Survival Sharpening?

[JD Spydo]

With all of the turbulent weather events, natural and un-natural disasters, war and terrorists scenerios and other catastrophic events that we have been plagued with in recent years there has been more talk of survival than I've ever remembered.

Also with all the new survivial oriented TV shows like "Man Vs Wild" and "Survivorman" both on the Discovery Channel there has been more information come forth on the subject of survival than I've ever remembered.

Personally I've learned how to start fires in emergency situations as well as how to make water drinkable. But there is one aspect of survival that I've heard very little about from mainline sources. I'm speaking of the skill and tools for sharpening your edged tools during such a time.

"Survival Sharpening" to me would be so important when considering how important your edged tools i.e. knives, axes, hatchets, machetes and various hand tools which need to maintain a sharp edge to be equiped during a demanding situation.

So for those of you who are getting up to speed and obtaining more knowledge on the subject of survival just what will you do to sharpen your edged tools? What sharpening tools would you use during a time of desperation? I would particularly like to hear from guys/gals in the armed forces as to what you might have been taught in that area.

Let's talk about survival sharpening

[Chucula]

well...how about a sharpening stone :p

I have one of those blue and red two sided folding diamond sharpeners in my car utility bag. Takes little space and doesnt need oil or water and works fine for basic sharpening. I dont have a plan for repairing a seriously fubared knife. If I lose my sharpener, I'll try to find a smooth rock and use that if my knife is really dull.

You are probably over-thinking things :D Keep it simple. You cant prepare for every possible situation, so dont worry about every possible situation.

[JD Spydo]

You are probably over-thinking things :D Keep it simple. You cant prepare for every possible situation, so dont worry about every possible situation.

Well Chucula I'm sorry if you misunderstood me Because I meant this thread to be an information sharing forum to be further educated in the sector of "survival".

My main idea was to get ideas as to what all people might consider to put in their survival kit and/or bugout bag that would optimize a bad situation should it arise.

I can assure you I'm not being a paranoiac but rather being on a quest to discover more information about the subject of survival. If others perceive me to be out of order as you do I'll just simply delete the thread :confused: .

I was actually thinking of something along the range of small sharpening devices which could be packed in a survival kit. I was also kind of wondering what smaller sharpening devices would be ideal for big tools like axes and mauls and so forth.

I truly do feel like we have very hard times ahead of us and that's it would be very wise to be as prepared as possible. Again any suggestions for emergency sharpening devices?

[asfaltpiloot]

I have a few Lansky DogBone keychain sharpeners.

http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store ... tarq%3Ddog

There's one for Spyderco's.
They're small enough to carry or pack in a PSK (personal survival kit).

Coating a wet belt with fine sand and then sharpen.
I think a smooth rock will also work.
Sandpaper.

Just a few idea's, hope it helps.

[jzmtl]

I think one of those carbide sharpener, not the preset angle type but one like speedy sharp, would work great for the situation. Sure it gives a crappy edge but it's good enough to get by with, and it works quickly. Plus it works awesome for firesteels.

[Piet.S]

I don't know, but I have this feeling that a lot of folks are obsessed about gear, when it comes to ''live or die''.
Just use whatever works and you can lay your hands on.
Any smooth piece of stone or large enough pebble or anything ceramic sharpens a steel blade.
It's no big deal, better worry about real threats.

[JD Spydo]

Hey guys very interesting answers thus far :)

Asfaltpiloot- I have a few of those "dogbone" type sharpeners" myself. The ones I got however were not Lansky but were made by GATCO who also makes Timberline knives. The Gatco diamond stick is truly a great sharpening tool in a pinch. I've heard that the Lansky stuff is quite good too.

jzmtl- Funny you would mention those carbide whittling type sharpeners. I got 3 of those from Garrett Wade Co. when they were first hitting the scene back around 5 years ago. I've done some stuff with them however they don't produce the greatest edge as you've said but if you play with them and try different angles on your strokes you can get better with your results. They actually do whittle steel in a sense. I also have a smooth carbide tool I aso got from Garrett Wade and it makes a great sharpening steel.

Piet S. great to hear from you guys in the Netherlands as always. You guys always have superb answers to subjects. I'd be lost without my good serrated buddy Spydutch :D You mention ceramic which is quite interesting because I saw a TV show on survival about a year or so ago and the former military guy was using an old Ceramic Primary Utility Wire Insulator which he shattered to expose the inner part of it. I guess those old ceramic insulators are made of a very dense grade of ceramic. Probably no where near as good as the premium stuff Spyderco uses in their sharpening gear but at least it's great in a pinch.

Great input thus far guys. I truly hope to hear from you Military guys/gals. Especially some of you who might have been on a survival mission.

[clovisc]

i'd say, just grab a sharpening stone or two from the sharpmaker. the entire sharp maker would be ideal, but... carrying it might mean less room for ammo for the zombie invasion.

i've used the bottom of ceramic mugs with great success. also, i think a nice, hard, flat stone would work well for PE H1, and some of the not-too-ridiculously-hard steels. in a real survival situation, i'd prefer something easier to field sharpen to ZDP-189.

