Category: Knife Information

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The 3 Keys to Freehand Sharpening

First off, I want to start by saying that I don’t consider myself to be an expert in sharpening. I am on the same journey of sharpening skill progression as anyone reading this, and certainly haven’t reached anything resembling a peak. However, I do have a lot of experience sharpening knives. I have sharpened using powered belt systems, fixed angle systems, pull through (gasp!), and stones. Although I think they all have relative merits, except pull through systems (just kidding, they’re simple and convenient and work for some people), I have found freehand sharpening to be the most rewarding. In this article I will tell you what I think are the 3 most integral keys to successful freehand sharpening.

Angle

The angle at which you sharpen the blade has a huge impact on how it sharpens. This might seem self explanatory; the edge is really just the intersection of two planes at an angle and that angle is what allows the blade to separate material. However, I think it is very easy to overlook this aspect of sharpening and make the angle too obtuse or too acute.

Now, I’m not here to tell you what the correct angle is to sharpen your knife. I usually shoot for something between 15 and 25 degrees per side, or 30 and 50 degrees inclusive. That is when and after I have reprofiled an edge, which means to put a whole new angle on. I don’t think most people want to do that as frequently as I do, so it’s more relevant to talk about sharpening from the factory edge.

When resharpening the factory edge, you should try to match the angle from the maker (unless it is terribly thick). A good way to make sure that you’re succeeding in matching the angle is to paint the edge with a permanent marker before you sharpen. After your first swipe on the stone, check to see that the marker was removed across the entire width of the edge. That will indicate that you have matched the preset angle. This technique is simple but invaluable.

Whether you reapex the edge or match the preset angle, it’s important to find the right angle to sharpen. If you sharpen an edge at too low an angle it either won’t actually create a new edge/apex or it will be too fragile, and if you sharpen an edge at too high an angle it will be too thick to cut effectively. Make sure to always start your freehand sharpening by mindfully setting your intended angle.

Pressure

The level of pressure applied is the next of the most important aspects of freehand sharpening. There are two main reasons why it’s easy to put too much pressure into the stone with the blade when sharpening. First, the more pressure you apply the quicker the stone removes metal. This creates the illusion that you will complete the sharpening quicker, when in reality it will create a stubborn burr and extend the overall time cost of the sharpening. It’s a manifestation of our ubiquitous desire for quick fixes, if you want to get all psychological about it. Second, the more pressure you apply the more stable and controlled the blade can feel. When you apply more pressure it seems to hold the blade more securely at the angle, and considering how important that is as discussed above, it can make us focus on the angle at the expense of the pressure.

So why is too much pressure bad? When you apply too much pressure it does two main undesirable things to the edge. First, it leaves deeper scratches that are more difficult to remove/smooth for a good edge. Pushing down hard drives the abrasives on the stone into the metal of the edge resulting in overly aggressive scratch patterns. These tend to be difficult to completely remove and result in a ragged edge. Second, it creates an overly elastic burr. A burr is the thin line of steel created at the apex of the edge that is removed with final honing and stropping to leave behind a crisp apex. When you apply too much pressure it will create a large burr that maintains some of the elasticity of the steel, causing it to flip back and forth from one side of the edge to the other incessantly. This is, for me, the most frustrating thing to deal with when freehand sharpening, but it’s my own fault for getting hasty and applying the excess pressure.

So, how much is the right amount? I have a general rule that I use; if the knuckle of the finger that is on the blade, keeping it stable, is white from applying pressure then it’s definitely too much. Now, that’s certainly not an exact measure and can vary person to person, but it’s an easy way to remind yourself that you might be applying too much pressure. In even more general terms, you should probably go as light as your patience and confidence allow.

Grit

The last key to successful freehand sharpening is a logical progression through grits. This is one that some people might disagree with me on, but I’ve found it to be important for me in my sharpening. The grit of a stone is the size (and sometimes distribution) of the abrasive particles. These can be stone, diamond, or ceramics as well as polishing compounds. Whatever kind of sharpening material you use, it’s important that you start with a lower grit and move progressively up to the highest grit.

The reason it is important to move gradually in progressive steps of grit, rather than just going from a very low grit to a very high one, is because it facilitates a more even scratch pattern and a more smooth edge apex. Without an even scratch pattern and smooth apex, an edge will have too much drag when moving through the material during cutting. This can cause more of a tearing or sawing action than a cut like is achieved with a good edge. All that said, some people prefer a toothy edge. I like a toothy edge sometimes, but I still think a good toothy (and not just jagged) edge requires progression through grits in reasonable steps.

