Too much time on my hands.

[The Tourist]

My MIL has required surgery, and my wife has taken off a full week to care for her. I can work from home, and I'm taking care of the mutts.

But I'm tired of my own cooking, I hear every creak in the house, it's cold and rainy and I hate riding in that weather--so I'm bored. Never give a biker "all the time in the world" when he has no supervision. Trouble always ensues.

To get some free S/H on a recent order, I bought a couple of knives I really didn't want. You know my misgivings about Cold Steel, I simply view them as "raw material." I had the Recon Tanto, and nobody was lookin' so...

I spent three hours straightening, sharpening, buffing (consuming latte's) and putting a polish on the edge that would scare your grandma.

As I cleaned up the mess at zero-dark-0200, I contemplated the strange case of Dr. Richard J. Gatling, inventor of the gattling gun. (BTW, both name and term is spelled correctly.)

Dr. Gatling would now probably be considered a pacifist. Urban legend has it that news of the battles in The Southern Struggle for Independence demoralized him to such an extent, he wanted to convey this horror to the officers. He invented such a true and terrible weapon that certainly all would see the folly of war. So went his assumption...

I'm not an inventor, just a tinker. My job is is to repair and sharpen cutlery, and fix pots, pans and jewelry clasps. No morality speeches please, just shut up and buff.

And while I am not an MA student, I still marvel at Kendo-Aikido practitioners. And even this CS knife is a "tanto" in its final analysis. I wish you were here to sample this toasty edge, and frankly, I cannot begin to imagine tools like this in the hands of a sensei.

I'm going to rent some DVD movies tonight. It's not good when I'm left alone.

 

[JShirley]

That's a beautiful edge, my friend.

I think I share your feelings about CS.


Is that purty little thing a 1911? Maybe you should include it more fully in the next picture, "for scale".

John

 

[The Tourist]

I think I share your feelings about CS.

You just have to learn to swallow your feelings and sharpen the edge. To be fair, I have several clients who use polished VG-1 CS Voyagers and swear by them. The Tanto is AUS-8A, and while not my favorite alloy, I think the edge is above parr. I cannot see it as a "hunting knife," but it's really sharp.

Is that purty little thing a 1911?

Yes it is. I've shown it before, it's a little Colt Government Model .380 ACP. It has been totally rebuilt by Terry Tussey, and it is usually within arm's reach.

 

[sm]

Sending best to MIL .


Very nice edge indeed!
Oh I like the Colt .380 too!

What you need after such tedious work is something bigger to do, as to not get hand cramps.

Get a tarp to protect carpet, bring Black Betty into the living room and wax the paint and polish the chrome.

I'd get a pizza delivered, and mess with the bike while eating pizza and the DVDs are on.

*I'm Helping*

I am not into CS and all, still the AUS - 8A is "different".
It does vary b/t mfgs and I suppose that has to do with heat treat...

Re: mutts.
Yours "do" have their own knives they can wear on collars - right?

If not...get Old Henry pen knife with bail (yeah the made in china one) with scissors and one small blade.

Dawgs need knives too...
My Black Lab ( male) was so handsome with his MOP Peanut with bail...and the one just like it re-handled in Ivory.
His EDC was yellow Peanut like I carry, just a bail added.

He had others...just as other dawgs of mine did.

In case you need something to do, fix up the Dawgs.
My little rebel bit about all these knife laws and restrictions...*smirk*

Still...some customers of yours would get a kick out of a knife for their dawg...
Great public relations...

 

[The Tourist]

Get a tarp to protect carpet, bring Black Betty into the living room and wax the paint and polish the chrome.

You mean more often than I do now?

True story, this winter I had those big French doors installed (yikes, with solid metal security rods, lexon panels and an upgrade on alarm sensors) just so I could roll Betty inside easier. Boy, did that test the strength of a marriage. ("But honey, sweetie, darling, we're getting an energy credit for the house...")

My dogs are guarded by unemployed bikers from our MC. It's been atough recession on everyone.

As for AUS-8A, I just never "warmed" to the stuff. In many ways it's just "Japanese 440C" at volume pricing. Now and then it feels "gummy" on the stone and things get black and sooty from polishing. Having said that, I wouldn't want to be on the business end of this tanto. Obviously, the slashing ability has been enhanced, but the puncturing use was never in question.

BTW, as I type this, my boss is bringing a buddy of his over to drop off some knives and check to see what's for sale. This buddy is a younger kid, a real dojo-rat that just doesn't want to go home. I wonder if the tanto will still be here in an hour...

 

[sm]

As for AUS-8A, I just never "warmed" to the stuff. In many ways it's just "Japanese 440C" at volume pricing. Now and then it feels "gummy" on the stone and things get black and sooty from polishing

Agree!

Joe Talmadge addressed various steels in his Sharpening work he wrote.
He addresses the fact steels have properties, and these properties address certain needs and environments of tasks.

i.e Salt water diver versus a Japanese Chef vs a Butcher in a grocery store.

Sharpening is addressed as well.
Many of the folks that work around water, just sharpen with a file, or coarse stone - rope being the main concern if you will.

For me, there is no Holy Grail in one knife steel, being sharpened one way, to do all things best.

