28 degree angle for the victorinox. I will take a look at the table again, it had not occurred to me to try turning things around or using it on a non standard configuration.

 

[Old Biker]

Really appreciate that. When I put the blade on the table it was so narrow it did not even engage the magnets.

I tried one other holder but I needed roughly a 28 degree angle for the victorinox. I will take a look at the table again, it had not occurred to me to try turning things around or using it on a non standard configuration.

I had a coworker friend make me a different blade stop, by slotting a piece of aluminum on a mill. But you could make something similar out of wood or plastic. Probably wouldn't even need a slot. Just clamp a shorter piece under the front of the stock blade clamp. Or lengthen the slot in the stock clamp, and turn it around. The existing slot won't let it go far enough forward, if trying to use the square end.

Here is a pic of it set for the small blade of the little Buck 305. Definitely not me favorite knife to sharpen, but I was able to get it done.

And how I would hold a SAK to sharpen it's small blade.

O.B.

 

[kwackster]

Several years ago i made this small knife rest, a variant based on the original design by Tormek forum member Herman Trivillino.
Mine is being used for reprofiling/sharpening various blade shapes & sizes (flat ground is ideal, but saber ground is also possible), from the small blades in Victorinox knives up to expensive professional gyuto's with 210 mm blades.

A possible problem is that you would have to make such a knife rest yourself, as Tormek still doesn't offer something comparable.
I used a piece of Torlock cut from a Tormek SVD-110 tool rest (which remains functional afterwards btw), a few pieces of scrap aluminium & some metal screws.
A very important aspect is getting that piece of Torlock as square as possible, for which i used files and a micrometer.
With access to a precision milling machine it would be a piece of cake.

On top is a piece of 0.3 mm thin fiber-reinforced PTFE tape, which works very well for moving the blade across the platform and also to avoid scratches while doing that (up to a point)
For more blade protection i use plastic packing tape on the blade surface as well.

When used in conjunction with just enough water in the trough so that it doesn't splash the platform the tape lasts quite a while before i have to replace it with a new piece.
The lowest angle i can grind to is ~20 degrees inclusive.









Tormek SVD-110 tool rest:

 

[pitonyak]

I had a coworker friend make me a different blade stop, by slotting a piece of aluminum on a mill. But you could make something similar out of wood or plastic. Probably wouldn't even need a slot. Just clamp a shorter piece under the front of the stock blade clamp. Or lengthen the slot in the stock clamp, and turn it around. The existing slot won't let it go far enough forward, if trying to use the square end.

Here is a pic of it set for the small blade of the little Buck 305. Definitely not me favorite knife to sharpen, but I was able to get it done.

And how I would hold a SAK to sharpen it's small blade.

O.B.

Thanks, that's very instructive, I will see if I can duplicate your results

 

[pitonyak]

On a Tormek the first thing I would probably try is they're small knife jig that clamps the handle. It works well for carving knives. And wow is that a long URL

Tormek Small Knife JigDefault Title

Small Knife Jig for Tormek. In stock.

www.sharpeningsupplies.com

 

[kwackster]

The small knife jig doesn't work for folder blades if these cannot be perfectly centered.
With the small knife rest there is no such problem..

 

[pitonyak]

The small knife jig doesn't work for folder blades if these cannot be perfectly centered.
With the small knife rest there is no such problem..

They would not center unless there was only a single blade.... and that blade is centered.

 

[777 Edge]

The Hapstone Small Whole milled straight clamps (used to be called Hapstone R2 Lite clamps) is great for small knives. I sharpen small Victorinox blades on mine regularly.

Use one clamp on the flat tang area and a second one (if preferred) closer to the tip.

The primary clamping position will be on the tang area, and one clamp alone in this position is enough to sharpen a small Victorinox blade.

 

[pitonyak]

I had a coworker friend make me a different blade stop, by slotting a piece of aluminum on a mill. But you could make something similar out of wood or plastic. Probably wouldn't even need a slot. Just clamp a shorter piece under the front of the stock blade clamp. Or lengthen the slot in the stock clamp, and turn it around. The existing slot won't let it go far enough forward, if trying to use the square end.

Here is a pic of it set for the small blade of the little Buck 305. Definitely not me favorite knife to sharpen, but I was able to get it done.

And how I would hold a SAK to sharpen it's small blade.

O.B.

I wanted to provide a follow-up. I purchased some aluminum that is half the thickness of the stock pieces and then I drilled and filed to fit on the table. I have now sharpened a bunch of blades that were too small to work with the stock table. I will probably be making some more things as well as I move to even smaller blades. I was mostly dealing with things such as the sheeps foot blade on a Case Medium and large Stockman.