The *Unofficial* Fiddleback maintenence, care, optimization, and improvement thread!

[xxwjtxx]

Hey All,
I decided to start this thread out of my love for maintaining, optimizing, fixing, and improving my edged tools. As the title states, the intended purpose of this thread is to provide a medium for general discussion pertaining to care, maintenance, and personalized optimization of Fiddleback Forge knives.

Before you read any further…

- This thread is intended for informational purposes; use it, don’t use it, I’m fine either way.

- Neither I (xxwjtxx) nor Fiddleback Forge endorse any of the below stated content; if you screw up your knife attempting to maintain / fix / embellish it, it is on you. Do not post or PM me if you hose up your knife; neither I nor Fiddleback Forge are responsible for any damage you incur to your knife / knives from performing the below stated steps incorrectly … If you are unsure of your abilities in maintaining a >$300 edged tool, practice on a beater… you will thank me

- Some of the below stated methods may void or affect your Fiddleback Forge warranty! If you are unsure if what you are about to do might have negative consequences on the performance / integrity / value (or resale value), post in the thread and we will try to find out. NOTE – USE THE SEARCH FUNCTION PRIOR TO POSTING A “…will ***** void my warranty?” question!!!

- Know your limits; be careful attempting to follow any of the below stated advice. If you are uncomfortable with the idea of scratching / tarnishing / unintendedly modifying or damaging your Fiddleback Forge knife, stop reading now and do not attempt any of the below stated practices

- Your mileage may vary; the proposed fixes and information are being presented subjectively (and on the internet mind you); take it with a grain of salt – if you do not believe that the proposed methods will work for your issue, do not attempt them.

- If you mod a knife and later decide to sell it, disclose said information. Not doing so is poor form and could lead to a negative forum reputation for selling modded knives without disclosure.


Above all else, have fun with the below information! If you feel that it is worthwhile and wish to contribute further, then please by all means do so! All that I ask is that if you post a process or method; please ensure that is not hypothetical supposition; i.e. if you post a recommendation, make sure that you take pictures of yourself doing it to your own knife when posting!

Remember, this is a community forum and while you may have not started this thread, feel free to contribute / post as you see fit. All of the information contained herein is simply based on my own experience. As they say, if you have a suggestion for "improving the foxhole" then by all means please feel free to pipe up and do so!

With that said, cheers & I hope that something is learned from both my own and the community’s contributions to this thread :thumbup:

 

[xxwjtxx]

Pt.1 Required Supplies

From Left to Right: 320/600/800/1200/2000 sandpaper, neoprene mouse pads, strops, masking tape, sharpee, USP mineral oil, USP 90% isopropyl rubbing alcohol, metal polish, green/grey/white scotchbrite pads, magnetic angle gauge.

========================================
Sandpaper: If you choose to sharpen your convex grind Fiddlebacks, one recommended method is to use the sandpaper + mousepad / strop method (more on this later); I would recommend purchasing high quality wet/dry sand paper in grits ranging from 320 up to 2000 (again, more on this later). Additionally, sandpaper (used sparingly) can really come in handy when maintaining both natural and synthetic scales (yup, more on this later).

Neoprene mouse pads: They actually do still make these! They are required if you will be maintaining your convex edge using the mouse pad + sand paper method commonly referenced.

Strops: God I love strops. A LOT can be accomplished with a strop; depending on compound used, you can do everything from cleaning up and edge, to final edge polishing, to even removing patina. Invest in / create / build a strop and it will pay for itself 1000 fold! A word of caution, learn to use said strop; failing to do so can actually dull your blade as opposed to helping you reach a razor edge. Be sure to obtain several different compounds to provide the widest range of versatility for your stropping.

Masking tape: You will find about 1,000,000 uses for masking tape during your care / maintenance refinishing activities. Whether its being used to protect exposed steel, cover a sharp edge, or to isolate a cosmetic fix, quality masking tape (in multiple widths) is an absolutely invaluable tool!

