Woods Sharpening: How To Sharpen Steel - Like a Man.
Always be careful with sharp things. You can get a flesh wound—it will heal (be careful of infection); but you can also sever a tendon, and that needs immediate medical attention, or you’ll lose mobility of whatever it moved—assume how I know.
If you find yourself pushing the edge of a blade into an object or otherwise not slicing, stop, sharpen, or figure out how to reach a material that can be sliced. If it won't cut, stop. A ready edge does not need a sawing motion.
Take care of the leading edge. Don't pit it or ding it.
You can grind off the bevel with concrete or sandstone. Diamond files are great too. Spiderco whetstone is fantastic, but a SMOOTH river rock is the natural prescription.
THE KEY THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW and no one talks about (except Dave Canterbury, but I was too young to appreciate it)—
Sharpening a knife is done by feel. The initial, crucial step is to ALWAYS begin by rubbing the obvious bevel, accomplishing two things—reducing the bevel and feeling the bevel grind, knowing this feeling. Then tilt while rubbing and grinding. Slowly. Riding the bevel on a smooth feel until the feeling just changes to a little gritty as the edge reaches the surface. Lighten up to touch up the true cutting edge, and then—you're done. IT'S THE SUBTLETY AND BRIEFNESS OF THE TRANSITION THAT IS KEY. Use a constant rub for continuous feedback and grind.
It's a feel thing.
You have to FEEL a sharpening process; otherwise, you'll be reducing steel where it need not be reduced. This feel may take time to hone, and focus may be lost at times, along with hope, but stick to it as with everything.
Also keep in mind, a leading edge is microns-thick steel, so you don't need to apply too much pressure to a leading edge. Only apply pressure when reducing the bevel on a rough brick.
The edge should be terrifying, but it's time to turn it to a glass-sharp edge—the final step is strop. You can use a piece of cardboard, but what works far better is a thick strip or thong of bucked, smoked moose hide; a thick suede thong or a thick flesh-side commercial hide will do too. A thick, long thong of bucked moose hide is far more mobile than a strip glued to a wood board. Tie as shown to a branch or other stationary pole, pull and hold taut, and slowly, carefully, and thoughtfully run the blade, spine leading, side flush angle with the leather, back and forth. You will quickly feel the leather cleaning and polishing the rough honed edge of your tool. No compound required.
The best leather I have used is heavy moose thong from the periodically stiff borders or a moose bucked hide; this type of leather will last a long time and stand the strain of tearing off tough burrs formed from your apexed tools and putting that terrifying glass edge on.
The hide can be gnarled and tough in sections and uneven; just make sure your knife face is flush with the strap. You pushing down into the taut strap will provide the proper angle of hone.
If you are wearing buckskins, your sleeve or pant leg will do.
SURE, you can follow an angle with your thumb, use carful strokes, use all sorts of expesive stones, knife steels , lye to keep the surface clean, a stitting posture &c. &c , and it will work; but by feeling the touch grind, it becomes the practical, need to know to be a real man, old as time, in the field, touch and go, with a rock way.
If you want to reprofile - which should be not often - find a brick with minimal grog and hold the angle you want.
Better steels will hold a sharp edge longer, so less shaprening for keen edge - duh, but to be REAL MAN, you need to able to not care. I love the "pulled from a old native igloo" look.
To be real, materials have their characteristics. Commercial sharpening stones are designed for the task of removing metal—this is no excuse. Granite and other natural materials still work well for removing iron, especially if you think about what you are doing.
To be real, materials have their characteristics. Commercial sharpening stones are designed for the task of removing metal—this is no excuse. Granite and other natural materials still work for removing iron - think about what you are doing.
Extened a flat surface by rubbing a rock against another.
People get tired of knives because, for whatever reason neglect to keep the pace of chew grinding the bevel with the sharpening of the secondary bevels and leading edge. Grind down the steel, and find useful life again in any chunk of metal.
Dont stand there massaging at a hone or 200$ rock for a half hour.
Keys - feel and be light.
