trouble with tanto blades...please help

dasknife

dasknife

Joined
Sep 26, 2012
Messages
595
looking for tips or some expert advice on sharping the tip of my mini 15. I shave with my Emerson every morning, however i try to avoid the "tanto" area. I am proficient with my ceramic honing rod. I am about to be done with the tip and have someone put a regrind on it.
 
Yeah, tanto blades can be tough to work on. I was always told to think of a tanto blade as two different edges. Work on each of them separately to avoid rounding the corner off.

Hope this helps. YMMV.
Fred
 
I have a few different tanto blades and I use DMT diamond "stones" to sharpen them. I've found that pulling the blade toward me on the stone has worked quite well with the tanto portion of the blade instead of trying to push the knife away from me. This allows me to keep constant pressure on the blade, and keep the angle between the stone and blade fairly consistent. When I start with a tanto I cover the bevel to be sharpened with a marker then make a few light passes on the stone to find the angle needed. It's harder to explain than it is to do.
 
The easiest thing... Okay the fun thing is to regrind it, or have it reground by someone else.

The main issue I run into is the differing angles used on the tips, probably not an issue for power tool users.

Treat the tanto tip like a chisel, maintain angle on a flat plane.

For shaving though, I'd get it reground, the point where the blade changes isn't my friend.
 
yeah, after analyzing the tips angle for a long while, i figured just leave it alone and have someone regrind it. While I'm in love with the shape of the handle and recurve. I would much rather have a easier time sharpening and a "friendlier" looking knife. Anyone one know were to get this a regrind at.
 
How can a straight edge be so tough to sharpen? It's straight. Buy a DMT Diafold and be done with it.
 
RevDevil said:
How can a straight edge be so tough to sharpen? It's straight. Buy a DMT Diafold and be done with it.
Click to expand...

I have an Emerson Reliant that is ground on both sides rather than flat on one side like the 7's are. It does have the chisel edge though. I haven't had to sharpen it yet, but looking at it, it appears it will be easiest to treat it as two separate edges. I recently purchased a Lansky system which looks as though it would work better than my Sharpmaker.

I'm horribly sharpening impaired (don't laugh - it's a serious medical condition) so I don't even attempt freehand sharpening. :)

I have a Benchmade tanto too but it has the standard V edge so it may be easier. Dunno. It came just wicked sharp so when I need to, I'm hoping I can get that back.

Joe
 
Joe,
I too was going crazy with my 15. What I did to sharpen it was to do what you suggested: treating it as 2 separate edges. It takes a bit more time and care, but it's worth it I think. The Diafold sharpeners are good as they are small and you can focus on the points/tanto portion. For recurves, a piece of 2" PVC wrapped in automotive wet/dry sandpaper works miracles.
 
RevDevil said:
Joe,
I too was going crazy with my 15. What I did to sharpen it was to do what you suggested: treating it as 2 separate edges. It takes a bit more time and care, but it's worth it I think. The Diafold sharpeners are good as they are small and you can focus on the points/tanto portion. For recurves, a piece of 2" PVC wrapped in automotive wet/dry sandpaper works miracles.
Click to expand...

Rev - ordered the fine & extra fine Diafold. Will that be adequate? Or should I have gone coarser? My thought process was not to let it get that bad in the first place, requiring just a touch up. Or as I assume. But as the adage goes - when you assume.........

Joe
 
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