- Joined
- Mar 19, 2007
- Messages
- 7,440
So, I have been playing with my 2nd Generation Bushcrafter (Cocobolo, 3V, Stainless hardware) and I have been experimenting with sharpening that harder than rock 3V. My current method that is cheap, easy, and produces (frankly) great results. For those of you new to Scandi's, 3V, or Dan's work - here is that method:
1) Get a piece of glass (12x12 should do fine).
2) Tape it to a flat surface - at the edge of the table.
3) Get a selection of good (3M works great) Wet/Dry sand paper. (I get 220, 600, 800, 1000, 2000) from your local hardware or auto parts store.
4) Tape whichever grit you want to to the surface of the glass at the edge of the glass.
5) Lay the blade flat on the glass, tip it up to being flat on the Scandi grind and push the blade over the Wet/Dry - being careful to tip it slightly at the point so that the entire flat of the Scandi grind is being abraded.
6) After a few strokes (alternating in either direction) take a look at your results. You should be making sanding marks across the entire flat of the scandi grind and not leaving any shiny or dull spots on the bevel. If you are, adjust your movements to ensure a flat bevel.
7) I continue to alternate strokes with whatever grit I am using until I get a good wire edge across the entire blade and I have an absolute flat surface on both sides of the Scandi Grind.
8) I then go up grits until I terminate with 2000 grit. At the end of 2000 I have a fairly good edge on my knife and the polish is looking pretty good. 3V takes the bite out of your wet/dry pretty fast so at the end of using the 2000 grit - it is probably more like 3000 or 4000 grit that is actually being used.
I then grab my strop. I use a JRE Strop Bat loaded with black, green, and pink compounds.
9) I lay the Strop Bat on a flat surface and lay the blade on the black compound strop. I then PULL the blade toward me ensuring the Scandi grind is fully contacting the surface of the strop. This does not take much pressure - so don't bear down. You don't want to convex the edge that you just took so long in sharpening (although this process will convex the very edge just a bit).
10) Go through black, green, pink, and then no compound strops until you have a VERY sharp and mirror polished edge.
Shave your face or cut a tree - this baby is ready!
Here is my edge after sharpening today - The entire process took about 15 minutes, and after working with it, I would not bother with the wet dry unless I had a nick to take out or my knife was VERY dull:
Dan supplied the second generation of Bushcrafters (as I am fairly sure he is with the 2009 batch) with an excellent JRE deep pouch sheath.
This sheath is very well made, but I like to seal mine a bit and burnish the edges. I used Feibrings Leather Balm with Atom Wax (you can find this online or at a local Tandy or other leather supply store).
Follow the directions on the product. Add light coats working in the product evenly.
I, then, take a hard flat object (a brass rod would be great, a bit of smooth antler works well, but the barrel of a Sharpie would work fine) and burnish the edges. This simply means applying pressure to the edges whilst rubbing vigorously to lightly burn the leather edges and compress the fibers into a more robust edge.
I do this for the edges, the back of the sheath on the belt loop and the inside of the dangler.
There are other things you can use to burnish edges that may produce a more professional look - but this works pretty darned well as far as I am concerned. With this product, as well, you can add protection by rubbing some Kiwi natural wax paste over the top from time to time. Keep the Kiwi on only the flesh portions of the leather and not the grain.
Here is what mine looked like after wet molding and sealing:
Again, this is simply what I do - and I know of many other products and methods. I simply wanted (and I hope I am not out of turn Dan) to give my methods that I am finding success with and hope it helps someone.
TF
1) Get a piece of glass (12x12 should do fine).
2) Tape it to a flat surface - at the edge of the table.
3) Get a selection of good (3M works great) Wet/Dry sand paper. (I get 220, 600, 800, 1000, 2000) from your local hardware or auto parts store.
4) Tape whichever grit you want to to the surface of the glass at the edge of the glass.
5) Lay the blade flat on the glass, tip it up to being flat on the Scandi grind and push the blade over the Wet/Dry - being careful to tip it slightly at the point so that the entire flat of the Scandi grind is being abraded.
6) After a few strokes (alternating in either direction) take a look at your results. You should be making sanding marks across the entire flat of the scandi grind and not leaving any shiny or dull spots on the bevel. If you are, adjust your movements to ensure a flat bevel.
7) I continue to alternate strokes with whatever grit I am using until I get a good wire edge across the entire blade and I have an absolute flat surface on both sides of the Scandi Grind.
8) I then go up grits until I terminate with 2000 grit. At the end of 2000 I have a fairly good edge on my knife and the polish is looking pretty good. 3V takes the bite out of your wet/dry pretty fast so at the end of using the 2000 grit - it is probably more like 3000 or 4000 grit that is actually being used.
I then grab my strop. I use a JRE Strop Bat loaded with black, green, and pink compounds.
9) I lay the Strop Bat on a flat surface and lay the blade on the black compound strop. I then PULL the blade toward me ensuring the Scandi grind is fully contacting the surface of the strop. This does not take much pressure - so don't bear down. You don't want to convex the edge that you just took so long in sharpening (although this process will convex the very edge just a bit).
10) Go through black, green, pink, and then no compound strops until you have a VERY sharp and mirror polished edge.
Shave your face or cut a tree - this baby is ready!
Here is my edge after sharpening today - The entire process took about 15 minutes, and after working with it, I would not bother with the wet dry unless I had a nick to take out or my knife was VERY dull:
Dan supplied the second generation of Bushcrafters (as I am fairly sure he is with the 2009 batch) with an excellent JRE deep pouch sheath.
This sheath is very well made, but I like to seal mine a bit and burnish the edges. I used Feibrings Leather Balm with Atom Wax (you can find this online or at a local Tandy or other leather supply store).
Follow the directions on the product. Add light coats working in the product evenly.
I, then, take a hard flat object (a brass rod would be great, a bit of smooth antler works well, but the barrel of a Sharpie would work fine) and burnish the edges. This simply means applying pressure to the edges whilst rubbing vigorously to lightly burn the leather edges and compress the fibers into a more robust edge.
I do this for the edges, the back of the sheath on the belt loop and the inside of the dangler.
There are other things you can use to burnish edges that may produce a more professional look - but this works pretty darned well as far as I am concerned. With this product, as well, you can add protection by rubbing some Kiwi natural wax paste over the top from time to time. Keep the Kiwi on only the flesh portions of the leather and not the grain.
Here is what mine looked like after wet molding and sealing:
Again, this is simply what I do - and I know of many other products and methods. I simply wanted (and I hope I am not out of turn Dan) to give my methods that I am finding success with and hope it helps someone.
TF
