Sharp Knife
Mar 2, 2017 13:30:07 #
Once came by the tail end of a photo shoot and noticed they had tied up a bed sheet from a couple trees. (I still don't know if that was for an outdoor backdrop, shading, or to reflect light a bit.) Anyway I guess all turned out well until they started to disassemble things. They couldn't untie the rope to the sheet/tree.
No one had anything to cut with so I handed them my Swiss Army Knife. One guy yelled out those things are not sharp at all and it wouldn't work on nylon rope. I just smiled and told them to try it. Like cutting warm butter, my knife went through the rope. The guy's jaw dropped!
That leads me to wonder:
1 How many carry a knife with them? (short of an airport, etc.)
2 How many keep it sharp?
3 For those who do, what do you sharpen with?
For me, 1 = Yes, 2 = Yes, 3 = A small ceramic "dog-bone". (I hold the knife still at angle and slide the dog bone across, most of the time sliding out to the tip of the blade.)
No one had anything to cut with so I handed them my Swiss Army Knife. One guy yelled out those things are not sharp at all and it wouldn't work on nylon rope. I just smiled and told them to try it. Like cutting warm butter, my knife went through the rope. The guy's jaw dropped!
That leads me to wonder:
1 How many carry a knife with them? (short of an airport, etc.)
2 How many keep it sharp?
3 For those who do, what do you sharpen with?
For me, 1 = Yes, 2 = Yes, 3 = A small ceramic "dog-bone". (I hold the knife still at angle and slide the dog bone across, most of the time sliding out to the tip of the blade.)
Mar 2, 2017 13:39:04 #
No self respecting French Man (Cousineau) would be caught without an Opinel in his pocket to cut his cheese and bread for the various tastings with wine during the day...
Wood handled Opinel made in France. Cheap, unique locking system, Steel sharp edge-holding blade. Similar handles, but different blade length fitting for the neighborhood you live in. Considering the last few months of political disaster here in the US, I am ordering a longer blade.
https://www.opinel-usa.com/collections/opinel-carbon-blades/products/opinel-no3-carbon-steel-pocket-knife
Check those prices....
Wood handled Opinel made in France. Cheap, unique locking system, Steel sharp edge-holding blade. Similar handles, but different blade length fitting for the neighborhood you live in. Considering the last few months of political disaster here in the US, I am ordering a longer blade.
https://www.opinel-usa.com/collections/opinel-carbon-blades/products/opinel-no3-carbon-steel-pocket-knife
Check those prices....
Mar 2, 2017 14:08:33 #
Mar 2, 2017 15:00:15 #
GENorkus wrote:
That leads me to wonder: How many carry a knife with them?
Yes and yes, and I use a Dremel to sharpen everything.
Mar 2, 2017 16:18:43 #
n3eg wrote:
Yes and yes, and I use a Dremel to sharpen everything.
Just wondering.
I understand doing a ruff cut, (neat commercial cutting the nail BTW), what does Dremel have to fine finish a knife blade?
Mar 2, 2017 16:20:19 #
JR45 wrote:
1. Always
2. A dull knife is a danger to the user
3. Ceramic
2. A dull knife is a danger to the user
3. Ceramic
I totally agree with #2 statement!
Mar 2, 2017 16:21:15 #
I have always carried a pocket knife and for the last 26 years, it's been a Hen & Rooster four blade congress. It is always sharp and most of the time, razor sharp. I use a diamond impregnated piece of steel to keep the edge keen.
Mar 2, 2017 16:27:19 #
I always carry a knife and I usually carry a 9mm Walther with me as well when I'm in the woods. I never know who or what I may run into.
Mar 2, 2017 16:29:05 #
Kuzano wrote:
No self respecting French Man (Cousineau) would be... (show quote)
Interesting!
...but army knives come with a toothpick and Opinel doesn't. LoL
*(I actually threw my toothpick away when I made a rosewood cover for the it.)
Mar 2, 2017 16:59:12 #
I have a no. 7 too. Some twenty years ago my boy broke the tip off the one I purchased in France about 40 yrs back. But guilt finally overtook him last year and while in France he bought me a replacement! Merci William!
Mar 2, 2017 17:11:57 #
I have carried a knife for over 50 years.
The best way to sharpen is on a wet stone to get the angle and an oil stone to get the edge (failing that use a kitchen steel....long thing looks like a blunt file. if used right on a carbon steel chefs knife you CAN Shave with it.
