Favorite SP knife?

The fastest way that works for me sharpening (now I am 53 & have been sharpening since my first knife @ 7 ys old, so i have plenty of experience on all kinds of sharpeners) is this: First, i use this (with a Diablo belt from HD ) http://www.harborfreight.com/power-...-x-36-inch-belt-6-inch-disc-sander-97181.html ...to get the angle i want. Then, i use this (with a Diablo belt from HD) http://www.harborfreight.com/1-in-x-30-in-Belt-Sander-60543.html ... to get a convex edge & the burr. Then I give it 1 swipe on each side with this: http://www.dexterrussellcutlery.com/dexter-traditional-1-2-x-14-butcher-steel-07291-1227-14/ ...to get rid of the burr.

If you end up going this route, catch them on super sale like I did & use a 20% off coupon as well. I got 1 for $39 & the other for $49. Butchers steel was around $32. It is by far the fastest way to get your results. Just make sure you do not use good knives for practice. Get some cheap ones @ cheapmart & practice away. Usually takes me less than 60 seconds per knife, to get it to shave hair.

Hope this helps.
 
My SP49 came with a thick dull edge also. Fortunately I have a worksharp. I don't use it a lot but it was just the ticket for reprofiling.
Now my 49 is one of my favorite large blades.
 
Thanks for the advice on sharpening. I do want to actually get better at freehand sharpening so I'll probably invest in some decent (but reasonably priced) stones. I just want to learn that skill but I appreciate the recommendations.
 
Free hand is a valuable skill . Almost all mine sharpening is free hand.
I suggest you get some sand paper for the reprofileing start with 220 work your way up to 600 or higher.
 
I have the SP 10, which I have used a lot as a chopper. Absolutely fantastic. I started a post about it. Seems the grinds were all off on these, mine included, doesn't affect the ability of the knife. But my best is an old SP23, that I found covered in dust in a corner display of a gun shop. No sheath, so I got it cheap. Cleaned it up and honed it. Feels unreal. It has a far better home now.
 
You are quite right: The SP-50 looks like an outstanding design...

This line is not discussed enough compared to BKs and Esee...

Can anyone offer a pointer has to the edge thickness at the shoulders of an SP-49-50 or SP-52-53?

As a reference the BK-9 is about 0.040"-0.045" at the shoulders, and about 17-19 degrees per side, which I consider the upper limit of acceptable for a chopper.

I remember my SP-8 as being around 0.060"-0.070" at the edge shoulders, way too thick, but it had enough momentum to still be serviceable. Out of the box it had little cutting ability, being about 30 plus degrees per side... I managed to lower that to 25 maybe... The sheath was actually really good which is surprising considering what you hear... I remember the thick paint coating over the triple row sawteeths really killed their sawing usefulness: They could have been something otherwise...

Gaston
 
My 49 is about .045-.050 BTE and .190 where the saber grind meets the flat.
I did have to thin the edge when I got it but now it's great.
 
Yeah, the sp line probably doesn't get enough props relative to the bks. And I do think the bks rock, btw. I had the option of getting a bk9 (and I might at some point) but I just don't use large blades much and didn't feel like spending much on one. So for less than $50, this was a crazy deal. Just split some wood for a fire while watching the pats beat up the rams.
5a7f64d165146e63f4f250cbbd517f1e.jpg
 
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Oh, and thanks for the sandpaper suggestion. Had some 150 in the basement and between that and the Sharpmaker.... I'm getting there.

Sent from my Galaxy S5 using Tapatalk
 
Picked up the sp6a couple of years ago for a fighting utility knife, plus it just looked sweet. I don't use it or pull it out much so the edge likes to rust on me butI try to keep it oiled to avoid that. One of these days I'm going to pick up a good kydex sheath, probably from red hill.
 
Have a soft spot for this old charmer, the sp32 stealth patrol.
For all its intent and purpose, it's apparently a rather specialised edged tool.
Afraid to say that it's not too geared towards the PC definition of general use applications :)

spc22patrol.jpg

 
My SP-51 is still my favorite knife. Its been good for thwacking and whacking branches off the fallen trees before chainsawing them. The knife is wide enough to clear more branches in one swipe than the narrow blade of the axe. And the straight edge gives more control than the SP-53 (it seems to me that is) for the de-limbing of them fallen tyrannical botanicals!
 
I have a 46 and a 47. Like them both, really hard to pick one over the other. Push come to shove, probably the 47.
 
SP 18 Frontiersman, the Bagwell Bowie of the SP line.
I wouldn't duel without one. Or with one, either.
It's lively in the hand, long and stabby.

Long discontinued, bring it back.
 
ChuteTheMall said:
SP 18 Frontiersman, the Bagwell Bowie of the SP line.
I wouldn't duel without one. Or with one, either.
It's lively in the hand, long and stabby.

Long discontinued, bring it back.
Click to expand...

SP18 is sooooo sexy .

loving to see that short sword like knife bring back.
 
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Still favorite and most useful is my SP-51, or one of my four of them. I would see one available after them being sunsetted and had to grab one. OKC was clearing out stock and I think I got the last one from the last batch of Dec 16, after that I saw they went all POOF gone no more hard to find land.

I take the SP-51 when going on looking over things or trips in to the wilderhood where a straight edge is easier to sharpen. I have to admit only once it had to be sharpened in the field for me but the straight edge sure was easier. I pair it Buck110/Gerber Gator Blade in the pouch when I just go out for few hours or day, if longer I take a middling blade as well.
 
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