How sharp should a field/survival type knife be?

[schadenfreude]

I bought a Glock field knife. I know I know, not everyones favorite but it was cheap on Ebay.

The bevel angle seemed to be around 25 degrees so I set it up on my Lansky and sharpened away and then stropped it. It's as sharp as it can be really.

Then as an after thought I questioned...

Does it need to be that sharp? Will it be more brittle?

Is there a better more durable bevel angle I should have used?

Should I stop short at a certain point? The stones I have are coarse, 120, 280, 600, 1000, and a strop with Dunkle's yellowstone rubbed in. Should I stop at 600? Should I bother stropping it at all?

Thanks in advance

 

[bikerdoc]

for memand me alone I think what you did is perfect
to test sharpness can youshave hair off your arm or thigh?

 

[alaskanativeson]

I think it depends on the steel in the knife. If it's durable enough to hold the edge for a good while and yet still be able to be sharpened in the field, I'd say it's okay. I'm not familiar with the Glock knives, I've heard some people tout them as the greatest utility knife ever made, and at the same time I've heard others decry them as sharpened prybars which are as useless as Congress. Let us know what you think.

 

[pmeisel]

Not familiar with that knife, but:

Sharp is good -- however

Depending on the steel, hardness, and use, at some point too shallow an angle will make the edge fragile or even useless.

Sounds to me like you are fine, though, if it was a problem you would see it in use quickly.

 

[schadenfreude]

I can shave with it. Clean effortless shave. The strop polishes the bevel so fine that when you hold the edge up to the light it looks like the edge is a mirage like a cloud. I use a 10x loupe to look at the edge to keep an eye on the bur and polish.

I do this to all my pocket knives but this is my first fixed blade knife I felt compelled to buy.

I'll probably beat on some wood with it and see what the edge does...... then adjust accordingly.

 

[bikerdoc]

You got it right my friend, feel free to PM with any questions

 

[7X57chilmau]

With an edge like that, push cutting will be the blades forte.

For a survival type blade, I tend to polish only the front half of the blade, back to the beginning of the straight edge. The straight edge, I leave "medium stone" sharp, no burr.

That way, the tip and belly are razor sharp for when I need that, but the knife has good "tooth" on the straight part, perfect for cutting rope and other tasks that benefit from a toothy edge.

But whatcha did is great. Sharpening at an unsuitable angle will give a weak or fast wearing edge, but polishing the right angle only reduces tooth, and makes a fine cutting edge.

I do have a weak spot for a hair-popping polished edge, tho.

No need to use a loupe to keep track of the burr. Hold the edge up to light, and if you see a bright line at any angle, you ain't done yet. As you've noticed, a perfect polished edge is invisible.

J

 

[schadenfreude]

I really don't need the loupe but since I have one..... it's kinda fun. I'm like a kid with his first microscope.

So for the back portion, where would you stop? 280 stone? 600?

 

[7X57chilmau]

I'd probably go to 600 myself, but certainly wouldn't be opposed to even the 280.... It's about what suits your needs, sharp is sharp no matter what grit is used.

The coarser the grit, the more tooth the blade will have, which can make tasks like rope cutting much easier.

As always, it's about what you intend to DO with the knife that dictates the sharpening regime. A survival knife will be called upon to do everything from shelter building, where it is an axe, saw, hammer.... to cleaning game and preparing food, where it is a skinner, chopper or carving knife... Any rope cutting is fairly small, so perhaps 600 for that.

If you were in mountainous regions, and carried climbing gear, I'd more likely stop at 280 for better tooth for the heavier rope cutting that may be encountered.

Try this: Next time you sharpen a knife, after each stone you use, stop and cut a few things. Get the burr off, have it nicely "sharp" for that grit, and use it a bit. You'll see that sharp for one thing may not be for another. A hair popper might actually be difficult to cut rope with, while an edge so rough it tears fibres out of a paper towel when being wiped will cut the same rope like hot knife and butter.

Have you ever read the sharpening faq at the top of this forum? It's got a real wealth of info that can help you understand how your knife needs to be sharpened to work right for you. Over the years, I came to understand much of what it says thru my own missteps and trials, but I found some of what it said to be truely enlightening.... I even agree with most of it!

J

 

[schadenfreude]

Thanks for reminding me to read the FAQ...... I forget that sometimes. I'm looking forward to reading it.

 

[JTW Jr.]

the way I look at it , finish it to as fine a grit as you can , a polished edge can break down and become toothy , but a toothy edge aint gonna polish itself up thru use

if you are worried about strength behind the edge , convex it.

Some steels are able to hold a thinner grind and a less steep edge , some aren't.

That's one of the reasons I carry 4 knives on me , one is toothy , one is convex , one is polished and one is grind thin and with a razor like edge. Choose the tool for the job , not the job for the tool.

 

[Zeke/PA]

Someone mentioned being able to shave your arm and I agree.
My daily carry gets " touched up" almost daily.
All the knives that I use are shaving sharp.
Sharpen to your hearts content as you CANNOT alter a kinfes heat treatment bu normal sharpening methods.
Zeke