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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
TGLB... To sharpen, or not to sharpen
- Thread starter BePrepared
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2010
- Messages
- 5,902
I don't own a strop, and wouldn't know how to use it if i did
With that knife you should learn,
it isn't going to be at its best without
a nice convex edge.
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2010
- Messages
- 4,441
With that knife you should learn,
it isn't going to be at its best without
a nice convex edge.
The closest my skills come to a strop quality finish is with the 3000 grit WSKST belt. Using it on the TGLB yielded MUCH better results than normal. It produced a hair popping mirror edge that appears to be about 30 degrees inclusive.
I am more in love with this knife than i was before
Use the inside of a leather belt for a strop.
For the record, we use our Busse/kin knives a lot around here, and most of them have their factory edge still. They still manage to chop down trees, cut/split logs, and do many other useful things that don't include splitting hair. I have yet to find an outdoor/survivalist use for a knife that splits hair, but hey, that's just me! Chopping has never required a 'hair-splitting' edge in my experience, but if that's what your kind of chopping/survivalish stuff requires... more power to ya.
For the record, we use our Busse/kin knives a lot around here, and most of them have their factory edge still. They still manage to chop down trees, cut/split logs, and do many other useful things that don't include splitting hair. I have yet to find an outdoor/survivalist use for a knife that splits hair, but hey, that's just me! Chopping has never required a 'hair-splitting' edge in my experience, but if that's what your kind of chopping/survivalish stuff requires... more power to ya.
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2010
- Messages
- 4,441
I can't seem to take good pics of this edge. Nothing looks like it does in person, but here's my best attempt
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2012
- Messages
- 664
I can't seem to take good pics of this edge. Nothing looks like it does in person, but here's my best attempt
Actually, those came out pretty good! That edge looks "shiny!" i like it!
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2010
- Messages
- 4,441
believe it or not, i never use the guides. They do horrible things to knives. I free hand it.
I think i'm going to buy a 2 sided leather strop for maintenance. Maybe i can actually learn to use it.
I think i'm going to buy a 2 sided leather strop for maintenance. Maybe i can actually learn to use it.
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2011
- Messages
- 211
If you are going to carry it, give it a good edge.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2011
- Messages
- 593
Stay away from the work sharps that thing blunts knives faster than I can roll one. Almost every knife I used with it kills the pointy edge no matter how I try. It sucks. You're better off with a strop for busses. It's sooooo easy and soooooo relaxing
Buy one on eBay, one of the ones made on a wood paddle works best for me. Stay away from those belt type ones they suck, or you can make one with rough side or smooth side leather depending. Get the green "jewelers" compound that is the best stuff and there are other colors for different levels of abrasion. Watch YouTube videos on stropping,there's a few good ones. You will always have a razor edge and you might think no way but once you do it, you won't even need a sharpening stick unless you roll the edge, and if you do hit the sharpening stick a few times and off to the strop.
Buy one on eBay, one of the ones made on a wood paddle works best for me. Stay away from those belt type ones they suck, or you can make one with rough side or smooth side leather depending. Get the green "jewelers" compound that is the best stuff and there are other colors for different levels of abrasion. Watch YouTube videos on stropping,there's a few good ones. You will always have a razor edge and you might think no way but once you do it, you won't even need a sharpening stick unless you roll the edge, and if you do hit the sharpening stick a few times and off to the strop.
Well, here's the thing, i have skinners. This is not a skinner. It's going to be used for the larger scale survivalish stuff.
Batoning, chopping, shelter prep, etc.
But i'm not sure that i'm capable of sharpening a knife this expensive with any competence. I can put an edge on most things with my Work Sharp, but it there is absolutely no way to know before i'm done whether the convex will be 20degree or 30
i'm actually very bad at sharpening, but i try
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2010
- Messages
- 4,441
well thank you sir
It did turn out incredibly well.
The TGLB made it easy. It was VERY sharp even after the reprofile with the first belt. Refining it was almost effortless.
I don't know if INFI is just easier to sharpen, or if i was having a good day, but i'm happy with it
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2009
- Messages
- 4,506
That TGLB is pretty, but it doesn't look used/loved yet. 
Most people have a strop and don't realize it.
My strop holds my pants & edc up so if I have a Busse with me, I also have a way to keep it sharp enough to survive, AKA the inside of a leather belt.
The rougher the inside is, like suede, the better it works without any compound.
I learned that trick from a random old man I met on a RV trip as a kid... he made his own leather wheel (from old belts) on a bench grinder that rode on the back of his rig for his wood carving tools and those things got scary sharp FAST! :thumbup:
Most people have a strop and don't realize it.
My strop holds my pants & edc up so if I have a Busse with me, I also have a way to keep it sharp enough to survive, AKA the inside of a leather belt.
The rougher the inside is, like suede, the better it works without any compound.
I learned that trick from a random old man I met on a RV trip as a kid... he made his own leather wheel (from old belts) on a bench grinder that rode on the back of his rig for his wood carving tools and those things got scary sharp FAST! :thumbup: