Bhojpure Khukuri from Gurkha House

Burnishing or steeling is simply straightening out a deformed edge. Often when a knife gets blunted its not because the edge has worn away but it has just become out of alignment. All you do is take something hard and wipe it along the blade edge. If you do this regularly (and not excessively) you can significantly increase the time between sharpenings. Probably the biggest advantage to this is that like stropping, it can easily be done in the field.

-Cliff
 
Okay. Now that that's settled, what's "stropping"?

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Stropping is just wiping the blade along something to align the edge just like steeling does. Using in this manner it produces a finer effect than a smooth steel. You can also use an abrasive surface to induce a polishing effect. Leather / canvas is often used with compounds but just about anything can have an effect including your skin.

-Cliff
 
Thanks for the education. I've noticed that when using the polishing wheel, I actually dull the blades, and have to resharpen them before they go out. I did experiment on a chakma this morning on a mini-jungle that went out, and was able to sharpen it with the abrasive wheel. So we have burnishing, stropping, and steeling. Good to go.
 
Cliff is talking years of experiance.Which my fathers before me knew.Craig you are not good to go.

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ghostsix,

I'm afraid I disagree with you on Craig being "good to go". We gain experience by doing, asking questions and learning from mistakes. Craig has been asking questions, working with the tools and learning something with each attempt. As time progresses he'll go further and faster.

Mt fathers before me knew about hunting, coal mining and warfare, but it wasn't until I hunted, worked in the mines and went to war that I learned anything of real value about either subject. The knowledge of our ancesters is of little consequence unless we take it, add it to our own experience and apply it.

If all men had to be experts before they were "good to go", we would all be naked, living in caves and eating tree bark.

You ARE good to go Craig. What the hell, hang on a second and I'll go with you.

Blackdog

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When the world is at peace, a gentleman keeps his sword by his side.......
Sun-Tzu 400 BC



[This message has been edited by Blackdog (edited 26 July 1999).]
 
Sometimes I use terms that do not often find their way into common vocabulary. "Good to go" is a term used by Marines (and probably others too) that means, in a nutshell, "that´s great" or "alright!" or something to that effect. Ghost Six: I´m not sure I understand the gist of your post. When I said "good to go" what I meant was "Hey, that´s neat, I´m learning." I usually say that when I am happy with something, as I was happy with the little kernal of knowledge I gained by Cliff´s replys.

Jaeger and Blackdog: thanks for jumping in while I am away. Got a Nicaraguan stogie waiting to send you two when I get back.
 
Craig,

You're quite welcome. The stogie will be most appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed.

While we're on the subject of stropping, burnishing and sharpening, it would be interesting to know what type of sharpening "systems" you've seen in action in the remote areas in Nicaragua.

I saw a guy in northern Nigeria who had a long strip of zebra hide hooked up on a modified bicycle frame, to make a peddle powered stropping machine. The edge he produced on a blade was truly awesome. Anything really unique where you are?

BTW, while you're there be sure to check out some of the local rum. Most countries with a sugar cane crop (I assume Nicaragua has sugar cane)will have a variety of small rum producers. Any that I've tried have been rich, dark and great tasting. Not like the watered-down garbage that is sold here as rum. Just be careful, a little goes a long way!!

Blackdog

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When the world is at peace, a gentleman keeps his sword by his side.......
Sun-Tzu 400 BC

 
I've never had a Nicaraguan stogie. A friend of mine told me a story about some Mexican stogies that his son brought home to him. He couldn't figure out why they seemed so strong that he couldn't smoke the whole thing. He later learned that this particular brand of stogie had an "added ingredient" (of the 5 leaf kind!) Imagine his surprise! (not to mention his son's!!).

Mike
 
Cliff: thanks again for your great service to the knife-weilding community. It's pretty clear that Khukuris are the obvious choice for anybody who needs a genuine survival tool that they can have "trust and confidence" in. Now, if we can just figure out why khukuris aren't in every toolbox . . .

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Craig, most people don't use khukuris because they don't know about them. I have yet to have someone hand one of mine back to me without a positive comment.

-Cliff
 
Craig you know what this means;I`m a retarded 06.The Army means the same by the term.If you do another fancy, engraved khuk, let me know.I am very picky; ask Bill.He told me that I did not owe him more than a penny for one he sent. Of course, I`ll pay him what we can figure what it`s worth,all errors considered.It needs to be right.eg:I want the scabbard snug. I`ll break it in myself. Patent leather is a bit tacky, however.We could work something out.You should know more after all of this time, but perhaps the ABN,Ranger,SOG,SF learning curve is sharper.I respect your service. No offense.It is others who do not understand what I am saying to you. I`m sure that after all of this time, you understand me perfectly well.As you recall.I stuck up for you in the past. I`m not trying to give you a hard time.By the way, I smoke long filler handmade cigars too.

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[This message has been edited by ghostsix (edited 30 August 1999).]
 
From a retard 03 to a retard 06 - roger. I'll see what I can dig up in the basement. I think I have one engraved SN1 that's not in a patent leather sheath. It's yours.

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
See,we do speak the same language.I am looking forward to comparing this khuk.

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Ghost: The knife is inbound to your pos. Interogative: what is your surname? I didn't know, so I sent it to you using the best nomenclature I could devise. I'm sure it'll get to you in any case. You can email it to me.



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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
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