Bushcraft Knife Sharpening: Achieving The Correct Bevel Angle
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- čas přidán 8. 11. 2013
- paulkirtley.co.uk
How do you achieve the correct bevel angle when sharpening a bushcraft knife? This is a question I hear regularly. It's also something which people find hard to get 100% right when they first start sharpening.
In this video, I show how to sharpen a typical knife which is used for bushcraft - the Mora 840, "Clipper" or "Companion" knife - on a full-sized bench oilstone.
The stone used in the video is a standard Draper Tools combination oilstone. Stock No: 50820. For those enquiring about the grit of the stone, there is no specification either on the manufacturers website or on the product packaging. This is a basic, inexpensive stone which sells for around £7-£8 in the UK.
The focus of the video is on achieving the correct angle between the knife and the stone, along the entire bevel. By understanding how to achieve the correct bevel angle and maintain it through your sharpening strokes, this video will help you achieve a effective and consistent bushcraft knife sharpening.
This video forms part of a series of 20 FREE videos I've made to help people with wilderness bushcraft, survival skills and general outdoor life.
To get the other free videos right now, please visit
paulkirtley.co.uk/free-tips-an...
. - Jak na to + styl
My dad was the knife sharpening master in our house. All my bushcraft, kitchen and pocket knives got sharpened by him. When he passed recently, he passed that 'job' to me. I have to say, I knew enough to get an edge of sorts, but not enough to get a good one. Yours was the only informative video I found about achieving the correct angle and bevel. Thank you so much!
Tatiana Lasevicius Hey Tatiana, I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your father. But I'm glad you are able to carry on the torch of sharpening. I'm glad and humbled to have been able to help you. Warm regards, Paul.
good luck with that job👍
I agree BigFoot - if you find a way that works best for you, that's the best way. Getting the angle correct is something I notice people often have trouble with at first, with rounding of the bevel as a result. It's something I get asked about a lot and this video is my standard reply. Hope it helps some good outdoors folk out there...
Just subscribed to your site and watched a few vids. Very helpful and informative for a beginner in bushcraft. Thank you Paul and best wishes.
Great video! I like watching nature, discover and slow down...
This video actually really helped me to understand how to sharpen a knife, i'm a begginer bushcrafter and i couldn't really understand how to sharpen from all the other videos. Btw im Norwegian so my English isn't perfect
I started with a Mora knife. Doing some snowshoeing and winter camping. I have watched some of your video's to help prepare, remember and learn. Thanks for the video's, my friends think I am a pro, as we camp rather comfortably. Thanks again.
Michael Workman Hi Michael, I'm glad that my videos have been helpful. Thanks for letting me know. Keep in touch and let me know about your winter adventures. Warm regards, Paul
Finally getting the angle right thanks. Love all your videos.
+Pat Colbourne Glad it's working for you Pat. Thanks for the feedback. ATB, Paul
Good job Paul. Your technique is great. I like water stones over oil stones myself is all just because of non grease afterwards. But both work!
Good demonstration!
Thanks,
Clark
Probably the best video I watched on finding the knife edge, my girlfriend understood this a lot easier then what I was trying to tell her lol. So thanks!
+King_Of _Collectibles Hey, that's high praise indeed! Thanks for the feedback.
Great video mate. Very well explained.
I've just got that exact stone for my cheaper knives (my last stone lasted about 30+ years). Got mine for £4.99 from Robert Dyas (Draper Brand).Very clear instructions on your videos.
+Spooner Studios i have a stone similar to Paul's and it only cost 1.90eur, beat that! But unfortunately the light gray side doesn't give that razor edge so i just place my DC4 on top so it doesn't slide and it gives my knives a fantastic edge
Thank you Paul. Always useful information
+Tony Hunt My pleasure Tony.
Helped me figure out what I was doing wrong! Thanks for making this 7 years before I needed it lol.
One key thing to know and remember about flat “scandi” bevels is: they are built to round off (thus becoming stronger) through time. When I started sharpening I was frustrated I couldn’t keep it laser straight and such an edge has no support and soon if not instantly rolls upon use.
When sharpening these scandi bevels it is always good to keep a loose wrist and round the edge of somewhat. The original “scandi” knives were convexed, as were all knives sharpened by man before the introduction of machines.
