Article 4 - Sharpening tools that I use at home

I've always envied people who could sharpen tools to perfection.  I tried for quite some time on and off, but found it very difficult, tedious and frustrating to do.  I found all those simple 'swipe through' gadgets quite satisfactory for many years, but as I got more involved with knife making, they no longer sufficed because I got hung up with wanting all my knives to be shaving sharp! Therefore, I had no alternative at the time but to force myself to learn and do it properly.

All my initial efforts were based on ignorance, believing that the more I practised the better I'll get.  All I did was to make matters worse because my equipment and techniques were wrong and I kept on failing miserably!  I began to shy away from sharpening anything unless I could use a gadget of some sort.  I kept trying different things and discovering the odd bit of kit that worked for me, until I can now say that at the time of writing this I'm nearly there in terms of producing shaving sharp edges consistently, and nearly there with having the right gear and being effective/efficient in utilising it. It's still a labourious and tedious affair, that's for sure! Maybe I'll get to like it in time. I have one or two ideas I want to try out to make my task a bit easier, but for now I'm pleased to have got this far.  At least now I partly enjoy the process and I find it very absorbing.  On the downside, the back of my left hand is nearly bereft of hair as that's how I test if I got the blade sharp enough!    

Maybe I'm overly fussy, but I'll not consider any knife of mine finished and fit for purpose unless it's shaving sharp. To get most blades to that state it takes me from between 1 or 2 hours - so patience and perseverance is a must.

At time of writing, the tools I use are as shown in this picture:

   1.  Own made Grind type checker and setter

   2.  Coarse Diamond stone.

   3.  Medium Diamond stone

   4.  Fine Diamond stone

   5.  Japanese Combination Waterstone - 600 / 1000

   6.  Ex - Oil Stone  

   2,3,4,and 5 only used with water.

   1 and 6 used dry and/or with water as they're Carborundum stones..

I normally start the process with swiping the blade through my homemade grind checker if I'm not sure of the grind.  A few swipes through this little gadget and I'm able to see exactly whether it's a hollow or convex based grind. 

The close up of this little tool shows how I slotted two small stones side by side in a block of wood.  The slot is slightly wider at the top and the stones are not fixed in, but held in place by stretched Bicycle rubber tubing along the bottom half of the stones. The top of the stones extend about half way out from the block.  What happens is that when I swipe the blade between the stones, the top part opens up more than the bottom part (which flex a little also because of the rubber backing) and thus creates a natural V.

I also use this to take out a secondary bevel by running the blade through a few times.  I use it wet or dry depending on how much I need to score or take off the existing bevel.

 

In effect, the proper sharpening process is not until the very end as what needs to be done first is to try and set the correct angle of the grind as near as possible to the desired final shape.  I find that the three grades of Diamond stones are great for this, not just because they're so effective, but at the beginning at least, I hold the stone in my right hand and move it across the blade so I can see better what I'm doing.  I'm also far more in control as I can change from a flat rub to a rocking motion at will.  It's at the finishing stages that I lay the stone flat and move the blade over it.  I go through all three Diamond stones until I'm satisfied I can move on to the final sharpening phase.

 

For the final phase I use a 600/1000 grade Japanese Waterstone, which I would have left soaking in water for some time before I needed it.  It is now that I keep the stone flat and run the blade over it, first on the coarse side (dark brown), then on the fine side (light brown).  It's not easy to explain the process of working with a Waterstone, but it's very far removed from working with Carborundum stones.  The whole process is smoother and best of all you're not left with any scratches on the blade.  As if by magic, the blade is sharpened and polished at the same time.  The stone is on the soft side and it's very easy to dig into it with the blade, but it's very efficient and the results are outstanding. 

 

Stone number 6 is an oil stone, or it was one once.  I de-greased it and now use it mainly dry to check for raised/hollows as it marks the blade well but not too deeply.  I also use it frequently while working with my leather knives as I find the slightly serrated edge such a stone produces gives me more bite when cutting leather.

 

Now take a look at the damaged knife edge below and to what level the blade was finished by the waterstone in the photo below it..  At this stage the blade was not yet polished on the buffer, but by the waterstone alone.

 

The knife in question was one of five prototypes that I rushed off that ended up severely tested in the field in temperatures down to -40 degrees!  As can be seen the knife got a bit of a battering!  The knife had a small secondary bevel originally, but was re-ground by hand to a flat V.  As it turned out, it wasn't such a good idea on such a deep and shallow set grind of 13mm because there wasn't enough substance to back up the fine cutting edge.

