How sharp ?

[Alexis1234]

Pretty slick idea- that pipe for a curved knife

[jcuk]

Hi there

Can i ask what weight was the Patent leather is ?  The reason i ask is,  because if its is 1mm to 2.5  mm you maybe better off getting yourself a clicker knife with curved blade,  you can also get straight blades. Whenever i work  with Patent leather,  i mark and cut on the flesh side -  i know you can scratch the patent side but i cover my cutting board  with a piece of card (supermarket pizza base) wipe with sterile kitchen wife turn over  protects the Patent side when cutting, when punching do the same piece of card over my punching board. 

I do use my round knife on Patent leather its a  (Knipshield Texas Rosebud) dream to work with , had it over 2 years never had to sharpen it yet  - mainly work with Bridle leather and Harness leather, when i start work i strop and when its time to finish work strop again no matter if i have cut or skived one strap or a hundred it will get stropped again. Also have a C.S. Osborne round knife,  its a replacement for an older one which got damaged - great knife same can't be said for the new one can get it sharp, but it won't hold an edge so having constantly spending time on the knife not my work not good.

How sharp ?

This is my rule of thumb (sorry no pun intended)

https://youtu.be/J5GqItjXtRI   

 I do this for strap ends if i feel any drag or it does not feel how i know  it should be also skiving down strap ends if the knife starts to slip or slide it needs some more attention than just stropping. Also you may want to check out other videos on his site, how to use and sharpen a round knife etc... 

 Totally agree

17 hours ago, Big Sioux Saddlery said:

That mine be fine for lightweight and chrome tanned leather, but there's no way anyone could cut saddle parts out of 13/15oz saddle skirting or harness parts out of 10/12oz harness leather.  Round knives were designed to enable the user to cut the intricate pattern pieces used in saddle and harness making.  A round knife is also used to skive material away when needing to reduce the thickness.  There is no single other cutting tool that is as versatile and indispensable as a round knife to the saddle and harness maker.

Hope this helps 

JCUK

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

5 hours ago, jcuk said:

Whenever i work  with Patent leather,  i mark and cut on the flesh side -  

I have done that also, mostly because it's easier to see a marking, but you are right, it is easier to cut!  When I cut patent, I always hope I have a clicker die for the job so I don't have to hand cut.

[niakulah]

On 3/8/2019 at 8:41 PM, bikermutt07 said:

I broke down a few years ago and bought a Kalamazoo 1x42 belt grinder. It cost me about 300 dollars but it solved so so many problems.

Now all my stuff gets a convex edge and maintaining them is easy with the leather stropping belt.

I still don't use it on my high dollar leather knives though. I'm just worried I will mess them up.

But, all my tools and pocket knives, and work knives go to the Kalamazoo.

And yes, it is an investment for a hobbyist, but a good one to be sure. You will find yourself using it all the time for stuff. And it will outlast it's original purchaser.

I found the learning curve to be short for me. I just ran thru all the cheap pocket and kitchen knives until I had the process down.

Now I use it for wood chisels, strap cutters, all kinds of stuff.

What grit belt do you use for your knives? I have access to a belt grinder at work but they use a 60 grit. Thinking of buying my own belts for it.

[bikermutt07]

4 hours ago, niakulah said:

What grit belt do you use for your knives? I have access to a belt grinder at work but they use a 60 grit. Thinking of buying my own belts for it.

I don't use it on my high dollar knives. Mostly out of fear of ruining them.

But all my less expensive knives and tools ( I'm doing a full set of Wuta half round chisels right now)

I start at 600 and go up from there to 1000. So, 600, 800, 1000, and then the leather strop belt.

After I do this once, I rarely have to go to less than 800, with good steel. 

My every day pocket knife that gets used all the time is a Kizer made out of VG-10. I rarely have to do more than strop it every couple of weeks. Like 2-4 weeks.

Every now and then I may use the 1000 grit on it.

If I am reprofiling something I may go down to 200 and work up from there.

Keep in mind I'm no expert. I was 41 before I even learned how to sharpen a knife. I'm only 45 now.

[Samalan]

On 3/8/2019 at 5:22 PM, Big Sioux Saddlery said:

Was actually asking the OP, but no matter, I like round knives no matter who owns them..   And that's why yours does hold a good edge, because it IS  an old one!  I have a newer CS Osborne that came in a lot of other stuff.  It has the prettiest sound when I tap it with my finger, but the knife itself isn't worth a damn.  Won't keep an edge.  My main everyday user is a CS also, but it's old.  It could hold an edge better, but the pattern is perfect for cutting parts.  I have a couple W. Rose knives. . .now those knives hold an edge!!  They are both bigger, wider knives than my CS, so I don't like them for pattern cutting, but they are awesome for skiving and straight cuts.  

I also have a gomph pattern knife no question the best knife i have once its sharp it cuts patterns so good . my sons doctor gave me the gomph knife along with about a hundred other tools all in perfect condition he told me his great grandfather was a saddle maker in boston  letters i found in the box showed correspondence from him in NH to California with receipts dated 1898 & 1899 some of the tools i have no idea how to use  with this stuff came a tobacco tin filled with hand made stamping tools very well made  sorry i went on and on.    

[bikermutt07]

2 hours ago, Samalan said:

I also have a gomph pattern knife no question the best knife i have once its sharp it cuts patterns so good . my sons doctor gave me the gomph knife along with about a hundred other tools all in perfect condition he told me his great grandfather was a saddle maker in boston  letters i found in the box showed correspondence from him in NH to California with receipts dated 1898 & 1899 some of the tools i have no idea how to use  with this stuff came a tobacco tin filled with hand made stamping tools very well made  sorry i went on and on.    

That is cool. Post some pictures sometime, I'm sure we can help you identify those tools.

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

3 hours ago, Samalan said:

I also have a gomph pattern knife no question the best knife i have once its sharp it cuts patterns so good . my sons doctor gave me the gomph knife along with about a hundred other tools all in perfect condition he told me his great grandfather was a saddle maker in boston  letters i found in the box showed correspondence from him in NH to California with receipts dated 1898 & 1899 some of the tools i have no idea how to use  with this stuff came a tobacco tin filled with hand made stamping tools very well made  sorry i went on and on.    

Absolutely no need to apologize to most of us for going on amd on about leather tools!  I would very much like to see pictures of those tools.  There could be some real treasures amongst them.  How awesome to have some history on them also! You are very fortunate indeed.

[niakulah]

6 hours ago, bikermutt07 said:

I don't use it on my high dollar knives. Mostly out of fear of ruining them.

But all my less expensive knives and tools ( I'm doing a full set of Wuta half round chisels right now)

I start at 600 and go up from there to 1000. So, 600, 800, 1000, and then the leather strop belt.

After I do this once, I rarely have to go to less than 800, with good steel. 

My every day pocket knife that gets used all the time is a Kizer made out of VG-10. I rarely have to do more than strop it every couple of weeks. Like 2-4 weeks.

Every now and then I may use the 1000 grit on it.

If I am reprofiling something I may go down to 200 and work up from there.

Keep in mind I'm no expert. I was 41 before I even learned how to sharpen a knife. I'm only 45 now.

Thanks. I'll go with 1000 for now. I've not tried changing the belt yet. If it's too time consuming I might just use that 1 grit. I'd have to change it back to the 60 before I leave and I don't want to spend all night changing belts.

[bikermutt07]

21 minutes ago, niakulah said:

Thanks. I'll go with 1000 for now. I've not tried changing the belt yet. If it's too time consuming I might just use that 1 grit. I'd have to change it back to the 60 before I leave and I don't want to spend all night changing belts.

What kind of sander is it?