Sharpening Knives in the Field

[Jesse Jaymes]

Kinda funny....that exact same Spyderco S110 I am bitching about....is 5th from the top on that test.

I do NOT micro bevel. Not really sure what it is or how to do it. Seen many others claim it's their last step.

Didn't really make sense to invest a ton of effort into maintaining the perfect same edge angle to hone and polish only to intentionally F it up with a few passes at a much more acute angle. But then....I am the guy bitching his knives aren't sharp.

I would REALLY like to pay a custom knife maker who is a world class sharpener his hour rate for a few hours of instruction. Would love to be able to free hand a blade into hair popping like many do. Being this deep into the Knife Game you'd expect me to have +15 Sharpening Skill level.

I did buy Josh's MKC Work Sharp mini system and watched his How To video. For many years I never worked to a burr. I have an S30V BugOut that I free handed according to his 7 minute video.

I did get it pretty sharp. I took off a LOT of metal. And looking at the actual edge....it's not terribly even. But it is sharp.

 

[intunegp]

Kinda funny....that exact same Spyderco S110 I am bitching about....is 5th from the top on that test.

I do NOT micro bevel. Not really sure what it is or how to do it. Seen many others claim it's their last step.

Didn't really make sense to invest a ton of effort into maintaining the perfect same edge angle to hone and polish only to intentionally F it up with a few passes at a much more acute angle. But then....I am the guy bitching his knives aren't sharp.

I would REALLY like to pay a custom knife maker who is a world class sharpener his hour rate for a few hours of instruction. Would love to be able to free hand a blade into hair popping like many do. Being this deep into the Knife Game you'd expect me to have +15 Sharpening Skill level.

I did buy Josh's MKC Work Sharp mini system and watched his How To video. For many years I never worked to a burr. I have an S30V BugOut that I free handed according to his 7 minute video.

I did get it pretty sharp. I took off a LOT of metal. And looking at the actual edge....it's not terribly even. But it is sharp.

YouTube University can get you there...freehand sharpening is mostly a game of muscle memory. Someone can show you how it's done but being able to repeat it yourself only comes with practice. Go to Goodwill or some other thrift store and pick up a few of the most decent looking kitchen knives available and use them to practice with. When you get one sharp, dull it on your stones and start over. Check out some YouTube videos to help with theory and technique...I like Neeves Knives and he can get knives as sharp as anyone.

 

[Marbles]

Kinda funny....that exact same Spyderco S110 I am bitching about....is 5th from the top on that test.

I do NOT micro bevel. Not really sure what it is or how to do it. Seen many others claim it's their last step.

Didn't really make sense to invest a ton of effort into maintaining the perfect same edge angle to hone and polish only to intentionally F it up with a few passes at a much more acute angle. But then....I am the guy bitching his knives aren't sharp.

I would REALLY like to pay a custom knife maker who is a world class sharpener his hour rate for a few hours of instruction. Would love to be able to free hand a blade into hair popping like many do. Being this deep into the Knife Game you'd expect me to have +15 Sharpening Skill level.

I did buy Josh's MKC Work Sharp mini system and watched his How To video. For many years I never worked to a burr. I have an S30V BugOut that I free handed according to his 7 minute video.

I did get it pretty sharp. I took off a LOT of metal. And looking at the actual edge....it's not terribly even. But it is sharp.

The micro bevel creates a more durable edge. The thin and polished shoulders reduce friction when cutting (think full flat vs scandi grinds). The change is only a few degrees, it also reduces the amount of metal one needs to remove on the shoulders and speeds things up for a general use knife.

As said above, free hand is about practice so you hold a consistent angle the entire time. Adding a miro bevele means if your angel varies by a degree or two, you can still get a sharp edge. Basically it can be a way to cover up mildly sloppy technique.

A belt sander will create a slight convex edge, which works like a micro bevel.

 

[Marbles]

Kinda funny....that exact same Spyderco S110 I am bitching about....is 5th from the top on that test.

I do NOT micro bevel. Not really sure what it is or how to do it. Seen many others claim it's their last step.

Didn't really make sense to invest a ton of effort into maintaining the perfect same edge angle to hone and polish only to intentionally F it up with a few passes at a much more acute angle. But then....I am the guy bitching his knives aren't sharp.

I would REALLY like to pay a custom knife maker who is a world class sharpener his hour rate for a few hours of instruction. Would love to be able to free hand a blade into hair popping like many do. Being this deep into the Knife Game you'd expect me to have +15 Sharpening Skill level.

I did buy Josh's MKC Work Sharp mini system and watched his How To video. For many years I never worked to a burr. I have an S30V BugOut that I free handed according to his 7 minute video.

I did get it pretty sharp. I took off a LOT of metal. And looking at the actual edge....it's not terribly even. But it is sharp.

Also, tart with forgiving and easy steel. Basic high carbon or 440c. Not needing as many strokes, you will be less likely to mess them up and see better results for practicing.

 

[roosiebull]

Eventually might snag the Worksharp field sharpener but I thought it might work to just take like 800 grit sandpaper instead to save some weight. Is this a dumb idea? Was also considering just bringing one of my diamond plates.


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The meat and fat drying on the blade and no convenient way to clean your blade is the biggest problem for me.

I enjoy sharpening, but I hate sharpening in the field, it’s a pain getting your sharpener fouled up by meat and fat, and better things to do

I decided long ago that for the weight of a functional sharpening system, I would rather bring extra knives and skip the BS

That concept has had me using replaceable blade knives the past many years, with a fixed blade or two as a backup, and even s90v will get too dull breaking down a whole bull

I think I have found the perfect solution though, just got the day six dragonfly and it seems to be the perfect solution

I have the WS guided field sharpener (actually 3 of them) but unless you have a way to clean and dry everything, it’s a pain in the ass to use in the field, and that’s my favorite option for field sharpening

I think rather than finding a light sharpening system, you should figure out a way to not need to sharpen. When meat hits the ground, I don’t want to be doing anything but cutting and packing.

 

[jlw0142]

The meat and fat drying on the blade and no convenient way to clean your blade is the biggest problem for me.

I enjoy sharpening, but I hate sharpening in the field, it’s a pain getting your sharpener fouled up by meat and fat, and better things to do

I decided long ago that for the weight of a functional sharpening system, I would rather bring extra knives and skip the BS

That concept has had me using replaceable blade knives the past many years, with a fixed blade or two as a backup, and even s90v will get too dull breaking down a whole bull

I think I have found the perfect solution though, just got the day six dragonfly and it seems to be the perfect solution

I have the WS guided field sharpener (actually 3 of them) but unless you have a way to clean and dry everything, it’s a pain in the ass to use in the field, and that’s my favorite option for field sharpening

I think rather than finding a light sharpening system, you should figure out a way to not need to sharpen. When meat hits the ground, I don’t want to be doing anything but cutting and packing.

I totally get this. I have a replaceable blade for this exact reason. I may end up doing 1 replaceable blade with 2 extra blades (because it’s so light) and 1 fixed blade in the kill kit and another on my pack strap. Not the lightest option, but diamond plates take weight too.


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