Got a Bark River Mini Canadian

[DigMe]

We had an early Christmas with my family and I got a BRKT Mini-Canadian with the blaze orange micarta handles (solid pins). It seems like a sweet knife so far. REALLY sharp out of the box. The blade is a bit thinner than I thought it would be after reading about them. This will be used primarily for skinning and taking the meat off of deer and hogs. Can't wait to try it out! I need to replace this chintzy sheath though.

I plan on getting a strop (the one attached to the wooden plank) and some of that stropping compound from Lee Valley. The blade is convex ground. I hope that will be sufficient to keep it sharp. At what angle should I strop it? Is that as important as the sharpening angle on a stone? I know that you strop it in a reverse stroke and I've stropped before but never with the compound.

brad cook

 

[Boats]

Many Bark River owners, (I have three), do what I do to sharpen them.

Buy some automotive wet/dry metal sandpaper in various grits between 400-1500.

Buy or find a cushioned mousepad.

Clamp the sandpaper onto the mousepad. I use those office clips that are black with the reversible wire handles.

Reverse stroke the blade against the sandpaper. The cushioning of the mousepad makes the sandpaper contour itself against the edge.

Voila. My BRKTs are the sharpest knives I have ever owned. The sandpaper also makes a great field sharpening system as in a pinch you can use your thigh as a base.

 

[DigMe]

Boats,

Thanks. I have heard about the sandpaper/mousepad method. I'd still like to get a strop.

Are you saying it doesn't really matter what angle you strop it at because of the soft backing?

brad cook

 

[Boats]

The angle matters, but not nearly as much as it does on a more traditional grind. I keep the blade nearly parallel with the sharpening surface, but the convex grind pretty much assures that if you are paying attention, the edge will be sharpened up nicely as that should be the part of the blade most directly engaged with the grit. I just try to follow the natural flow of the grind so that I am not making some secondary angle on or above the edge.

I think it is simply more important to do the same amount of strokes for each side to ensure that the blade is as evenly sharpened as possible than worry about having an exact angle on each stroke like I have to do on other grind types.

Sharpening convex is different, but it is also extremely easy compared even to using my Lansky diamond hones on my other conventionally ground blades.

I have a strop too. I just like the sandpaper for the convenience of knowing exactly how much abrasive power I have going and to be able to quickly change it.

 

[DigMe]

Boats,

When you strop using the sandpaper/mousepad method do you typically stick with one grit or do you work from coarse to fine? If so could you detail which grit/s are used?

brad cook

 

[Estela216]

Glad you like your Barkie.

I can tell you they have the best customer service bar none. I first experienced this when Mike Stewart made me a custom North Star with longer handle slabs and then when I helped him design the Bark River Kayak Knife.

Don't be surprised if you buy another, and another, and another and so on. They are beautiful, functional and fun to collect.

Kev