Sharpee marker: Another indispensable tool used in the sharpening / stropping process! By running a sharpee along the edge of your blade before hand sharpening / stropping, you can be sure that on your initial contact with the sharpening media, that you are utilizing the correct angle. The same principle also applies to use with sharpening devices such as the WEPS, SharpMaker, etc.

USP Mineral Oil: Found in the laxative aisle of your local pharmacy . AMAZING stuff for about $2 per pint; can be used to protect / replenish scales, protect blades, use for long term storage, etc. Food safe, colorless, odorless, and readily available, it is a must have if you have 01 steel knives and/or naturally scaled knives. Mineral oil will also restore color and sheen to synthetic materials as well!

Rubbing Alcohol: Another excellent $2 purchase from your local pharmacy! I prefer >70% USP as it can effectively remove dye transfer from sheathes on synthetic and natural scales. Alcohol will also raise the grain of some woods, which is a necessary step when refinishing a natural handle scale. It can also be effectively used to remove sap and other “trail gunk” from a working blade, and for pre-op sterilization when performing trailside surgery with your favorite Fiddleback! (jk jk )

Metal Polish: I like Mothers, although Simichrome (and other similar polishes) will do an outstanding job of removing patina from 01 / A2 blades (will be covered later). This is the fastest & safest way to remove oxidization without leaving any abrasions or scratches on your steel!

Scotchbrite pads: Essential for use in refinishing both natural and synthetic handles. I would recommend obtaining green, grey, and white pads, in order to have several levels of abrasiveness at your disposal!

#0000 Steel Wool (not pictured): Essential for use in final refinishing of natural handles; can also be used to gently remove heavy oxidization and pitting with the grain of the grind lines on 01 & A2 steel

Magnetic angle gauge: A helpful tool when sharpening using a device such as a Wicked Edge Pro Sharp (WEPS) or Spyderco SharpMaker as to ensure evenness in the application of bevels / micro-bevels.

========================================

Other items may be added as needed, however all of the above stated should pretty much be widely available / easily sourced both CONUS and OCONUS.

 

[xxwjtxx]

Pt.2: Cleaning up your 01 and A2 blades

Sometimes non-stainless Fiddlebacks just get dirty! Fortunately, removal or patina / oxidization is a relatively straight forward process that simply takes a little time, patience, and elbow grease! In order to effectively remove a natural (not a forced mustard / onion / garlic patina -- this is an entirely different animal, and cannot be remediated without substantial work) all that you need to do is:

“Patina removal 101”

1. Clean the knife under the faucet, using a simple dish detergent, such as Dawn

2. Thoroughly dry the knife

3. Using your off-the-shelf, polish (simichrome, mothers, etc.), apply a dab of polish to the blade and spread thinly and evenly

4. Fold a thick shop towel and lay the knife on the towel (this prevents the knife from sliding / moving on the table when applying some pressure at 45deg)

5. Fold a piece of paper towel 6-8 times; you should wind up with a hard, stiff, wad of paper towel about half the length of a crayon

6. Using the wad of paper towel, starting down by the heel of the blade at the edge of the spine, press firmly with the paper towel wad from spine to edge (following the grind lines)

7. Repeat in a unidirectional manner up the blade, removing patina along the way. At times, more polish may need to be applied

8.If you have particularly heavy oxidization, light rust, or light pitting, grab a wad of #0000 steel wool, and proceed to repeat steps 6 and 7 using the steel wool; being careful not to apply too much pressue (as you risk slightly affecting the blade’s satin / 120grit finish)

9. Once the primary bulk of the patina has been removed, buff parallel to the spine (bi-directionally) wth a thick shop towel

10. Re apply more polish and using firm strokes buff away with your thick shop towel; at this point, the majority of the patina should be removed. You can spot clean as needed, and proceed to repeat these steps on the other side of the blade as well as the spine, pommel, etc.