Mr. Talmadge basically shares the same thing.
One might be better off leaving a 1095, or 440c sharpened with a 180 grit sandpaper, or 280 grit oil stone for tasks they do, where they do it.

Same knives might be best sharpened using 400 grit for others, and another going to 600, and other going to fine, with a polished edge.

If...If one has the skills they can get a knife shaving sharp with a 280 grit Norton stone, stropped on plain cardboard, that will handle tasks.
And...
On the same token someone with a better steel, and using Japenese water stones, with pastes and all, without proper skills sets, will have an edge that is still dull, and will no perform the tasks.

Oh it might be polished, just everything is wrong and all they did was keep going finer and finer with improper skill sets.


Fella had a Buck 110, IIRC that is 420HC.
He worked hours using some "doo-dads" and the edge looked nice, and was polished, just would not cut.

Doo-dads vs Freehand

I used a Sears Roebuck stone, that was icky with 3 in one oil to get it sharp- as that was all he had in a garage.

Later I used one of my preferred stones, dry as I do, then stropped it.

This knife is newer and like the one he has with sentimental value from a uncle, that is put up.
They ain't the same metal...
They do not feel or sharpen the same to me...

 

[Dave McCracken]

I have misgivings about CS also, but the 4" Voyager clipped to my Lee's is hair popping sharp. So is the Recon Tanto upstairs.

For that matter, the Bucklite (think Zytel handled 110) also on my person is also sharpasheck.

Crockstick to start, newpaper laid flat used as strop to finish. Patience and practice work.

Funny, the sharpest knife in the place is not one of these. It's Pop's old (1958 or so) Case. Looking at the edge too closely will cause a hemorrhage.

 

[The Tourist]

As I mentioned in the other thread, the tanto is gone. My boss snagged it, fell in love the moment he saw it.

Oh, well, I have time and CS builds a lot of knives...

 

[The Tourist]

As if things weren't bad enough around here...

My boss also dropped off a large butcher knife, must be over 60 years old. The upswept tip resembled many on samurai swords, so I decided to look at similar styles in my favorite reference book, "The Art of Japanese Sword Polishing."

I could not find my book.

As you know I have a horrid temper. What you might not know is that my wife has a bad habit of just picking up my stuff and moving it. The entire house could be cluttered with her school papers or kitchen orders, but she will find one thing that is mine and move it. Or put it in a drawer. At some level, she doesn't respect my property, and so she "forgets" where she put it.

But this book is valuable to me. And I was pizzed.

She was in Milwaukee tending to the affairs of her parents, so I called her. Immediately, she denied moving the book. After being told there is only two places where the book is kept, she admitted that sometimes she "sorts out the newspapers" to be recycled before garbage delivery. The book "might have been misplaced" into her sorting.

Yikes, I tore apart our recycling bin. Nothing. I then sacked my own home for one hour. Nothing.

My wife had thrown away my book.

You'll be happy to know I calmed myself before tequila, rage and property damage. And more to the point, I found a new copy on the internet--mine had been a used copy.

"A path to the dark-side sometimes fear of loss brings." I can almost picure Yoda admonishing me on that.

However, at the apogee of a scorching rage, I also picture that little guy broiled to perfection, amid a light garlic sauce, and angel hair al dente...

 

[DAVIDSDIVAD]

I've got mis-givings about Cold steel, but I've got even more mis-givings about kendo/kenjutsu/aikido "sensei"s, hahah!

Honestly, I was really into the whole japanese swords thing for a while, and I learned alot about the why, what, when(none of the how) from some of the big kahunas in their circle.

After growing up a little, I realized that it too silly for me.

 

[The Tourist]

I've got even more mis-givings about kendo/kenjutsu/aikido "sensei"s

I'll go half-way with you. I'm dubious on a sensei I meet on the internet.

In real life, that's another thing.

I was a fencer for two years in high school and one year in college. I had the distinct privilege of learning under college coach Archie Simonson, a local judge for many years. That guy knew swords! I scored only one point on him during my entire stint.

But my prowess has nothing to do with guys who truly study kendo-aikido. If I prepared a tanto for one of these guys it would make a dangerous combination.

Kind of like giving a Tussey custom to Rob Leathem. (sp?)

 

[DAVIDSDIVAD]

I'll go half-way with you. I'm dubious on a sensei I meet on the internet.

In real life, that's another thing.

I was a fencer for two years in high school and one year in college. I had the distinct privilege of learning under college coach Archie Simonson, a local judge for many years. That guy knew swords! I scored only one point on him during my entire stint.

But my prowess has nothing to do with guys who truly study kendo-aikido. If I prepared a tanto for one of these guys it would make a dangerous combination.

Kind of like giving a Tussey custom to Rob Leathem. (sp?)

Sounds like it was a good time.


There are guys like James Williams, or Tony Alvarez, who are down to earth.

Those guys are pretty nice, and very capable with their weapons.

Then there are the guys like they know, who think that they are the wisest, most elite human beings on the planet.

Those guys are also very capable, but they have their heads really far up somethin'



Also, have you ever noticed that most girls who fence are of the attractive nature?


Oh, and I forgot to tell you, nice job with that edge.

What kind of strop do you use?