All you need to enter ICC #4 are a couple of shots of your traditional with your sharpening gear, a helpful hint or two, and a picture of the results of a sharpness 'test'. See my example post above. You can do it!
Loewen, lion, that's me ! Gotta have one !I already have some SimbaTec stuff and a nice damascus Lionsteel. Bonus pic !
I sharpen freehand. All I can say is practise, more practise, and still more practise. It´s taken me years to get it right.
I sharpen freehand. All I can say is practise, more practise, and still more practise. It´s taken me years to get it right. Oh and I´m not entering the ICC but will see if I can do the pics anyway.
day 22(Image removed from quote.) Happy MTo anniversary!
ICC #4 Sharpening challenge One trick I learned is to useca piece of hardwood to debut the edge. You just draw the blade through the wood a couple of times when you are almost done.
And now on to ICC #4: The Sharpening Challenge.I think most of us have a similar way of sharpening--take bit of metal off the edge to get a new keener edge. But we each have our own techniques and secrets. So, to enter this challenge, you must 1) post a photo revealing the secret of your razor edges, and 2) post a photo demonstrating the sharpness of your edges. This photo must clearly demonstrate that your knife is sharp! For safety's sake, do not attempt a photo of your knife shaving hair. (Although I do test my knives by shaving my limbs, much to Mrs Nix's displeasure.) My preferred testing method is a clean paper slice. And slicing into a previous slice really demonstrates a knife's sharpness. If I can cut my cut, I feel my knife is sharp enough. Please, also state that you are entering ICC #4 in your post so I know. ICC #4 will start...right now. A winner, drawn at random from the list of accepted entries, will be chosen on the 27th. This gives you guys a few days to break out the stones and touch up the edge on the traditional you've been using all challenge long. (And given Fuzzy's difficulty with cheese, I suspect that he for one will need to figure out how to sharpen a knife....) A challenge needs a prize. For this challenge I'm putting up a NIB Spyderco UK Pen Knife:(Image removed from quote.)This is a fantastic take on the Traditional slip joint, but conceived in a modern way. This really is a beautifully designed and executed pocket knife. There is a crisp half-stop and the 'walk and talk' is lovely. When the blade is fully deployed, the index finger works to 'lock' the knife open. A nice safety feature when getting aggressive with cutting. (Image removed from quote.)stock 'net photoThe steel used in the blade is interesting: CTS BD1N. I don't have any experience with BD1N, but I do like CTS-BD1. The addition of nitrogen (the 'N', here.) is meant to make it a bit harder and more corrosion resistant. This means better edge retention, but you'll need some sharpening skills...... (Image removed from quote.)In case my rules have been written in my usual confusing manner, I'm going to use my Day: 22 entry as an example of an entry post:I usually use wet stones or an Arkansas stone to keep my blades keen. One of the most effective finishing stones I have found is a 'Garnet Stone'. This is a fine stone with small bit of garnet stones in it. As the knife is worked over the stone with a little water, a fine slurry forms, polishing the edge. This stone is a finishing stone. For more serious edge work, I'll start with a 300-1000 grit water stone or diamond stone and go to town on the edge. In this shot there is some residual slurry visible on the edge of the Soddie:(Image removed from quote.)The damp paper towel is there to keep the stone from slipping around. Between sharpenings and after each sharpening I use a strop to really clean and polish that edge. I know that over-stropping can dull an edge, but I find that stropping smooths any residual burrs. When shaving with a straight razor, I find that stropping makes a big difference to how the blade feels on my face.(Image removed from quote.)One last 'secret'. I've posted this photo before, but I'll do so again for this sample entry. Sometimes I find Im having a bit of trouble finding my edge when sharpening freehand. If that's the case, I'll paint my edge and part of the blade with a Sharpie marker. This lets me see where exactly I'm cutting steel. This seems to help me re-orient myself to getting the best angle for a particular knife. (Image removed from quote.)My sharpness test: (Image removed from quote.)You can see nice long slices, into other slices. The thin curly slices are a sure sign of sharpness. Success! OK, there's ICC #4 and my Day 22 entry. I hope I, and awl of us, can learn something from each other about sharpening with this little challenge. Even if you don't want to win the UK Pen Knife, please share your sharpening techniques and secrets with the other traditionalists--we have a duty to keep the tradition of a sharp traditional keen!
I'll catch a plane. What times are ya serving.
Nice one Antti How old is your Opinel if I may ask?
ICC #4: The Sharpening ChallengeI currently use a Lansky Controlled Angle Sharpening System with 3 stones.It sharpened Soddy excellently I like it!I'm sorry but cannot do the sharpness test any better with one and a bit hand only at the moment
Donations
Community Links
