Sharpening the Captain & Hawkbills?

[jackknifeh]

Those "serrated edge sharpener's" you just mentioned are the ones I'm talking about>> they are conical shaped and they fold up on those plastic guard/handles. I've even got a couple of those conical serrated edge sharpeners of theirs in ceramic and they are a nice handy tool for some specialized sharpening jobs.

I have recently had a couple of the guys here at Spyderville tell me that there is a company by the name of "Atomas" who also have super high quality diamond sharpening tools as well. I've had really great luck with the 3M Diamond stones and specialized diamond sharpening files of theirs as well. And you don't hardly ever hear anyone talk of 3M at all. But I've never had any kind of an abrasive tool I've got from 3M to be nothing but super quality. Texas Knifemaker supply is who I got most of my 3M stuff from.

When I get time this next week I'll call DMT and see what they can tell me over the phone. JD

Someone mentioned that the recurve 4" stone can't be found. It may have been discontinued. That would be a shame. But, DMT has a new tool for sharpening curved woodworking tools. It's called a wave or honing cone. I think this would work well on recurves.

I've read that Atoma stones are very good. I think they are on "chefknivestogo.com". I'm sure they have a site themselves.


Jack

[JD Spydo]

[quote="jackknifeh"]Someone mentioned that the recurve 4" stone can't be found. It may have been discontinued. That would be a shame. But, DMT has a new tool for sharpening curved woodworking tools. It's called a wave or honing cone. I think this would work well on recurves.

I've read that Atoma stones are very good. I think they are on "chefknivestogo.com". I'm sure they have a site themselves.



Well I know when you are running a company that sales pretty much dictate every decision that's made. I will check and see if DMT still has this tool. Maybe when Sal does his video on the Duckfoot & Goldenstone this year there will be some good sharpening tips we all can benefit from. I really love playing with both my Duckfoot and Goldenstone but I sure do want to see just what the designer of these great tools has to say when he goes into detail about them.

Still I'm surprised that with as many videos on YOUTUBE that someone hasn't yet put up something comprehensive on unusual blades and Hawkbills. As the old saying goes " THERE IS MORE THAN 1 WAY TO SKIN A CAT" and if that be true then there is more than one way to put a wicked edge on a Hawkbill or on completely unorthadox blade designs period.

But I do very much like the idea of using diamond tools to reprofile these types of blades. But as far as the Sharpmaker goes I see it as a finishing tool mostly on these types of blades. Unless they implement some new types of stones for the unit that would tend to remove stock from these types of blades more uniformly.

[Sithus1966]

I have one of the curved stones for the DMT Aligner. I got it for sharpening my Tasman Salt cause it was giving me fits. But after I got my Sharpmaker, it hasn't seen any use.

[xceptnl]

I have one of the curved stones for the DMT Aligner. I got it for sharpening my Tasman Salt cause it was giving me fits. But after I got my Sharpmaker, it hasn't seen any use.

I have mine with the 701 stones in my EDC bag. Great size for camping / fishing too. I'm thinking about hunting down another on the bay for a dedicated tacklebox sharpener.

[JD Spydo]

I have mine with the 701 stones in my EDC bag. Great size for camping / fishing too. I'm thinking about hunting down another on the bay for a dedicated tacklebox sharpener.

I've never understood for the life of me why Spyderco never made the 701 Profile in diamond. That would have been a superb reprofiling tool for Hawkbills and even the Captain and other unusual blade designs. Now that they have discontinued the 701 Profile set I bet the guys who have that tool are glad that they got one. Because the 701 Profile is an extremely versatile sharpening tool.

I have in the past done business with a company who markets all kinds of abrasives called "STicks & Stones". I may check their website and see what they might have for a job such as this.

[jackknifeh]

Recurve blades aren't hard to sharpen at all. You just need the right tool. Instead of a flat stone it has to have a convex shape greater than the curvature of the edge of the knife. The 701 profile stones are perfect. If there were coarser grits you could reprofile easier of course. But the Wave Dmt sharpeners should to fine. They come in fine and extra fine grits. With a curve stone you don't have to worry about the edge being curved backwards. :) Just stroke the blade with the stone or stroke the stone with the blade like a standard flat bench stone. I sound like I know what I'm talking about but I've never done it freehand. I believe it's just a matter of keeping the stone/edge angle the same from heel to tip. I have sharpened recurves blades using the DMT aligner and Edge Pro. Both tools make the process as easy as pie. Especially the EP because you can get stones 1/2" wide as coarse as 220 grit. I have the 220 and 600 1/2" stones and they do a great job. I don't know what grits the DMT4" stone comes in or if it is available at all. I do think the DMT "wave honing cone" should do a good job even though fine is the coarsest grit. I had a couple of recurved blades but sold them because I never use them. I did sharpen them though. I had a fixed blade that I ground into an S curve blade. It was recurve from the handle about half way then just before the belly started the recurve ended and the edge curved back towards the tip. I sharpened that knife fine with the EP. I didn't have the knife when I was using the aligner. I'm trying to picture the Wicked Edge and I think it should work also if the stones were convex shaped which I don't know if they have any. Or like the EP the stones can be flat, just not as wide.