This was an important lesson learned from actually having to make do with the one knife under extreme conditions.  As a consequence, the second batch had a grind of 8mm making for a steeper angle and were thus better able to cope with tougher tasks.  But, even so, one can't expect that the one small knife to be better than having a two knife Puukko and Leuku combo.  In my view, small knives for small jobs and big knives for bigger jobs.

 

Frenchy

16th March 2007

www.customknivesandsticks.co.uk

Model #1

 

Swiss Army Knife

A Story of One Swiss Army Knife, One Airplane, Two Fathers and Two Sons

My son and I (and my red swiss army midnight manager knife) were returning from a Washington D.C. trip when our life took a series of unexpected twists and turns. By way of background, this story ends with my 9 year old son in tears, a genuinely sympathetic United Airlines employee and the gifting of my favorite red midnight manager swiss army knife to a father and son that we will never know.

The day starts at 3:00 a.m. with my son and I waiting for the blue Shuttle Express van to take us to Duells Airport, D.C. Naturally, it shows up nearly an hour late and the stress level is high enough to make the flight to Southern California. Next, we are dropped off at the wrong terminal which requires us to walk a country mile to the correct terminal. We check the baggage with only minutes remaining to board the aircraft. We can "relax" after we go through the scanner with the carry-on bag. We were not so lucky.

The nice fella at the scanner stated that the swiss army knife key chain would need to go with the checked baggage. We mistakenly believed it was in the checked bag. Off we go to check the carry-on item. We were told too late and it was not going to make it on the airplane. Further, we must board the plane immediately or we were assured to miss our flight.

It is at this point that I notice my son is in tears about the fate of our favorite knife. He reminded me of its importance and that he knows it is my "favorite" knife. He has heard me tell everyone how much I enjoy the white light, bottle opener, writing pen, knife and more. I told him I can get another identical one. He remained upset and stated it would not be the same (from a sentimental perspective). I had to admit that I really enjoyed the little pocket knife and felt badly to leave it behind.

With only seconds to decide the fate of my loyal buddy (the Victorinox knife), I looked around the airport and noticed a father saying goodbye to his son. I asked them if they would like my knife since I could not take it on the flight. They smiled and said they would love to have the knife. I said it's yours for free and I asked them to enjoy this great little tool. The father, luckily, said he was not flying and he would take care of it.

We boarded the flight with the door slammed behind us immediately. I explained to my son that it was my fault for not double checking to make sure it was in the correct bag. I further suggested that the knife may help the boy's father in an emergency situation. He seemed to feel a little better after he imagined it helping another person someday.

The lesson learned is to be extra careful when traveling with these terrific knives. They are fine quality products that are painful to lose or surrender to anyone!

The Balisong Knife or Known as (Butterfly Knife)

The balisong knife other wise known as the batangas knife, fan knives click clack, and most known it the U.S. as a butterfly knife. Is a knife that would be considered a pocket knife it has two handles that are both on a hinge and the knife itself folds in to the handle and in the hands of someone that knows how to use it and be flipped open every quickly with just one hand. For the most part these knives are pocket knives size but are also make in sword size and can be over three feet when fully opened. These bigger blades are not surprisingly called baliswords.

All those now on is really sure where the name balisong comes form that are a few thoughts as to what it is referring to. In the Tagalog language balisong or Baling sungay means broken horn, and because the first knives where made of animal horns many think that is where the name comes from. Others think that they are called balisong for the reason the they are thought to first be invented in a town called balisong. These pocket knives origins are from the Philippines and though discouraged now for hundreds of years where once used to fight in duels.

These pocket knives where not known to western civilizations until the Spanish came and governed the Philippines and then made these knives popular. Though evidence suggests that Balisong knives have been apart of the Filipino fighting arts since 800AD. Balisongs where brought back to the states after WWII when troops that where fighting in the pacific came home and brought these handy pocket knives back with them.

