Hi all, got my first Scrapyard knife a few weeks ago and have been using it doing some heavy wood working (chopping/splitting) and it looks like the pictures seen here: http://imgur.com/a/tKnwJ

I'm not terribly worried about the coating or the marks, if anything I love the way it's starting to look used now. What I'm worried about is how un-smart I was today.

I was chopping a branch near a rock and a glancing blow launched it into the side of said rock. The edge now looks like the pictures. I don't know if it's showing or not but it's definitely not smooth like the rest of the blade, it's quite jagged and very rough when touched.

QUESTION 1: First off, is this a chipped edge or is it just "rolled" as I've heard it called before?

QUESTION 2: How can I fix this, if at all?

QUESTIONS 3/4: What is the best stone/method I should use in order to sharpen my knfie?(SR-101 steel) I've been reading around and I have yet to find anything specific. Some have suggested using Lansky diamond stones in another forum, are those sufficient?

QUESTIONS 5/6/7: What oil/lubricant should I use on it, and how often? Before and after use or just after, only if it's wet? Will WD-40 work or do I need something less generic? Again, new to all of this so any help is appreciated

QUESTIONS 8/9: There are now bits and pieces of wood that appear "glued" to my knife. They are stuck on there pretty good, hence the term glue. I didn't do anything other than just use it to split and chop, is this normal/should I try and get rid of them? If so how?

Thanks so much for your time, and proud to be an owner of a Scrapyard knife! ))))

Digi, first off WELCOME TO THE YARD! I hope you will like it here as much as we do. Now to TRY and answer your questions. Now mind you, I am NOT an expert, just a Missouri Redneck.

1. To me it looks chipped. If it was rolled the edge would be turned to one side or the other. This looks like actual metal is missing.

2. It will sharpen out. No worries there.

3/4. Personally I use diamond and ceramic stones/hones. In the field I carry an EZ-lap Model M sharpener. Actually just about any sharpening "Device" will work. JUST DON'T USE THOSE "CARBIDE" SHARPENERS! You know, the kind that you scrape the edge across them.

5/6/7. You can wipe it down with just about any kind of "Oil" Even a "tuff Cloth" would work fine. Truth be told I just wipe mine down with a rag and shove them back in the sheath. Rust hasn't been a problem for me yet. If you do get a little rust just use a scotch brite pad or some such with a little oil and you should be good to go.

8/9. See if the crinkle coat seems soft. If it is it might not have gotten baked right and didn't harden up the way it should. As far as them getting stuck, just pry the larger pieces off and keep on keepin on. I wouldn't think they should hurt anything.

Remember, the more you use it the better it'll get.

Randy

1. Looks chipped, but it's not bad considering what happened...it's really how you would want the edge to fail, as shallowly as possible.

2. Very fixable. Take your sharpening stone and cut directly into it (not with a lot of force) as if you were slicing bread until you have removed the damage. This will keep the entire edge even, and will also remove the damaged steel below the chips (think a paper clip...when you break it, each end of the break has some weakened steel as well),
You will now see a flat reflecting light on the edge...work both sides of the edge at the established angle until you can no longer see that light reflecting (you will want a good light to check this).
At this point do one very high angle light pass on each side (like 45 degrees), then do several passes on each side (alternating each pass) just above the angle of the edge.
Here's two videos of me fixing similar damage...the process is a literal more elaborate bc I like a high polish, but you get the idea:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTs65hqG3ts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q4QlyfMY58


3/4. see above for method...for stone, pick up a norton economy...it's cheap and will work very quickly in the above process...use a higher grit diamond or ceramic stone for the higher angle passes

5/6/7. mineral oil if you'll do food prep but wd40 works just fine...I only do it after use, and I do it every time after use, but keep in mind the more often you use it the more often that use will keep the rust off. Just use some trial and error...go without it and if you see some rust, well, put some oil on it

8/9. this will happen more so with the coating...just use some wd40 and a scotch brite pad and scrub them...you can put some elbow into it, but if it doesn't all come off no worries. If it really bothers you just use some sandpaper. It's normal

To clean that wood and sap off your knife just spray it down with WD-40 and wipe it down with a rag. That should clean it off and it wont hurt the finish.

You could also use some very fine sandpaper and put it on a mousepad to get those chips out of your edge. It would also convex your edge which is a stronger edge than a standard V edge.

Digiorno, Howdy and Welcome to the Scrap Yard! Great suggestions have been presented to fix your minor problem.

