What are some ways to sharpen a throwing knife?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “throwing knife sharpener“
About Valerie
Written by: Valerie
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What are some ways to sharpen a throwing knife?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “throwing knife sharpener“
About Valerie
If I have to form the rough edge I use a medium electric grindstone and dip the edge in cold water every pass over the stone to avoid overheating the edge of the steel. Remember to keep the steel moving and pass it quickly over the stone because pausing or going to slow can allow heat to build up and draw the temper from the edge. I do not try to grind the edge very fine because as the edge gets fine the risk of overheating it increases.
Next is to the hand stones. I work from coarse to fine on my whet stones. The medium stone I expect the edge to turn up a slight wire edge The finer stones should reduce the wire edge to a very fine wire edge.
For most knives this is sharp enough.
For carving knives and razors I go two steps more. The final edge is on a very fine stone and often I follow with drawing the blade over a leather strop charged with rouge to eliminate the wire edge completely.
Razors get a final stropping on a canvas belt.
I sometimes use cutting lubricants the are like special thin oils but mostly I prefer using water loaded with detergent (dish soap) because it is easier to clean up when I am done than oil is.
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The only portion of a throwing knife that needs to be sharp is at about 1/2″ of its blade to its tip. A knife will stick even if the rest of the knife is dull.
I normally use a fine file.
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I use a 1×30 belt sander with 3 different grits and a leather finishing strop. Depending on the condition of the blade I begin with 600 for the initial edge setting and straightening. I use a sponge with vegetable oil on the edge and make a new clean angle on the dull blade. If the blade is in bad shape, I’ll drop down to a 320 to clean it up. Then I follow the 320 with 600. After all the blades in the session have new 600 grit edges, I follow up with 1000 grit and then 2000 grit. The 2000 usually grinds itself is ground down to about 4000 and I run them all with a polishing paste on this belt.
I then use a leather strop to remove the fine wire or burr from the last finish belt. The knife edge now appears to be new and I usually wrap each blade with a piece of butcher paper and then slice thin strips in a dramatic display of sharpness to a happy customer.
For some high end personal blades, they never reach the point of needing a belt sharpening and maintain them with 2000/4000 wet stones. Wet stones are only effective if the edge is slightly wavy or dull and needs straightening and edging on a finish stone.
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If the blade has not been tempered, the first approach would be trying a 10-inch Mill Bastard file. If it has been tempered ‘hard’ , then you’ll be working with wet stones or an electric grinder. Working through several grits will result in the finest ‘scratch pattern’. Keep tract of your strokes, so each facet gets the same treatment, and the ‘point’ is centered.
The good news is that you only need to concentrate your efforts to the first 1/2 to 3/4 inch.
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