A balisong is mainly made up of ten parts. The edge, swedge, choil, kicker, pivot pins, tang, tang pin, bite handle, safe handle, and latch. The edge is the sharp blade of the knife. The swedge is the back side of the blade that is made to look sharp but is not. The choil is a curve above the kicker to help you to sharpen the blade. The kicker is what stops the blade for hitting the inside of the knife when closing to help keep the blade sharp. The pivot pins are the pins that the knife pivots on to open and close. The tang is where the blade come in to the handle. The bite handle is the part that closes on the sharp side of the blade. The safe handle is the part that closes on the back side of the blade, the part that is not sharp. The latch, this is what keeps the knife closed.

There are now a number of knives makers in the U.S that make balisongs or butterfly knives. One of them is Benchmade. Another well known knife make is Emerson. Emersons very first knives where balisongs that he made while studding Filipino martial arts in California. Because of the nature of these pocket knives many countries have them outlawed. But are very sought after by collectors.

Bayonets History

"All nations boast of their prowess with the bayonet, but few men really enjoy a hand-to-hand fight with the bayonet. English and French both talk much of the bayonet but in Egypt in 1801 they threw stones at each other when their ammunition was exhausted and one English sergeant was killed by a stone. At Inkerman again the British threw stones at the Russians, not without effect; and I am told upon good authority that the Russians and Japanese, both of whom proffes to love the bayonet, threw stones at each other rather than close, even in this twentieth-century." J.W.Fortescue, Military History Antique Spanish hunt Plug Bayonet from 1700 The bayonet stems directly from the various forms of polearm, it was obviously inappropriate to have a firearm-bearing soldier encumbered by a pike, yet there was need for a polearm to stand off cavalry and for hand-to-hand encounters when ammunition was gone or when there was no time to reload. The original "bayonnette" - the name came from the town of its supposed origin, Bayonne in France - was introduced into the French Army in 1647. It was a plug bayonet, a spear-like blade to which was attached a long conical steel plug inserted directly into the muzzle of the soldier`s musket, a collar lodging against the barrel to prevent it sliding too far in. This had certain defects; the musket could not be fired once the bayonet was fitted, and during the act of fitting the soldier was virtually unarmed. Misfortune overtook an English army at Killiecrankie in 1689, when a sudden rush of Scottish Highlanders overwhelmed them as they were fixing bayonets. As a result of these defects, the socket bayonet was developed; this had the blade cranked and attached to a hollow sleeve which slipped over the muzzle of the musket. The blade lay below the axis of the barrel and left sufficient clearance to permit the weapon to be loaded and fired while the bayonet was fixed. Although generally considered as the infantryman`s assault weapon, the bayonet was originally a defensive instrument. Steady infantry standing two or three deep and adopting a "square" formation could defend their position against a sudden rush of cavalry; the combined length of the musket and bayonet was sufficient to permit a standing soldier to reach a man mounted upon a horse. The 28th of Foot form a square at Waterloo to resist a French cavalry The idea of using a short sword as a bayonet was tried from time to time but the first regular users of the sword-type blade appear to have been the British rifle regiments in the early 1800s. However, the advent of breech-loading, and then magazine arms provided infantry with a firepower capable of beating off cavalry, at which time the bayonet turned from being primarily defensive to being a personal offensive weapon. For this a knife-like blade was of more use than a spike blade, and so from the middle of the 19th century the knife or sword blade became common, though a few armies still retained spike blades. The difficulties of fixing bayonets in the heat of the battle led some armies to adopt permanently-attached bayonets which folded above or below the barrel of the weapon and could be released and locked into place very quickly when required. A singularity of the Imperial Russian Army, which carried over into the Soviet Army, was the permanently fixed bayonet; no scabbards were issued, and the bayonet remained on the rifle muzzle at all times. With the adoption of modern short assault rifles the utility of the bayonet as a weapon was placed in doubt; the combination is not well suited to bayonet fighting.

"Knife Steel Classification" by Terry Primos

The naming convention for steels can get quite confusing at times. Some are named with a series of letters and numbers, others are named with just numbers. There actually is some degree of order among the chaos.

Listed in this installment are two of the methods used in the classification of steels. One is a system devised by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) in cooperation with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). This system groups tool steels by their purpose or unique properties. The second method, called the Unified Numbering System (UNS) uses a series of 4 to 5 digits to classify steels according to their primary alloying element, the approximate content of the primary alloying element, and the approximate carbon content in hundredths of one percent.

