What to do with a trashed edge?

Walking Man

Walking Man

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Hi, I just got an old Kukri via Ebay, and the edge is trashed. I could run my hand up and down the edge all day and never get a blister. (okay, maybe that's an exaggeration) But it looks like the previous owner hit it against a steel girder just for kicks. NO, I didn't check the FAQ first, sorry, but I'd like know what you would do. I'm thinking that I might need to buy a dremmel or small grinder for this job. Please note, I don't have a house or a workshop, so I can't buy or use any serious tool. ALL INFO EXTREMELY APPRECIATED!!!
BTW, It's a 25+ in. monster Khuk.
 
To start;
Get an 8-10" single-cut file, a file handle to fit,
& a cheap sharpening stone.
Get a couple of C-clamps 3"-4" capacity.
Clamp the blade to a 2x4 with the edge over the wood,
(get it cut to a little longer than your blade-- where-ever you get the wood from)
& with the tip and edge of the blade pointing away from you
and both hands holding the file from the spine side of the blade
run it along the edge out toward the tip (away from you)
with gentle pressure.
Use a marker on the edge to see better where the file is cutting.
Once you have the edge shaped, use the stone to start smoothing.

This will get you 90% toward the final edge.

Be Careful.
Even a dull edge that develops a burr from the file can cut severely.

Hope you khuk is good steel, otherwise it won't hold the edge
once you start to use it.
 
Before I put a lot of effort into it, I'm going to try that trick the Uncle Bill does with a file to test the steel. Hopefully this will give me some insight as to how much work I want to put into it. Thanks for the help. anyone else?
 
Depending on the extent of the damage, you could try sandpaper on a hand sanding block. Pendentive discusses the technique is some detail, but I can't find the thread at the moment. A file, as Ddean suggests, will also work well.
--Josh
 
Walking Man, I'm going to shock some folks here by saying my vote would go to the Dremel tool (don't own one myself, but I've got a hard head that's basically empty). I've seen some halfway passable knives produced by a young soldier in his barracks room using nothing more than a scrap of steel and a Dremel. Draw filing takes more practice and patience, and a good slip could be really, really, bad, if you know what I mean. Just remember that a Dremel tool operates at high enough speeds to generate the kind of heat that can burn the temper from your knife's edge, and work slowly and cautiously.

Now, why did I, a man who owns only one power tool (my bench grinder), choose to support the Dremel idea? Think about it, once you're done regrinding and sharpening the edge, you're going to want to re-polish everything up nice. Yup, just change attachments and press on. What a deal. Files and sandpaper and such sure build character, but I suspect you've already got enough of that.;)

Sarge
 
I found a Dremal type tool tends to get away from me
when trying to do detail or keep a straight line.
Mine I mostly reserve for uses that don't.

A file is more managable for me, but...........
 
Highly recommend a 1x42 belt sander. My favorite power tool at the moment. Grinds, shapes, sharpens.

Walking Man, if you decide that doing it by hand is too much, I'd be willing to give it a try. I'm not nearly as good as _______, ______ (insert your favorite 35 people here), but I'm learning.

Dean, know just what you mean about using a Dremel in a straight line: forget it.
 
Hmmm, a fellow once asked me what kind of jig or guide I used to grind knife blades on a bench grinder. I just grunted and held up my hands.;)

Sarge
 
Dremel bad, file good. Harder to make irreparable mistakes with file. Of course, SARGE could probably fuller a steel toothpick, but he's real good at this stuff.

For those of us less skilled and much more insecure: file, stone, steel, ceramic....repeat as needed. 2X4 very good idea...never occured to me (as the cuts in the levis I was wearing will attest.)

(Sarge? you only have a bench grinder? damn.)
 
Ive used both. I don't know how to correct a heat treat, so I usually reserve my dremel for hi-speed fileworking and carving of soft metals and wood, horn, etc.

I think both file and dreme would compliment ech other nicely on this project. Whisk it all out with the dremel, clean up the bevel and grinds with the nice regular marks of the file.

I sowear by my dremel, and I got the 'snake' stylus attachment that is like holding a pencil or pen with the grinding bit acting as the writing part.
 
Kis, I don't even have a bench vise, when I say "hand made" it's in the literal sense.;) I guess if I outfitted myself with better equipment I could make things that are prettier, but when it comes to knives and such they wouldn't cut any better or last any longer as a result of being pretty. If my philosophy seems contrary consider this, other than initial grinding/shaping of a blade, I can practice my craft anytime, anywhere. Don't need to plug anything in or fiddle with batteries, 'cause my tools are powered by me. It's primitive and simple, but I love simple things. It's one of the reasons I have so much respect and admiration for the kamis over in Nepal, they, are craftsmen, I'm just an old country boy that likes to tinker around.:D

Sarge
 
Based on Dan's advice, I recently purchased a belt grinder from Tyler Tool Company. The model is an 1"X42" SA-180 Delta and cost was $99.95. The shipping is free.

It comes out to the cost of a good UBBB.I can do with this little beauty in a few minutes, projects that use to take me days. What really convinced me to get it was watching Dan work on his CD.

You'll then want to go to Lee Valley Tools and buy a leather polishing belt and some really fine grit belts then to Kim at Discount Abrasives and pick up some of the assorted belt offers that are too good to pass up.
 
Okay, I tried my file, but filing was way too easy.
It makes me think the steel is super soft on the edge.
Should filing down the edge be more difficult?
 
Originally posted by Walking Man .....Okay, I tried my file, but filing was way too easy.
It makes me think the steel is super soft on the edge.
Should filing down the edge be more difficult?
Click to expand...
Probably.......depends.
:D
That's a lot of help isn't it.

If you don't find an area on the belly / sweet spot
that is harder for the file to bite,
then it is probably -not- a hardened blade.
If it has a lion-head pommel then 99% sure it's not hardened at all.
(I have one of these. A monster, but not made for using.)
Assuming here that your's is from the Indian subcontinent area.
If it were Cold Steel or other 'modern' khuk then you'd expect
it to be spring hardened rather than differentially hardened.

Even so, shaping the blade is good practice.
You can learn a lot by just having on hand different quality of khuks.
And you can show other people the difference.
 
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