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Life on the Edge: The Importance of Blade Maintenance, by Dr. DAC

Tuesday, Oct 1, 2013
INTRODUCTION Most of us use a cutting edge every single day, be it a chefs knife, pocket knife, or scissors. We typically suer with overly dull cutting surfaces, and that is OK for cutting a zucchini after the daily nine-to-ve routine. However, when faced with a long-term survival situation, the importance of cutting edges will skyrocket, quickly shifting this humdrum facet of daily life to center stage. Knowing how to restore and maintain blades and edges will take on new importance, as sharp tools will be necessary for survival, and sharpening will be a marketable and barterable skill. Besides knives and scissors, we will regularly rely on axes, machetes, ngernail clippers, chisels, gouges, wood planes, drill bits, saw blades, animal hide preparatory tools, and shaving razors, just to name a few. Dierent edges require dierent sharpeners and techniques to achieve sharpness, but with a little bit of investment in some simple tools and also time for honing your skills (pun intended), the dividends will pay o for years to come. Unlike some niche survival skills and tactics, sharpening is extremely useful in every-day non-emergency situations, as you will nally be able to maintain blades that actually slice through tomatoes without clumsily squishing out an eight-inch radius of juice blast! Some blades and tasks are more sensitive to dullness than others. For example, a dull chefs knife will get the job done, however it will take longer, leave jagged edges, and require more force. These last points are issues of safety, for the greater the force leveraged on a knife, the less control the user typically has. Also, dull knives have a greater propensity for slipping or bouncing o of surfaces before cutting in, which increases the likelihood of lacerating oneself. Wounds inicted by dull knives also tend to be more ragged, potentially necessitating medical attentionthe last thing you need in a survival situation. Other cutting tools, such as straight razors and plane irons are rendered virtually unusable when dull. Dull machetes and axes are also inecient and dangerous. All sharpening methods rely on the same basic principleabrasive particles that are harder than the blade are used to create a series of scratches on the cutting edge. Coarse abrasive particles cut quickly and remove relatively large amounts of metal from the edge. Fine abrasive particles cut more slowly, yet
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leave a ner scratch pattern. The ner and more uniform the scratch pattern, the sharper the edge will be. Eventually, the progression to ner and ner abrasives yields a mirror nish and an exquisitely sharp edge. Sharpening typically occurs over a number of abrasive, or grit stages. A coarse or low grit stone rst removes deep gouges and scratches. Fine, or high grit, media are used after coarser abrasives have created a uniform edge. This can be compared to a wood working analogy, in that a progression of ner tools is used to craft a piece of work. An axe is used to cut lumber to a coarse shape, saws work coarse lumber to the close-to-nished shape of the desired piece, and then sand paper and scrapers are used during the last nishing stage. Sandpaper is not used to cut down the tree! In theory it could be, but you would waste a lot of paper, and it would take more time and eort than you probably wish to spend. Conversely, you would not use an axe for the nal smoothing. For the same reasons, you would not use a ne abrasive for the initial sharpening of an edge. The idea is to take rough (coarse) cuts of metal o the edge to get the shape of the blade right and to eliminate deep gouges. Once all the scratches made by the coarse abrasive are uniform, it is time to progress to a medium abrasive. Once the medium abrasive has created a uniform series of scratches, it is time to move to a ner abrasive. One of the biggest hurdles to creating a good edge is impatience. By switching to the next ner abrasive too soon, coarse scratches persist and a sharp edge will remain elusive. Each progression of ner scratch pattern must completely remove the coarser scratch pattern from the abrasive that came before. Going back to the lumber example, even if you used the axe to chop through 95% of the log, switching to sandpaper at this point would still be foolish. Likewise, even if you remove 95% of the coarse scratches with a medium grit abrasive, moving a ne abrasive will not readily remove the remaining 5% of coarse scratches. The tools needed to begin sharpening are relatively simple, but the vast array of choices can be dizzying for those new to sharpening. On one end of the spectrum resides sandpaper that is simply adhered to a at surface, while the other end of the spectrum hosts multi-thousand-dollar sharpening machines. This article focuses on the middle ground, which is the domain belonging to sharpening stones. Sophisticated sharpening machines will be largely ignored, for when the power goes down, so do these machines. Additionally, replacement parts may be impossible to source. A brief description of the utility of sandpaper is worth mentioning, however. Sand paper is inexpensive and only requires a at surface such as a mirror, glass pane, or a block of granite as the underlying substrate. Even MDF (medium density berboard) or cast iron tool tops (such as table saw tops) can be used with some success. Utilizing a series of diering sandpaper grits can be an extremely eective means of sharpening edges. Vast amounts of