I will apologize in advance to those looking for some rhyme or reason in the naming conventions of various stainless steels such as 440C, 154CM, ATS-34, etc. You won't find it here. This was neither an oversight, nor an intended omission. The fact is that after several hours of research on the Internet, perusal through the books in my library and a couple of phone calls including one to a steel mill, I was unable to get any information providing a correlation between the names of these steels and the group they fall into.

Classification of Tool Steels

Designation	Description or Notable Properties
W	Water hardening
S	Shock resisting
O	Oil hardening
A	Air hardening
D	Die steel, air hardening, high chromium
H	Hot work, chromium, tungsten, and/or molybdenum
T	Tungsten alloy, high speed steel
M	Molybdenum alloy, high speed steel
L	Low alloy, special purpose
F	Carbon-tungsten, special purpose
P	Mild steels, low carbon and other types

Using this chart we can make some sense out of names like O1, A2, D2, W2, L6, etc. But what about steels like 1084, 1095, 5160, and 52100? Where in the world did they come up with that? These steels are classified under the Unified Numbering System, which in my opinion provides us with more pertinent information as you'll see below.

UNS Classification
Under this system, steels are assigned a series of 4-5 numbers. The first number tells us the primary alloying element or elements, with 1 being plain carbon steel containing no significant alloying element. The second number represents the approximate percentage of the primary alloying elements. The final numbers indicate the approximate carbon content of the steel in hundredths of one percent. Let's take a look.

1 - Plain Carbon (not an alloy steel)
2 - Nickel
3 - Chromium and Nickel
4 - Molybdenum
5 - Chromium
6 - Chromium and Vanadium
7 - Tungsten
8 - Nickel, Chromium and Molybdenum
9 - Silicon and Manganese

Let's start with an easy one. With 1084 the first digit tells us that this is a plain carbon steel. The second digit shows that there are no alloying elements. The final two digits show that the steel contains approximately .84 percent carbon. Pretty simple. How about 52100? The first digit shows that the primary alloying element is chromium. The second digit means that there is approximately 2 percent chromium (this is rounded off). The last group of numbers show that the carbon content is roughly 1 percent.

One thing that puzzled me for awhile was the second digit. If a steel is classified as 50xx, then is it a chromium steel with no chromium? No. It is a low chromium steel. For example, 50100 contains about .45 percent chromium. The .45 is not enough to round up to 1 percent, so it gets the value of 0. 52100 usually contains about 1.5 percent chromium, so it gets rounded up to a value of 2. A good way to look at the 5xxx types of steel is:

• 50xx = low chromium
• 51xx = medium chromium
• 52xx = high chromium

I hope that this information will be useful to you. Please understand that I'm no expert in this area. If any of my observations are technically or grossly inaccurate, please let me know.

Knife Care and Maintenance

1. To keep your knife in the best possible working condition, follow the points outlined below.

2. To take excellent care of your knife collection, follow the points outlined below.

3. To clean or not to clean your vintage knives, read and then decide by the itembelow.

4. To take excellent care of your kitchen knives, follow the points outlined below.

• Knife Care and Maintenance: Keep the blades dry and wipe fingerprints and moisture off, after use, with a soft all cotton cloth or chamois. This is particularly important with blades of high carbon steel. Tarnishing or oxidation is a normal property of carbon steel and cannot be avoided.This normal oxidation or tarnish actually helps protect the knife from rust and will have blue gray tones, rather than rust red tones. Applying a couple drops of any quality oil or silicon treatment to the blade with a soft all cotton cloth will provide excellent protection. A good wax is also excellent protection.
  

• Check your knives often for possible trouble spots. If you see tarnish or oxidation develop with reddish tones, this is the start of rust and should be cleaned as quickly as possible. If any stains appear, try removing the stain or tarnish with a standard metal cleaner or polish. Blades of most stainless steels used in knives are not rustproof but are rust or stain resistance. So therefore stainless steel blades should still be kept clean and wiped dry after use, especially many of the new high carbon stainless steels like ATS-34, and CMP-T440V.

Folding knives require special care.

• When not in use, store knives and leather sheaths separately because leather does absorb moisture and can rust your blade. Tanning salts and acids present in the leather can rust or tarnish steel. Keep leather sheaths limber with leather preservative or mink oil. What is green verdigris?
  
• Folding knives require special care. Keep the locking device on folding models clean and free from debris. An occasional drop of light oil at each joint will assure smooth blade action in opening and closing. Each blade should click open smoothly and snap shut. This opening and closing is what the old timers called "Walks and Talks" well.
  
