Search the Community

Guys, actually anyone on the east coast, where can I get my splitter blades sharpened??? I have one with a slight Knick in the cutting edge and two that are dull. There is a curve behind the cutting edge (aka hollow ground) and I don't have a clue where to sharpen them. Any input would be appreciated

Razor Sharp System I'm sure you can find it a little cheaper, but this is great for renewing a shaped edge and giving it a mirror hone. Took me 5 min to take a custom punch from raw shape to mirror bright and razor sharp.

An old Rose head knife I picked up for next to nothing. You can see why from the first picture, she was a little rough. That being said I'm a firm believer that if it's beyond repair you may as well try and repair it because it can't get any broker! I know that's not proper but broken won't work and broked ain't a word for that sentence either. The first picture shows the knife as it was when I got it. The second shows the handle removed. It's a 5/32" steel pin for those interested in knowing the pin size. Picture three shows it back together. Picture four is just closer so you can see I did not remove every pit down flush from the blade. It is also not sharpend yet. The inlays are Ivory from a late 1800's piano keyboard they are 3/8" and cover a repair to the handle. The pin holding the blade has been replaced by a 5/32" brass rod. The missing wood around the pin was replaced with epxoy mixed with sanding dust from the handle. The handle is walnut and I chose to repair it rather than replace it. I tried to keed everything as original as I could on this. Total time invested was about four hours. That's actually working on it, not drying time or breaks from sanding out rust pits. I have a lot experience with restoring old woodworking tools and I am a woodworker with all the tools to build whatever I need. I'm saying that because doing this sort of thing can overwhelm folks who are not prepared. It's also not a cheap way to get a tool if you charge an hourly rate for your time. Having to buy all the tools would really make the price jump. I used Ivory key from piano Two 1 x 30 belt sanders 120 through 2000 grit 1 drill press 4 sizes of drill bits Shims and scrap boards to level handle for drilling I 3/8" drill hole punch made from pipe to cut inlays Wet/dry sandpaper from 80 grit to 2000 grit Mineral oil for sandpaper lube Bolt cutter Dremel tool Dremel grinding stones 5/32" brass rod Buffer 4 different buffing wheels with different compound on each wheel Epoxy Bodied linseed oil/varnish/mineral spirits 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 mix Rubber gloves Lots of blue tape on edges ( even dull they cut flesh) Band-aids Safety glasses A bunch of other stuff I forgot Lots of patience The last one is the most important. Stop and leave it alone. Think through the problem and go back to it. I'm working on a few more. Each manufacture did things in their own way. I'm sure over the years the methods vary within the same manufacturer. The Dixon I'm working on has a rosewood handle that is simply driven on the tang. Two brass tacks hold the ferrule on and have caused the wood to split out over the years. You can see that handle in picture three in the background. I'm pointing that out so anyone who wishes to do this will take the time to figure out how to take the one they have apart.

We get a lot of interest on leatherworker.net about the subjects of knifemaking and sharpening. This applies to pretty much all leather edged tools. This forum is here to collect all of this information for use by those who want to know sharp from dull, and from screaming (or bleeding) sharp to just adequate. I will be your forum sponsor and moderator, as such, I am pretty freewheeling, and will participate as much as needed and also as much as possible. We have a lot of well known knifemakers and sheathmakers who lurk in the other forums and who I hope will find a home here. I got into leatherworking because I needed sheaths for my knives; and nobody ever made one for me that I liked. I also got into sharpening when a few of my friends in the food service industry asked me to teach them how to sharpen; it went crazy from there. I was doing that after work and on weekends to the point where I couldn't take on any more work. So come on aboard and ask questions or whatever, help when you can, everyone needs to learn. Art

Does anyone know a good sharpening company in the UK who can sharpen pricking irons? I rather stupidly wacked one of mine several times into a piece of iroko wood; now the teeth feel a little dull. It's not a Dixon one so I don't think they'd deal with it. Cheers ! Edd

Hi all I'm looking at having a go at leather working, making bags, belts, cases etc as well as carving. I live in the UK and have just ordered some basic carving tools, but I've read that the carving knife is blunt and will need to be sharpen and to strop often when carving. My better have already has tools as she enjoys a bit of DIY (she makes clothes & jewellery) and says she has a "whetstone" for sharpening. Can I use this wet stone for my own leather tools? Also stropping - What is this, and where can I get / make this from - some of the tutorials I've seen all seem to be USA based. I've tried looking on the "LE Prevo" site, where I have purchased my tools from, but they don't seem to sell sharpening / stopping tools. Any help on this would be great. Many thanks Alan