11. Once all patina has been removed, re-wash the knife to remove all traces of polish (that stuff is toxic!) and dry the blade thoroughly

12. Apply a thin layer of USP mineral oil to both the blade and scales, and then proceed to buff / rub away with a fresh shop towel

13. Stand back and admire your work!

Dealing with heavier patina using a strop
Strops have the ability to both polish and lightly abrade (“cut”) metal at a microscopic level. In some instances, if oxidization has built up over time and use, a strop can be used to remove patina. In pursuing this method, note that if not done carefully, you can cut too deep (with too much pressure or using the wrong compound) and affect your blade’s 120grit satin finish. I would recommend using either a “green” or “red/pink” compound to minimize the risk of “cutting” too deep, while still effectively removing patina (at the expense of a bit more time & elbow grease). So, if you have failed at using the “101” method, you can strop away patina by:

1. Brace one end of the strop against a stable surface. You will be applying light force, stroking awayfrom your body, in a perpendicular manner; bracing the strop ensures that it will not move then you are stropping away the patina, will not unevenly / unintendedly polish other parts of the blade, and will ensure that you do not blend / affect the appearance of the grind lines.

2. Lay the oxidized convex ground portion of the blade flat on the strop (much like sharpening a scandi / FFG blade); the edge should be facing you and the spine away from you

3. With your thumbs on the side of the blade (behind the edge), strop the knife in a flat, linear manner, away from you on the strop (I’ll have pics up of this shortly). Repeat until the patina is removed in the intended area. Note that your stroke path will be limited by the width of your strop, so you may need to do one section at a time for a larger blade. Also, always be sure to start with the lighter compound, before moving to a darker (heavier compound), as this will minimize the risk of using an unnecessarily abrasive compound to remove basic patina. Also, be sure to keep even pressure on the blade when stropping in this manner; failure to do so is both dangerous and will yield less than satisfactory results.

4. Once complete, return to the “101” process and finish all steps

BF Steel FAQ:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/368828-Steel-FAQ

 

[xxwjtxx]

Pt. 3: Handle and scale maintenance:

Like the steel used in your knife, occasionally, the handle scales require additional care after extended use, exposure to extreme environmental changes, or when the occasional accident happens (dye stain, dropped knife, etc.) during day to day use.

With that said, general handle care is pretty straight forward, and can be broken down into two basic categories; maintenance and refinishing. In maintenance, the goal is to preserve the handle material (usually a factor for natural materials) or to restore luster / color (both natural and synthetic). When we talk about refinishing (in the context of this post) we are talking about using mild mechanical friction or an abrasive to remove a microscopic layer off of the surface of material off of the scale to expose fresh material and/or to remove a cosmetic imperfection.

Maintenance

Maintenance for Fiddleback knife scales is relatively straight forward; whether the scales are natural or synthetic, most folks recommend soaking the entire handle in USP mineral oil for >15 min, then simply wiping away the excess. If you live in an arid environment or the knife continually sees harsh outdoor use, you may want to look into doing this semi-regularly as to ensure continued protection of your scales. It should be noted that application of mineral oil will add both color and shine to all handle scales; the only caveats to this is that mineral oil will semi-permanently darken some handle materials; it will also leave behind a bit of a slippery build up that may impact grip during hard use… beyond that, it is pretty much awesome stuff that will make even the most well used scales come back to life! I have also had excellent experience with 100% Tung oil (Hope’s brand), however, at $12 per pint tung oil is far less economical than mineral oil.

Regarding dye transfer (from sheathes), this is easily remedied through the targeted application of USP 90% Isopropyl rubbing alcohol, and some vigorous scrubbing with a terrycloth washcloth. If you are noticing dye transfer on you scales, simply wet an area of a washcloth with rubbing alcohol, and using your index finger, vigorously scrub the dye transfer stain with the cloth – 90% of the time, the dye will transfer from the scale to the cloth. On rare occasions, abrasives must be used to fix stubborn stains. Of note, this is a fact of life with most knives in sheathes; if you have a knife with non-hardwood, ivory micarta, or burlap scales, be prepared that you may have to deal with dye transfer issues coming from sheathes if the knife/sheath combo is exposed to humidity or moisture. The vast majority of the time, these issues can be remedied with the above method, however, in some instances, you may need to explore the below steps to remediate deep staining.