So, what are good grits to use? Well, again, this is somewhat of a wide question. Some people use very low grits like 80 and even 60 on knives, especially if the edge is damaged, but I would save those grits for axes and gardening tools. The lowest I go is 120 grit, but I normally start at 325 grit even for reapexing. I then move up to 600 then a ceramic stone. Ceramics can be difficult to give a grit rating, but it’s probably around 1200. From there I go to a strop with diamond polishing compound, then sometimes I strop lightly on a jeweler’s cloth. As you can see, this shows a pretty much even progression with the grits doubling in each stone change. My system is similar in grit progression to most of the fixed angle systems. For example, the KME system comes with 140, 300, 600, and 1500 grit stones.

All that said, you can still get a more than usable edge with one stone. I’d probably suggest going right down the center with a 600 grit stone, if you’re only going to buy one. The big thing for getting a good edge using only one stone is that you have to focus even more on the first two keys: correct angle and low pressure.

Conclusion

Freehand sharpening can be a very rewarding skill. It allows you to keep your knives sharp with very few tools that can be taken almost anywhere. It also can be a very relaxing practice, almost in a meditative or zen manner. On the other hand, if you fail to follow these keys to successful sharpening it can also be a huge headache! So make sure you practice as much as you can and keep these 3 keys in mind when you do. You’ll be a freehand sharpening champ in no time!

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A Note on Honesty, Negativity, and Enthusiasm in Knife Thoughts

I was just showing off the Spyderco Native Chief that I’m testing as part of a passaround facilitated by Rivers Edge Cutlery and a point came up that I wanted to address.

I realize that my articles often seem to shed an unrealistically positive light on the knives in question. I know that I rarely totally denounce a knife as a failure, and even often give counter arguments when I point out a negative characteristic of a knife.

There are a couple reasons for this tendency:

First, I generally know that I’ll like a knife before I buy it. What I mean by that is not that I’ve never been disappointed by the build quality of a knife or liked a feature less than I expected, but that I spend a lot of time (probably too much) researching and deliberating on what knives I want. This naturally weeds out most knives that would be likely to garner a truly negative review, because I know if there have been reports of quality issues and the like well before purchasing a knife.

Second, I am usually thoroughly excited to get a new knife and that can put a rosy tint on my perception of it. Being that I am a knife enthusiast through and through, getting almost any knife amounts to an overall good experience. Of course there are exceptions, but I generally find something to be happy with on a knife simply because I enjoy knives.

However, I try first and foremost not to allow my view of a knife and especially my published thoughts on a knife to be influenced by the manufacturer’s, dealer’s, owner’s, or general population’s expectations. I mean to give fully honest reviews based solely on my genuine feelings and experiences of the knife.

Authenticity is one of the core values of Knife Thoughts and I intend to ensure it remains a pillar of my writing and posting.

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Father’s Day Knife Thoughts

Father’s Day is a time to celebrate the lessons handed down from our dads, grandfathers, and whomever we’ve been privileged to have as father figures. One of the things my father passed on to me is an appreciation for knives.

My dad is an avid outdoorsman. He was an Eagle Scout, fishes regularly, has gone on many extraordinary hunting expeditions that border on survivalist outings. His interest in knives stems mostly from the fact that they’re essential in those kinds of outdoors activities, as well their usefulness in everyday tasks. He isn’t a collector, though through the years he has accumulated a good number of knives. As a non-collector, he doesn’t often keep his knives in great shape and tends to get a replacement when his current carry breaks down. He originally used traditional knives and I remember him using them when I was younger, but he switched to assisted opening modern knives sometime in the 2000s. Due to his tendency not to hang onto knives like a collector, I haven’t been able to check out many of his older knives, especially from before he switched to modern knives.

My dad’s knife displayed in a geode

However, while visiting him this weekend I stumbled upon an old gem; his old fishing knife. The knife is a Case #48 Slimline Trapper. I knew right away from looking at it that it was Case’s classic Slimline pattern, and Case’s pattern number list confirms (linked here). It’s a knife that Case has made for decades and continues to produce today. It’s a great utility pattern; easy to carry because of the thin handle, good amount of belly for skinning and such, useful tip, and a long edge for the overall size. I am sure that the handles are jigged synthetic, but Case’s handle designation number system (linked here) only confirms that it’s either jigged synthetic, laminate, or bone. My dad said he bought it about 50 years ago and used it all the time as his fishing knife. I took a look at Case’s tang stamp dating system chart (linked here) and he wasn’t too far off; it’s a 1974 6 dot normal “s” model.

