Any knife/weapons collectors on here?

Sorry, Stuart, never seen any knives for you.

Didn't even have time to go to the Spyderco place in Golden, Colorado either.

However a nice wee place called Spearfish, SD, on our last day, had a huge Walmart, so got a Spyderco for just over $40 including taxes and a Smiths sharpener for about $25.

Unfortunately, the lid on the lube oil wasn't as tight as it should have been, no idea how to work the sharpener yet but hopefully will get time soon.

Luckily the Spyderco is very sharp out of the box!

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That's similar to the Lansky system but less fussy. The Arkansas stone will put a very nice finish on a blade I think, I've never used one but they are supposed to be the best.
 
Ordered one so I'll let you know in a couple of days. Can't have too big a choice of UK legals. :)
 
I'll let you know if they ever catch me :)

Seriously the coppers I know use their common sense and even carrying a lock knife I doubt I'd get into any trouble on any given day. That said I live in a pretty non urban area and don't walk around with one unless I do actually have need.

The journeyer without the pin fitted is street legal, if you had any worries about the locking pin being an issue, leave it at home.
 
Hit with the transatlantic tax again :(
 
Around $15 to $30, although not sure if it was that particular model.

Quite a common brand, even Walmart had them.
 
CRKT are American of course so it stands to reason. $15 isn't so much less than £15 these days :)
 
Mike, re the oil, that's only for cleaning the stones after use.
 
Steep said:
CRKT are American of course so it stands to reason. $15 isn't so much less than £15 these days :)
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Nearly on par, by the way the Halifax use the exchange rate on my credit card!

Although I see the actual rate is still around the same as when I bought my dollars. ($1.3034 to £1)
 
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Steep said:
Mike, re the oil, that's only for cleaning the stones after use.
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Oh, I thought that was for lubeing the stone?

Anyway, there's still a bit left but it made a wee mess inside the package:(

I will have a good read before I attempt to use it.
 
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you can use either water or oil on an Arkasas stone. But once you start it on one you can not use the other.
The stone in the photograph looks more like the was***a stone which is not so fine.
I have two exceedingly fine translucent Arkansas stones, one I bought in 1956 and have used ever since. It is still perfectly flat.
I also use various natural oilstones and diamond stones, depending on the task.

most of my stones I have to flatten, every ten years or so, with a diamond plate.

I finsh my tools and blades on a leather block covered in Autosol. Which gives a mirror finish and easily sharp enough to shave with. (Which is how I test them)
though for some cutting, a sharp but slightly raw edge gives a easier cut.
my pocket knife of choice is a standard wenger. With one large wide blade, a cork screw, bottle opener come locking screwdriver.

edit... can't imagine why they starred out the letters, Hit, as it is a place name.
 
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I quite like CRKT for the money, and I often carry a BULL or Drifter in SA, where there are no restrictions. My UK EDC is usually a SAK, one of the slimmer ones without a whole lot of tools I won't ever use. My wife carries a small Spyderco.

The Journeyer is neat, but the 'locking' system looks fiddly. I'd probably lose the pin. Not for me.

Terry is quite right about Arkansas stones and lubes, and the instructions on the back of the Smith's packaging also tell you to use the oil as a lubricant.

There are quite a few sharpening systems on the market. Some are better than others, but they all do the same thing - they make it easier to maintain the angle of the blade/edge while you're sharpening it. There's a lot to be said for learning how to sharpen blades on a bench stone though, and it's generally faster, simpler and more effective once you get the hang of it.
 
MartynK said:
There's a lot to be said for learning how to sharpen blades on a bench stone though, and it's generally faster, simpler and more effective once you get the hang of it.
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I read that as beAch stone first - and that's exactly what a few Greek fishermen use! Pick a suitable pebble, splash it with sea water and away you go.
 
Ooh that would be sacrilege to some people! sharpening steel can be an art form in itself.

Mikesphotaes said:
Oh, I thought that was for lubeing the stone?.
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So did I, the Lansky system instructions say for cleaning only and it works well for that.

StuartH said:
Had some credit on gearbest so ordered myself a new one..nice little sanrenmu!
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Not a 7065 by any chance? got one of those and a Harnds Lark on the slow boat just now.
 
MartynK said:
There are quite a few sharpening systems on the market.
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Different grits of sandpaper on a flat surface according to the guy I bought the wee axe from.

I use Autosol on leather as well sometimes but I rarely finish a blade to that standard as I find the slightly rougher edge better for cutting as Terry says.
 
Tease!
 
Steep said:
Ooh that would be sacrilege to some people! sharpening steel can be an art form in itself.
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Nowt wrong with primitive art and the method leaves the blade razor sharp! I suppose 2 pebbles held together would give a double concave edge if used with a careful draw action.
 
The angle of an edge does not indicate how sharp it is. You can sharpen to a right angle and it can still be rasor sharp.
Most of my tools and blades are sharpened to between 25 and 30 degrees depending more on the strength of the edge I need, more than the sharpness.
The cutting action is dependant on the angle the blade makes to the surface more than the angle of the edge.

