Sharpening a dull blade tip

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guitar1580

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Nov 5, 2012
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I use mostly Buck knives, both drop point and clip point. Some of the used ones I've purchased have a dull or rounded tip (point).

I seem to struggle with getting the tip as sharp as it should be, and I was just wondering if you all have an suggestions or methods that you use to get it back to proper sharpness. It seems that the clip points are most difficult for me when it comes to finding the proper angle where it curves up.

Thanks, JT
 
guitar1580 said:
I use mostly Buck knives, both drop point and clip point. Some of the used ones I've purchased have a dull or rounded tip (point).

I seem to struggle with getting the tip as sharp as it should be, and I was just wondering if you all have an suggestions or methods that you use to get it back to proper sharpness. It seems that the clip points are most difficult for me when it comes to finding the proper angle where it curves up.

Thanks, JT
Click to expand...

There could be two problems:
1.-The edge at the tip is not getting sharp, in this case you should raise the handle when sharpening the curved part for the stone to hit the bevels at the right angle. Covering the edge with sharpie and taking a couple of strokes should give you the clue to where you’re hitting and adjust.
2.- the tip proper is not as sharp needle like as you want. In this case you’ll need to reshape it, you can grind on the edge side with the blade perpendicular to the stone until the tip is pointy again and then resharpen the bevels, or you can sand the back of the tip on the spine side of the blade

Hope it helps
 
Agree with lutejones lutejones above. If it's just the pointy tip you're after, let it develop over a few sharpenings. If you're unsure now what is causing the problem it likely means you need some learning and experience. That's not a bad thing in any way! But, if you try getting that really pointy tip all at once, it can be quite easy to grind flat spots or different angles right in that spot you're working. Learning and practicing good overall sharpening technique will get the tip-edge and point sharp and keep them that way. The tip will get a little pointier with each session.

Another thing to really focus on, is your wrist. Others may disagree but for me, bending my wrist, especially right around the tip where we're trying to lift the blade a bit, just causes problems. It feels very natural, it's essentially a flicking motion and we're readily programmed for that. And for a long time I did just that. But when I started locking my wrist and raising my elbow, I noticed I was eliminating a lot of variation at the edge. Fewer pivot points = steadier grinding. When you bend your wrist you get some amount of movement in the wrist joint, the elbow and the shoulder. I think bending the wrist also results in quicker fatigue and more inconsistency. I don't mean like your hand is gonna fall off fatigue but there can be enough there to notice if you pay attention. Especially, if you don't have things down and it takes more than 10-15min's to do your blade.

Along with that, I'm also a fan of "back and forth" grinding. Meaning, "dragging" the knife along the stone and then lightly sliding it back, then "dragging" the knife along the stone and then lightly sliding it back, repeat. I feel like maintaining contact with the stone the entire time also helps reduce variation. Doing a sharpening stroke, lifting the blade, resetting and doing it again and again, I feel just allows for more inconsistency. And take your time. We're not talking scrubbing the blade back and forth like on a water stone, well, unless you're using water stones that is :D, just a steady back and forth motion.

But, the Sharpie is where it all starts. Seeing what is happening at the edge is where the understanding will begin. Then it's just about figuring out the best way to overcome it.

Let us know how it's going. :)
 
Last edited:
If your tip is rounded off, then you need to reshape it to make it pointy again. It's useful to use a loupe or other magnifier to examine the very very tip. When you do, you will almost certainly see that it is rounded.

Your job is to draw an imaginary curve through this rounded part so that it meets the back of the blade at a point again. Normally this means you need to grind a good bit more *just* behind the point, as it tends to become bulbous and rounded looking there.

As you do this process, you'll want to grind on both sides of the edge relatively equally. Check your work OFTEN with the magnifier. That way you can see if you are doing what you want to do and how you need to adjust. Grind. Observe. Adjust. Grind, observe, adjust. It's a feedback loop.

This is a specific example of secret #4. You'll probably want to use Secret #3 here as well so that you maintain the continuous curved shape of the blade while doing this.

You might want to try this out on a blade you don't care much about; just in case you screw it up.

Good luck with sharp points!

Brian.
 
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