round knife

[rwc]

I know it's been asked before but what does it take to get used to using the round knife and what' the best way to keep em sharp?

[TracyMoss]

Practice, Keeping your off hand behind the blade, and a stropping wheel (Canvas,felt) on a bench grinder w/ some rouge. Thant's about as simple as I can put it. )f course fifteen different people have 30 different opinions.

[Rawhide]

I would tell you to get Al Stohlman's book Leathercraft Tools. He has the definitive answer to sharpening and using a head knife and round knife. Did you buy and osborne? If you bought an osborne, it will need to be sharpened before you use it. A dull knife is much more dangerous than a sharp one.

1st make sure the knife is the right size for your hand. place the end of the handle in the heel of your hand and hold it there with your thumb. stretch your index and middle fingers out and they should be able to touch the blade past the ferrule. If not, you'll have to cut off some of the handle.

2nd. make sure the knife is sharp.

3rd. to maintain the sharpness, I strop my knife everytime I pick it up. I strop it on 800 grit, 1200 grit, (sometimes 2000 grit), then a leather rouge board. I don't like to use a grinder with strop wheel because I don't feel I can control it well enough. (maybe with some more practice).

Use of the knife should be effortless. you should be able to skive by just guiding the knife, not pushing it. If you have to put any effort into pushing the knife, it's not sharp.

Marlon

[rwc]

I would tell you to get Al Stohlman's book Leathercraft Tools. He has the definitive answer to sharpening and using a head knife and round knife. Did you buy and osborne? If you bought an osborne, it will need to be sharpened before you use it. A dull knife is much more dangerous than a sharp one.

1st make sure the knife is the right size for your hand. place the end of the handle in the heel of your hand and hold it there with your thumb. stretch your index and middle fingers out and they should be able to touch the blade past the ferrule. If not, you'll have to cut off some of the handle.

2nd. make sure the knife is sharp.

3rd. to maintain the sharpness, I strop my knife everytime I pick it up. I strop it on 800 grit, 1200 grit, (sometimes 2000 grit), then a leather rouge board. I don't like to use a grinder with strop wheel because I don't feel I can control it well enough. (maybe with some more practice).

Use of the knife should be effortless. you should be able to skive by just guiding the knife, not pushing it. If you have to put any effort into pushing the knife, it's not sharp.

Marlon

I have a Stolhman knife and do have the book. I think my biggest problem is it's not sharp enough. Should it be razor sharp?

[Rawhide]

In a word, yes.

I sharpened mine on a course diamond water stone. then on an extra fine diamond stone. then stropped it on 800 grit wet/dry sandpaper, 1200 grit wet/dry, 2000 grit, and then a leather strop with jeweler's rouge.

What are you cutting on? I would suggest a poly cutting board. The knife will sort of glide across it and make cuts easier. If you're skiving, use a glass cutting board. this will offer no resistance to the knife and make skiving a breeze.

I have an Al Stohlman Brand knife and it comes with an edge on it, but it's not sharpened very well. That's probably your biggest issue. Do you have any sharpening documentation? If not, I can probably explain it. I had once before the crash, but I may need to redo it.

Marlon

[rwc]

In a word, yes.

I sharpened mine on a course diamond water stone. then on an extra fine diamond stone. then stropped it on 800 grit wet/dry sandpaper, 1200 grit wet/dry, 2000 grit, and then a leather strop with jeweler's rouge.

What are you cutting on? I would suggest a poly cutting board. The knife will sort of glide across it and make cuts easier. If you're skiving, use a glass cutting board. this will offer no resistance to the knife and make skiving a breeze.

I have an Al Stohlman Brand knife and it comes with an edge on it, but it's not sharpened very well. That's probably your biggest issue. Do you have any sharpening documentation? If not, I can probably explain it. I had once before the crash, but I may need to redo it.

Marlon

Where can I get the sharpeners you spoke of. I know it's not sharp enough. I'm cutting thick leather on top of a rubber mat. Bad? I would love to use it but end up going to a razor knife everytime.

[TracyMoss]

Where can I get the sharpeners you spoke of. I know it's not sharp enough. I'm cutting thick leather on top of a rubber mat. Bad? I would love to use it but end up going to a razor knife everytime.

I know you were asking Marlon, but the Rubber Mat is very bad on your edge and it doesnt allow for smooth cutting.

[Rawhide]

Tracy, I couldn't have said it better.

What happens is the rubber matt actually grabs the blade, and makes it hard to push through, because most times, we try to cut in one pass. My suggestion is to get a poly cutting board. I bought mine from tandy, but you can get them anywhere. I bought the 12 x 12 inch version. Then I rubber cemented my rubber mat to the back of the board, this way I can cut with my head knife on the poly side, and use the rubber mat side to punch holes, etc...

Marlon

[tonyc1]

Tracy, I couldn't have said it better.

What happens is the rubber matt actually grabs the blade, and makes it hard to push through, because most times, we try to cut in one pass. My suggestion is to get a poly cutting board. I bought mine from tandy, but you can get them anywhere. I bought the 12 x 12 inch version. Then I rubber cemented my rubber mat to the back of the board, this way I can cut with my head knife on the poly side, and use the rubber mat side to punch holes, etc...

Marlon

I've used a piece of 8 feet x 20 inches rubber conveyor belt for the last 10 years and it's been a good medium to cut on as I turned it over when one side was too bad but it has seen it's day and I just bought a new board, HDPE, 10 feet by app. 5 feet x by a quarter of an inch. It wasn't cheap, $234.00, but it is cheap compared to conveyor belt, which was $128.00 for the size I was already using. I haven't got around to putting it on the table yet but will this week.

[Rawhide]

rwc,

I forgot to post what sharpeners i use. I use DMT Diamond hones 1 course (this is what I use if my blade gets damaged or it's a new blade), then I use an extra fine diamond hone, made by the same manufacturer. the grit sandpaper you can get at any auto parts stores, the diamond sharpeners i get from Woodcraft. I'm sure you can find them elsewhere, but this is where I get them.

Here is a link to the ones I use. Click Here. I use the 6 inch versions.

Marlon