SHARPENING RECURVES???

Joined
Jan 3, 2021
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188
Anybody got any advice for sharpening recurves -Down and sharpening in the field? Cheap tools?

I got a couple Kershaw Camp 10's recently -Large, pretty heavily recurved blade...

Thanks!

-T
 
Best to go with a round stone/rod or the edges of a triangular stone.

You can also wrap wet/dry sandpaper around a wooden dowel. Or use leather for a strop.
 
Best to go with a round stone/rod or the edges of a triangular stone.

You can also wrap wet/dry sandpaper around a wooden dowel. Or use leather for a strop.

Any suggestions on cheap rods to use/ grits??

I have a very fine ceramic rod that I use on my 440c steel pocket knives, but those aren't durable enough for the field...
 
I use a Jewelstick "Stubby" diamond steel to sharpen recurves in the field and it works very well. I picked it up for under $15 from @FortyTwoBlades who is a supporting dealer on the forum (baryonyxknife.com is his website).
 
For in the field "gud nuff" I would opt for a course ceramic rod and a loaded strop.

This is what I carry for my khukuris. Maybe a narrow medium stone that can be used on every part of the edge but the recurve thrown in in case of gross edge damage.
 
For in the field "gud nuff" I would opt for a course ceramic rod and a loaded strop.

This is what I carry for my khukuris. Maybe a narrow medium stone that can be used on every part of the edge but the recurve thrown in in case of gross edge damage.

Got any specific suggestions? Brand, etc... And by "loaded strop" do you mean one that comes already loaded, or one that you load before going out?
 
Got any specific suggestions? Brand, etc... And by "loaded strop" do you mean one that comes already loaded, or one that you load before going out?

Oh just whatever is easy. I take a rod from a knock off Sharpmaker I bought at an Academy Sports for about 15 or 20 bucks. Its the one I use in my kitchen most of the time. The rod only measures about 3" long so it packs away well but keeps my fingers clear of the edge.

A loaded strop, for me, is literally just an old scrap piece of 6-9oz leather i usually have hanging around between sheath projects. Many will use a slack belt style of strop like you see at a barbershop. However, even just a small piece that is 3x6" will work well enough to polish an edge. Plus then it fits in my pack better.

To load it, I just use polishing compound. The easiest to find for me is the stuff they sell in the rotary tool section at Lowes. It comes in a little tub about the size or a spool of thread and costs maybe 7 bucks or so. I just work that into the smooth side of the leather and leave it. The more you strop with it, the more it works in to the leather. Every once in awhile I'll add a bit more or even apply mild polishing compounds like for buffing car rims. It doesn't hurt and seems to work just fine.
 
Oh just whatever is easy. I take a rod from a knock off Sharpmaker I bought at an Academy Sports for about 15 or 20 bucks. Its the one I use in my kitchen most of the time. The rod only measures about 3" long so it packs away well but keeps my fingers clear of the edge.

A loaded strop, for me, is literally just an old scrap piece of 6-9oz leather i usually have hanging around between sheath projects. Many will use a slack belt style of strop like you see at a barbershop. However, even just a small piece that is 3x6" will work well enough to polish an edge. Plus then it fits in my pack better.

To load it, I just use polishing compound. The easiest to find for me is the stuff they sell in the rotary tool section at Lowes. It comes in a little tub about the size or a spool of thread and costs maybe 7 bucks or so. I just work that into the smooth side of the leather and leave it. The more you strop with it, the more it works in to the leather. Every once in awhile I'll add a bit more or even apply mild polishing compounds like for buffing car rims. It doesn't hurt and seems to work just fine.

I see a lot of people using, like, 3 or 4 different compounds and mounting rather large pieces of leather on to wood. I dunno... Thoughts on that kind of a thing?? I've been a cook and a bush crafter for quite a while, now. I've always just used a tiny piece of ceramic rod for my pocket knife and a $3 harbor freight tools double sided water stone for everything else, but haven't ever been really happy with my edges... I mean, they all cut though! Haha! Just tryin to get the best I can now, I suppose... Take it to the next level a bit! Also thinking of taking some of my v-edges down to convex edges... Excited!
 
I see a lot of people using, like, 3 or 4 different compounds and mounting rather large pieces of leather on to wood. I dunno... Thoughts on that kind of a thing?? I've been a cook and a bush crafter for quite a while, now. I've always just used a tiny piece of ceramic rod for my pocket knife and a $3 harbor freight tools double sided water stone for everything else, but haven't ever been really happy with my edges... I mean, they all cut though! Haha! Just tryin to get the best I can now, I suppose... Take it to the next level a bit! Also thinking of taking some of my v-edges down to convex edges... Excited!

I've seen slack strops, strops on wood, even strops glued to the tops of mouse pads (who has a mouse pad anymore?). I just find a little piece of leather laying on my thigh has just enough give to polish a workable edge if its not too damaged already.

As for reprofiling, there are tons of good methods by people way smarter than me peppered in the archives. My go-to method to convex with a softer steel blade is to start out with a stone to rough in an edge, then move to stropping on a couple grits of sanding sponge. Then start taping/gluing finer and finer paper down until I get the edge I want.

I usually stop at 600 and just finish up with a loaded strop. Good enough for me, but there are guys that break out the automotive sand paper and take their edges down to 2000 :eek:
 
I use a large 1" ceramic rod with a wooden handle. It does a masterful job on recurved blades.
 
Spyderco Sharpmaker using the point of the triangle or the older vintage crock sticks the Sharpmaker was patterned off of. While I am not the biggest fan of recurves I have owned a few and sharpened them easily with this system. The CRK Neil Roberts, Strider RCC, Zero Tolerance 301
 
Spyderco Sharpmaker using the point of the triangle or the older vintage crock sticks the Sharpmaker was patterned off of. While I am not the biggest fan of recurves I have owned a few and sharpened them easily with this system. The CRK Neil Roberts, Strider RCC, Zero Tolerance 301

You, Sir... Have some nice knives...

Haha!

Thanks!

-T
 
I've seen slack strops, strops on wood, even strops glued to the tops of mouse pads (who has a mouse pad anymore?). I just find a little piece of leather laying on my thigh has just enough give to polish a workable edge if its not too damaged already.

As for reprofiling, there are tons of good methods by people way smarter than me peppered in the archives. My go-to method to convex with a softer steel blade is to start out with a stone to rough in an edge, then move to stropping on a couple grits of sanding sponge. Then start taping/gluing finer and finer paper down until I get the edge I want.

I usually stop at 600 and just finish up with a loaded strop. Good enough for me, but there are guys that break out the automotive sand paper and take their edges down to 2000 :eek:

THANK YOU!!!

I will NEVER go down to 2000!

And that's a promise!

Haha!

;-)
 
(I posted this in your other thread, re: India stones...)

This is a pocket-sized Norton India Fine (about $10 or so), which has become my favorite for occasional touch-ups on the steels I use, such as 1095, CV, 420HC & similar steels. The India is an oil stone, so a light 'sheen' of mineral oil applied for use will keep it cutting well over the long term.

I radiused one edge of this stone, using a coarse SiC stone to do that work (done easily, BTW). That radiused edge is what I use on blades with even some minor recurve, and would work well with any other recurved blade, assuming the steel is responsive to this type of stone.

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If more wear-resistant steels are to be worked, i.e., those with significant vanadium carbide content in particular, I'd suggest using a round or oval diamond rod for recurves on those.
 
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