I'm picturing using the Sharpmaker and don't see why that won't work. Stroke the blade just like a standard blade keeping the blade vertical. Never done it so I don't know why it whoudnt work. I may be wrong.

You could buy some 1/2" wide stones from Edge Pro and you'll have 6" bench stones that will work perfectly. Actually Congress Stones I bet has 1/2" wide stone even longer that would be better. They have a lot of choices. I haven't looked because I thought of them just now while typeing. Get some 1/2" or 1/4" wide stones as long as you want and you will have recurve blades sharp really fast. They have lots of grits and stone types to choose from. They should work better after a little use because the side edges will round off slowly giving you more contact area with the edge.

Jack

[tikkidaddy]

those "serrated edge sharpener's" you just mentioned are the ones i'm talking about>> they are conical shaped and they fold up on those plastic guard/handles. I've even got a couple of those conical serrated edge sharpeners of theirs in ceramic and they are a nice handy tool for some specialized sharpening jobs.

I have recently had a couple of the guys here at spyderville tell me that there is a company by the name of "atomas" who also have super high quality diamond sharpening tools as well. Jd

*edited*

[JD Spydo]

*EDITED*

I got mine from DMT themselves about 4 years ago. If you can't get one from them I'm sure someone probably still has one in stock. You might check some of the more popular vendors like New Graham or One Stop Knife Shop. You can always check Fleabay too. They are just a ceramic version of the diamond models.

[Kev-Man]

I cut a Bester 1200 in half and rough shaped the stone with a diamond plate. I used a piece of 12" PVC pipe with sandpaper to smooth it out.

Kev.


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[JD Spydo]

[quote="Kev-Man"]I cut a Bester 1200 in half and rough shaped the stone with a diamond plate. I used a piece of 12" PVC pipe with sandpaper to smooth it out.

Kev.

That's a nice set up you have there KEV>> About what grit size is that stone? If a guy had that in 3 different grit sizes it would be a great set up for all kinds of recurves, Reverse S and Hawkbills in general.

Personally I would like one half moon stone like that in diamond for serious reprofiling.

[Kev-Man]

Sorry for the delayed response, I don't get on very much. Its a 1200 grit bester. It is a little slow but it works. I have an extra Bestone 500 that I wanted to cut and reshape but I haven't had a chance to do it yet. I just used some emory cloth on the pipe. It took some effort but it works.

Kev.

[kbuzbee]

Recurve blades aren't hard to sharpen at all. You just need the right tool....

I'm picturing using the Sharpmaker and don't see why that won't work. Stroke the blade just like a standard blade keeping the blade vertical. Never done it so I don't know why it whoudnt work. I may be wrong.

Sharpmaker is all I ever use on my hawks and it works beautifully. Actually, I just use the corners. Just tuned up my PE Tasman this morning. Went from completely blunt to razor edge in about 15 min dia->fine (skipped the extra fine for this one)

While large arc stones and such might be nice, they are not needed.

Ken

[Lord vader]

Hey Joe,I`m glad you brought this subject up,I`m interested in finding out the different methods used to sharpen the Captain myself.

[JD Spydo]

Sorry for the delayed response, I don't get on very much. Its a 1200 grit bester. It is a little slow but it works. I have an extra Bestone 500 that I wanted to cut and reshape but I haven't had a chance to do it yet. I just used some emory cloth on the pipe. It took some effort but it works.

Kev.

KEV-MAN: What I like most about the set up you have in that photo is that it appears to be stationary ( solid)>> and I believe that gives the guy sharpening a bit more control and versatility. To have some stones with the "half-moon" configuration and that you can have either clamped solid to a workbench or have them in a device which will keep them solid is truly the ticket.

Last night I was experimenting a bit with my Spyderco SLIP STONE that I got just last February. The arc part of it seems to do a decent job but it is a fine grit which of course takes a bit longer to do.

LORD VADER: You and I definitely have an interest in the keeping the CAPTAIn sharp :D Surprised you waited so late to chime in :rolleyes: When Sal does get around to doing his video on the Goldenstone I truly hope he uses the Captain or one of the other unusual designs to demonstrate with.

Yesterday I took the pendulum end of the CAptain and worked it on my Ultra-Fine Spyderco 302 Benchstone and I got the end so sharp that it will float through a grocery store receipt with virtually no effort.

This is a job that can be accomplished with great results. But again I know there is truly more than one way to accomplish it.