Refinishing

If you find that your scales are in need of major repair or have incurred major staining / dye transfer, you may need to look into refinishing your scales using an abrasive media to remove the surface layer of the scale in order to remediate any cosmetic flaws. Refinishing can also breathe new life into the “looks” of your natural handle scales, since most natural materials will darken with age and use. With that being said, natural scale maintenance can be accomplished through the following steps:

1. Tape the blade, tape the exposed tang (you'll do this twice; once each side you sand); you don’t want to accidentally scratch any exposed steel!

2. Inventory your sandpaper / scotchbrite collection and make a decision; what are you trying to fix / how bad is the cosmetic blemish you are trying to resolve? Some might be inclined to grab a lower grit in order to more quickly remove a blemish, but I would recommend exercising caution in that lower grits may cut deeper than you intend and you might wind up in a situation where you are doing more harm than good. With that said, for 99% of your applications, you will be perfectly fine using 1200~200 grit sandpaper and/or grey + white scotchbrite pads.

3. Using your high grit finishing paper (or scotchbrite pad), sand in one direction from pommel to heel or heel to pommel. Use light strokes, and check your progress frequently. The light surface staining should be removed with relative ease.

4. After this is done, you can go up a few more grits to finish the scales and or you can simply repeat the process using #0000 steel wool as a final finish.
Once complete, oil and wipe down; you should be good to go!

BF Handle material info thread:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...t-handle-material-G10-micarta-or-carbon-fiber

 

[xxwjtxx]

Pt. 4: Sharpening & edge maintenance

Before you proceed, recommended reading!

(BF Maintenance, tinkering & embellishment forum) http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/794-Maintenance-Tinkering-amp-Embellishment

(BF Microbevels FAQ) http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/634739-Microbevels

(BF Stropping technique FAQ) http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/750008-Stropping-angle-plus-pressure

("Sharpening Made Easy", by: Steve Bottorff) http://sharpeningmadeeasy.com/knives1a.htm

("Knife Maintenance & Sharpening", by: Chad Ward) http://forums.egullet.org/topic/26036-knife-maintenance-and-sharpening/

Recommended Viewing

>>> Jump to post #18-22 for videos!! (scroll down): Note that with the exception of the Fletcher Knives videos, this is where you will need the previously mentioned mosepad and sandpaper! While this is probably the cheapest and most rewarding method of hand sharpening, we will cover other sharpening methods later in this post.


My stance on sharpening (on a whole)

Seeing that sharpening is a highly personal and subjective matter, I'd prefer to make some recommendations about how to make the most of your sharpening activities specifically as they apply to your Fiddleback forge knives! With that said, first some things to take into consideration:

1. Fiddleback Forge knives are sharpened by hand, in house; AFIK, no information has been published (from FBF) regarding specific angles, etc

2. All Fiddleback Forge knives ship with either a convex ground microbevel or scandi grind

3. Both of the abovestated grinds are extremely easy to maintain, albeit require different techniques to do so

4. Sharpening can be both fun and easy, but practice makes perfect; improper sharpening technique can both dull and/or damage your edge

5. Learn what works for you and also align your sharpening methods with what your knife / edged tool goals are! Understand how bevel angle, bevel width, and edge type affect your knife's performance and cutting characteristics.

Hand Sharpening

IMO Hand sharpening & stropping is both a highly worthwhile and highly rewarding knife maintenance skillset to learn. Coming from the minimalist point of view, you can accomplish a lot with very little and with little to no supply cost. The only real challenges with hand sharpening is variability of bevel angle, poor technique, and the susceptibility of scratching one’s blade (which, if your knife is a tool / user, should be no big deal). With that said, most of what one needs to learn about hand sharpening using both strops and the “sandpaper” method, can be learned in the below videos in posts 18-22. Beyond that, I can try to add a few nuggets of my own wisdom FWIW …

1. When you sharpen or strop, the very first thing you should focus on is relaxing. If you are tense, nervous, unsure of what you are doing, etc., STOP. Put the knife down, take a deep breath, walk away, open a beer (optional), enjoy said beer (also optional), return to sharpening station, try again. If you are tense or preoccupied, you could ruin your edge, dull your blade, unevenly set an edge, cut yourself, etc… It’s bad mojo. Stropping and sharpening should be a “zen” like experience and the more calm and focused you are, the better the finished product will be!