  • Case XX U.S.A. (normal “s”) 6 dot stamp
  • 61048 pattern designation

It’s pretty dang cool to not only be able to look over a knife used by my dad for years, but also to confirm its identity and age. For a well used 45 year old knife, it’s in admirable shape. Sure, it has some blade play and lots of patina. Even some gaps around the scales and spring. But it has great action with snappy walk and talk, and a nice even grind and sharp edge. This Slimline Trapper is a real testament to the fact that a well made slipjoint knife can be used hard and last for decades. The knife below (bottom knife) is a Queen #11 Utility Trapper. It’s not called a Slimline Trapper because that term belongs to Case, but it’s the same pattern. It was a gift from my dad. I’ve used it many times while hunting and fishing, including on some trips with my dad. It already was a knife I’ll keep forever, but I appreciate it even more now knowing that my dad carried an extremely similar knife. Like lessons, our fathers can also pass down physical items like knives that are imbued with meaning.

Queen #11 Utility Trapper on the bottom

As an interesting post script note, upon looking closely I realized that the shield is not pinned even on this 1974 Case! So the glued shields must not be a new development for Case. This is very interesting to me, and I plan to do more research into when Case stopped pinning their shields.

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Alert; HUGE Knife Law News!

May 30 2019 is a day to celebrate for the whole knife community! A landmark battle has been won in New York. Today Governor Andrew Cuomo repealed the gravity knife ban.

Even small and totally innocuous knives like these could bring charges of “Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree” under the Gravity Knife Ban

The gravity knife ban, in effect since the 1950s, made it illegal to posses any knife that could be opened by “gravity or centrifugal force” and locked into place. The intentional vagueness allowed this definition to be applied to nearly ANY folding knife. Thousands of people were arrested per year without having committed any act of violence or destruction, but rather only for owning/carrying/using humanity’s most basic and universal tool. Beyond that, statistics indicate that the law was applied unequally with bias against minorites. This sad fact makes the law not only unjust, but also immoral.

Under the Gravity Knife Ban this fixed blade could technically be legal to carry…

Whereas this miniscule knife could land you in jail with hefty fines… (I’m not at all suggesting either should be restricted)

For a full news piece on this development you can visit this article reposted by Knife Rights from the Queens Daily Eagle on the subject. Knife Rights is an organization founded by Doug Ritter to advocate for knife legislation, along with several other functions. Knife Rights has been working toward overturning the New York Gravity Knife ban for almost a decade, and their success in this specific case is only one of many positive changes they have influenced in knife legislation. Still, this is an important victory! Let’s keep our fingers crossed that it will usher in more positive changes in the legal landscape surrounding knives.

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The (almost) Universal Guide to Blade Shapes

It would be difficult to argue that any aspect of a knife is more important than the blade. The blade is the soul of the knife; it influences how the knife is best used, the cutting style and effectiveness of the knife, the overall aesthetic of the knife, and it can even determine the handle shape and lock style on a folding knife. Knives and knife like tools have been made for well over a million years, but the first tools most people would recognize as knives were probably made around 2,000 bce. Both stone age and early metal knife blades were usually in a dagger or leaf shape, but in the 4,000 years since man began forging metal into blades a myriad of other styles have risen to meet the innumerable cutting needs of humanity. In this article I’ll define and discuss some of the most recognizable blade shapes.

TL;DR? Check out this corresponding video from my YouTube channel!

Curved Edges

Spear Point

An extremely classic and widespread blade shape is the spear point. Spear point blade shapes can differ greatly in overall aesthetics, but they do have some specific hallmarks. The edge and spine should both curve toward the point nearer to the tip than the handle, and not continuously (like on a barong or leaf shaped blade). The curvatures of the edge and spine should be very similar, although either can be slightly more pronounced. The point should sit at or near the center line of the blade. Spear point blades can range from extremely tall or “fat” with an exaggerated curvature of the edge and spine, all the way to being extremely slender with a parallel edge and spine up until an abrupt curve to the point. I personally really enjoy the spear point for its general utility; it usually is ground to slice well but can still pierce effectively, and it offers both straight and curved edge portions. I also appreciate the relative symmetry of spear points and resulting aesthetic.