Great video, short, too the point and accurate, can't wait to try it on my DPX H.E.S.T.
John Ayotte Thanks John
just orderd e new bushcraft knife in England and this Video will be at the time very useful
I hope so Ben. But get in touch if you have any questions. Best, Paul.
Yes, i found it helpful and i've improooved over time
I am still learning to sharpen, but what is helping me is to slow waaay down and go for the feel. The steps are easy but getting that feel for me is not easy. Also a black marker pen on the edge helps.
Great vid paul,very helpful as always,have subbed to your channel, also to your blog,ATB mark.
Good video Paul. I will check out your blog.
Sandy
Thanks. I'll check out your channel too :)
Just found your channel Paul good videos with some great hints and tips thanks......
rustynuts686 Welcome!!
Thanks for a good video that even my 9 year old son thought was good and easy to learn from
soo helpfull made me realise ive been sharpening the blade the wrong way for years now :P woops
Apriciate this helpful vid.. thanks a lot greeting from the Netherlands the country were all knives are forbidden.. that’s why I bought a more Eldris hoping that smaller would ok.
Good information
Dean O Thanks Dean.
Have just subscribed. Have watched a few of your videos now. Very professional, you could give Ray and Bear a good run for their money.
HUNTER Thank you and welcome to my channel. Please come over to paulkirtley.co.uk and say hi too. Warm regards, Paul
Would any oil work or do you need mineral oil? Would common household oils like olive oil or baby oil, for example, do the trick?
Very helpful, but is is the same angle for a puukko knife with a secondary bevel scandi grind,curious to know
Great vid Paul! Nice to see someone dispelling the myth that one requires more expensive sharpening methods when a simple oil stone will do.
Thanks Nige. Simple is good when it achieves the correct result and I agree - the equipment is not important beyond getting the required result.
Hi Paul, I was wondering about Axe sharpening, I've seen the previous comments refernce halving the stone to help. I just wasn't sure how that helped, We've spoken about halving for weight reasons before when using as a "travel" stone but not axe reasons. Ben Orford shows a video where he holds the water stone and rotates the stone rather than the axe... And Ray Mears has one using a stone rotating the axe in a similar way except holding axe with two hands (and if I remember correctly used a full length stone) so my question is what's your way? And the purpose of using a half stone? Thanks in advance.
Liam Gadd Hi mate, I use the 'hold the axe, rotate the stone' method. The reason a shorter stone works better is that to maintain the bevel shape of the axe, you must remove metal from the whole bevel. Because the bevel shape is convex, you have to change the angle of the stone back and forth to take metal off the bevel. As you bring the stone back away from the cutting edge it will hit the cheek of the axe if the stone is too long. This limits the maximum angle you can reach. A shorter stone is not hampered in this way. Hope this helps Liam. ATB, Paul
I've never used anything but oil stones. if I want to get flash, I'll use different grades of wet and dry, that's mainly for carving though .. thanks for sharing Paul
Good point Tony - wet and dry works well. Thanks for your comment. Best, Paul.
Paul I noticed that you didn't mention doing the fine surface next ... or stropping
Thank
hi paul great video but maybe you should mention what grit oil stone your using just a thought regards dave
Hi David, thanks for your comment. I'm glad you like the video. The grit of the stone is not stated on the product. It's just the standard Stanley Tools combination oil stone which sells for around £7. Details are as follows: 200X50X25MM SHARPENING STONE Stock No: 50820. I've also added these to the video description above. Best regards, Paul
Hi Paul. Useful video, thank you - I bought a Mora/Light-My-Fire combination knife/firestick and was worried that a cheap/basic stone wouldn't be sufficient, so this has reassured me. Quick question - is it okay to use these stones with water instead of oil? My stone is a basic Draper combination stone. Thanks in advance.
steven tagg Thanks for your comment. I'm glad this was useful info for you. With a basic Draper oilstone, you need to use oil, rather than water. You might find the following article useful too: paulkirtley.co.uk/2013/how-to-sharpen-bushcraft-knife/
Great technique! That's just the way my Grandpa taught me 60 years ago! Grandpa was an old German butcher and I'm proud to say that I have several of his knives and they are all scalpel sharp! My job as "steward of the blades" is to pass these skills along to my kids & Grand kids. Dull knives are dangerous and frustrating! Sharpening a blade to a shaving sharpness is NOT rocket science. There is no excuse for NOT knowing this basic life skill
@PaulKirtley great video, a peak of the opposite side of the stone would be good too. Can you use veg oil, for this also, just in case you need to use the knife for cooking purposes?