2. Go slow and apply even pressure at the correct angle! Too hard / too high of an angle, you wind up with a dull knife; too light / too low of an angle… you guessed it, dull knife. Use your sharpee marker to determine the proper stroke path on the strop / sharpening media and apply slightly firm, even pressure, using smooth and consistent strokes. If you are doing everything correctly, the sharpee marker applied to the edge should be uniformly removed and you should be seeing a nice bright edge in place of it!

3. Practice, practice, practice. I would recommend starting with an old kitchen knife or beater knife to get your technique down. Once you can confidently hand sharpen and strop said “test” knife, graduate on to your Fiddlebacks!

4. If you have techniques or alternate methods (beyond the sandpaper / strop method), please feel free to share. I know some folks prefer Arkansas stones, Japanese wet stones, diamond lapping plates, etc… these are many effective ways to sharpen a convex blade; I am just presenting one method.

** A note about Scandi ground blades**
Scandis are sharpened a bit differently, albeit using a similar principle. Unlike the convex method outlined in the KSF, Turley, and Fletcher videos, scandi blades are sharpened a bit differently! If you want to sharpen your scandi Fiddleback, fear not! They are exceptionally easy to sharpen freehand and simply require that you lay the wide bevel flat to the sharpening media (or strop), press the bevel tlat to the media and work the whole edge (in one direction) until a burr is formed; when said burr is formed, simply flip the knife over and repeat! The goal is to remove metal from the entire width of the bevel to preserve the original grind angle, while removing just enough material to create a fresh burr.


Device Augmented Sharpening

Using the Spyderco SharpMaker:
Although it is difficult to estimate the factory bevel angles on Fiddlebacks (given they are hand sharpened), the Spyderco Sharpmaker really only gives us one option to maintain microbevels (unless one is willing to manipulate the blade angle while honing on the SharpMaker); a 30deg primary bevel, with a 40deg secondary bevel. This equates to a 15dps cutting edge (primary) with a 20dps secondary bevel; while this should be almost certainly fine for EDC, a 15dps primary might be a little thin for hard use, however YMMV.

With that said, the quickest way to proceed with maintaining a microbevel on the SharpMaker is as follows:

1. Using the coarsest stones included in your SharpMaker kit, begin sharpening in the 30deg slots on the angled side of the triangular stone. While the number of strokes may differ from blade to blade, the important point to note is to stroke smoothly and evenly down the stone and not to let the tip slide off of the stone (this will dull the tip). Generally speaking, 10-20 strokes should do the trick to set the initial edge (primary bevel / cutting edge); this may be quicker if you are using the Spyderco diamond rods for the SharpMaker.

2. Proceed to the flat side of your initial stone, and continue on through the remainder of your kit’s stones; starting on the angled side, and finishing on the flat side.

3. After reaching the last stone (finest), move the sharpening rods out to the 40deg slots to set the secondary bevel. Using your finest stones, make 10 x light passes on each side to set the secondary bevel.

4. Optionally, you can strop as needed once complete to polish the primary bevel or to blend the primary / secondary into a full convex.

 

[xxwjtxx]

Using the Wicked Edge / Wicked Edge Pro Sharpening (WEPS)


WEPS FAQ: http://www.wickededgeusa.com/category/faqs/
WEPS Wiki: http://www.wickededgeusa.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
WEPS Instructions: http://www.wickededgeusa.com/instructions/
WEPS videos (SUPER helpful): http://www.wickededgeusa.com/videos/


If you absolutely, positively need to re-do an edge (whether from hard use, or the inherent need for light-saber-esque sharpness), then the Wicked Edge Pro Sharpening system is the end all, be all solution for your needs. While my stance on this particular piece of hardware may be a bit subjective and personally biased, I believe in this tool, and can personally vouch that it is capable of putting some imply INSANE (we're talking ludicrous sharp) edges on knives. As an aside, the WEPS makes FAST work of 01, so your average WEPS sharpening session (end-to-end) on a fiddleback should be somewhere in the 20-30min range.


