Sharpening Edge Tools

Relaxing grey summer clouds is hanging over The Cabin, It's time for yet another day by the grinding wheel. I have a bunch of knives and other edge tools in need of sharpening. So I turn on The Kiruna Grinder and let the slow rotating stone set the pace of the day. I want to take the opportunity to share my thoughts on edge tool sharpening and then show a movie of me by the grinding wheel.

Edge Profile
What profile to pick depends on tasks at hand an taste. Personally I often prefer a Scandi grind knife (single edged, V shaped) as I often use my knives for whittling. Double edged profiles (Compound edges) like the Flat grind or the Hollow grind works nice as game knives when hunting. These Compound edges are also the most common edge profiles found looking internationally. The Convex edge is more and more being used also on knives (not just on axes). One example of this are the Fällkniven knives. The above four symmetric edge profiles are the most common recognized, but there are many different ways to shape an edge. The most important feature of an edge tool is the hand holding it an the mind behind it.

The Four Sharpening Steps
When I sharpening an edge tool I use four different steps; 1-Shaping the edge, 2-Grinding the edge 3-Honing the edge and 4-Polish the edge. Which steps used depends on the condition of the edge and what I'm planing to do with the tool.

Shape
If the edge are hurt by nicks or waves I use a single cut steel file to regain the edge symmetry. The hand file is a pleasant way of getting to know ones edge tool and at the same time avoiding damaging the heat treatment of the edge using a high speed electrical grinder.

Grind
When having a large amount of edge tools to sharpen I often use my slow rotating electrical grinding wheel. Otherwise I also like using bench stones. I categorize the stones into four groups; Natural sand stones, Artificial sand stones, Diamond stones and Ceramic stones. Some need oil or water and some don't. But usually I prefer using water to get the right feel and response while sharpening and at the same time getting rid of the metal leaving the edge. When grinding I like to use the 800 grit diamond side of the Fällkniven DC521. Usually I'm sharpening by free hands (no guide) feeling confident on the tools edge bevel angle. But If I what to check the angle I use a measuring tool.
Very roughly speaking; and angle of 20° is suitable for wood carving and a angle of 40° works good on a hunting knife. There are a lot of different sharpening tools and systems out there, Spydercos Triangle Sharpmaker is one example. My advice to you is to try them and decide which tools and methods works best for you.

Hone
In the next step I use the 14 000 grit ceramic side of the DC521 stone. Honing is pretty much the same technique as grinding just using a finer surfaced stone. Now and then I check the edge spine by looking straight at it. If light reflect from the edge ridge then I need to continue in that area.

Polish
It's when stropping the edge you get that little extra sharpness. A polished edge last longer and gives a cleaner cut. I use a stropping board made from a piece if leather attached to a piece of wood. The meat side of the leather are loaded with some kind of polish (for instance Autosol). Then I let the edge run backwards over the leather polishing the primary bevel. Now all the burr produced during grinding and honing should be gone and if the tool slices a thin piece if paper with ease then I'm satisfied with the sharpness. I let the situation guide me in how many of the above steps I use and how thurow I'm sharping my edge tools. It's the using of the tool that's the important thing. If the edge gets the job done nicely; then the tool is sharp enough. Finally I clean, dry and oil the edge tool

Always nice to have a fresh edge ready to take on new tasks. This day got to be a really nice one. When I finally turn of my grinding wheel it all gets quiet and I lift my hat of to my old buddy; the grindng wheel.

You can also see a piece I've written at Bushcraft Store focusing on sharpening a knife using a bench stone, click HERE.

Also take a look at maintenance by clicking HERE.



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Karesuandokniven Survival Knife 3587

I'm glad to see that Karesuandokniven is starting to expand their nice product catalog with exiting new projects. At this moment the all through Swedish company Karesuandokniven proudly offers up to 100 different knife models. My first Karesuando knives (The Moose Special and The Willow Grouse) I bought back in the early 90's and they have meet up to my expectations regarding price worthy practicality and classical design. In my latest bushcraft knife field test i compare 15 different robust forest knives to each other. One of the test knives were the Survival Knife article number 3587. This is a kit designed for us bushcraft romantics. The kit consists of a slightly modified version of the knife Bore Exclusive article number 3507, a ferro rod, a diamond sharpener and a leather sheath holding all the above. Karesuandokniven also offer the product Survival Knife article number 3586; the same as above but no sharpener included. The Survival Knife 3587 ended up in a impessive second place in my field test. You can see the test by clicking HERE.

