Members Sylvia Posted June 26, 2012 Members Report Posted June 26, 2012 Thanks to both of you. I have some wet/dry in some pretty fine grit... and some emery cloth strips. I might try that before I go buying something. Quote A teacher pointed at me with a ruler and said "At the end of this ruler is an idiot." I got detention when I asked "Which end?"
Contributing Member Bob Blea Posted June 26, 2012 Contributing Member Report Posted June 26, 2012 I use a Leather Wranglers SK-3 and find the blade holds it's edge wonderfully and takes very little maintenance. I also have a Barry King knife that has found it's place doing my decorative cuts and as a beader blade, but for general carving, I don't think Leather Wranglers can be beat. I haven't tried a ceramic blade though. When I do feel the need to sharpen I have a similar set up to Marlon's. I have a board that has 1000 grit wet/dry on one side and 2000 on the other. Start on the 1000 grit side and then move to the 2000, and then strop. Bob. Quote There are always possibilities.... Bob Blea C and B Leathercrafts Fort Collins, CO Visit my shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/CandBLeather?ref=si_shop Instagram @bobbleacandbleather
Members shtoink Posted June 30, 2012 Members Report Posted June 30, 2012 After some first hand experience with sharpening the ceramic blades I feel as though I can add some meaningful content. I have thought about writing up a How-to, but will wait to see if there is much desire for one. I want to say that these are just my findings and there is always room for improvement. I bought my first ceramic blade and can easily see why the complaints about dragging and sharpening have come up. The machining on the cutting edge is rough at best and fixing it takes some work. Fortunately, it can be done with a few easily, and cheaply, obtainable items. A sharpening jig, 1000 and 2000 grit wet/dry sand paper, sheet of glass, water, dish soap, and patience. A magnifying glass of some sort might help. The sharpening jig is a must, since this whole thing hinges on repeatability. It is highly recommended that the sheet of glass be tempered, as it will be stronger than simple window glass and less likely to break. An old or broken scanner can be purchased cheaply or found free from almost anywhere, which yields you a very nice sheet of tempered glass. You can gut it to remove the glass or use it as is. A drop of soap is added to the water used on the sand paper to alter the surface tension. Primarily, this keeps the water from just beading up and rolling off. The other thing that I felt was important was the technique used to actually drag the blade on the paper. The initial instinct for most is to apply pressure while moving the blade back and forth. The issue with that is on the forward stroke, the paper will yield under the pressure and curl up ever so slightly. This will still happen when moving the blade from side to side, too. To overcome the curling, I found that light pressure, with a slight side-to-side motion, on the pulling stroke works very well. The machining marks were removed reasonably quick and a highly polished blade that shaves was the result. I should add that the buffing compound on card stock over a hard surface was also used to strop the blade. I must say that little tip was amazing. Now all I need to do is just be careful not to chip the dang thing. Quote
Members Gump Posted June 30, 2012 Members Report Posted June 30, 2012 Hi Folks; I have what seems to be a rarity, a ruby edged swivel knife, and I must admit that I have never had to sharpen it. But I guard it with care. Does anyone know if they might still be available, or where it came from? I got it in a complete set of tools I purchased from a man who gave up the hobby. Quote
Members Gump Posted June 30, 2012 Members Report Posted June 30, 2012 Not 10 mins. after my previous post, I find a picture of a ruby edge swivel knife on Usedleathertools.com's homepage. It has a straight blade, mine is angled. Gump. Quote
Members WyomingSlick Posted July 2, 2012 Members Report Posted July 2, 2012 Hi Folks; I have what seems to be a rarity, a ruby edged swivel knife, and I must admit that I have never had to sharpen it. But I guard it with care. Does anyone know if they might still be available, or where it came from? I got it in a complete set of tools I purchased from a man who gave up the hobby. They stopped making them when they came out with the ceramic blades. They are not terribly rare, but if you have one in fine condition; it is definately worth keeping that way. Quote (John 8:32) And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (KJV) And the truth is that religion is nothing more than the lame attempt by largely ignorant people to bring sense and order to a world that was beyond their comprehension. Once you see religion for the delusional and superstitious artifact it is............... you will be free !
Members shtoink Posted July 10, 2012 Members Report Posted July 10, 2012 I have seen a number of opinions in this thread and that is to be expected when a question like "What is the best ..." is asked. What I also saw were speculations about sharpening, and the need to sharpen, ceramic blades. Contrary to a popular opinion, they do need to be cleaned up first before they will cut effectively and this led me to purchasing one and do some testing of my own. What I found was that it's relatively easy to polish up the bevels on them and no special, expensive equipment is needed. I'm sure there are as many preferred methods to sharpen swivel knives as there are knives to be sharpened, but this is the most effective method I found through testing to address ceramic blades specifically. I'm not sure if anyone is interested in seeing just how I got it done, but I can do a write up on it if you guys do. Quote
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