+Sean Ditch Hi Sean, I guess you could use a heavier cooking oil BUT you'd still want to clean off the knife thoroughly before using it due to the slurry of metal and dust. So given you need clean the knife well, the oil doesn't make a lot of difference in this respect. Hope this helps. ATB, Paul
Yes I forgot about the slurry bit...doh...lol
Thanks Paul
3 in 1 is very bad for you. I know you have to clean the knife afterwards, but just for peace of mind I use food grade mineral oil. Its cheap as chips, not as bad for your health as machine oil, and does the job just as well.
Great video many thanks.
am i allowed to carry a small bush craft knife or an axe while going camping in the UK? It would be used for cutting small twigs and such.
Yes, as long as you are not trespassing. Also you need to have them packed away when travelling in public. Hope this helps.
thanks very much now my knife is sharp enough for buschraft
+Adrian duzaic Good stuff.
Generally any knife from a respectable maker will come sharp out of the box. These tips help people maintain the knife edge.
Hi Paul. Do you use the same stone when your out in the field.
C U Jimmy No, I use something more portable. The following article (and comments underneath it) will be of interest to you: paulkirtley.co.uk/2014/portable-sharpening-stones-keeping-your-edge-on-the-trail/ Warm regards, Paul
Sometimes I am careless and accidentally change the angle while sharpening to a larger angle, and I can't seem to figure out how to correct this: if I attempt to change back to a shallower angle, steel is removed where the bevel meets the rest of the blade material but not along the actual edge because the angles do not align (the edge is not touching the whetstone). In effect I am creating a convex edge without meaning to, with the only solution being to continue sharpening at the new, accidental greater angle. Is there a way to solve this?
+Scott Wolfskill I understand where you are coming from. You are not alone in creating this "rounding". If you are taking too much material from the edge at a higher angle then sit the back of the bevel flush with the stone (the edge will not be quite in contact with the stone as it will sit slightly above) then work off the curve in between. You'll know when the material has been removed as the edge will be back down on the stone. Hope this helps. Warm regards, Paul
Paul Kirtley Thanks Paul. I started doing this with a file and while it was a slow process, it was ultimately very effective. I appreciate the help.
I just can't seem to use a whetstone. My knifes get ruined when I try.
My mora's grind started becaming concave as I sharpened the knife. Any suggestions?
+gergely balint What were you using to sharpen it?
Just a basic square shaped wetstone.
+gergely balint your stone may have become dished. Flatten the surface of the stone with low grit sandpaper.
Start out with a flat wet stone, use oil on it to remove the metal. If it’s an old worn out stone you need to replace it. Press hard on the front end of the knife keeping it exactly flat on the stone. Don’t roll the knife so it removes the back part, or the front blade part, exactly flat. Use a sharpie to mark the blade then sharpen. You will see where you need to concentrate your sharping. Look at it with a flashlight and inspect the very edge of the blade. You should not see anything shiny. If you see shiny you have not removed enough of the back part of the blade. Remark with the sharpie and keep sharping until you see no shiny edge. After you have established the edge then switch to a finer stone then strop. If you do this you will be able to shave with it.
I like my knives shaving sharp. I remove the micro bevel on my Mora knives. If it chips out in shots, so be it, I will remove them at home.
do you sharpen a convex grind knife the same way?
alzathoth Yes and no...what I mean by that is you have to modify the basic technique in this video so you are not grinding the bevel flat. The stone is flat so touches a convex bevel tangentially and will only take metal off at that contact point. So, you have to vary the angle so you vary the contact points to cover the whole bevel, thus maintaining the convex shape. Sounds complicated but it isn't really. I should make a video... ;)
please do! :)
I wish you would have show a different knife. The Mora is the easiest to maintain the angle due to the flat grind.
