Keep a hook sharp?

M

m_bisson

Joined
Jul 14, 2014
Messages
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I have a cutting hook on my Leatherman charge. Just regular 420hc. How the heck do I sharpen it?
Right from day 1, it was never sharp enough to cut paper. But it goes through the vinyl casing on electrical wire really nicely. I can yank it through, but it sure would be nice if it would cut cleanly.

I have the lansky system, but can't quite get the stones to fit.

So, I guess I need to buy one of those round rods? Do I want ceramic/diamond? Course or fine? A straight rod or a tapered one?

Thanks!
 
Sand paper wrapped around a small rod (maybe an ink pen). No quite sure the dimensions/geometry of the hook but, if it's what I'm thinking the paper and rod should work.
 
m_bisson said:
I have a cutting hook on my Leatherman charge. Just regular 420hc. How the heck do I sharpen it?
Right from day 1, it was never sharp enough to cut paper. But it goes through the vinyl casing on electrical wire really nicely. I can yank it through, but it sure would be nice if it would cut cleanly.

I have the lansky system, but can't quite get the stones to fit.

So, I guess I need to buy one of those round rods? Do I want ceramic/diamond? Course or fine? A straight rod or a tapered one?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The suggestion to wrap sandpaper around a rod is likely the easiest & least expensive solution. SiC wet/dry sandpaper works very well with 420HC; anything in the 320-2000 grit range will do, depending on how polished you want the finish to be (420HC really responds well to 320-600, in particular). Some white rouge or green compound works well for stropping it; you can even flip the sandpaper over on the rod and use the paper backing with your compound, or any other paper or fabric would also work similarly.

Lansky does offer triangular hones for use on serrations. That should also work with guthooks, though it might have to be used freehand, if the orientation of the hook makes it inaccessible in the clamp.


David
 
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You can look for a "Smiths Pocket Pal" its a pull-through sharpener but ignore that part, on the back is a tapered diamond rod. I tthink the taper is really important as it allows you to get to the very back corner of the hook. Costs less than $10 at a sporting goods store.
 
Be careful with triangles, rods, and especially diamond rods with a hook. It's very easy to grind a slot into the middle of a curve. Just a little too much pressure on one part of the curve and you'll have a slot (kind of like a chip) cut into it.

Brian.
 
bgentry said:
Be careful with triangles, rods, and especially diamond rods with a hook. It's very easy to grind a slot into the middle of a curve. Just a little too much pressure on one part of the curve and you'll have a slot (kind of like a chip) cut into it.

Brian.
Click to expand...

This is all the more reason why a dowel or similar rod, with some sandpaper wrapped around it, would work well; it would be my first choice. The rod can be chosen to closely match the radius of the hook (which distributes and therefore minimizes pressure), and a wooden rod (dowel) won't be as 'hard' on the steel as a diamond-coated steel rod or ceramic (especially triangular). Might get lucky and find a round ceramic which closely fits the radius of the hook, as with a dowel.

Might also look into a device called a 'slip stone', which woodworkers use to hone the inside radius of their gouges for carving and lathe work. Here's a pic below, of one by Norton; this is an 'India', a.k.a. aluminum oxide hone. I think Spyderco also has similar hones in their standard grey/white alumina ceramic, BTW:
ns44_2.jpg



David
 
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Awesome advice guys. Upon closer examination, there appears to be a small bevel, then the main grind? (not sure of these terms) so, I'm on the hunt for something just the right diameter to wrap some paper around.
 
m_bisson said:
Awesome advice guys. Upon closer examination, there appears to be a small bevel, then the main grind? (not sure of these terms) so, I'm on the hunt for something just the right diameter to wrap some paper around.
Click to expand...

Could be. A lot of factory edges will look that way, with a small secondary or microbevel that may only be a fraction of a mm wide, or even much smaller. Almost never as sharp as they could be. I ordinarily get rid of those, and work to create a clean, smooth single bevel all the way to the apex. If you have any doubts about what you're looking at, you might post a close-up pic of the hook's edge, and you'll get some more specific advice as to what you can do with it.


David
 
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