Timm

I’ve been using this one for decades: https://www.knifemerchant.com/product.asp?productID=8871&network=g&device=c&keyword=&campaign=353703054&adgroup=pla-42887322744&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5-WRBhCKARIsAAId9FkfnTSE8JZqnwRB2I7T6A0QJoS6kEPSm0BvgO6HLxZ9pFWgvUTyQvkaAnNUEALw_wcB

It’s not what I’d call a “sharpening steel”, but a burnishing (honing?) steel as…[Read more]

Howdy, TC.

The flat-plate follower was what I was in the tutorial for breaking down the 2020 version of the Gen 3. When I saw that my my first thought was to polish that plate like I would a contact surface in a trigger group, then use a high-pressure MoS2 lube for it. I was pleased to see the roller follower on my new vice!

I’ll use some…[Read more]

Thanks, Ed. I’ll try to remember to bring it back to the shop tomorrow and get a good pic. These were something  an old hiking/climbing friend found on clearance  a couple of decades ago, so might be something or not. I’ve sure had a lot of use out of it, anyhow. Want a sandwich with fresh tomato slices for lunch during a long day in the woods, a…[Read more]

I just took my Pro3 vise down for the first time today. I purchased the Pro 3 a couple of weeks ago, have sharpened a LOT of knives since. It was getting gritty and hard to move. It was time.

I followed the tutorial on the previous page, and just thought I’d note that there have been some changes since the 2020 version of this vise.

The main one…[Read more]

Thanks, folks!

TC:  I think I got the mounting technique from you–try to get a line from tip to base level with, and centered on the clamp. I did check it using the Sharpie and it was dead on on the first try.

I’ve seen one picture of your skinners–beautiful work! I want to see more!

I spoke with a couple of friends since you PMed me. One…[Read more]

Here’s what I meant:

With that streak centered for the length of the blade, I feel confident in laying down a flat, uniform bevel. This one came out great.

I just got my Pluggable USB scope today. I can see there’s quite a bit to learn about using it, even with years of technical photography under my belt.

Some notes on stacking images:

There are two thing I’ve used stacking techniques for. One is High Dynamic range, where the shutter speed is changed between the images to render a much greater…[Read more]

Yeah, TC, that sounds like the same way I was taught to use a file for sharpening a tool. I’m trying to wrap my head around how to mount a file to a paddle so the file moves with the teeth at 45-90 degrees to the edge of the bevel, while keeping the file tilted at the proper and consistent angle.

I have some knives that can easily be filed. I…[Read more]

I appear to have been confused about the difference between “honing” and “sharpening”. My apologies!

Not sure if you’re talking about the same thing, but I have a lot of blades I’ve hand-sharpened over the years and inadvertently converted the bevel from a flat one to a complex, faceted, convex one.

My practice, for now, is to select what seems like a good bevel angle for the purpose of the knife, EDC, kitchen, butcher, etc. If I can discover…[Read more]

Has anyone tried mounting a couple of pieces of a single-(first-) cut bastard file to a set of blank paddles? I’ve used a good, sharp single-cut bastard for re-profiling blades and sharpening tools in the past, and used properly, it leaves a very nice edge for little effort.

Got it!

This is a steel, not a sharpening steel.

I’ve seen far too many knives ruined by having the belly of the blade hollowed out with a sharpening steel to use one. Flat stones or nothing for me.

Thanks, TC.

The Marbles is a nice, tiny bowie. It does take a good edge easily (I took to 1K diamond), but of course, it loses it easily too. Lots of touch-up when breaking down a carcass, and I wouldn’t use it for dressing a critter out. The mud and dust in the hair is extremely abrasive for the harder steels. The Gerber Shorty with its 62…[Read more]

I went ahead and added the choil to the heel of the blade, and I’m glad I did:

Finished to 1K diamond. I’ll hit it on my ceramic polishing stone for a few strokes just because.