[clovisc]

i should add that in the peace corps, i carried my sharp maker with me in my pack. also used ceramic mugs, the times i didn't bring it. when i happened to run into other volunteers, my sharpening skills were pretty popular... :D

[JD Spydo]

i'd say, just grab a sharpening stone or two from the sharpmaker. the entire sharp maker would be ideal, but... carrying it might mean less room for ammo for the zombie invasion.

i've used the bottom of ceramic mugs with great success. also, i think a nice, hard, flat stone would work well for PE H1, and some of the not-too-ridiculously-hard steels. in a real survival situation, i'd prefer something easier to field sharpen to ZDP-189.

That's a great point you make there Clovisc concerning super ultra hard blade steels like ZDP-189, S90V and others in that league. Because it probably would be much better to have one of Spyderco's older blades like a GIN-1, AUS-8, or even AUS-6 to make your blade somewhat easier to sharpen. I still recommend stainless blades however because of their corrosion resistant properties.

I just pulled out an old VHS video I got on Ebay about 4 years ago. It's a video on sharpening with Sandpaper. I'm gonna watch it this evening because sandpaper is usually abundant in most households and would be lightweight to carry rolled up in a water tight container.

Also I have a set of diamond files I got to sharpen my woodworking tools made by 3M company. They sure reprofile blades and remove stock fast which would set you up quickly for putting the final touches on a blade. Just a few things to consider.

[TCSpyder]

If worse came to worse, you can use the bottom of a ceramic coffee cup for a sharpener. Concrete would also work on axe blades, as long as it was wet.

[clovisc]

if the steel isn't as hard as some of the high-tech super steels, i imagine a rock would do the trick. in a prolonged survival situation, i'm not exactly going to be eying the edge of my knife with a loupe.

a PE pacific would be perfect for a survival folder. it would be easy to maintain... and easy to sharpen. :D

[JD Spydo]

if the steel isn't as hard as some of the high-tech super steels, i imagine a rock would do the trick. in a prolonged survival situation, i'm not exactly going to be eying the edge of my knife with a loupe.

a PE pacific would be perfect for a survival folder. it would be easy to maintain... and easy to sharpen. :D

You know Clovisc when you make the point that H-1 truly would be an excellent blade steel choice for a survival knife you actually also make the point for that new blade in the Spyderco line we've been chatting about>>>> This is just another solid reason that we need an H-1 Spyderhawk>> It would be so appropriate for a survival situation from the aspects of being corrosion free, relatively easy to sharpen, no storage problems and being safe to use in just about any environment..

Really when you deeply consider it the entire H-1 Salt Series of Spyderco's great line up should be considered their premium survival series of blades. But the Spyderhawk in H-1 just looks to be a great idea for a vital addition to the Salt Series

[pantopop]

I've sharpened a knife to razor edge using oil off the dipstick and a piece of glass-an axe on wet sidewalk-a lawnmower blade with the rock that it kicked. Rub two unlike things together and one will wear against the other to your benefit. How do you think so many shivs exist in the penal system?

[clovisc]

I've sharpened a knife to razor edge using oil off the dipstick and a piece of glass-an axe on wet sidewalk-a lawnmower blade with the rock that it kicked. Rub two unlike things together and one will wear against the other to your benefit. How do you think so many shivs exist in the penal system?

excellent points, my friend. let me remind everyone that the original chokwe fixed blades were sharpened up in a matter of seconds on a humble looking rock.

[clovisc]

You know Clovisc when you make the point that H-1 truly would be an excellent blade steel choice for a survival knife you actually also make the point for that new blade in the Spyderco line we've been chatting about>>>> This is just another solid reason that we need an H-1 Spyderhawk>> It would be so appropriate for a survival situation from the aspects of being corrosion free, relatively easy to sharpen, no storage problems and being safe to use in just about any environment..

Really when you deeply consider it the entire H-1 Salt Series of Spyderco's great line up should be considered their premium survival series of blades. But the Spyderhawk in H-1 just looks to be a great idea for a vital addition to the Salt Series

JD, i agree that an H1 spyderhawk (survivalhawk?) would be excellent for a survival situation... especially where i am. :D it's no coincidence that the bears have handfuls of them... :D

[JD Spydo]

JD, i agree that an H1 spyderhawk (survivalhawk?) would be excellent for a survival situation... especially where i am. :D it's no coincidence that the bears have handfuls of them... :D

I find it rather interesting that you make an analogy of a bear's claws :cool:

It kind of goes along with the old Spyderco slogan which says "ALL GOD's Critters Have Knives" :cool: And that bear's claws are not subject to corrosion either :D Many of GOD's Critters use a Hawkbill shaped weapon for survival

But seriously when you consider the relative ease of H-1 blade steel to sharpen and to maintain you only have to now ask yourself what would be the ideal sharpening tool to keep H-1. I'm thinking that Diamond stones like the Lansky or Gatco dogbones would be really the best option for their compactness and their efficient sharpening ease.

H-1's properties truly make it the ideal survival steel because you can sharpen it with a myriad of abrasives.

But again I do like very compact sharpening tools.

[vampyrewolf]

I've got a DMT fine rod in my bag, it's about the same size as a space pen. Doesn't leave a shaving edge but it does well enough for a touchup when working with cardboard and rope. Had this one for years and it barely shows any wear.

When I've got the time to get gear together I throw my 500/800 AO stone in my bag before hitting the woods, though the top edge of your vehicle window or the bottom edge of a coffee mug work well. I have steeled an edge with a tent spike and stropped on a leather sheath (one thing I don't like about kydex).

[Hookpunch]

DMT minisharp for me, cheap enough to buy a few for the glove compartment, gear bag, key ring...etc.

At home I only use waterstones.