While there are many many many ways to sharpen on a WEPS, and a bevy of different edge types that can be achieved, I am preferential to creating a compound bevel (i.e. microbevel), then stropping both using the WEPS and by hand to achieve a full convex (i.e. bullet shaped) edge. I have also successfully experimented with V-edges (i.e. a micro-scandi), IMO convex will hold up best to hard use over time and will retain proper geometry through field sharpening and ad-hoc maintenance sharpening. Below you will find the method to achieve both the micro-scandi / V-edge as well as a compound bevel and full convex, seeing that the (sequential) process can be stopped at any time to achieve the desired edge. So... on to sharpening.


1. Tape the spine of your knife and affix into the WEPS clamp / vice. Note, that I use the lower clamp guides for 95% of fiddlebacks; the top guides should be reserved for very small blades (i.e. carver, 2FK, etc.)


2. Properly tighten the vice. Use a bubble level to confirm that the knife is level in the clamp


3. Attempt to set your angles! Using the individual angle guides, set your target degrees per side (dps). Note that for the intended purpose of this guide, I will recommend no less than 20dps for a hard-use field knife and no less than 18dps for an EDC that may see occasional hard use. This has nothing to do with Andy's HT, 01 steel, etc; this is simply a "safe" lower control limit for my recommendation… At the end of the day, its your own knife; do as you wish, but if you roll edges or chip because you insisted on putting <18dps edge on a user, then be prepared to lose some steel (by way of a re-profile) in what will be a frustrating lesson to learn . Anyways…. set the intended dps on each side. Now using your finest set of stones, gently place the stone on the edge of the blade, and affix your magnetic angle gauge to the stone. Most of the time, you will find that the WEPS guides are off 1-2 degrees per side, so this is a worthwhile exercise…. Adjust the angle guides on your WEPS to accommodate the correct target angle using the gauge. The WEPS website covers this process here (http://www.wickededgeusa.com/how-to-find-your-angle/)


4. Once the correct angle is set, run your sharpee marker along the edge; you should see that both bevels on either side of the blade are covered. Now, using your finest grit stone make a single unidirectional pass (heel to tip) on each side and observe where / how the sharpee was removed. This process is called "finding the sweet spot; depending on the blade shape / profile, you will be looking for a uniform pattern of marker removal on both sides (again, the WEPS website covers this topic here: http://www.wickededgeusa.com/finding-the-sweet-spot-positioning-your-knife-from-front-to-back/).


5. With your sweet spot identified, all necessary pitch and angle adjustments made, and a fresh coating of sharpee applied to your edge, you are ready to begin sharpening!


**Now, YMMV here, but I will share with you my own personal preferred method; which deviates a bit with the traditional WEPS school of thought.**


6. In lieu of using the typical WEPS "scrubbing" method to set a burr, I prefer instead to make unidirectional strokes from heel to tip, 10 x strokes per side, alternating one side at a time, until the initial burr is achieved. While this might be a bit slower, the aforementioned "scrubbing" method runs the risk of creating an uneven bevel down by the heel and also unevenly removing steel in certain areas of the edge. Using the unidirectional method, unintended steel removal is greatly mitigated, and you will also have a nice and uniform grain on your rough edge, which will later polish perfectly! I recommend performing this step using the 400 grit stone. Unless you are doing a heavy re-profile or truly wish to remove some steel, the 100-200 stones are unnecessary, seeing that 01 is relatively easy to work.


5. Once the initial burr is set on your lowest grit, take 5-10 more passes to even things out, and proceed up through your highest grit stone. For each grit, strive for 15-20 strokes per side; being sure to apply uniform and even pressure on the stones. Take your time, check your bevel often, periodically re-check your angle gauge, tighten your angle guide nuts, and reapply the sharpee marker each time prior to switching stones.


6. Once you have reached your 1k (1000 grit) stones, stop. At this point, you should have a decently polished working edge that is super sharp and semi-toothy. The current edge profile is a V-edge (micro-scandi). If you wish to add a secondary microbevel or proceed on to full convexing, read on.