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information regarding sandpaper-based methods are available on the internet, and they can typically be found by typing the phrase scary sharp in a search engine. In a nutshell, sandpaper is generally adhered to a at surface with a spray adhesive. The edge to be sharpened is placed on the sandpaper, and worked to create a uniform scratch pattern. A low grit (50, 80, 100) paper is used to shape the edge, followed by a progression of ner grits (150, 180, 220, 320, 400, 600, 1000, 1200, 2000, 5000 or even ner). Stopping at between 600 and 1200 is suitable for everyday use, but ner edges (that are more delicate and more easily dulled and damaged) require higher grits. To set this system up, it takes very little initial monetary output, as sandpaper and oat glass is inexpensive. The problem is that sandpaper may not be readily available in a long-term survival situation, and high quality wet-dry silicon carbide paper in ne grits is rather expensive and may not be readily available at box stores. Overall, this methodology is useful to have in ones bag of tricks, but may not be as practical or cost eective (in the long run) as having some quality sharpening stones. SHARPENING STONES It should be noted that I have no nancial interest in any brands of the sharpening stones mentioned below, and have included reference to brands I have either personally used or that have a reputation for quality. Like all tools, I would recommend buying the best you can aord, staying far away from cheap imports. Sharpening stones come in a few basic varieties: Oil stones, water stones, and diamond stones. Oil stones are the stones that our grandfathers used, and require a coat of oil to work eectively, hence the name. They were traditionally natural stones (e.g. Arkansas stones), but man-made oil stones are readily available today from manufacturers such as Norton. Natural Arkansas stones vary in coarseness, and are typically available in ner forms than their man-made counterparts. The types of Arkansas stones are, from coarse to ne; Washita, Soft Arkansas, Hard Arkansas, Hard Black Arkansas, and Hard Translucent Arkansas. Oil stones typically cut more slowly than water stones, and are more dicult to clean due to the use of oil. They are, however, the most economical of the stones available. Quality oil stones can be had, at the time of this writing, for under $20 each. Water stones need no oil, but require water as a lubricant, as their names suggest. They are also available in natural varieties, but are rare and cost prohibitive, so only man-made water stones will be considered. They cut faster than oil stones since the binders that hold these stones together are relatively soft, which allows worn abrasive particles to slough o the stone during sharpening to reveal fresh and sharp underlying particles. Of course there is a tradeo, which is that water stones dish out more quickly due to their softer
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construction, so they must be attened regularly (with a dedicated attening plate). Water stones are also available in much ner grits than oil stones (up to 30,000 grit). Water stones vary in price, with ner grits costing substantially more. Norton makes combination stones with diering grits on each side of the stone, and for around $150 dollars, two stones (4 grits: 220/100, 4000/8000) and a attening stone can be had. I personally feel this is an excellent approach for a basic do it all sharpening setup. Water stones are easy to use and clean, while not being terribly expensive. Extremely ne grits, however, can be upward of $300 per stone. The Naniwa Chosera line of Japanese water stones, though I have not personally used them, are extremely well-regarded, and warrant consideration. I regularly use Shapton glass stones (1000, 4000, 8000) and a DMT Coarse Diasharp stone to keep my glass stones at, and highly recommend this setup. The Shapton stones cut fast, dont dish out quickly, and are super easy to use. They are, however, fragile as they are manufactured on a glass backing, and relatively expensive (around $300 for such a set). In a critical situation where two is one, and one is none, glass stones may not be my rst choice without a backup in place. Diamond stones are not stones at all, but rather metal plates impregnated with diamond particles. They cut extremely fast and their surfaces remain very at over time. They use water instead of oil, so are also easy to clean. Diamond stones are typically more expensive than water stones in average grits, but less expensive than ultra-ne water stones. Diamond plates are also not readily available in the extremely ne grits found in water stones. For a long-term survival scenario, these stones are arguably the best choice if you could only have one set of stones, as they are robust and remain at. A set of four diamond stones by DMT (x-coarse, coarse, medium, ne) sells for around $200, and represents good value for overall utility. When choosing diamond stones, look for brands oering monocrystalline construction, as these stones tend to cut faster and last longer than polycrystalline varieties. OTHER SHARPENING TOOLS Strops should not be left out of the discussion. A strop is simply a piece of leather (or canvas) used to polish an edge. Unlike stones, strops do not remove material from a blade, but rather straighten or align the edge. A strop is essential for achieving a keen edge on a straight razor, and is also used for creating a superior edge on woodworking tools such as chisels or plane irons. Strops may be impregnated with ne abrasive particles, such as Jewelers Rouge, or chromium (III) oxide to aid in achieving an even better nish. For kitchen and utility knives, a honing steel, or simply steel is often used for a similar purpose (A steel may be made of steel or ceramic). Learning to use a steel is a requisite for maintaining sharp kitchen knives, as it allows prolonged use of knives between sharpening sessions, since one can periodically touch up the edge with just a steel.
