How sharp ?

[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?

[niakulah]

1 hour ago, bikermutt07 said:

What kind of sander is it?

It's an Axminster. Uses 6x48" belts.

[bikermutt07]

5 hours ago, niakulah said:

It's an Axminster. Uses 6x48" belts.

That's an awfully big sander for sharpening. And 60 grit is really aggressive. If you only used the 60 grit, you are going to spend hours and hours hand sharpening to bring it up to sharp. One miss swipe with 60 could take the edge right off and at 6 inches you will find it difficult to control. Unless it has a great table. 

I wouldn't try it on that sander with that grit. I know lots of people have had good results using the harbor freight 1x32 sander.

I went with the Kalamazoo because 1 I'm a buy once cry once guy, and 2 I figured it would have a better table. The truth is, I don't even use the table. I sharpen higher up on the belt and give everything a convex edge.

It takes a little trial and error, but once you get it down, it's not hard to use.

[niakulah]

44 minutes ago, bikermutt07 said:

That's an awfully big sander for sharpening. And 60 grit is really aggressive. If you only used the 60 grit, you are going to spend hours and hours hand sharpening to bring it up to sharp. One miss swipe with 60 could take the edge right off and at 6 inches you will find it difficult to control. Unless it has a great table. 

I wouldn't try it on that sander with that grit. I know lots of people have had good results using the harbor freight 1x32 sander.

I went with the Kalamazoo because 1 I'm a buy once cry once guy, and 2 I figured it would have a better table. The truth is, I don't even use the table. I sharpen higher up on the belt and give everything a convex edge.

It takes a little trial and error, but once you get it down, it's not hard to use.

The 60 grit is for wood so I won't be using that. I meant I'll just buy a 1000 grit for now and not 600,800,1000 like you have. I don't want to spend the night changing from 60 to 600 to 800 to 1000 and back to 60.

[Samalan]

9 hours ago, Big Sioux Saddlery said:

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.

I have no idea how to post pictures or take them, but my son dose next time he comes by i'll have him take some pics and post them for me. The docs grandfather did small stuff like purses, also he made some very tiny basket weave stamps like you would use for a watch band. The boxes all this stuff came in are as interesting as the tools them selves, old chest with the wood slats and some paper labels that say Boston. But this box is small around 18"x 18" 20" the other box is a sheet metal box with a ton of rivets to hold the metal on. Everyone who sees them want's to know where i got the cool boxes. Lots of stitching wheels and edge creasing tools, single line double triple.  Also homemade letter stencils when i asked how much he wanted for everything he said just take them, i held up one tool and told him this one tool is probably  $ 100 bucks,  he said i know just take them you know my answer. !  My son and i have a gunsmith shop and i think people want to help out. Another guy came in one day i was doing a holster, i used a piece of wood to draw a line the guy says don't you have a ruler, i said ya I'm just to lazy to get up and get it . then he say's i'll bring you one tomorrow. Next day he pops his head in says can you get the door for me ,he walked in with a machinist tool box, filled with tools he said i would find some rulers in the box . When i asked him why, he said he was moving and didn't want to drag it along, and wanted to give the tools to someone who would put them yo good use. My son and i give generously also, so i guess the old saying is true what go's around comes around.

[TargetRockLeather]

On 3/11/2019 at 6:16 AM, niakulah said:

The 60 grit is for wood so I won't be using that. I meant I'll just buy a 1000 grit for now and not 600,800,1000 like you have. I don't want to spend the night changing from 60 to 600 to 800 to 1000 and back to 60.

In  my opinion, you should NOT use a belt grinder on a knife you care about unless it has significant damage to the edge. Belt grinding removes more metal than should be necessary. Small chips and dings should be removed with a stone. If the blade is in really bad shape, use a sanding block and work your way up to 1000 grit paper. If the blade edge is in good shape, don't use a belt grinder! Use a stone if it's dull and finish it with a leather strop. Keep using the strop as you use the knife to prevent it from getting dull again.

[niakulah]

5 hours ago, TargetRockLeather said:

In  my opinion, you should NOT use a belt grinder on a knife you care about unless it has significant damage to the edge. Belt grinding removes more metal than should be necessary. Small chips and dings should be removed with a stone. If the blade is in really bad shape, use a sanding block and work your way up to 1000 grit paper. If the blade edge is in good shape, don't use a belt grinder! Use a stone if it's dull and finish it with a leather strop. Keep using the strop as you use the knife to prevent it from getting dull again.

Thanks. I currently use a diamond plate and buff stick for maintenance. Was thinking more of sharpening new tools and changing angles and that sort of stuff.

For example I bought a new old stock George Barnsley marking knife last year. It took me 2 evenings of sharpening it on the diamond plate to get it usable. And another evening on the buff stick to get it properly sharp and mirror polished.

All in all still an enjoyable way to spend my evenings after work. But I'd rather do more leather work.

 

[TargetRockLeather]

Oh ok then. I was just concerned because I had this vision of a perfectly good tool being ground away   If you need to change the angles (re-profiling) that's a different story.