Justin Jones The flat grind does make it easy to maintain - both at home and in the field. That's one of the advantages of a flat bevel and one of the reasons knives with flat bevels are popular. It's also the case that many people who are relatively new to bushcraft/woodcraft/campcraft and have not yet mastered knife sharpening are also using Moras. Hence it made sense to help all the people out there who are using Moras and learning to sharpen them. I'm interested to know what type/model of knife you would like to see me sharpen? What knife do you use Justin? Warm regards, Paul
What type of oil is that
The_kid Just standard 3-in-1 www.3inone.com/
Ray Mears meets Alan Partridge.
May sound a silly question but how long do you do it on the coarse side for ? i gather that with the fine side you would know by feel when it is perfectly sharp. Thanks for this lesson :)
+Kris Douglas It's not a silly question. It's hard to give a specific answer and a feel for it will come with a little experience but if I had to give a general answer, at the stage where continuing on the coarse side is making no discernible further difference. At first it should feel like it is getting sharper/more catchy when you check. This will continue for a while but once the coarse side has done as much as it can, the change will diminish. Then you can change to the finer side. Hope this helps. ATB, Paul
First of all,If you don't know much about sharpening and you search for videos on youtube,on how to sharpen your knives,is ok but...You have to know that sharpening is 10% theory and 90% personal experience. You would be suprized,if you knew,how many ways you can sharpen a knife.There is no best way,The best way is,what works for you.BUT there are some rules,that if you don't follow,you will end up destroing your knife! One rule is,we don't exceed the stone while we sharpen the knife.The way this guy does it,definitely he already has blunt the tip of the knife! That kind of stones,most of the time are very soft and very low grit.That means,not only that they will last less than you expected but also,it will be a pain in the ass,to avoid the dishing created,which will come very soon and being a low grit stone,is only ok to remove metal,that means that you will not get a fine edge at all! I own 3 different similar stones,which I only use for removing metal,Not sharpening! Great stones to fix a blunt nail for excample! Keep on searching guys.There videos that will help a lot,if you don't have experience.Sorry Paul Kirtley it's not your fault,I am a bit of a perfectionist! Thank's for your effort creating this video,no personal hate here! Cheers!
Lol don't be silly. Paul is showing correct form and technique. Unless one cannot grasp a textbook the rule of thumb is 50% theory 50% practical experience. There are certain methods and then usage with solidifies the theoretical knowledge. But in your case there are a multitude of methods to dull a blade. A blade doesn't change its shape or chemical composition just because you want it to so unbeknownst to you. The stones range in grit from rough to fine on many varieties of brands on combination stones so that's not true either. If you use a sharpening stone to remove metal instead of a belt or strop you need to stop and take the time to learn the basic fundamentals as you sound simply likely an inexperienced hyper. Owning 3 stones that are at the same time "different" and "similar" and then whining on youtube is nothing but a posers mentality. I own hundreds of stones, many made in Japan water stones and wouldn't call myself a perfectionist even though I make knives as part of my income and all of my knives have a razor edged mirror finish.
This is totally wrong... I am not sure if you are sharpening the edge here, or the side of the blade.,, That knife is WAY too low on the stone. It needs another 10 degrees of tilt before you are touching the actual cutting edge
Man made carborundum stones are garbage. A nice Arkansas white stone used with water is 40 times better and not that much more expensive. Water, not oil, BTW.
A bit of a misleading title. This knife has a built-in angle guide (the large bevel). This does nothing to teach people how to find the proper angle freehand.
????? The angle of the bevel IS the correct angle
Paul Kirtley I mean for things like kitchen knives that don't have a huge bevel that "snaps" into place on the stone.
I agree Mugflub. My kitchen knives have a tiny bevel compared to the knife shown in this video.
@@bobframe1949 See both of ya's don't pay any attention. Find a video for kitchen knives!!! There is no mention in title or the video for kitchen knife sharpening. It's "BUSH CRAFT KNIFE SHARPENING!!" There are always experts from the peanut gallery that will make comments that have their heads up their asses.
Not a proper way to sharpen a knife.
That's just silly. I don't care whether the knife cost a penny, or whether it cost a thousand pounds, you still need quality stones. Buying cheap stones is just throwing away money. Any knife deserves the best edge, and any knife user needs to know how to use a quality stone.
Really good stones don't cost a fortune. Those cheap stones do because you're just going to throw them away at some point, and the sooner the better.
James Ritchie How are you defining quality exactly?