The Knife
The Bore Exclusive is a medium size fixed blade knife equipped with a drop point blade made of stainless Sandvik steel 12C27 hardened to HRC 57. This is what I'd call a Forest Knife; a nice allround knife that can stand some inspiring bushcrafting. The thickness of the blade is 3,2 mm, the blade length 99 mm and the blade width is 23,8 mm. The blade has a long tang although some people claim that a survival knife needs the stronger full tang to cope. Personally I think a long tang works just fine even in extreme situations, as long as you user your knife with common sense. A long tang also has it's advantages during cold conditions when a full tang can cause frostbite to any naked skin. And as far as durability; Karesuandokniven offer a 10 year guarantee on their knives. The Bore use a scandi grind edge that comes very sharp out of he box. The difference between a regular Boar Exclusive and this "Survival Bore" is the partly flat grinded spine. A small area of the blade spine just in front of the finger guard is prepped for throwing sparks of the ferro rod. This feature can easily be added to any soft edged knife spine using a sharpener. I like to keep the tip spine of the blade rounder to spare my carving thumb. I wish more bushcraft knife manufacturers would leave the blade tip spine soft edged. The Bore Exclusive handle starts off with a nice 2,5 mm thick brass guard. Then follows a 13 mm long piece if rein deer antler. The rest of the handle is made of oiled curly birch. The total length of the handle is 113 mm and I like how nicely it fits into my hand giving the appropriate grip. So the total length of the knife is 212 mm and the modest knife weight of 99 g makes this blade a nice one to carry on your belt.

The Ferro Rod
The fire stick has a total length of 100 mm, a steel diameter of  9 mm and a 34 mm long handle made of oiled curly birch. The small handle is equipped with a leather lanyard to enhance the grip. The theoretical length of the steel is 66 mm and according to the manufacturer the stick will last for at least 1000 strokes. The weight of the fire steel is 40 g and I think it works very well.

The Diamond Sharpener
The flat little sharpener's two sides offers two different structures. A good thing with diamond sharpeners is that they can handle most of the blade materials out there on the market. The structured areas on the sharpener is 55 mm long, the oiled curly birch handle is 50 mm long and the total length of the sharpener is 114 mm. Just like the ferro rod's handle the sharpener's handle is equipped with a leather lanyard. The metal part of the sharpener is 5 mm wide and 2 mm thick and the total weight of the diamond sharpener is 30 g. This little sharpener works OK out in the field, but usually though I sharpen my blades back home in the tool shed using a larger stone. Read more about sharpening by clicking HERE.

The Sheath
The sheath holding it all together is made of a 2 mm thick cowhide in a nice brown nuance. The 30 mm wide belt loop fits up to about 50 mm wide belts. The loop is secured by two rivets on the back of the sheath but other than that the sheath is kept together by seems. There's no extra safety lock holding the knife in place, just the well fitted plastic inlays and leather neck. While fixed in the sheath the knife handle is sticking up from the leather by about 40 mm. The 245 mm long and 65 mm wide sheath weighs 84 g. The rod and sharpener fits nicely on the edge side of the sheath with the ferro rod on the outside.

The total weight of the Survival Knife including fire rod and sharpener is just 261 g which is welcomed for us carrying long and often. The Survival Knife from Karesuandokniven is a really nice all rounder I enjoy carrying during my bushcraft adventures. You can also get this knife i damaskus steel from Damasteel in Söderfors. The the knife goes under the name Northern Lights Damask 3580.

Specs
Manufacturer: Karesuandokniven AB, made in Sweden
Model: Survival Knife 3587
Blade material: Stainless Sandvik steel 12C27 with HRC 57
Blade length: 99 mm
Blade thickness: 3,2 mm
Blade width: 23,8 mm
Edge profile: Scandi grind with a 20° angle
Knife length: 212 mm
Handle material: Curly birch, rein deer antler and brass
Handle thickness: 18,6 mm
Sheath: Dark colored cowhide
Knife weight: 99 g
Total weight (knife, sheath and gear): 261 g
Price: 2400 SEK (Sweden 2016)

Welcome to Jonas Vildmark Bushcraftcenter, we offer classes in  Bushcraft - Survival - Jägarexamen and Motorsågskörkort.