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What about electric kitchen knife sharpeners? They are super-fast, easy to use, and require virtually no skill. As long as you have electricity they will work relatively well. However, one cant always count on having electricity. Also, if a part breaks or wears out, the apparatus will be rendered useless. Lastly, they can only sharpen thin-bladed knives, but a set of stones can be used to sharpen axes, combat knives, scissors, lawnmower blades, pruners, and dozens of woodworking tools, just to name a few. High end sharpening stations are more versatile than the kitchen knife sharpeners, but again have dozens of moving parts and rely on electricity. A number of specialty stones are also oered in the market, and are intended for specic tasks. For example, round and triangular stones can be used for sharpening serrated blades and gut-hook skinning knives, and even some nail clippers. Gouge sharpening stones are shaped to accommodate a wide variety of wood working gouges and carving tools. Smaller stones can be used for sharpening sh hooks, saw blades, small scissors, tweezers, and even carbide router bits and carbide tipped saw blades. It should be noted that a diamond stone is needed to sharpen carbide. The last tool worth mentioning is the le. Files are useful, especially in conjunction with stones, for sharpening axes, hatchets, lawnmower blades, gardening equipment, shovels, and saw blades. Files could be the subject of their own article, but for the sake of brevity only a brief introduction follows. Files are also indispensable for general metalworking. Mill les come in a variety of cuts (the pattern of ridges on the tool) and roughness. Files generally follow the nomenclature of, from roughest to smoothest: rough, middle, bastard, second cut, smooth, and dead smooth. To make matters more confusing, a 10 long second cut le is typically coarser than a 6 long second cut le, and levels of roughness vary from one manufacturer to another. Files can be at, half-round, round, and tapered. For basic sharpening of garden tools, lawnmower blades, shovels, and axes, an initial shaping with a le is the most practical way to form an edge when exceedingly dull or damaged. They cut more aggressively than the coarsest of stones, and do so far faster. No sharpening set would be complete without at least one at mill le, but a selection of at, round, and tapered les, in both coarse and ne cuts is ideal. Small tapered les are used to sharpen hand saw blades, while a small round le is required to properly sharpen a chainsaw blade. There are also numerous jigs and xtures on the market to aid the would-be sharpener in his or her quest for that perfect edge. I would avoid these items in general, and instead focus on the skill of sharpening. Jigs can break, but once you have acquired the knowledge and sharpened your skills (another pun!) that can never be taken away from you. Knowledge is power.