7. In order to add a microbevel, you will simply need to re-adjust your guide rods out +2 degrees per side; i.e. if you started with 20dps, move out to 22dps. Use your angle gauge to confirm, and lock in your guide rods. Re-apply your sharpee.


8. Using your 1k (1000 grit) stones, make no more than 10 light passes on each side; this is in effect setting your secondary bevel! Once complete, stop. At this point, you should have a decently polished, compound / microbevel that is super sharp and semi-toothy and similar to what you would receive from Fiddleback Forge. If you wish to fully convex, read on…


9. In order to begin transitioning to a full convex, prepare for a bit of work, in that we are now going to blend the primary and secondary bevel into a tear drop shaped edge. You can start by using your WEPS strops; performing 20-25 strokes per side using the 5 and 2.5 paste.


10. Once complete, remove the knife from the WEPS, remove all tape, clean, and wipe down; now on to some serious stropping! Like Nathan (Thurin), I like StropMan brand strops and really enjoy their "4-stroke" design. This strop design allows me to leverage four different stropping compounds on a single strop; black (cut/coarse), white (semi-cut), green (light cut + polish), and pink (high polish). While this particular type of strop is not required, you will still (ideally) want to take advantage of all four types of stropping media for best results.


11. With that said, the goal is 30-40 passes, per compound color, per side… so we're talking about 160 or so passes to make some progress. I would recommend using the same stropping technique outlines in the below KSF videos, and to simply take your time, and focus on getting the edge right. Note that you will not fully convex in one sitting; but the work that you are doing will ensure a nice, tear drop shaped edge over time.If everything went as planned, you will end up with something like this at the end of all of your hard work :thumbup:

 

[VANCE]

Important to note
- Some of the below stated methods may void or affect your Fiddleback Forge warranty! If you are unsure if what you are about to do might have negative consequences on the performance / integrity / value (or resale value), post in the thread and we will try to find out. NOTE &#8211; USE THE SEARCH FUNCTION PRIOR TO POSTING A &#8220;&#8230;will ***** void my warranty?&#8221; question!!!

 

[xxwjtxx]

Important to note
- Some of the below stated methods may void or affect your Fiddleback Forge warranty! If you are unsure if what you are about to do might have negative consequences on the performance / integrity / value (or resale value), post in the thread and we will try to find out. NOTE &#8211; USE THE SEARCH FUNCTION PRIOR TO POSTING A &#8220;&#8230;will ***** void my warranty?&#8221; question!!!

DOUBLE BUMP -- I cannot stress this enough; thanks Vance!!!

 

[thurin]

Patiently waiting, although the NB Trippel makes everything right in my world.

 

[xxwjtxx]

Got a delayed start today; best laid plans never go as expected

...although the NB Trippel makes everything right in my world.

Amen to that brother!

 

[xxwjtxx]

little bump for the evening; more info & pics tomorrow!

Also, please feel free to contribute to this thread as it continues to build out. I have a lot of material & content ready to go, but am a bit waylaid with family duties right now.

 

[Fiddleback]

When stropping away a heavy patina, one thing to help the process is to build yourself a special strop for this purpose. This strop should have much more 'give' than your sharpening strop and should not be used for sharpening. Two ways I've done it:

1. Two layers of lamb skin glued to wood. Lamb skin leather is very soft. Two layers of it glued to wood have a lot of give and will form to the convex better. Over time the leather will compress and harden and will need to be peeled off and re-applied.
2. One thin layer of cowhide over a mousepad over wood. Again, this provides some give and will allow the leather to form to the convex bevel more evenly. This usually lasts longer. 4 oz cowhide is what I've used.

Use a heavier compound on these, and be sure not to use them to remove the sharpening burr. These are soft and will likely roll and dull the edge if used to sharpen. Remember that once they get all compound dirty, they will look very similar to your other strops, so mark them.

 

[xxwjtxx]

Awesome input Andy -- thanks a ton for this!!

 

[thurin]

Great info here Will. Your supply lists looks pretty close to mine, although there are a couple things I know I'm missing. I believe we have the same 4Stroke strop.