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Leather Crafting and Fire Smoke

Place: Almunge, Uppsala, Sweden
Time: 1 day in February

Friends, coffee, freshly baked bread, cozy fire, leather... Words describing this beautiful and snowy February day. I'm in Almunge at my dear friend and saddler Per Gustavsson's place. Besides good food and laughter I got loads of inspiring tips on how I could go about making a leather sheath for my newly restored Säter Axe. This will be a blast. Stay tuned for the result.

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Silky Folding Saw Super Accel 21

Japanese Silky has delivered saws since 1919 and 1991 Grönyte-Konsult AB brought the saws to Scandinavia. Super Accel 21 is one of Silky's mid-size folding saws and one of the test objects in my latest field test on saws. The Super Accel ended up among top three when it comes to cutting performance. Only Super Accel's bigger sibling; Ultra Accel 240 Curve got better results when it came to cutting. If you want to read more about the saw test covering 12 test objects; please click HERE.

Silky Super Accel's handle consist of a aluminum frame covered in rubber featuring a nice and slim shape and a lanyard hole. A robust leaver locks the blade in two different positions unfolded. Folded the blade is not locked by the locking mechanism, however the friction is keeping the blade tucked in securely during transport. Unfolded the blade has a slight play vertically, this is nothing bothering me though.

I've now been using this saw since 2011 and I'm still very pleased with it. The saw delivers serious cutting although it's light and slim design. Take a look also on my reviews on the Silky Pocket Boy 130 and the Silky Ultra Accel 240 Curve.

Specs
Manufacturer: Silky, Japan
Model: Super Accel 21
Blade material: Stainless steel
Blade length: 207 mm
Blade thickness: 1,38 mm
Blade width: 36,25 mm
Unfolded length: 436 mm
Folded length: 239 mm
Handle material: Aluminium och gummi
Handle thickness: 21,2 mm
Weigh: 200 g
Price: 405 SEK (Sweden 2015)
Dealer: Grönyte-Konsult

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The Restoration of an Old Säter Axe

I found an old rugged axe out by the cabin. After brushing of some dust and spiders web I can see it's an old classic; it's a "Säteryxa" (Säter Axe). This charming tool makes me wanna dig deeper into it's history. Helpful people at the municipality, hembyggdsförening and last but not least The Technical Museum enlighten me about the Säters Axe Factory that was built in the year of 1894. They manufactured the appreciated Säter Axe up until 1966 when the factory closed down. By then the Swedish Säter Axes had been exported all over the world. My old and rusty find bears the name "SÄTER BANCO" on the left hand side of the axe's head. This marking was put to use in 1920. Judging from the material I've been provided I'd say that this particular axe might have been made during the 1920's. In an old catalog from 1935; Aktiebolaget Säters Yxfabrik, 1935 Års Katalog I can find a younger sibling named N:r 12 Huggyxa, Turpentinemodell.

Inspired by the winds of history it's now time to clean this axe up. The handle is broken and the head is in bad shape. This axe has lived a rough life, but it will absolutely be chopping away out in the forest again soon. Conveniently I also find a new handle in the barn. I remove the broken handle, do some filing to the head and put the new handle in place. This gives a fine size axe that reminds me of an American Felling Axe. The total weight of the axe is now 1,9 kg, and the length 69 cm. After some oiling and sharpening this axe is ready for some test chopping. An scots pine get to feel this old Swedish steel and contribute to this evenings fire. The reborn Säter Axe feels really good and will probably from now on be my reliable friend in the woods. But first I need to work some more on the sharpening and also make an protective leather sheath.

To see more about the Säter Axe; click HERE.