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STARTING OUT Since there are so many options for sharpening implements, it is admittedly confusing at rst. However, in choosing the right tools, some rst questions to ask are:1) What are you sharpening?, and 2) Where are you sharpening? The what is simplebuy what you need to sharpen the tools you will need. The where simply refers to whether you are in a stable location or preparing for a bug-out. Therefore I have put together four hypothetical kit examples: two bug out kits-ultralight and standard, a basic sharpening set for home use, and a comprehensive sharpening set for home use. Below each set is a description of what task can reasonably be accomplished with the tools at hand. These are not written in stone, so feel free to adjust based upon your needs. Bug Out Kit-ultralight Diamond credit card sharpeners Coarse, Fine, Extra Fine This kit is lightweight (under 7 oz.), inexpensive, and suces for most common tasks. Each stone is a metallic credit card-sized diamond plate. They are a bit heavy for my EDC (every day carry) preferences, but not totally impractical. For a bugout bag, these are a no-brainer. This set gives you the ability to sharpen chefs knives, smooth pocket knives, smooth combat knives, machetes, axes, hatchets, adzes, swords, scissors & shears, arrow heads, sh hooks, as well as craft and woodworking tools. Tools, such as axes or lawnmower blades with major nicks would still likely need the use of a mill le. Blades will not achieve a keen edge like what is possible from ne grit water stones, but can be made very sharp and very functional. Bug Out Kit-standard Extra Coarse/Coarse diamond folding sharpener Fine/Extra Fine diamond folding sharpener Fine diamond folding Serrated Knife Sharpener This example contains three collapsible sharpeners that unfold like balisongs (buttery knifes) to reveal a sharpening stone. Two double-sided sharpeners yield four stone grits, and a ne pointed stone sharpener is used for serrated surfaces. Again, blades will not achieve as keen an edge like from higher grit water stones, but will be sharp and totally functional. Another, more compact, option would be to use the credit card sharpeners from the ultralight bug-out kit, coupled with the ne diamond serrated knife sharpener. Basic Sharpening Set-home use Diamond Stone Set: X-Coarse, Coarse, Medium, Fine, X-Fine Chefs Steel Flat Mill Files: Coarse and Smooth

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This very basic set allows one to sharpen: chefs knives, pocket knives, combat knives, machetes, axes, hatchets, adzes, swords, scissors & shears, sh hooks, chisels, plane irons, garden equipment, and lawnmower blades, at a minimum. Since the set is diamond, carbide inserts on router bits and the like are also sharpenable. The stones are far larger than their folding counterparts, so will last longer (since the surface is greater and wear is more widely distributed) and are easier to use, as they are placed on a table top so both hands can be used for sharpening. Pocket sharpeners require one hand to hold the sharpener and one hand to hold the tool to be sharpened, which is not optimal for maintaining a consistent angle while sharpening, so stellar results are more dicult to achieve. Again, augmenting this kit with a folding serrated knife sharpener adds the ability to sharpen serrated edges. Comprehensive Sharpening Set-home use Water Stone Set: 220, 500, 1000, 4000, 8000 Flattening Stone for water stones Backup Diamond Stone Set: Coarse, Medium, Fine, X-Fine Chefs Steel Sharpening Rod round (ceramic or diamond) Sharpening Rod- Triangle (ceramic or diamond) Leather Strops- plain and compound impregnated Files: Mill le selection, round le selection, tapered le selection. Large and small, coarse and ne for each. Having water stones will allow a keener edge than what is possible in the sets above due to the 4000 and 8000 grits, as well as the strops. It is these additional tools that allow for the sharpening of straight razors, and also to achieve razor sharp edges on most tools. The sharpening rods open up the possibility of maintaining serrated knives, gut hooks and seat belt cutter hooks. The diamond stones provide a robust backup for the more fragile water stones, and also allow one to sharpen carbide tipped router bits and saw blades, while the expanded selection of les is used for hand saws and chain saws blades. Additionally, some general metalworking and gunsmithing tasks are possible with the above stones and les. But wait! How exactly do I sharpen X,Y, or Z? You never told me!! Smooth knives are sharpened dierently than serrated knives, and axes are sharpened dierently than chisels. The focus of this article is not to teach you the techniques needed to sharpen particular types of edges, but rather to convey the importance of possessing sharpening skills in emergency situations and to explain what tools are needed to accomplish the tasks at hand. It is also vital to understand that learning to sharpen eectively and with eciency takes practice, and is a perishable skill. I therefore recommend, at the very least, that one regularly sharpen kitchen knives and pocket knives to achieve and

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maintain a reasonable skill level. Your rst attempt at sharpening a kitchen knife may yield a blade that is duller than when you started! This changes with practice. Another article, far longer than this one, could be written that breaks down the procedures necessary to sharpen all the tools mentioned above, but in this case a picture is really worth a 1,000 words. I would therefore recommend a book such as The Complete Guide to Sharpening by Leonard Lee, as this text covers the vast majority of sharpening situations one can expect to encounter, is full of photographs, and is a worthy reference for any preparedness library. Additionally, there are hundreds of YouTube videos that show the procedures and motions used to achieve edge nirvana, but I would caution that some are worth far more than others. When faced with TEOTWAWKI, chopping wood, preparing game, cooking, bushwhacking, hunting, self-defense, personal hygiene, and tool maintenance for woodworking, leatherworking, and virtually every other craft will heavily rely on edged tools. With a little bit of investment and regular practice, you can ensure that your survival tools remain safe and functional while also creating a skill set that has bartering valueboth of which may help you through hard times and promote your survival. Copyright 2005-2012 James Wesley, Rawles - SurvivalBlog.com All Rights Reserved

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