Skateboards As Sharpening Stones

V

Vivi

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So I tested my theory tonight of using skateboards for sharpening knives. I saw no reason for it not to work, as skateboards use a modified version of sandpaper called griptape for their top surface.

I took one of my many broken skateboards from the trunk of my car and got to work. I used the end of the board where it tilts upwards. I used a fairly standard sharpening stone movement, simply adapted to the unique hone I was using.

All in all I put a good edge on my Ontario Spec Plus fixed blade. It's my guinea pig for sharpening methods. The edge it gives is pretty toothy. You can get griptape in different grits....but it's mainly dependant upon what the companies put out. Regardless, all grip tape is really is just black sandpaper with some hardcore adhesive on the other side. It'd be perfect for survival kits....or coat a n old credit card in th is stuff and put it in your wallet to touch up your knives (Probably want higher grit for that).

I'll keep playing around with this and post some videos or pictures of it sometime soon.
 
I'm no skateboard expert, but isn't that tape too rough for knives? I use a very fine grit stone for my flat and hollow ground knives and a 1500 grit wet/dry paper on an old mouse pad for convex ground blades. Usually a stropping on some charged leather is enough.
 
It actually put on a finer edge than I initially expected, but you're right in that it's fairly course overall. The edge was toothy, you can run your finger along the side of it and feel it. Still got it to a good edge though, so I know that it at least works. I just think it's a fun little concept since I tend to have a knife and a skateboard on me both quite often.

If you took my credit card idea and had one side grip taped and the other side backed with some very fine sandpaper, I think that'd make an excellent sharpening kit for the go.
 
Isn't that tape considerably more expensive than a piece of sandpaper and some rubber cement?

I can see using a skateboard as a field expedient, though. :cool:

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You can get a sheet of it 8 x 35 inches or so for a couple bucks. Big rolls of it are even cheaper, so you could just cover everything. Pant legs, car hood, jackets, make a wallet out of it...never have a dull knife on ya. :)
 
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