sharpening big knives

[Greyghost]

What method do you guys find is the best and most practical for putting a new durable edge on a large knife such as a TM bowie ?? (Carbon V)

[TravisM.]

The Lansky Sharpeners have always been good regardless of the knife size, and after the lansky, use a rough leather strap the way a barber used to for straight razors.
Done Properly, this will put a decent edge on anything.

[Joel]

I used a Lansky until I wore it out, and it doesn't do a bad job, but I still think either the cardboard sharpening wheels sold by the knife supply people or a small 1" x 30" belt grinder is the way to go.  Of course, to use the wheels, you need to have a wheel grinder of some sort already layin' around, and a place to use it(gets messy).  A small belt grinder can be found for $50.00 or less and a 600 grit belt for it is less than $2.00.  That ends up cheaper than some of these manual sharpening systems out there, especially the synthetic diamond ones.  Only other thing you need is something to take off the wire edge, like a piece of leather or even damp cardboard laid on a hard surface.  I can re-sharpen a pocket knife to shaving hair sharp in less than 30 seconds, and a big knife in about a minute flat.  No such thing as a dull kitchen knife layin' around either.

[clearblue]

I was in Lowe's trying to find something I could place a piece of sandpaper on in order to sharpen a blade without the sandpaper slipping away as I pushed the knife edge across it.

I found a 12"X12" vinyl floor tile that has a sticky backing. I think it cost about 50 cents. Leaving the sticky backing covered, I cut it into (4)-3 inch strips.

Next I cut my sandpaper into 3 " strips. I like the Wet or dry 320,400,600,and 2000 grit sizes.

I then peeled the back off of the sticky side of the floor tile and stuck one of the strips of sandpaper to it,grit side facing out.

You now have 4 custom made pads to work your blade on.

I tried it out by placing the pad down on a  2X4 board and it seems to work perfectly,no slippage so far.

Make sure you push your knife edge away from you or you will surely cut up the piece of sandpaper. If you sharpen the knife just like you would strop a razor on a leather strop,you'll have a razor egde in record time..

[Joel]

clearblue, that sounds like a great idea!  I've been doing something like that for years, but never occured to me to use it for sharpening.  I've a 5" x 9" piece of marble to which I glued a piece of 400 grit emory paper grit side up.  Use it for flat sanding by placing whatever grit I'm using onto the marble and the 400 grit holds it in place.  Gonna try your idea with that and see how it goes.  Should work.  Thanks.

[clearblue]

Hi Joel,
I hope it works for you.

I would like to read any expansion of the idea that you create.

One thing I did was to fix me some one inch strips with the sandpaper glued to them for sharpening around curves like a Khukuri.

The cheapest tiles are the thinnest and most flexible and are working best for sharpening curves and difficult edges like scissors.

living on the edge
Where it is a duty to worship the sun it is pretty sure to be a crime
to examine the laws of heat.
 -- John Morley

Great innovators and original thinkers and artists attract the wrath of
mediocrities as lightning rods draw the flashes.
 -- Theodor Reik