Strike a firesteel with a stripped IZULA

Mrbladedude · Apr 30, 2011

I have recently stripped my IZULA so now its naked. However the spine is not sharp and I was wondering if anyone here has sharpened it a bit so it throws sparks nicely. My F1 has a sharp spine which throws showers of sparks. I have tried using a file to sharpen the IZULA's spine to no avail.

Any suggestions?

C_Claycomb · May 1, 2011

Sand paper on an stick. Get some 120 to 240 grit paper, good stuff, resin bonded or wet and dry, and make up a rigid, flat, sanding stick, half to one inch wide to back the paper. Clamp the blade with the spin up and exposed, and have at it. It shouldn't take long. Probably only a couple of strips of paper at most. Get some finer paper, say 400 grit, to finish and give a soother finish once the donkey work is done. If you really want to throw sparks, there is no reason why you need to work at a 90deg angle, you could work the spine so that the striking edge is sharper than 90deg. I don't, but a very experienced friend of mine, a wilderness canoe guide, does just that with his Moras.

Mrbladedude · May 2, 2011

Will give that a try . Thanks

Mrbladedude · May 5, 2011

No luck

BryFry · May 5, 2011

Mrbladedude said:
No luck

So what seems to be the problem?

Can you post some pics, or at least give some desciption of what's going on, because that would help.

PropThePolecat · May 5, 2011

Ive stripped the coating of my RC-3 spine, thinking i could get it to throw sparks, but its not sharp enough.

Solution? A few passes on a belt-grinder, and you'll be good to go.

CWL · May 5, 2011

C_Claycomb said:
Sand paper on an stick. Get some 120 to 240 grit paper, good stuff, resin bonded or wet and dry, and make up a rigid, flat, sanding stick, half to one inch wide to back the paper. Clamp the blade with the spin up and exposed, and have at it. It shouldn't take long. Probably only a couple of strips of paper at most. Get some finer paper, say 400 grit, to finish and give a soother finish once the donkey work is done. If you really want to throw sparks, there is no reason why you need to work at a 90deg angle, you could work the spine so that the striking edge is sharper than 90deg. I don't, but a very experienced friend of mine, a wilderness canoe guide, does just that with his Moras.

I do this but in reverse. I lay out sand paper 320 or 400 grit on a flat surface (glass plate is the best) and I just drag my blade spine along it to create flat & sharp spine edges. Unless you have shaky hands, it isn't very difficult to do.

jacktrades_nbk · May 5, 2011

C_Claycomb said:
you could work the spine so that the striking edge is sharper than 90deg. I don't, but a very experienced friend of mine, a wilderness canoe guide, does just that with his Moras.

moras are not that thick

Anyway, I've seen pics of the izula's back stripped towards the tip, just for that, being thinner is easier to get that 90 degrees perfect in that part
I guess even the inside of the handle would work well for that with the use of a small file

I would just use a dedicated striker, or if there is need, you can always use the very edge.

Mrbladedude · May 6, 2011

So just keep the spine flat the whole time while dragging it across the sandpaper?

Mrbladedude · May 6, 2011

I will post pics a little later when my wife returns home. She has the camera for some reason. Basically it is just rounding it and not creating a sharp edge at all. So: lay the sandpaper flat and hold the blade spine flat against it and rub until a sharp edge forms? Or hold the spine at an angle and then rub?

RevDevil · May 6, 2011

Mrbladedude said:
So just keep the spine flat the whole time while dragging it across the sandpaper?

That would be the way you need to do it unless you want an angle.

CWL · May 6, 2011

Mrbladedude said:
I will post pics a little later when my wife returns home. She has the camera for some reason. Basically it is just rounding it and not creating a sharp edge at all. So: lay the sandpaper flat and hold the blade spine flat against it and rub until a sharp edge forms? Or hold the spine at an angle and then rub?

Dragging the spine along flat sanding paper is easier than the other way, which can caused rounded spine edges if you slip.

I'm not sure what you mean by "rub". You definitely should not be rubbing the knife on the paper.

Just lay some 320-400 grit paper on a glass plate and drag your blade spine straight towards you like you were cutting air. The residue on the sand paper should look like you just drew a line with a pencil. Tape the edge if you want to get a better grip on the whole knife. Take your time and you will get very good results and a clean sharp knife spine.

hodges · May 7, 2011

i used a belt sander, worked great and took 3 seconds

Mrbladedude · Mar 31, 2012

CWL said:
Just lay some 320-400 grit paper on a glass plate and drag your blade spine straight towards you like you were cutting air. The residue on the sand paper should look like you just drew a line with a pencil. Tape the edge if you want to get a better grip on the whole knife. Take your time and you will get very good results and a clean sharp knife spine.

Allot of good replies here but this hit the spot. Thanks all