Augusts challenge will be a little different. We will be looking for sharpness. Show your sharpening system and some edges. If you can cut a mosquito out of the air thats extra points.
This is the kit I use most all the time, I have different strops around the house but when sharpening this is the kit I go for. Here are a few shots of paper curls, no mosquitos were around the slice out of the air.
I've got so much material for this... Am I allowed to make multiple entries on this one? I've got a few images ready to go, but I know I've got a bunch more hidden away somewhere... Anyway, let me start this off with my old Winkler Field Knife, currently in transit back to it's original owner @Grey Falcon. I sharpen free hand, and I've been practicing virtually nonstop for 8 years. I use DMT Dia-Sharp plates (Coarse/Extra coarse, and Fine/Extra Fine), Spyderco ceramic stones (specifically the ultra fine), Japanese water stones (Sun Tiger by King 200 grit green brick, King Deluxe 1200, and the King Deluxe 6000), and various strops. My favorite compounds at the moment are a rather coarse Enkay black compound which cuts and polishes fairly quickly, finished by Flexcut Gold, which is what I find gives the best final edge out of everything I've tried. I use leather for my strops, and they're usually strops I've made. I tend to obsess over my edges a bit. Before shot of the Winkler. Initial extra coarse DMT stock removal. King 1200 King 6000 Stropping. Here I'm using BRKT black and white. Since moved to other compounds mentioned above. Sometime after this, I decided to thin it out even more, but have no pics of the process. Here's the final result of that. That's a hair, laying on the blade there... Having just been feathered. Here's my current EDC (has been for 4+ years now), my Para 2 in S30V, whittling a hair straight off of my Spyderco ultra fine ceramic. And here's my old TRC Apocalypse after a full re-profiling, now owned by my Brother @HelRaiser. Oh yeah, I've also cut a flying skeeter in half. With an Ontario Bolt Knife. About 2 years back. I'm just cool like that. But really, I did. Surprised myself so much I took multiple photos.
Just like most folks I've collected a few ways to put an edge on something. I don't go for mirror polish, if it'll shave hair, slice paper, or fish, whittle, chop thru brush, weeds, ect. That's good enough. The Lansky or Smiths pull thru's will put a decent edge on and are pretty much unbreakable and idiot proof. They keep the edge angles the same as most factory settings and add a safety factor when you might be tired, sweaty or doing a touch up in dim mottled light. I make a lot of shavings. . This is seasoned oak and the 1075 gets a touch up (5 passes thru) on the ceramic about....every 3rd day.
Here's another thing I use, Aie keep hanging in the shop. A fossil leather belt I saved from a trash pile (free) and the green compound was like $3 at the hobby-craft store. Seen here well into its 3rd year of use, one block of rouge should last for years. A few swipes will bring back the edge on most anything from the pocketknife I carry up to the machetes you guys always see me using.
My sharpening skills are very much a work in progress. Been learning allot from the community here. Pictured is my Esee 4 with Fallkniven Ceramic stone (CC4). You can see the reflection of the white side of the stone on the tip of the knife. Did my best to get that mosquito wing and ended up whacking the thing with the spine of the knife lol Got 'em in the end. For fun I tried to feather a toothpick.
So I wasn't sure if this should go here, or in the "Mans best freind" thread. A bit of explanation. I have one on those dogs. Yeah, got him an "indestructible" toy, it lasted..a day. Got a guaranteed unkillable dog bed, had to leave him in cause it was raining while we went to get food. Came back to an exploded sheep in the living room. We're on our second couch. So I get seasoned hardwood, oak or hickory, and reduce and smooth it for him to chase, I throw and he returns ad infintium. They last about a week. The one on the bottom is current, middle is the next one, and top is what it was cut from. I gets lots, lots and lots, of hands on time with a blade. And when it gets dull I sharpen, it's fun and never gets old, not to me anyway.
Here was last night's little project. I forgot to take any after sharpening shots, which I blame on a couple of old fashioned's. I'll have to post some more pics of my whole setup and some edges I'm particularly proud of. I absolutely love sharpening! My favorites are always my straight razors. I generally like to use a variety of stones but always seem to fall back to my arks and coticule. For the tougher steels I'll use a diamond plate and/or lapping film on glass.
True, but your homies are a bunch of knife toting bastedges who will cut the lil vampires right outa the air.
