Convex Edge Bowie Sharpening?

[Panzerschwein]

Hello all!

So I've got this giant 14" blade Bowie knife here:



It's real nice, but boy is it duller than I don't know what! Just had it hand forged for me and the blacksmith sure didn't sharpen it very well.

So this knife has a convex edge. I've never had either so large a knife or a convex edge knife... so I'm wondering how to sharpen it? I haven't got but a small basic stone and Arkansas stone. Does anybody know an easy way to sharpen a big old convex Bowie? I'd like to get it shavin' sharp.

Thanks!

 

[burrhead]

Google

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLjBF7klRYY

 

[JohnKSa]

Unless you have the proper power tools and the know-how to use them, the main ingredients are going to be time and elbow grease.

Since you're going to have to remove a lot of steel to get that monster into shape, I'd buy a good quality coarse diamond bench stone and start working.

No need to stick with a convex edge if you don't want to.

Don't press hard on the diamond stone. Diamonds are very hard and they cut very well and very fast, but they are brittle and you'll just break them if you press down hard.

 

[IlikeSA]

Check out this article before you start:

http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/hunting/2014/01/knife-sharpening-knives-dull-edge-how

 

[spazzymcgee]

The WorkSharp sharpens a convex edge. They're not cheap, but they do a really good job and can give anything a convex edge.

 

[Evil-Twin]

there is a reason for convex blades.... they are tough and designed to keep the edge from breaking, you can use a convex edge to chop small limbs, which is something you can not do with a razor.

I have a lot of money invested in the art of sharpening knives, this setup is well in excess of 1500 dollars. Just a Hobby, but can make a knife much sharper than what the factory edge offers out of the box. these diamond and ceramic paddles are 70 to 120 dollars each.



If you are not interested in sharpening knives, the best advice I can give you is to visit a Butcher shop, they all have a professional service to touch up their knives every 4 or five weeks. or look for a professional knife service.. Most places will charge a minimum fee which includes pick up and delivery, the minimum fee is also for a specific amount of knives. EG. 25 dollars to sharpen five knives. that only 5 dollars a knife. Whgen I sharpen a knife it takes me 40 minutes and according to what I want to do with the knife, I can profile the edge anyway I want. A multi-faceted bevel with a stepped up profile, most knives that are concaved use a multiple faceted profile, 20* degrees, 18* degrees and finally 17* degress then these three facits are stropped with either Balso or Kangaroo strops to blend them together. I can also finish off a knife with either 3000# grit, 14,000 # grit, and 50,000 # grit diamond dust.

Note the mirror edge.

 

[Evil-Twin]

Just offering an educated suggestion for the OP... If this is the only knife you would like to make sharp. a single professional approach would be the best and most cost effective means to get it there.. Stones are not the answer because getting the angle correct for each stroke, is not attained by free hand.

 

[hso]

Look for a sharpening service in town that handles the restaurant trade and even hospitals.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Hmm, interesting.

But, I would love to learn how to do this myself, just so I can learn a new skill.

 

[Evil-Twin]

Ive been trying for 50 years to sharpen a Knife... Ive only just recently been able to sharpen any knife with real consistency, and actually learning what a wicked edge actually is... I never has the respect for a sharp knife before I actually learned how to do this...
in my opinion, there are only two sharpeners out there that can make a blade razor sharp with consistency... my system , while extremely expensive.. is the only one that does both edges at the same time and makes it possible to make each side intersect exactly in the middle, some edges work better with a toothy edge, some work better with a non toothy edge...cutting flesh and cutting a tomato require two different types of edges.. I can consistently cut a tomato slice so thin you can make 400 slices out of a 2 inch tomato. that's .005 inch thick. You can only do that with a 14000 # grit toothy edge.

toothy edge under a digital microscope. the toothy edge is at the top you can see the bevel just below the edge, then you can see the blade.



non toothy edge again the edge is at the top of the image with the bevel slightly below and then the blade itself. lighting is slightly different, but you can see most of the toothiness is gone.

 

[Evil-Twin]

The WorkSharp sharpens a convex edge. They're not cheap, but they do a really good job and can give anything a convex edge.

Work sharp and not being cheap is a relative term.. a work sharp is 130 dollars.. that's cheap to a lot of people and very expensive to others... Personally only a very experienced knife sharpener can sharpen with a rotating belt sander and not cause any damage. Belt sanders are used by processionals who need a quick turn around when sharpening knives for a living../ but their belt sanding equipment can easily be 2,000 to 3,000 dollars. a Work sharp is better than an inexperienced guy using a wet stone.

There are pages and pages of information on sharpening knives, hundreds of You tube Videos, each one saying that their system is the best... I've spent way too much time and money over the years trying to make a razor sharp edge. only to be disappointed by the results, or just thinking that its as sharp as it will get. when you can take a single hair and make three cuts in a single strand ,( whittle ) that's sharp. there are several You tube videos showing different people using the system I use and taking a strand of hair and shaving that single hair.

The very first knife I sharpened with my system, I cut myself.. why? because I never knew just how sharp a knife can be. So like most people I lightly ran my fingers across the edge. it didn't start to bleed immediately, but after 15 seconds I could not stop it without putting pressure, and I did not know I was cut until I saw the blood... I cleaned it put a band aide on it... after an hour I took the band aide off and it started to bleed again.. no IM not on any blood thinners.. I don't know why it bled so much because I never bled like that before.. the next day all was well....

 

[Evil-Twin]

I think many of us who carry everyday, also carry a knife of some sort. I have many guns and knives, but for the most part, my EDC has evolved over the years into what I carry everyday. Basically my EDC weapon is the one I always carry and the one I shoot weekly and use same load I use to defend myself.
My EDC Kimber 45 ACP combat defense package, Kershaw Zero Tolerance 350 tiger, and My Swiss Army Knife

 

[Panzerschwein]

Evil-Twin, sorry to hear about your finger. I filleted open my thumb one time down to the bone, peeled it back like a banana. I was using a terribly dull knife to cut some straps, and when the blade slipped and ripped through my thumb flesh it actually made a "thrwwwuhhtt!!" sound it makes when you chop meat. Blood went EVERYWHERE and gushed out like a faucet with each pulse of my heart.

So I washed out the wound after several ounces of blood lose, wrapped it in gauze and neosporin, and let it heal for several weeks. Yes, I should have gotten stitches as now my thumb has a terrible scar on it.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Too bad you live so far west Cooldill. I'd invite you by and we could sharpen that big blade here.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Thank you, that is very kind. I would like to some day depending on where I find myself!