Anyone took an "asymetrical" grind down to a symetrical one? How long and what process workes best? It is a 6" blade.

Sorry GF don't know but I figure a bit of time with a bench stone would do the job pretty well... Isn't flattening the convex side all you are doing if it's a Busse assy'?

My Scrapper has now been uprated from a banana to a melon slice- by Xmas 07 it may even be really sharp! Thom where is the tutorial?? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crossfingers.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

I hope the INFI stuff comes sharper...

This one's not the sanding block one (have a special knife coming home that'll be used for that one), but here's a quasi tutorial with my Muddy Mischief 6:

Sharpening by Dummy.

Thanks Thom, I'll be experimenting soon on old flat grinds and save the mutt for the sandpaper trick... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

Tried the sandpaper trick, but you have to want to keep the edge (width/thickness) it already has or else insanity will take hold.

Don't have a Scrapyard Knifeworks Bowie, so I used a custom knife from Justin Gingrich:

Tried sand-sharpening RD-3.75

Thom, feeling motivated and informed by your post(s) I had another go at my S6.. I use my Lansky kit and a marker pen (magic marker?) to reprofile the point third of the blade (totally ignoring the Lansky instructions as it wouldn't hold a wedge shaped blade at all well). I then used the sandpaper trick with coarse 'emery' paper to put an edge on (carefully, slowly dragging the edge over the paper).... I honed on a white ceramic stick by lightly drawing the edge backwards over it- I managed to razor sharpen the whole thing! My Scrapper now has two thirds of a blade (choil to curve) that is a steeper profile for splitting and chopping and a strong scalpel like final third for carving and whittling- all razor hair-popping sharp.. Given I am shockingly bad at sharpening this is a major result! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for sharing the good news with us!

Congrats! I found I used my knives a lot more when I figured out how to put a good edge on them, because I knew I could quickly fix the edge if it dulled. Before I could sharpen well, I was hesitant, because I knew I could spend all afternoon trying to figure out how to get it sharp again. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

A sharp knife makes for a happy owner! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Just for future reference can you use a soft arkansas stone with water (instead of oil mix) for field sharpening or does it wreck it? I'm thinking of adding to my Lansky kit...

It won’t hurt it. I use my stones dry, and I know Ian does too. He’s the only other person I know that uses stones dry. Maybe some others do too. The reason for oil/water/spit is to keep the metal dust that you ground off of the knife from sticking to the stone, and to help float it away. Too me, it’s messier and too much of a pain, so I just use them dry. When I see metal particles sticking to the stone, I just give it a few wipes with the green 3M Scotchbrite pad, and it’s good as new.

If it's an old-school Satin Jack, that's a 5" blade.

The best way to do it is the slowest way. Use the same angle you strop or stone the convex side on the flat side as well. Over time, it'll catch up with the convexed side. When that happens, the edge will be very thick and you'll want to reprofile the whole thing anyways.