Dogs love to help out and talk knives, that's why I hang on the forums.

Hey all, thanks for the welcome and thanks for the suggestions!

Follow up questions: Skunk says not to use carbide sharpeners, but Cashmore has recommended a norton economy. Looking into it reveals it's made with Crystolon which is silicon carbide.

QUESTION 1: Can someone give me the low-down on carbide sharpeners and the reason for the conflicting information?

Also, cashmore, I watched every second of your videos and you mentioned you weren't paying attention to edge angle.

QUESTIONS 2/3: Does it matter what angle I hold my knife at when sharpening? Also, were you "sawing" back and forth or going in a circular motion? Was hard to tell in the videos.

Thanks again! )))

I think that Skunky was talking about this type of carbide sharpener.

http://www.amazon.com/Gatco-40001-Carbide-Pocket-Sharpener/dp/B001DBHDUK

They will peel off large strips of steel from your blade.

Ray has it right...Skunk is referring to the pull through carbide sharpeners that actually peel steel off the edge. The silicon carbide in the Norton stone is just the type of grit (same type in a lot of wet/dry sandpaper)

And 2: I shouldn't have been so glib...when I say not paying attention to edge angle, I am...I am trying to maintain the edge angle of the blade, but if there is some slop, it's no big deal...the goal is just to plain down both sides until the apex is not reflecting light. Then the alternating strokes on each side at a slightly higher angle, well, that is what gives you the real sharpness and so there I try to be very consistent with edge angle.
Keep in mind that if you work significantly under the established edge angle you will have to do more work to plane down the two sides and get them to meet (but it will cut better but perhaps be less durable). Likewise, if you work above it you will be raising the angle and reducing cutting efficiency but making it more durable...both can be done, just depends on what you want...for now I'd stick with the established angle

3: I was doing both scrubbing back and forth and circles...whatever tickles my fancy...again, I am just planing down both sides of a triangle until the edge isn't reflecting light...at that point I can raise the angle and with alternating passes get a very sharp edge in anywhere from 5-20 passes per side total.

Here's a video that might help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4KdP5EAIO0

[quote=Digiorno]

QUESTIONS 3/4: What is the best stone/method I should use in order to sharpen my knfie?(SR-101 steel) I've been reading around and I have yet to find anything specific. Some have suggested using Lansky diamond stones in another forum, are those sufficient?

At the risk of sounding simplistic, there is no " best stone/ method" to use to sharpen a knife. It all depends on what the person who is sharpening the knife has to work with or is familiar with or is comfortable with or how much money you can afford to spend.
Some people like to sharpen freehand. Others like to use various jigs or sharpening apparatus. Some like to use powered machines. Some, like me, use all of these methods.
If you can't afford Japanese water stones and want to start out learning how to freehand, I think that a double-sided Norton stone is fairly inexpensive and along with a strop and some chromium dioxide will do just about anything you will want to do for quite a while. For lubrication of the stone, I've found that either light oil or water will work. You just have to stick with either one or the other.
If you find that you cannot maintain a consistent edge by hand, then an assisted system may work for you, such as, a Lansky. Diamond stones are not needed at this point. The regular stones will work fine.

A Lansky 5 stone system costs less than $35.
The next step up in assisted systems is something like a KME sharpening system. This costs about $115 to close to $200 if you want the diamond stones and other dodads. Then the Edge Pro runs from about $200 to $700 depending on what accesories you may want.
Powered equipment runs from the cheap 1x30 belt sander for $45 to the Ken Onion Worksharp($130) to whatever you can afford.

Back to freehand sharpening for a minute. I kinda skipped over Japanese water stones because I had a brief run in with them. I thought that they were too expensive, too messy and the ritual to use them was too finicky and time consuming. If you want to dive in to that arcane method of sharpening, you are on your own. By the way, I sharpen my katanas with a mousepad and sheet of sandpaper.

So, to sum up you can start off with a Norton combination aluminum oxide stone, oil, a piece of leather on a board, and chromium dioxide for about $35. Along with some patience and maybe a Sharpie, you should do fine. Until you start reading sharpening threads on various forums and decide you need electron microscopes and edge testers to tune up your Busse Combat MOAB.

YUP, the guys were right. THAT is the kind of carbide sharpener I was talking about, the METAL carbide ones.

Ultimately, use what ever you are comfortable using to sharpen your knives. Heck, I have even used the top of a concrete wall once I wet it down some. Actually worked pretty good for a course edge.