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Testing four different folding saws 2009

Usually I bring an axe when out in the bush to help collect wood to fire and build shelter. But lately I've also started using a small folding saw. The saw has the advantages of being small, light and safe. There's a number of different saws out there on the market and to get a better picture of four of them I now will perform a test. I've chosen four different saws from different price ranges. The test objects are: Jula's Folding Branch Saw, Biltema's Camping saw, Fiskars Pruning Saw and Bahco's Laplander.
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Since this test was executed I've made another field test on folding saws. See more about the test covering 12 different saws by clicking HERE.


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Test method
I weigh and measure each saw myself therefore the values may differ from the data you can retrieve from the producers. During the test I cut bout fresh and dry material of maple, aspen, birch and spruce. The thickness of the material is 30-70 mm in diameter. I've tyred to use each saw the same way, at the same occasion, counting each stroke with the blade and trying to use the same amount of force in each stroke. The amount of counted strokes define the tools cutting capacity.


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Jula's Folding Branch Saw
Supplyer: Jula
Price: 59 SEK
Weight: 210 g
Measures closed: 225 mm / 57 mm / 27 mm
Measures open: 400 mm / 73 mm / 27 mm
Plus: The handle offers a good grip, Good price
Minus: Bad cutting capacity

The rubber handle offers one of the best grips comparing these four saws. The folding mechanism is a bit untight but there is a safety lock keeping the blade secure bout open and closed. Between these four tools this saw has the worst cutting capacity. The design is a bit off balance but the price is nice and low. I'll keep this one in the back of my truck as a backup saw.
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Biltema's Camping saw
Supplyer: Biltema
Price: 70 SEK
Weight: 240 g
Measures closed: 294 mm / 51 mm / 29 mm
Measures open: 512 mm / 76 mm / 29 mm
Plus: Long blade, Good price
Minus: No safety lock

This is the biggest of these four tools and the design is nice and slim. The long blade has some advantage over the Jula saw. Unfortunately this saw hasn't any safety lock. This means that the blade accidentally can slide open although it's closed. But after locking the blade open I like this saw's long blade.
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Fiskars Pruning Saw
Supplyer: K-Rauta
Price: 169 SEK
Weight: 86 g
Measures closed: 196 mm / 50 mm / 30 mm
Measures open: 353 mm / 58 mm / 30 mm
Plus: Small, light and good cutting capacity
Minus: Handle can be a bit slippery when whet

This is the smallest and lightest of the four tools. Despite this it has the best cutting capacity. The telescopic mechanism is nice and tight. The saw comes with a belt clip but I think a saw this small fits nicely inside the pocket of the jacket.

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Bahco Laplander
Supplyer: Järnia
Price: 389 SEK
Weight: 175 g
Measures closed: 233 mm / 50 mm / 30 mm
Measures open: 402 mm / 68 mm / 30 mm
Plus: Robust design, Good cutting capacity
Minus: Expensive

The Laplander is probably the most well known of these four saws. It's also the most expensive among the four. The design is very nice and robust and the blade is treated with a black coating to prevent corrosion. The tool comes with a leather lanyard.
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Conclusion
The two cheapest saws was prize worthy but in comparison with the two more expensive tools the cheaper ones loose when looking at cutting capacity. The saw that surprises me the most is the one from Fiskars; although it's the smallest of the four and is offered for half the price of the Laplander, it has the best capacity of the four.Therefore I see the Fiskars saw as the winner of this test followed by the Bahco Laplander.

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Schrade XTAC SQ586

I really like this segment of knives; low price, but still great design, mechanism and material. I call this segment Low Price High Quality (LPHQ). The Schrade Extreme Tactical, XTAC SQ586, falls into this segment, and does it well. This liner lock is robust yet slim. The low weight and the tip down carry pocket clip makes the XTAC nice to carry. I like the shape of the blade and the handle's gripability. The two sided thumb studs could have been given a smoother edges though; on this knife the studs scratches my thumbs. The studs are placed very close to the handle when folded. These two things can be an issue when in cold climate with stiff fingers.
The XTAC's Chinese blade is delivered with a razor sharp edge that holds up fine.

Length: 194 mm / 111 mm
Blade: 82 mm long, 24 mm wide, 2 mm thick drop point blade
Handle: 111 mm long and 12 mm thick, black plastic and blue aluminum with pocket clip
Weight: 82 g

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