Lots of slipjoint spear points, from thin and straight to tall and bulbous

The spear point name comes from the shape of a traditional western style spear with a point protruding in line with the handle and an equal curvature of both the edge and spine (or to both edges) to the point, but that specific blade shape has become more commonly known as the dagger blade shape / grind. The dagger blade shape is more of a sub-category of spear points in which the blade is ground toward both the edge and spine (or both edges) from the centerline. Although double edged knives were ubiquitous for most of the history of humanity, they have become less common with restrictive knife laws and therefore the dagger grind has also lessened in popularity. A dagger shaped blade is more often a single edged knife with the spine side only partially ground to a false edge. Another reason for this blade shape’s falling popularity is that its grind is less well suited to the daily needs of the modern knife user, which consists more of slicing cardboard and less of fighting off attackers or wild animals. Still, the dagger blade shape is a timeless design and I find it calls back to the romanticized trappings of knights and the middle ages.

Frank B Stiletto, Cold Steel FGX Balisong, Kershaw Hinderer Decimus

Another sub-category of blade shapes that has regained popularity with the rise of Spyderco is the leaf shaped blade. I say regained because what Spyderco, and now most of the industry, calls a leaf shaped blade is very similar to the traditional barong knife and many of the lithic knives used by humans for tens of thousands of years. The leaf shaped blade differs from the spear point in that it has a continuous curve of the edge and spine, rather than a more abrupt curve toward the tip end of the blade. The leaf blade shape lends itself to many uses and is one that I have used and enjoyed quite a bit, but I don’t currently have any great examples to show.

A final sub-category of spear points is the pen blade shape. The pen blade is basically a spear point as a small secondary blade. A pen blade is always a secondary blade, and can be found on many different kinds of traditional patterns. As a secondary blade the pen blade is always smaller in size than the main blade, but they can vary in size and shape across patterns.

A group of pen blades showing a wide range of variation

Drop Point

The drop point is a blade shape with an edge that curves upward to the point at a much more pronounced angle than that at which the spine curves downward to the point. If you’ve ever heard the term “belly” used in reference to a knife edge, this pronounced curve is that characteristic. The drop point is well suited for hunting and other outdoor tasks, so many traditional American fixed blades have this blade shape. Many modern one hand opening and locking knives are drop points, although in the last few years other blade shapes including those with straight edges have gained popularity, probably because modern one hand opening and locking knives developed in large part as a more convenient replacement for carrying fixed blades. On traditional knives the drop point blade shape is most often a main blade, as on the A.G. Russell Rancher shown in the picture below, or on many of GEC’s larger trapper patterns like the #73 and #23 but it can also be a secondary blade, as on the GEC Northfield #82 stockman shown in the picture below, as well as some other traditional patterns like small jacks and whittlers.

A few drop point blades on slipjoints
A few drop points on modern folding knives (the Kershaw Thistle is a modified drop point / sheepfoot)
A couple drop point fixed blades. A modern, Steel Will Roamer R300, and a traditional, Blind Horse Knives Woodsman Pro.

Clip Point

The clip point is a widely recognized blade shape because it has become the symbol of iconic characters such as Jim Bowie, Crocodile Dundee, and Rambo. It has a curve of the edge toward the tip end of the blade, but it is characterized by a “clipped” section of the blade on the spine side from the tip toward the handle side. The curvature and length of the clipped area of the spine can vary and, along with the degree of curvature of the edge, can make for a wide range of clip point blade shapes. There are classic clip points, slender clip points, and several other variations including saber ground clip points. I like the look of clip points and have several of them. They just look plain classic to me; it’s tough to explain but they just hit me the right way. I also find them to be quite utilitarian. They offer a solid amount of belly, but still have a very useful point due to the clipped portion. However, they’re not for everyone; my fiancee HATES the look of clip points!

A variety of clip point style blades

Hawkbill / Talon / Pruner

Another very traditional blade shape that has several different names and variations is the hawkbill. The hawkbill blade shape is characterized by a concave edge with a downward pointing tip. There are many traditional knife patterns with similar blade shapes such as the pruner, karambit, and talon knives. An interesting aspect of these knives is that they often originated as agricultural tools, with the concave or downward curved edge being suited for pulling cuts commonly used in farming, gardening, etc.. However, they have come to be associated more with self defense due to their use as improvised weapons by those who didn’t have access to implements purposefully designed as weapons, such as farmers who couldn’t afford swords using sickles as weapons.

