Squaring becker spine for firesteel. HELP HELP HELP

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buyer5207

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Mar 30, 2010
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How do I square the becker's (2,7,9) spine edge to 90 degrees (for firesteel). Btw I dont want a notch because to me it looks ugly. So please help I've tried with a file and it wont get it sharp enough, it does to my mora knife but not to my becker? SOOOOOO please help.


I tried searching so please dont flame me.
 
a belt sander and a dremel are the two best investments you can make when it comes to modding. Harbor freight has some cheapies if you will only use it every once Ina while (they aren't bad just don't use it 8 hours a day ya dig?)
 
Buyer, I use a belt sander.

You wouldn't believe how slow it is to file down that much tempered steel to get square. You will have to remove abou 1/64th inch off the spine, to get a good 90 degree angle.

With my belt sander, it still takes a few minutes to do.

Good luck, and post up some of your work when you get it done.

Moose
 
I have a belt sander....For the is it the same process for the bk2, bk7, and bk9 can I do the same thing? I'm going to be using 60 grit sandpaper.

Wont it mess with the tempering? Will using my Becker knife with a fire-steel mess the tempering up (I do it with my mora because its 10 bucks and its cheap)?
 
Noit wont if you Keep it cool. 60 grit is a bit abrasive but it'll do. Just make sure you can touch the steel to your lips, if not its TOO HOT. Keep some water next to the sander to dip in to keep it cool. The sander heats it up.quick so work slow and a pass at a time and you will be fine.
 
A good quality, fresh mill file. Drawfile it. The Beckers have slightly rounded corners on the spine and you have to go a little further to get a good sharp edge. Now, here is a trick that you can use...when you've filed it as sharp as you can get it, take a big phillips screwdriver and run the shaft down the edge of the spine at a 45 degree angle (while holding good pressure on it with both hands-one on the handle, one on the tip end). If you have a burnisher or hardened rod, use that instead. In effect you turning a tiny burr on the spine edge. Makes 'em throw showers of sparks or shave tinder. I wouldn't recommend a belt grinder unless you've got a good platen, however, if you have a disc sander on the side and a little practice you can do a good job with it. Just stay on the "downhill" side and keep it moving.

Lots of ways to do it. Whatever works man. I've done it with a sidegrinder.
 
You could try Flat Filing: a good mill (single cut) file costs waaaay less than a mediocre belt grinder. the trick is to clamp the knife spine-up in a vise (with wood or leather over the jaws to prevent scuffing of course) and make a few passes 45 degrees from perpendicular to the length of the blade. then, and this is the important part: make the same number of passes at 45 degrees from perpendicular in the opposite direction, rinse, repeat. thus step 1:/ / / / /, step 2: XXXXX. all the while, be careful to keep the angle of the file to the spine at the angle you want (usually 90 degrees or horizontal to the spine). This technique will work wonders for keeping the plane square and flat. And if sandpaper is all you have, you could make a sanding block with it and use the same technique. It will be slower going, but you've gotta use what you can get.

On an unrelated note, I really like tradewater's burr idea... now off to find a knife and a screwdriver to try it on.
 
A speed square with some decent grit sandpaper will work, but you gotta have a steady hand. I however second ThePointyEnd (btw, welcome to the forums buddy, glad you finally made it on here!) and want to see what the old man has suggested with the "burr" on the spine.
 
Don't know how many of you guys do woodworking, but it's the way you sharpen a cabinet scraper. File it square and turn a burr with a hardened rod. Here's a link to a "how to".

http://www.fine-tools.com/G10004.htm

It's not an original idea, they been doin' it for a while now.
 
Yeah, I figured you invented it back in the early 1800's or so. Cause you are so old and stuff.
 
clich said:
Just make sure you can touch the steel to your lips, if not its TOO HOT.
Click to expand...

Folks, please don't take this literally. Clich is making a point here not to let the metal get too hot. You do not want to actually touch your mouth to hot metal. Use somebody else's nuts or something, but don't put your mouth on a hot piece of steel.
 
Belt sander & a Dremel like post #3 said. Get LOTS of attatchments too. The grinding/sanding kit is your friend. Get a spray bottle for water, & just give it a couple sprays every 10 seconds to keep it cool. I think the biggest little grinding stone would be perfect for what you need.
 
tradewater said:
Folks, please don't take this literally. Clich is making a point here not to let the metal get too hot. You do not want to actually touch your mouth to hot metal. Use somebody else's nuts or something, but don't put your mouth on a hot piece of steel.
Click to expand...

Words of wisdom to live by! LOL!
 
A big double cut bastard file will work also. Use a single cut file and sandpaper to clean up the work. I'm going to try leaving a small burr for scraping on the next one I do.
 
Blind Horse does the best job of squaring the spines I've seen. Ask Moose, he cut himself on the spine of one doing a push cut. They use the wheel of the 2 x 72 grinder. If you have a handheld belt sander, using the front roller and a steady hand should work great. Be quick too. I'm going to try it.
 
I did this to 2 of my knives (kabar tanto and bk9) will using this with a fire-steel affect the tempering? I Did it with my belt sander....My bk9 works great my tanto while lets say it sparks but um not as good.....With the belt sander I did a little work with the top guard on the tanto (grind-ed it off)....I can't get the bur or whatever so tutorials would help thanks guys.
 
tradewater said:
Folks, please don't take this literally. Clich is making a point here not to let the metal get too hot. You do not want to actually touch your mouth to hot metal. Use somebody else's nuts or something, but don't put your mouth on a hot piece of steel.
Click to expand...

Remind me to never stand by trade while squaring the spine on a knife!
 
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