just have to ask before I ruin something!

[pete]

Got to thinking this morning. Has anyone EVER used a steel on their head knife? It made (mental) sense to me to put a great edge on it and then true up the final edge.

after all, a steel lines up the edge so why not a head knife?

ANYONE.......ANYONE? and if so why not??

pete

[Hilly]

Got to thinking this morning. Has anyone EVER used a steel on their head knife? It made (mental) sense to me to put a great edge on it and then true up the final edge.

after all, a steel lines up the edge so why not a head knife?

ANYONE.......ANYONE? and if so why not??

pete

I've never used a steel, but I have used a ceramic knife sharpener. Although it did okay in the short run, I quit using it once I got a decent stone.

[celticleather]

I would think that a steel is pretty much like a round file, which will put minute serrations in the edge of the knife. This would be fine for a knife that uses a sawing action, but a head knife relies more on pressure to achieve a clean cut. To get a good edge, the serrations would have to be honed out, which could be a long job.

Probably better to use a fine stone, to get an edge that will still need a final honing, but with much less time and effort.

[Knife Knut]

I know this is a little late, but I have some input.

I am with celtic leather on this one.

Now if you could find one of the elusive, near mythical butcher's slicks, which are perfectly smooth, then you would be on to something.

See

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7141132

for further discussion.

[bruce johnson]

Knife Knut,

Thanks for resurrecting this post and the link. I would appreciate your thoughts on a middle ground. When I worked in the packing plant, I had a smooth steel and another smooth steel we used wet/dry to put some minor grooves in. It was not nearly as aggressive as the grooved ones commercially available. On my straight knives I use a steel sometimes. I have never really found a comfortable or effective stroke with a round knife and usually strop or use a hard felt wheel on those.

[Knife Knut]

I did not forget about your question. I have given it much thought

I am but an acolyte compared to some of the masters, but here are some of my thoughts on the subject.

Judging from the thickness and toughness of the veg tan 8 oz water buffalo hide I got, and the often changing directions in cutting of leather, I suspect edge misalignment is a large part of dulling of leatherworking knives.

In my understanding, The rougher the steel, the more serrated the reallinged edge. An agressively striated steel used with some pressure will also remove steel like a file, as will an older worn steel to a lesser extent, in my experience. One must be carefull that the knife is softer than the realignment steel, or you end up serrating your steel! This happened to me when I was using an old hickory icepick as a stand in for a slick, but found that some blades were roughening its surface. Since it is 1095, easy to heat treat, and I have some extras (I bought a bunch since these things are very good quality and versatile) I may try hardening it.

I have been unable to inexpensively source, though I have not looked hard, for a glass rod to try using as mentioned in the bladeforums post.

While thinking on this subject it has occurred to me that using plate glass as a "hone" could achieve edge reallingment (misalingment of the edge is one of the known mechanisms of dulling) without removing material.

Another (crazier) thought I had was procuring a boule of synthetic ruby (very hard stuff) and getting it polished to use as a slick.

Much easier to get ahold of might be a polished rod of carbide, which would be the most wear resistant material for a edge realingment rod.

Stropping realigns the edge, possibly removes a small amount of metal, and does remove a little bit more metal if a stropping compound is used.

Frankly I don't know enough about, nor have enough experience with leather as yet to say what an optimal edge for various leather cutting knives is. I can say however, it is a uinversal truth in cutting edges that a polished, nonmicroserrated edge is best for pure pushcutting on materials that do not aproach the hardness of the cutting blade (like cutting stone as opposed to leather or wood). The one video I have seen on TV (I am on dialup, so no online video on my own computer) of cutting leather pattern out with a half moon type knife, it appeard to be more of a slicing cut, which a serrated edge tends to be better at.

Then there is the whole subject of microstructure in steels and the microserrations that the carbides particles form in various alloys of steel. A huge subject in itself that I am still learning about.