Some things I've been wondering about...

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andrew132

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May 4, 2011
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I recently bought The Lansky Sharpening System... I have been wondering a few things.

1) Will I be able to sharpen a BK4 with the sharpening system? I don't know if the way the blade is curved will effect anything.

2) I am contemplating convexing my bk2... if I do it, will I still be able to use the hones from the lansky sharpening system to sharpen it?
 
I don't think the rod on the lansky guide will be long enough to do the whole BK4 in one position. I have that system and honestly, it's not been used in a long time. When I get a knife know, it heads straight for the strop and takes on a nice convex edge. I touch it up on there and almost never have to use a stone, unless I get a nick in the blade.
 
If you want a convex (I don't own this product yet) I think the Work Sharp Knife and Tool sharpener will do it fairly easily from what I've seen, or you might ask some of the service providers on the site, several of them sharpen knives for more than reasonable rates, or the DIY (and cheaper) option is a piece of sand paper on a leather strop or other similarly soft backing, deadfall can explain that process much better than I can.

As far as the lansky system goes, no you will not be able to easily sharpen your Machax or convex your 2 with it.
 
the narrow stones will work much better actually over the normal-sized stones. see my sig for my patrol machete review - basically, the normal-sized stones will have a problem hitting the edge properly due to the recurve but any stone that's around 1" wide or narrower is perfect. you'll have to move the mounting points to do the whole blade but a sharpie trick will help you see what you're hitting.
 
My answers to your questions:
1. Yes, a Lansky (or other rod sharpening system) will work. You will just have to move your clamp down the lengthy of the blade.

2. Kind of. If you convex the blade, it essentiall turns into a "tear drop" or "apple seed" edge, by rounding off the shoulders. If you take a Lansky (or other like product) to it, you will eventually put that sabre angle back on it after a few sharpenings. Granted a 20 degree (40 both) angle will still be the edge, but the lack of a shoulder gives the blade less friction as a moves through a medium. I may be totally off base here, I am sure someone will post the honest truth (as spoken from the knife gods).

What I did with my BK-2, is use my Lansky to take it down to a 20degree each side(40 total), then used 500 grit sandpaper thumb-tacked to a phone book to convex it. I beat the crap outta it and all I need to do to retouch the edge is strop it on the phonebook/sandpaper a few times.
 
Thanks everyone for your help.

RRR1977- what you said about the shoulder adding friction when the knife is chopping makes a lot of sense to me.

Sorry if the answer to this is obvious but if I convex my BK2... from what im reading it will make it a better chopper... but will it perform worse on tasks like fine wood working- feather sticks, ect.
 
andrew132 said:
Sorry if the answer to this is obvious but if I convex my BK2... from what im reading it will make it a better chopper... but will it perform worse on tasks like fine wood working- feather sticks, ect.
Click to expand...

No, it will still work perfectly fine for fine work.
 
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