• Keep knives sharp. A sharp knife is safer to use. A sharp knife requires minimal effort to cut and therefore has less a chance of slipping. The secret of proper sharpening is to do it regularly. Use a sharpening steel, or other mechanism frequently. If you have difficulty maintaining an edge on knives, have them professionally sharpened.
  
• Never sharpen blades on a power-driven grinding wheel, which can burn the temper from the blade. This is the type of high-speed grinder found in many home shops.

Moisture and fingerprints are the
prime villains to avoid.

• Remember that knives are cutting tools and blades are very sharp. Therefore, please exercise caution when handling your knife. And, never use your knife as chisel, pry bar, screwdriver or hammer. If your knife is a good one then a chisel, pry bar, screwdriver or hammer will cost less than a knife replacement anyway. Do not pound on the back (spine) of the blade. Keep sharp knives well away from the reach of young children.


• Always cut with the edge moving away from you. Knives can have sharp razor edges so handle all knives with care and respect. Do not use for throwing unless specifically produced for that purpose.
  
• If you carry a pocket knife in your pocket with coins or keys you will scratch the handle and bolsters. The same is true if you put all your knives in a cardboard box stacked one atop the other, they will all get scratched, which reduces their value.

The storage room for your knife collection
should be low in humidity and cool.

• Knife Collection Care: Remember to take excellent care of your collection, as you are the curator during your lifetime for future generations to enjoy. Moisture and fingerprints are the prime villains to avoid. Check your collection periodically and keep your knives in a dry location. A good rule to follow is to make sure the room that you store your knives in is comfortable for you to stay in, then it is more likely to be a good storage place for your knives. The storage room for your knife collection should be low in humidity and cool. Avoid areas with a high relative humidity or a great shift in temperatures. (Relative humidity can be high in attics and basements, especially if they are unheated or uninsinuated. Moisture from condensation can come into contact with your knives if they are stored in such areas.) If you live where it is humid use silica gel or other desiccants (a drying agent) to help keep your knives dry by placing them in a strong plastic bag that has no holes and can be closed tight. Use desiccants for short-term storage only. Make an asserted effort to wipe your knives at least once a month. Your collection can lose value very quickly if you allow your knives to deteriorate from lack of care and maintenance.

• To clean or not to clean your vintage knives:
  First, a word of caution: If you think your knife has significant value, consult a professional. Many valuable objects (knives included) are damaged each year by people using the wrong preservation or cleaning techniques. If you are going to clean your own knives, practice on common knives until you get the hang of things.

• Kitchen Knife Upkeep: Good kitchen knives can be a major investment, but if properly cared for they can last a lifetime. Cleaning knives after each use will keep them in the best condition and promote food safety. Mild soapy water cleans without damaging and washing by hand only takes a minute and really takes care of your knives. Never use a dishwasher for cleaning your good knives (kitchen or other wise). Doing so could possibly remove the temper from the edge and render the blade soft so it will not hold an edge. When cleaning your knives make sure that the blades don’t touch or bump other objects. The water jets in the dishwasher can knock your knives into other hard objects. Remember that the precision ground cutting edge may be damaged if it strikes other cutlery, pots or pans.

Always use an appropriate cutting board

• Always use an appropriate cutting board in the kitchen to get the most out of the sharpness of your knives. Use an cutting board material easy to clean and that is soft. We recommend natural wood or synthetic chopping boards like soft polyethylene. Never use glass, ceramic, metal, marble or any other hard surface as a cutting board as this can have an damaging effect on your knives. When chopping foods that have a tough or waxy exterior (such as bell peppers), chop with the waxy side down, as the more tender inside flesh is easier on knife blades.
  
• Knives require a safe dry storage place, and a knife block is perfect for storing knives. Knife blocks will prevent injury and protect the blade from being damaged.
  
• Cross-contamination is a major food-safety concern. Bacteria transferred from knives and work surfaces, such as cutting boards, to other foods can lead to food poisoning. Mild soapy water cleans and sanitizes if you wash your hands, the cutting board and the knife. We advocate thorough and consistent cleaning for knife upkeep and food-safety!
  
• Keep your wood cutting board clean and oil as needed. Do not use vegetable oil as it will go rancid. Use mineral oil or oil sold to be safe to protect and seal your wood cutting board.