Survival Emergency Sharpening?

J

JD Spydo

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Nov 20, 2004
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I did a thread similar to this subject about a year ago. But a lot of time has past and I'm hoping that there might be some new information to be shared on the subject of "Survival Emergency Sharpening".

Being on the verge of a political and/or economic collapse as well as potentially being hit by various natural disasters ( Like Haiti :() I think it's really important to seriously consider what you could do to sharpen all of your edged tools in a desperate, emergency situation.

I would especially like to hear of any sharpening techniques you guys/gals might know of by just using what nature has to offer. For instance on the TV show "Man vs Wild" the host showed a sharpening method by using some sand on a smooth surface to sharpen knives with. I've heard that method really works with some time and patience.

But I would also like to know what commercially available gear you guys might have in your emergency pack as well. I personally find many of Spyderco's small sharpening tools to be great.

But I'm sure mother nature has all kinds of rocks, minerals, sand and various other GOD made materials that could be used to put edges on tools. I've even heard of sharpening axes & hatchets on smooth concrete surfaces.

OK let's talk about "Survival Emergency Sharpening" shall we?
 
My grandmother used to go outside and sharpen her kitchen knife on a piece of cement that was the step up to the porch.

This can be used, it is does a good job, I can attest to that after years and years of watching her do it and watching how sharp the knife was when she cut up whole chickens and all the other prep work she used to do with it.
 
Maybe not what nature has to offer, but I`ve heard you can sharpen on the top of a part way rolled down car window, and the rim of a ceramic coffee mug.
 
I would like to try the "razor strop" fungus that ray mears uses a few times in his videos, unfortunately birch is hard to come by here.
 
PastorMarko said:
My grandmother used to go outside and sharpen her kitchen knife on a piece of cement that was the step up to the porch.

This can be used, it is does a good job, I can attest to that after years and years of watching her do it and watching how sharp the knife was when she cut up whole chickens and all the other prep work she used to do with it.
Click to expand...

I used to see my great-granmother do the same thing in TX!She only had one sharp knife in the house and it did EVERYTHING.The wooden handle was held on with string!Those old folks knew how to improvise and use something totally.--KV
 
Fine-grained rocks, smooth concrete, tiles, car glass edge, ceramic bowls/cups to sharpen.

Leather belts, cardboard, canvass or jeans to strop.

You can find all of that in the streets of Haiti this minute and nobody will fight you for it.

Don't get too caught in all the gear that people sell.
Sharp tools have been around for thousands of years and the majority of people that have used edged tools to survive didn't need a strop or 4 kinds of diamond sharpeners.
 
A big 10-4 to all you guys who suggested the use of the bottom of ceramic coffee mugs, ceramic jugs, broken ceramic tile or just about anything dealing with ceramic that might be available in emergency circumstances. I've even heard that the ceramic in broken wire insulators like the ones you used to find on the top of utility poles and so forth are excellent sharpening material.

I've also heard that glass of several varieties has honing, polishing and to some degree sharpening properties.

Another item of interest I saw on one of the survival shows on TV is that rust and various forms of oxidation make for good sharpening media.

On 3 different occasions I've been hiking in the wilderness and I've come upon old grindstones like you would see old farmers and millworkers using back in the 1800s. For some reason they seem to be just laying out in the woods in many places here in Missouri.
 
CWL said:
Leather belts, cardboard, canvass or jeans to strop.
Click to expand...
Your skin will do that, too ;)
Used the skin on my shinbone a few times - there it doesn't matter if its a bit red after it and the surface remains quite flat (if you use your arm the skin will subside a bit).

s_f
 
You could just attach one of the numerous small keychain size sharpeners to your gear, keys, etc and not worry about it.
 
I am digin all of these suggestions. I always carry a DMT credit card sharpener in my wallet. I got it at ragnar's and he sent with it a piece of fine grit sandpaper for finishing that I glued on the back. After that I can use my leather belt which I also always have on me to clean the edge.

The only thing I am missing is an extra course grit for large chips.
 
I think keeping your knives razor sharp is that least important thing to worry about. Use a rock or what ever to get a working edge. Don't fuss on it.
 
Actually, anything that will dull a blade has potential to sharpen a blade.True, our ancestors didn't have four kinds of diamond stones to use. They also didn't have cars and electricity and all of those luxuries. If you enjoy that kind of life, have at it. If not, carry a small stone with you. It's every bit as easy as carrying a knife.;)
 
Sandstone and certain rocks can work well if they have a nice smooth side (relatively smooth that is).
 
I have used a Wire fence,the top of the car window and an rifle barrel as steels. And the bottom of ceramic plates and cups ( they have to have exposed pottery under the glaze to work properly) but there was a fair bit of showing off involved in that.
Any material that is harder than the steel your trying to sharpen and is reasonably flat will do.
I saw a doco on some coastal blokes in India that harvest coconuts. They use a bill hook shaped blade and sharpen it with a lengthwise split straight branch with a slurry of water and sand poured on it, I'm guessing the blade had a pretty low rockwell.
Much easier to carry some thing ready made.
I prefer the Falkniven DC3-4 stones.
Carl
 
warrigal said:
I have used a Wire fence,the top of the car window and an rifle barrel as steels. And the bottom of ceramic plates and cups ( they have to have exposed pottery under the glaze to work properly) but there was a fair bit of showing off involved in that.
Any material that is harder than the steel your trying to sharpen and is reasonably flat will do.
I saw a doco on some coastal blokes in India that harvest coconuts. They use a bill hook shaped blade and sharpen it with a lengthwise split straight branch with a slurry of water and sand poured on it, I'm guessing the blade had a pretty low rockwell.
Much easier to carry some thing ready made.
I prefer the Falkniven DC3-4 stones.
Carl
Click to expand...

I'm hearing more and more good stuff about these Fallkniven double sided stones. I've heard that their diamond sharpeners in particular are very aggressive for fast sharpening. I'm anxious to see how they match up with Spyderco's great sharpening tools.

I'm finally caving in and investigating what sharpening options that I have with various grits of sandpaper. So far I prefer the silicon carbide sandpaper because it seems to abrade more evenly. But I just got a video on sandpaper sharpening and I plan on watching it soon.

I've also got a tip on some of 3M's diamond files which come in many different shapes and sizes. I've had very good luck with all of the 3M stuff I've use thus far.
 
you can also steel your knife against the back of the blade on another knife (just another reason to carry more than one knife).
 
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