The action of oil or water on a stone is to flush away the particles of steel and stone from the surface to increase the speed of the cutting action.
Japanese water stones which are exceedingly soft but fast cutting, give a finer and finer finish as they dry out and clog up.
Very hard stones like a translucent Arkansa, clog up very easily and need to be kept clean with oil or water as you work.

Hand knives which are almost always curved are far easier to sharpen by hand, whilst plane blades and the like respond better to a jig to give a set angle, as far less material will be removed in producing the second cutting angle.

Kitchen and large knives are easier to keep sharp with a steel, which straightens the edge , rather than removes steel... Such knives are relatively soft and easy to keep a sharp edge this way.

Things like kititchen devils are so hard they are almost impossible to sharpen with out a diamond stone. In most cases they are never effectively resharpened. And just get duller and duller, till they are chucked out.
 
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Postie has just been, Heinnie proving again why they're tops :)
The Journeyer is about the same size as the no.5 but the blade is slimmer, marginally shorter and easier to open. The locking pin lives in the back of the handle and can be fitted either side to lock. The left side for a quick lock/use/unlock while the right has a groove that the pin itself locks into. This is very tight, so tight I had to use a screwdriver to get the pin out again, though I expect it will loosen off over time.

Journeyer is at the bottom with the Liong Mah no.5 above for comparison.

journeyerfinn.jpg

The locking pin fitted.

journeyer.jpg
 
Cuts stiff paper easily so pretty good yes. I like the finger choil idea on both knives that stops you closing on yourself.
 
Nice to see a black blade, yes that looks the business.
 
Terrywoodenpic said:
.........snip

Kitchen and large knives are easier to keep sharp with a steel, which straightens the edge , rather than removes steel...
Such knives are relatively soft and easy to keep a sharp edge this way....................
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perhaps you experts can help..?

i have a set of Zwilling J A Henckels kitchen knives
and use a steel for sharpening
over the years the edges have developed small 'nicks' ( like a saw ) - and are no longer razor sharp

is that the steel..? ... or me..?
will they come out if I buy a flat fine stone - which.?

thanks
 
@Steep
thanks - watched the video.

need to get to work on my knives now.......(y)
 
Yardbent said:
i have a set of Zwilling J A Henckels kitchen knives
and use a steel for sharpening...

thanks
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You can buy sharpening steels, which remove a very small amount of metal each time you use them (this is how sharpening systems work), but most steels are designed to reset the cutting edge. Basically, the edge becomes distorted/worn over time, and the steel straightens it out, restoring its condition.
 
MartynK said:
........., but most steels are designed to reset the cutting edge. .............
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thanks
my chefs knife edges are rough - skid off a tomato....:(

going for a stone (or 2) to create a new edge
I've done some reading now - it appears a stone should be used twice/year.......my knives are about 15yo - and never sharpened - as i thought my steel did this ...:rolleyes:
 
Jings! mine are still on the slow boat. You must tell me your secret sometime :)
 
Yardbent said:
perhaps you experts can help..?

i have a set of Zwilling J A Henckels kitchen knives
and use a steel for sharpening
over the years the edges have developed small 'nicks' ( like a saw ) - and are no longer razor sharp

is that the steel..? ... or me..?
will they come out if I buy a flat fine stone - which.?

thanks
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You should not get nicks however you sharpen a kitchen knife.
It will not be the steel that caused them.
The easiest way for most people to use a steel is it hold it vertically, resting the tip firmly on a cutting board, then use an action as if you were cutting thin slices off a kebab . with long sweeping cuts.
Do each side in turn.

A steel removes almost no metal it simply straightens and dresses the edge. Leaving it with just the right sharpness for kitchen use.
you do not actually want a kitchen knife razor sharp as a blade cuts meat vegetables and fish much better with a microscopic saw edge.
Ideally you should use a steel every time you use a knife... as butchers always do...

If you have a "Visibly" saw edge you need to get it back in order with a flat medium diamond stone.

A carbon steel knife that has been hardened too far can easily develop small nicks and will probably do so again.
 
Yardbent said:
thanks
my chefs knife edges are rough - skid off a tomato....:(

going for a stone (or 2) to create a new edge
I've done some reading now - it appears a stone should be used twice/year.......my knives are about 15yo - and never sharpened - as i thought my steel did this ...:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I only sharpen a kitchen blade every few years on Grind stone. Between time I straighten the edged on a steel when ever It will not cut tomatoes into paper thin slices. ( some thing that I put in sandwiches almost every day.)

My Favourite sandwich knife is an ancient, pre first war Dinner style bladed (stainless steel) knife that belonged to my wife's mother. I have had to re-handle it in rosewood, as the original wooden handle had virtually dissolved away. Unlike most stainless steel it take an excellent edge.
It serves to cut meat, cucumber, tomato, into thin slices as well as spread butter and act as a sandwich lifter, all in one. To cut bread I use a thin 12 inch Sheffield serrated ham knife.
 
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