Beware over sharpening a folding pocket knife - as the point wears down it does not fit its sleeve when folded and will cut your leg or pocket.
A cut from a sharp knife will almost instantly 'heal' when compressed. A blunt knife makes a ragged cut so the compression needed is not one directional!
Buy a good one !
The best way to sharpen is on a wet stone to get the angle and an oil stone to get the edge (failing that use a kitchen steel....long thing looks like a blunt file. if used right on a carbon steel chefs knife you CAN Shave with it.
Beware over sharpening a folding pocket knife - as the point wears down it does not fit its sleeve when folded and will cut your leg or pocket.
A cut from a sharp knife will almost instantly 'heal' when compressed. A blunt knife makes a ragged cut so the compression needed is not one directional!
Buy a good one !
Mar 2, 2017 17:55:02 #
Always have a rigging knife, the latest one was made in Italy and maintains an edge for long periods of time. This one has a serrated edge and I haven't had need to sharpen it in the five years I have had it. At home in the kitchen all Henckels and a Henckel steel, the problem with a sharp knife is not getting the wound to close but to find the part of your finger you cut right off! My knives are sharp!!! Still have all my digits but you do have to be careful.
Mar 2, 2017 17:58:24 #
Cutco in Olean, New York makes great knives, lots of great things from Olean, New York two of my granddaughters were born there!!
Mar 2, 2017 18:40:47 #
(1) I have carried a knife for something like 70 years now. Carried it to school when I was a kid. So did every other boy. I also carry it to church these days (but then I wear my steel toed boots to church also -- I don't own any other kind of shoe).
(2) There's nothing more useless than a dull knife. Although I have heard it said that a (somewhat) dull knife is the best kind to bring to a knife fight. A sharp knife cut will heal cleanly. If you're cut with a dull knife you will know it from then on. Since I have never been in a knife fight, and have no plans to remedy that failing, I keep my knife sharp.
(3) I used to use the household whetstone, basically a carbide block with a handle that was kept in the kitchen tool drawer. Later I got an Arkansas stone which did a really nice job after you got rid of all the nicks in the edge. About 20 years ago I got a set of diamond sharpeners. They worked well. About 3 years ago I got a belt sander, 1" x 30" belt. I got a bunch of 1000 grit belts (you can get them on Amazon). If you need to remove more metal due to nicks in the edge, you can use a 500 grit or even coarser, but I finish up with the 1000 grit. It puts a nice polish on the edge and it only takes about 15 seconds to sharpen the knife. A little practice allows you to hold a blade at a fairly constant angle.
One thing I use the knife for is trimming lettuce in the field. If the knife is sharp, it makes good cuts very easily. If not, it's worth walking back to the packing shed (about 500 ft away) to sharpen it, then back to the field. Otherwise it makes rough cuts which don't really look that bad, but which turn brown in a couple days (the customers don't like brown edges on their lettuce).
(2) There's nothing more useless than a dull knife. Although I have heard it said that a (somewhat) dull knife is the best kind to bring to a knife fight. A sharp knife cut will heal cleanly. If you're cut with a dull knife you will know it from then on. Since I have never been in a knife fight, and have no plans to remedy that failing, I keep my knife sharp.
(3) I used to use the household whetstone, basically a carbide block with a handle that was kept in the kitchen tool drawer. Later I got an Arkansas stone which did a really nice job after you got rid of all the nicks in the edge. About 20 years ago I got a set of diamond sharpeners. They worked well. About 3 years ago I got a belt sander, 1" x 30" belt. I got a bunch of 1000 grit belts (you can get them on Amazon). If you need to remove more metal due to nicks in the edge, you can use a 500 grit or even coarser, but I finish up with the 1000 grit. It puts a nice polish on the edge and it only takes about 15 seconds to sharpen the knife. A little practice allows you to hold a blade at a fairly constant angle.
One thing I use the knife for is trimming lettuce in the field. If the knife is sharp, it makes good cuts very easily. If not, it's worth walking back to the packing shed (about 500 ft away) to sharpen it, then back to the field. Otherwise it makes rough cuts which don't really look that bad, but which turn brown in a couple days (the customers don't like brown edges on their lettuce).
Mar 2, 2017 20:31:41 #
1. Gerber Paraframe is always in my right pocket.
2. Agree with Dirtpusher. There's nothing more useless than a dull knife.
3. Kept sharp with a ceramic sharpener every couple of days.
2. Agree with Dirtpusher. There's nothing more useless than a dull knife.
3. Kept sharp with a ceramic sharpener every couple of days.
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