Sharpening Strategies

David Martin

David Martin

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Apr 7, 2008
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I really thought about starting this in some other area.
But I'm wanting to engage some discussion toward the way we sharpen based on what we cut.
We have been noticing rabbits picked off weekly, with no marks left on them. No open wound, bleeding, ect.. We're at 16 since May. So, I determined I would do an autopsy on the next one I found. I had my latex gloves, knife and plastic bags ready. Even enough for organ samples.
The knife I chose was a 3" Victorinox with Sandvik steel. It takes a very sharp edge and I sharpened it on the Spyderco ultra fine ceramic stone. I use it for removing splinters as I was it to cut skin quickly for this. We found one this morning and I went to work on him. The first cut being down the backbone so I could skin him. It took this blade several tries to sever the hide cutting through the hair. It did better on cutting muscle tissue after I skinned him. This is my point, a differently sharpened blade say at 300 grit would have sliced thru hair & hide in one stroke and allowed me to start skinning. Rather than struggling at first. A more utility edge would have worked better. Give some thought to what you'll be cutting as you sharpen. DM
 
Were you cutting up or down? I ask because I have found that any blade I use will cut differently depending on the way/direction I used it. Preston
 
On that I cut both ways. The manner I was able to achieve the cut was, I lifted the skin, inserted the point and made the cut
from the under side. Thus, avoiding the hair. DM
 
View attachment 960425 It sounds like you need a TiN coated zipper (Crosslock). The hardness of the PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coating is 82 HRC. It is not chisel sharpened.
 
Just recently I've gone to nothing finer than a rough DMT diamond stone for similar reasons to yours.
At first I thought it was because I wasn't using a low enough angle but using the coarse stones solved the problem.

I was also pulling out my hair getting micro chips on some knives and I think the coarser stones may have eliminated that problem too.


I like the cutting performance much better and I'm noticing they keep a shaving and usable edge much longer. It still feels weird not going to finer stones and "dressing" the edge.
 
you bring up a good point Sir. I assume a swiss army type victorinox....meaning not so much that exact knife, more so im assuming it had very thin blade stock and geometry? if so using the right grit on the edge to get almost in a way micro serrations on certain tasks will do better than a really polished and refined edge. your example would show that. how some steels and cutting tasks do better with a lower grit edge.
 
Stray & jb your hitting at the crux of this topic. When I went to do the autopsy on the jackrabbit I chose the wrong knife. Even
though it was sharp, it was challenged with the job. I will still set up one knife for removing splinters because I get a few every
week. But my other carry knives will be sharpened at 2-300 grit. To cut a hose, rope or slice my summer sausage at lunch. DM
 
For separating fur from flesh and flesh from bone I only use Norton Crystolon coarse or medium stones. I dont know what they translate to in numbers. On my wood working tools I often give them a more refined edge.
 
I learned to sharpen a knife at 14 working at a diner and found that there is push sharp like for shaving
and draw or pull sharp for cutting meat or hide...
pull sharp is what is needed for cutting meat and
I found it true that the finer the stone the sooner it will dull on hide and hair but
fine works well for straight meat cutting ... hide is tough work on a edge...
David is correct that you need to consider what you are cutting and why
and know different ways to sharpen for what you need..
 
View attachment 960883
David Martin said:
Stray & jb your hitting at the crux of this topic. When I went to do the autopsy on the jackrabbit I chose the wrong knife. Even
though it was sharp, it was challenged with the job. I will still set up one knife for removing splinters because I get a few every
week. But my other carry knives will be sharpened at 2-300 grit. To cut a hose, rope or slice my summer sausage at lunch. DM
Click to expand...

My sliver/splinter kit includes a vest pocket scalpel, a Bausch and Lomb double loupe, and an Uncle Bill’s tweezers. The flashlight is keeping the glasses from tipping over.
 
I have been using the DMT black extra coarse stone 220grit then several strokes on a steel. I bought the extra fine one years ago and it makes a pretty edge, but it just don't hold up.
I have always liked the edge the Bucks come with from the factory and this is close.
While there on the factory tour for the 30th event, the warranty dept. demonstrated changing the blade on a 110. After he sharpened the knife, I asked him what grit the belt was and he said 120.

I find an exacto knife works well on splinters.
 
st8yd, I have that x coarse stone and the edge it gives really last with utility cutting. I've read that about the x fine edge that plate gives from
other Fourm members. That's smart the Buck sharpens to that grit level. It's a quick edge and it leaves room for the user to further refined the
edge. Thanks, DM
 
110Dave, thanks for the insight. I'll stay with a coarse edge. DM
 
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Tiguy, we have several Opti-visor head sets of different magnification. They work. Thanks for the photo of your splinter removing tools.
I like it. DM
 
I’ve never had a formal strategy per se, but I do try to replicate the factory edge. I use a Lansky MED and/or FINE stone, as needed, for my Buck fixed blades - all of those knives are used for skinning and butchering mammals, birds, and fish. For my EDC knives (medium Stockman pocketknives) I use medium ceramic sticks to keep the edge touched up - they don’t do heavy duty cutting such as my 110 & 100 series fixed blades do. 110DAVE described it perfectly. OH
Ps. Tiguy, I have the same Uncle Bill tweezer on my key ring.
 
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