My only hawkbill blade, the Spyderco Reverse, with its superb DarkStar Gear sheath

Straight Edges

Wharncliffe

A wharncliffe has a straight edge and a spine that curves gradually down to meet the tip. Due to the more gradual curve of the spine to the edge, a wharncliffe tends to have a finer point than the proceeding two straight edged blade shapes. A wharncliffe is often a secondary blade on multi blade knives, but can also be a main blade especially on its own as a single blade. The wharncliffe is a great blade for fine work and pull cuts, and I usually prefer it as a small secondary. I like pen style two blade knives with a straight edged secondary, and a wharncliffe is probably my favorite in that role of the three listed here.

GEC Wharncliffes: #82 Possum Skinner, #82 Dixie Stock Knife, #06 Pemberton, #13 Office Knife

Sheepfoot

A sheepfoot has a straight edge, but the spine has a straight portion that angles downward to the tip with a rounded area connecting the two spine portions. I’m not sure I have done a great job describing that well enough that you could picture it accurately based on the description alone, but thankfully I have lots of examples to show! The sheepfoot is a well liked blade shape. It is often a secondary blade, especially on stockman patterns, but can be a main blade even on multi bladed knives. My first GEC, the knife that got me back into traditionals, was a #15 TC barlow with a single sheepfoot blade. I’ve found it to be extremely practical, despite its lack of a fine point and lack of a curved edge. I also think it looks great when manufactured with the right proportions. The sheepfoot can also another great option of a straight edged secondary blade, like on the GEC #35 Churchill or the GEC #98 Texas Camp Knife.

GEC Sheepfeet: #18 Beagle, #35 Churchill, #53 Cuban Stockman, #98 Texas Camp Knife, #15 TC Barlow

Coping

A coping blade is very similar to a sheepfoot, but with the connection of the two spine areas that come together having a sharp angle rather than being rounded. Coping blades are almost always secondary blades. Coping blades are often found on whittler and congress patterns. Although they can work well for small fine cuts in whittling and other similar tasks, I have often found that the angled spine of a coping blade can decrease the ergonomic comfortability of a knife, especially on a heavy user. Unfortunately, I don’t currently have a coping blade to take a close up picture but the Queen Railsplitter below has a secondary blade that is on the coping side of a sheepfoot.

Queen Railsplitter with Coping secondary blade

Tanto

The tanto blade shape is essentially the same shape as a coping blade, but with the spine and edge sides switched. A tanto has a long straight edge, sometimes with a slight continuous curve, starting from the handle that meets at an angle with another shorter edge that is angled upward and connects with the spine to form the tip. The tanto blade shape originated in Japan and was slightly different than it is commonly made now, with a less hard angle at the intersection of the two edges and an upward curved spine. The now more well known “Americanized tanto” usually has a straight or downward curved spine and a very hard angle at the intersection of the two edges. A tanto often has a hollow grind on the long edge and a flat grind on the shorter edge, for increased strength at the tip, but this is not universal. I like the tanto blade as a utility knife. It excels at opening boxes, using the angled intersection of the edges, and push cuts like those done while breaking down cardboard.

Cold Steel Micro Recon 1, Kershaw Cathode, Outdoor Edge Chasm 2.5, with varying degrees of “Americanized” tanto blade shapes
  • Americanized Tanto Fixed Blade, Cold Steel Kobun
  • Traditional Tanto, DCL Knives Kwaiken

Outliers

There are many traditional blade shapes not discussed in full above, and an endless continuum of variations between and upon the traditional blade shapes. Modern knife makers have also designed many modified versions of traditional blade shapes. A. G. Russell has contributed a great deal to the knife community over the years, and they offer an incredible resource in their Blade Shapes Encyclopedia. Although I don’t use the exact same terminology or definitions as them across the board, their site has a huge amount of helpful information.

Several blade shapes that span more than one traditional pattern or are modified from a traditional pattern

Blade shapes are designated by specific traits and how they relate to each other: edge shape, spine shape, tip height, and sometimes spine and edge angles. However, many of these traits and their relations to discrete blade shapes work more subjectively and on sliding scales, rather than as clear cut absolutes. Some of the most common curved edge blade shapes are the spear point, drop point, and clip point. Some of the most common straight edged blade shapes are the wharncliffe, sheepfoot, and coping blades. Still, sometimes a blade won’t fit these general categories and you’ll have to just look at the knife and categorize it based on its overall design and aesthetic. Yet again, another aspect of the knife hobby comes down to “you know it when you see it”!