Pt1 Cleanup Up looks great! I have used the "101" method with Flitz as my polish to maintain my blades that I want to keep clean. That's how my Hunter keeps its mirrored finish even though it's used in the kitchen all the time. I haven't had to go as far as the strop to get a patina off yet (I emphasize yet).

Thanks for spending all the time on putting these together. Greatly appreciated! Looking forward to the rest of them.

 

[swonut]

Held for storage and long term preservation (I'll edit it later):

1. Andy likes Mineral Oil -two bucks at the Walmart Pharmacy
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1249887-Care-of-Fiddleback-wooden-scales
Andy says: "I use mineral oil on the blade and handle. Yes, the laxative at the drugstore. It never goes rancid, and it is food safe. Slather knife and blade heavily. Leave it on a paper towel overnight, wipe thoroughly in the morning with a rag. While your hands are still a little greasy, but not too heavy, pick up the sheath and rub the sheath with your hands. Good stuff."

2. What about Ren wax?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_Wax

3. Bowling Ball Wax is cheaper...but does it work?

4. Leather Sheaths:
Most, if not all, say don't store your knife in the leather sheath. Now, having said that, many of us do store it in the sheath. If you go this route, make sure the leather is dry. There are basically two types of leather, vegetable tanned and chrome tanned. They all use chemicals and the quality varies. Perhaps a good rule is if you plan to not use it in over a week, then you probably need to store them seperately.

5. Zerust aka... Volatile (Vapor) Corrosion Inhibitors
You can also google "VCI paper and packaging" and you will get a list of suppliers and methods. I used to be in the Navy and all our parts were shipped and stored with VCI paper, coatings or mylar bags. I'm a big fan and haven't seen any downsides, but I do wonder if anything white would yellow over time.

5.1 Guy who did coupon test on steels and rust prevention (semi-scientific analysis of lots of lube/oil/preservation materials):

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1057567-a-not-so-little-rust-prevention-test-round-2?

6. Froglube- seems to be the hottest, newest thing these days

7. Plastics, cloths, dyes, sunshine:

Plastics off gas, and over time, you knife may develop a waxlike coating. Cloth often has treatments that may affect the knife. Green felt has been known to taint many knives with the coloring. If it were me, I'd use a natural cotton cloth to wrap it and then put it in a VCI space.

 

[xxwjtxx]

little bump; thanks for the great community feedback & participation thus far -- pics & info being continually added! :thumbup:

 

[KG4ULR]

Thanx for all the useful information. This should become a "Sticky" for all to see.

 

[xxwjtxx]

A fantastic series of sharpening videos courtesy of Knives Ship Free (these are HIGHLY recommended; also be sure to check out KSF for all of your essential sharpening supplies!)

(1/4)

[video=youtube_share;tLjBF7klRYY]http://youtu.be/tLjBF7klRYY[/video]

[video=youtube_share;3iMvxDDlyyA]http://youtu.be/3iMvxDDlyyA[/video]

[video=youtube_share;uiuY4dk59dc]http://youtu.be/uiuY4dk59dc[/video]

 

[xxwjtxx]

A fantastic series of sharpening videos courtesy of Knives Ship Free (these are HIGHLY recommended; also be sure to check out KSF for all of your essential sharpening supplies!)

(2/4)

[video=youtube_share;nnkl1BRRrSQ]http://youtu.be/nnkl1BRRrSQ[/video]

[video=youtube_share;NR4dSkH2wwc]http://youtu.be/NR4dSkH2wwc[/video]

[video=youtube_share;h50One5hbl8]http://youtu.be/h50One5hbl8[/video]

 

[xxwjtxx]

A fantastic series of sharpening videos courtesy of Knives Ship Free (these are HIGHLY recommended; also be sure to check out KSF for all of your essential sharpening supplies!)

(3/4)

[video=youtube_share;dGMQ7YrzSoI]http://youtu.be/dGMQ7YrzSoI[/video]

[video=youtube_share;YxXz92vvUWY]http://youtu.be/YxXz92vvUWY[/video]

[video=youtube_share;1edFHfDv7nQ]http://youtu.be/1edFHfDv7nQ[/video]