Trouble Sharpening Condor Golok-Too Hard?

Triquetra

Triquetra

Joined
Mar 7, 2002
Messages
759
Recently I tried to sharpen my Condor Golok and to try and convex it and make it a little more shallow or take the hump off. Sandpaper wasn't doing it so I tried some files. These were inexpensive files and just skipped off of the blade. I went to Sears to get some better ones and they did the same thing as did a diamond sharpener. Are the blades really that hard. I don't have a belt sander but even if I did I don't know that I want something that would be so hard to sharpen in the field. It would cut into the very end which seemed soft but really didn't need to change to contour. I really like the blade and have done a lot of work on the handle. I would like to have a scandi at the blade by the handle and convex for the rest. Is this what anyone else has experienced.
 
A file may have been jumping off of it because it's polished hardened steel, not because it's harder than the file. As a combination of being hardened and having a smooth surface it can take a while for the file to start biting. Try locking the blade in a vice to make sure you're transferring all of your energy into the work. A few strokes with a fine diamond stone are all I usually need to freshen the edge on my Condors. Just expect the filing to take a little while--the golok is a thick blade so taking meat off the bevel means taking off a decent amount of material. :)
 
There are no hard or soft steels. Different steels have different potentials for hardness that can be reached during heattreatment, but quite often manufactureres or knifemakers do not make full use of these potentials. Some companies run at 60 Rc, some only at 58 so the differentiation between hard and soft doesn't really work here.
 
I've been able to get mine sharp easily. Although I did have the file 'jumping' at first it did bite soon enough. Once you get it to bite, they take an edge relatively easily.
 
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