"That snob ain't touch' my knife..."

[The Tourist]

One of the misconceptions I'd like to clear up is my view of tools and alloys. Granted, I like to have good equipment. When it comes to knives and protecting my miserable hide, I want the best. Chefs want the best, too.

But what is forgotten is that I live in Wisconsin. Watch a Packers' game sometime and you'll see as much blaze orange as you do Green n' Gold. Around here deer hunting is a religious holiday. I've seen clients with whitetail tattoos. We have children here who have never eaten meat from a store.

They also need the best, and most can't afford it. In fact, most tinkers I know do pro bono work for subsistance hunters.

A few days ago I needed something out of my wife's SUV glovebox, and I found a "truck knife" I had given her years ago for emergencies. I was astounded to find it still had its original edge. To demonstrate the overall issue discussed here, I decided to sharpen that knife as I would for a Wisconsin deer hunter.

The knife is an older Gerber Gator. While newer models are crafted from 154-CM (the same alloy used in Emerson CQC-7s) my wife's example is probably some form of 420. I hate to use the word 'mundane,' but 420 and its variants are used in a lot of knives produced for under 20 dollars.

In fact, the present Gator model using 154-CM is listed at $29.95, and I can get them for half that price.

My wife's example is a "knife" knife. Nothing more. And the perfect candidate.

While the Gerber now resides in the freezer for the start of its polishing, I took a picture of it as the bevel was trued to a uniform shape. Any spooky sharp edge must be corrected during this initial phase or the remaining work is all up hill.

This knife was as crooked as a warped boomerang. Both sides were not only of differing angles, but the edge near the choil was different from the tip. Obviously an apprentice sharpener was on duty that day. It took over 20 minutes just to block in the correct uniform bevel.

I'll report more as the work developes.

 

[The Tourist]

Re: "That snob ain't touchin' my knife..."

I have just completed the initial polishing with the first finer grade of stone.

During this procedure, many times subtle errors and flaws are more apt to show up. Sure enough, another one did.

This one was a "flat spot" or grinding error about 1/8 inch back on the left side of the tip. While it's more than common on knife at this price point, it stems solely from sloppy work on grind lines. These flat spots show up under reflection from a strong light.

It was corrected by a few light passes on each side while flipping the knife numerous times.

The tip is an important aspect on a knife used to field dress whitetail. This section of the knife is used to make intial cuts. A skilled hunter will only slice to a shallow depth to keep from hitting bones and internal organs. Many older hunters actually use a knife with a two-inch blade.

The knife is in the freezer again. More to come.

 

[Melensdad]

Kind of off topic, but I've got a little Orvis brand knife that my wife gave me several years ago. Its dull as heck. How do I sharpen it?

 

[The Tourist]

Kind of off topic. How do I sharpen it?

Your question is a bullseye on target! This is why I am writing this thread.

Every piece of equipment I own in my sharpening kits (except for the Windex used in cleaning) was purchased on-line from a dealer specializing in waterstones and polishing papers. I even bought that big light on-line.

Additionally, I have no formal training from a Japanese sword polisher, although I use many of his tools.

In other words, you can do the exact same thing!

The knife has now had its finishing polish, and as we say in the trade, it's "toasty," and the edge will cut "twice and twain." Meaning that it acts like a razor and makes smooth, effortless slices in both of the bias' of newsprint.

For a little bit of leisure time, everyone here can have a moderately priced, easily obtainable sports knife for the truck or for hunting. Granted, it might only field dress four or five deer before you need to 'push' a bit. But then, I have had clients report their knives are still cutting.

As you can see by the reflection of the colored paper, we now have a twenty dollar knife with a mirror-finished edge. My wife will easily be able to cook at camp-outs, cut duct tape, trim a split radiator hose, defend herself or open shipping boxes.

 

[Tractors4u]

Wow! Very impressive!

 

[The Tourist]

Here's a licensed copy CRKT version of the Graham Brothers Razel. About fifty bucks. Imagine that, a fool biker and a wet rock...

 

[The Tourist]

You want to scare the piss out of a smug street punk, try a seven-inch CRKT version of the Graham SS5...