Knife sharpening

[Humblebee]

Just to be clear, carrying a knife in public in Scotland is an offence.

My brother habitually comes north of the border with his Swiss army knife in his pocket. I repeatedly advise him against this.

One day he'll take it out of his pocket to find some change in a shop or something and he'll get more than a gentle reminder from PC Murdoch.

Not quite an absolute prohibition. You can carry a folding knife with a blade shorter than 3 inches, or a fixed blade knife if you have good reason for carrying it. There are other exceptions but these cover most knives and situations - I always carry a Swiss Army Knife!

Legislation below;
Carrying of Knives etc. (Scotland) Act 1993

 

[johnalison]

You will have heard it before no doubt and I imagine it all depends upon the task but...

“a Dull knife is a Dangerous knife” was drilled into me as a Scout possibly.

as in one may apply too much pressure to cut something with a dull knife, slip and cut something that really did not want cutting

There is sharp and there is sharp. My gouges are lethally sharp when I've done it right and I am happy for my knives to just be ground sharp enough for ropes etc. I handled some knives in Tashkent recently, where they are a speciality. As well as being very beautiful they were indeed paper-cutting sharp, and one bloke showed that his knife was be just as sharp after clouting the edge on a steel plate, which seemed to contradict the laws of physics.

 

[Alicatt]

Forged in Fire YBW edition

 

[RunAgroundHard]

 

[fisherman]

So, watching tv as usual (yeah, yeah, that is what us oldies do) saw a chap cut a rope...

I noticed that as well and can't remember what programme it was, given we only watch about three things, and two of those are only connect and University challenge.

I had to cut gear that was being shot away, twice, when the crewman got caught. That's when you need a sharp knife, and in the right place.

 

[rogerthebodger]

For grind and sharping my wood working tools I ueon of these with an adjustable grind angle.

Once groud on this I use oil stone that I have had for over 60 years from my days in school wook working class

 

[Halo]

IMHO the best surface for sharpening knives and chisels is a thick piece of glass made wet and then a sheet (or 1/3 rd) of a sheet of wet and dry on top. The water tension holds the paper and the wet and dry can be rinsed off and replaced with finer grades.
Personally I don’t go to very fine grades because the edge works best on ropes etc with a “serated” edge

 

[B27]

I just get a new scalpel blade when I need one.

 

[MontyMariner]

For cutting rope, I've found that a bread knife (with fine serrations) does a good job.
My pocket knife also has a serrated blade.

 

[William_H]

For cutting rope, I've found that a bread knife (with fine serrations) does a good job.
My pocket knife also has a serrated blade.

I watch on TV people cutting ropes that entangle a whale and see them using knives on the end of a pole. It just seems to me that secateurs as used in gardening would be much more efficient with a sharp blade against a flat anvil. Has anyone any experience?
On a similar note I bought while living in Papua New Guinea a machete. I had seen folks on tele slashing their way through the jungle. My experience with shrubs in garden showed it hopeless as branch just springs away. Well my one experience when in the jungle was longing for secateurs. (I didn't have the machete then)
On rules re carrying a knife in public. I have a lovely diving knife which I carry across the park and down to the boat for attacking the barnacles. Looks evil until you see I have cut off the tip to make a 1 inch chisel on tip. But no, no one has asked about my lethal knife yet. ol'will

 

[MontyMariner]

It just seems to me that secateurs as used in gardening would be much more efficient with a sharp blade against a flat anvil

Yes, if you can get under the rope and you are in close proximity. You can't get under a tight wound rope ona prop for instance.
Cutting ropes that entangle a whale and see them using knives on the end of a pole - they probably have to do it that way because they can't get up close and personal.

 

[fisherman]

more efficient with a sharp blade against a flat anvil. Has anyone any experience?

I have a tool that looks like a secateur, but is fitted with a stanley blade. It was brilliant for cutting rope on shore, but rust would get to it. I used to cut coils of rope into 2fm lengths, measured with an arm stretch. I could lightly grip the rope with the tool, stretch, snip, drop, repeat.
Pic below. the return spring is gone, as is the blade grip screw. Haven't been able to find one for years, and I really really want another, if you can find one.

 

[Tillana]

I use a Lansky sharpening system for sharpening my work knives which holds the knife in a clamp and guides different grade stones over the surface. I do my kitchen knives every year while I'm off at Christmas. Come in a portable plastic case so easy to have at hand when you have a spare 5 mins

 

[B27]

I have a tool that looks like a secateur, but is fitted with a stanley blade. It was brilliant for cutting rope on shore, but rust would get to it. I used to cut coils of rope into 2fm lengths, measured with an arm stretch. I could lightly grip the rope with the tool, stretch, snip, drop, repeat.
Pic below. the return spring is gone, as is the blade grip screw. Haven't been able to find one for years, and I really really want another, if you can find one.

Xpert Universal SK2 Mitre Shear

Amazon.co.uk

Not sure the second one takes standard stanley type blades.

 

[fisherman]

Xpert Universal SK2 Mitre Shear

Amazon.co.uk

Not sure the second one takes standard stanley type blades.

I think it does, and is possibly the updated version of mine. ta.

 

[Daydream believer]

My spinlock life jacket has an S shaped cutter, for cutting a tether. It received bad reviews in a magazine some years ago, but I think that the operator was using it square to the tether. I suspect that if dragged along a rope, such that it cut diagonally, it would be very effective. I just do not fancy falling overboard to try it.

 

[Aja]

I watch on TV people cutting ropes that entangle a whale and see them using knives on the end of a pole. It just seems to me that secateurs as used in gardening would be much more efficient with a sharp blade against a flat anvil. Has anyone any experience?
On a similar note I bought while living in Papua New Guinea a machete. I had seen folks on tele slashing their way through the jungle. My experience with shrubs in garden showed it hopeless as branch just springs away. Well my one experience when in the jungle was longing for secateurs. (I didn't have the machete then)
On rules re carrying a knife in public. I have a lovely diving knife which I carry across the park and down to the boat for attacking the barnacles. Looks evil until you see I have cut off the tip to make a 1 inch chisel on tip. But no, no one has asked about my lethal knife yet. ol'will

Ol'will

We have a long term problem with knife crime in Scotland going back decades.

 

[Wansworth]

Ol'will

We have a long term problem with knife crime in Scotland going back decades.

It’s them Macgregors

 

[Aja]

It’s them Macgregors

Bloody @claymore has a lot to answer for!

 

[Wansworth]

Whilst in the coasting trade I had a very slim pen knife that had a four inch blade that locked,it was steel,shinny but not stainless,good for cutting warps,general boat work and pealing apples……I lost it and never seen that type since