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Stone for Scandi

B

bobnery

Joined
Mar 16, 2008
Messages
1,252
Are cheapy Arkansas stones fine or should I spend a bit more? Been using the Sharpmaker for years now and although it has slots on bottom for rods to act like stones it just doesn't allow me to get the edge by the handle due to the plastic base being so wide.
 
Personally — and this is just me — I would use DMT diamond stones to do the job.
 
bobnery said:
Are cheapy Arkansas stones fine or should I spend a bit more? Been using the Sharpmaker for years now and although it has slots on bottom for rods to act like stones it just doesn't allow me to get the edge by the handle due to the plastic base being so wide.
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You could ramp up your Sharpmaker. You really should get the 204 diamond stones and the 204 ultra-fine stones. When I got those extra stones for my 204 kit it made it a completely different sharpening system.

For field use Spyderco has 2 really nice sharpening tools. Their 303 doublestuff stone which has 2 different grits comes in a nice leather case and is really handy for all kinds of sharpening chores and touch up jobs. Also Spyderco's 701 Profiles are good for literally dozens of sharpening chores.

If you are bent on Arkansas stones I recommend to check out the ones sold by Garrett Wade company. They really have some nice ones. Keep us posted and let us know what you decide :)
 
hollowdweller said:
What steel is the knife?
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A good question, hollowdweller, and one that I should have asked. Since he said scandi, for some reason I just assumed carbon steel, although there are a lot of stainless scandi's out there nowadays. It was foolish of me to make an assumption like that.
 
Just sayin cause I think the pocket waterstones Lee Valley sells are great for the 01 stuff.

The D2 I like a hard surface and 600 grit wet dry.

The 3v I like to start with a diamond plate and strop with 1500 grit.
 
hollowdweller said:
Just sayin cause I think the pocket waterstones Lee Valley sells are great for the 01 stuff.

The D2 I like a hard surface and 600 grit wet dry.

The 3v I like to start with a diamond plate and strop with 1500 grit.
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If he were convexing, I'd probably go for the wet or dry myself, but if I were maintaining the scandi grind, I'd stick with my DMT's. Followed by a good stropping, of course.
 
I poped the stones of my lansky sharpener and glued the diamond stones back to back and the ark. Stone I just rap in a oiled cloth
 
dawsonbob said:
If he were convexing, I'd probably go for the wet or dry myself, but if I were maintaining the scandi grind, I'd stick with my DMT's. Followed by a good stropping, of course.
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All I use is wet dry on all my scandi's; its easy to maintain the scandi edge with out convexing it. I would explain how, but I am not as articulate as this guy.

Talfuchre said:
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:

KostersBladeandSheath004.jpg


KostersBladeandSheath005.jpg




TF
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Due to the wide area you are removing metal from, you'll find you'll greatly appreciate a diamond stone for the main removal. But anything will work, the key is to preemptively sharpen scandis before they get real blunt. I find a good Norton bench stone at home and a small natural stone in the bush get me by, but I'm sharpening plain carbon steels, nothing fancy.
 
tonym said:
All I use is wet dry on all my scandi's; its easy to maintain the scandi edge with out convexing it. I would explain how, but I am not as articulate as this guy.
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If I didn't have the diamond stones already, then I would use TF's method, too: it's a good one. Since I already have the DMT's, that's what I use (hey, I paid for them... might as well use them).
 
dawsonbob said:
If I didn't have the diamond stones already, then I would use TF's method, too: it's a good one. Since I already have the DMT's, that's what I use (hey, I paid for them... might as well use them).
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I hear that bro:thumbup:, I just didnt want you to think Hollowdweller was convexing his scandi's, and also giving the op another alternative to a stone. So far I have sharpened all my scandi's like this, but I use a hard wood surface instead of the glass. I did just pick up a set of Japanese Water stones off the exchange, I can't wait to give that a shot
 
tonym said:
I hear that bro:thumbup:, I just didnt want you to think Hollowdweller was convexing his scandi's, and also giving the op another alternative to a stone. So far I have sharpened all my scandi's like this, but I use a hard wood surface instead of the glass. I did just pick up a set of Japanese Water stones off the exchange, I can't wait to give that a shot
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Hey, flat is flat. Either wood or glass will work: it's the flat that counts.

I'd love to pick up a set of Japanese water stones, but they'll have to wait awhile (no money, at the moment).
 
Any decent benchstone should work for the Scandi grind. I use DMT hones mostly, and a big ancient black Arkansas for high carbon steel blades.
 
I use just sand paper. I am to cheap to buy good stones. I got some 3 inch wide x3/8 thick hardwood and glued sand paper to them to make my stones.

I put thin leather under the sandpaper one of them for my convex. it fits in my T shirt pocket.
 
Steel is O1 (BCNW) I think I will try out the glass/wet/dry technique I already have the paper for convexing so that will work great
 
I have a thick piece of leather that is finished on one side. I just lay it on a hard flat surface and put the sandpaper on it and as long as you don't push super hard it doesn't convex it out any.

For my koster I have a credit card size diamond plate and it has leather glued to the non diamond side for stropping and sandpapering. I guess if your leather was real soft I might worry about convexing it but the thick piece I use it would be hard to press enough to convex it much.:confused:

But for the 01 the 1000 and 4000 grit pocket stones Lee Valley sells are really nice. The 4000 is like stropping it almost.:D

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=33011&cat=1,43072,43071&ap=1
 
I use two sharpening tools for all of my knives regardless of the steel. A DMT 8" X 3" bench stone, coarse (325 grit) on one side and extra fine (1200 grit) on the other. To finish I use a Spyderco ultra fine ceramic bench stone (2" X 8"). Not cheap, about $150 for both, but incredibly fast to sharpen and the DMT coarse is fine for everything but the most draconian re-beveling. Haven't met a knife yet that I can't get to split a free hanging hair using just these tools.
 
Sharpening with an arkansas stone is kind of a lost art. I still love them and use them on everything-then touch up with wet and dry.
 
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