how do I keep a knife sharp?

[signalman]

All,

I apologize if this has been discussed previously. I received a knife, fork, and spoon combo this past Christmas and in trying it out found the knife to be rather dull. What is the best way to go about sharpening it? Thank you, in advance for your help.


Regards,
Jay Roger

[Old Reb]

I use a whet stone.

[Silas]

You cannot be serious. Look in a Cub Scout handbook.

[signalman]

This was not intended as flame bait. I do however see the error in my question, I was not specific enough. I read previously, on another forum of the use of a wet stone and its lack of effect on a carbon steal blade. Before I attempted the same procedure I thought I would ask for further advice. Thanks again.

Regards,
Jay Roger

[JimKindred]

Jay,

What grade of stone were you using?

[Old Reb]

Jay,
Carbon steel should sharpen if done right and using the proper stone. I prefer and Arkansas soft stone. I found this web site that might help. If it mentions any non period techniques, disregard them, and stick with the basics. Knife sharpening with a whet stone has been around a long time.
www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/sharpen/instruct3.html

[Clark Badgett]

What kind of carbon steel? There are many different kinds. Just as an example, there is cold/hot rolled steel which is technically carbon steel, but the carbon is present in such low percentages that it will not heat treat unless you case harden it. On the flipside, files are made of carbon steel that has so much carbon that they harden to the point of brittleness, drop one on a cement floor and there is a very good chance it will break. Your knife is more than likely somewhere in the middle and it can be easlity sharpened even with a rock if need be. Just remember to check the edge everynow and then as carbon steel knives dull quickly under heavy usage. Personally I consider these type knive to be the perfect utility blades.

[Foggy Bottom Jim]

It's not period, but Spyderco makes a nice Triangle sharp maker which sets the stones up easily into two grooves for the correct angle. Then, it's relatively easy to put a decent edge on a blade by stroking it down both sides of the stones. Just don't take it to an event! I have one of those combo tools too and like it a lot for vittles. For any real cutting, I rely on my period stly pocket barlow.
Hope it helps!
Jim Reynolds
Sykes' Regulars

[signalman]

All,

Thank you for your assistance. I have not actually tried to sharpen the knife as of yet, consequently I have not picked a grade of stone. After reading all your responses and doing a bit of other research I think I will go with the Arkansas soft stone, sharpening by hand.
Mr. Yearby, thank you for posting the link to the knife center website.
Once again thank you.
Regards,
Jay Roger

[Frenchie]

You cannot be serious. Look in a Cub Scout handbook.

Speaking of which, an old Boy Scout trick is to use the unglazed ring on the bottom of a ceramic mug to "dress up" the edge. I know ceramic mugs should be scarce at authentically-oriented events, but ask around, you might find one, and assure the lender that the knife will do no harm to the mug.

Yours, &c.,

Guy "Frenchie" LaFrance

[jdanner723]

I see that this is a very old thread but I recently bought a pocket knife from an "authentic" vendor that I can't sharpen. I've gotten all of the burrs out of it but it seems as though nothing I do will make it sharper. Does anyone have any tips or pointers that I should consider? I realize that it's probably just a matter of the materials from which it was made and probably can't be sharpened. Just wondered if I could do anything else to get a nice sharp blade. I've been using natural Arkansas sharpening stones, rough, medium, and fine. Thank you all.

[GrumpyDave]

A pocket knife should sharpen quite easily if properly constructed. I dont think a table/butter knife is supposed to be sharp.

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

As the World's Worse Knife Sharpener who can dull a blade faster than anyine else in trying to sharpen it...

The problem with softer steel blades lies in that they do not hold an edge when used as long as harder steel blades. Historically, in the old concept of "blister steel" wrought iron was given an M & M candy hard shell by forcing carbon into the surface through a furnace process or a forge hammering process. However, as the blade was sharpened, the abrasion wore through the thin steel shell and into the softer iron core. This required more frequent sharpenings which eventual turned many a kife into a thin "fish filet" knife.
On the other hand, my father's WWII era hunting knife has a "rainbow arc" blade due to his numerous resharpenings.

IMHO...

Two problems with a sharp knife are:

1. The blade is too thick to take a fine edge and never had a sharp edge when new.

or more commonly...

2. the person shaprening the blade cannot create or maintain the proper degree of angle to the cutting edge. Knives for different purposes need different angles. While there are differences of opinions... a kitchen or meat cutting knife should be 15 degrees, a pocket or utility knife 20, and a combat knife 30 degrees (without splitting hairs).

Curt

[Marine Mike]

It depends on a couple of things. Quality of the steel and skill of the sharpner. Some things sold as a knife will never amount to more than a boot scraper as the steel is so poor. Handy for course chores but never for fine work. You may be able to get a fine edge but you will find it wont hold it. The edge may curl if it strikes something. Then there are those that are for fine work and can be abused by course work. The edge will break if it strikes something. There is the attempt to combine both properties where a knife can have the hard steel at the edge and s soft back allowing it to attain a keen edge with some resilience when used in a striking fashion. Rotary lawn mower blades are designed to bend when they hit solid objects in the lawn. Norris hand plane blades may be chipped badly when used by an amateur on poor stock.
Easiest sharpning for beginners are probably the ceramic or crock sticks. They put a quick edge and get most folks in the ball park. Better edges can be obtained by having a collection of stones in soft medium hard Arkansas or Japanese water stones. I've not had good luck with Carborundum stones for a fine edge but do use them for rough shaping and getting a medium edge that I will then get my Arkansas or Japanese water stones to finish. My final stone for best steel is a hard black Arkansas but there are others that are comprable. Your local machine shop is full of folks that know steel and how to shape (sharpen) it and can be a great source for vendors of good stones. Woodcraft is mail order and will have stones and books on sharpening.
I carry two knives, one for scut work as I could never keep an edge on it and the other a nice carbon steel when I need something with a nice surgical edge.

Mike Stein

[ephraim_zook]

As a field expedient only:

When we found the kitchen knives at Fort Delaware to be dull, we simply stroked them on the stone windowsill (the selfsame windowsill seen in the "Picture of the Month" here) to yield a usable edge. You could do the same using a stone in the field.

Ron Myzie

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

In the 18th century, I use a coarse and fine river pebbles to dress up my forged belt knife and belt axe.

However, IMHO, the key is the right "grit," the right "angle," and the right "technique."

I see at my local blackpowder shop that among the Arkansas type wet and dry stones, they also sell versions of the "Lansky" sharpeners which are various grit stones mounted on rods that fit into a jig that holds the blade and the stones at the desired angles.

But, yes, as shared, the "quickie" knife sharpening tools that pass over the edge are a quick way to get a decent edge (IMHO, if there was an edge there to touch up...)

Curt