Recently while I was traveling in a foreign country (Italy if it matters), I
had occasion to need to make the 1-1/2" knife blade on my pocket knife as
sharp as possible -- ideally "scalpel sharp". It's night-time (about 10 pm
local time) in an urban area and we're heading back to our lodging. There
are no nearby open stores. [Note: there was an open pharmacy but it's just
that -- they don't carry razor blades there].
I finally decided to use a stone, brick, concrete, or similar surface as a
sharpening stone -- and I didn't have any facility for either flattening
whatever I choose or even measuring flatness except by eye or feel. I
finally found a small area on the corner of a stone building that felt
smooth and flat enough and I used some available moisture to perform a
honing operation until the blade felt smooth and sharp enough -- measured
totally qualitatively by running it across the surface of my thumb-nail.
We went back to the lodging, boiled water which we used to "sterilize" the
blade and performed our makeshift surgery fairly successfully -- the blade
was, in fact, sharp enough that there was no pain when used to create a 1/2"
long, ~1/8" deep incision into a section of calloused skin and the
underlying healthy tissue.
Enough of the medical saga and onto the real question: Are there any
suggestions for sharpening a blade under these conditions that would have
been either easier or better than what I did?
TIA
Norm
Norm Dresner wrote:
> Recently while I was traveling in a foreign country (Italy if it
> matters), I had occasion to need to make the 1-1/2" knife blade on my
> pocket knife as sharp as possible -- ideally "scalpel sharp". It's
> night-time (about 10 pm local time) in an urban area and we're
> heading back to our lodging. There are no nearby open stores. [Note:
> there was an open pharmacy but it's just that -- they don't
> carry razor blades there].
> I finally decided to use a stone, brick, concrete, or similar surface
> as a sharpening stone -- and I didn't have any facility for either
> flattening whatever I choose or even measuring flatness except by eye
> or feel. I finally found a small area on the corner of a stone
> building that felt smooth and flat enough and I used some available
> moisture to perform a honing operation until the blade felt smooth
> and sharp enough -- measured totally qualitatively by running it
> across the surface of my thumb-nail.
> We went back to the lodging, boiled water which we used to
> "sterilize" the blade and performed our makeshift surgery fairly
> successfully -- the blade was, in fact, sharp enough that there was
> no pain when used to create a 1/2" long, ~1/8" deep incision into a
> section of calloused skin and the underlying healthy tissue.
>
> Enough of the medical saga and onto the real question: Are there any
> suggestions for sharpening a blade under these conditions that would
> have been either easier or better than what I did?
>
> TIA
> Norm
I often use the top edge of a car window to touch up my knives . The milled
edge makes an *excellent* finish hone ...
--
Snag aka OSG #1
'76 FLH "Bag Lady"
BS132 SENS NEWT
"A hand shift is a manly shift ."
<shamelessly stolen>
none to one to reply
I have a sandstone (figured naturally) water catcher to put my cups on - shop and house.
I sharpen and clean the bottoms of the cups that way for the medium work and then to the
ceramic rods. Those are only in the shop.
Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
Gunner Asch wrote:
> On Fri, 25 Nov 2005 16:07:44 GMT, "Norm Dresner" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>
>>Recently while I was traveling in a foreign country (Italy if it matters), I
>>had occasion to need to make the 1-1/2" knife blade on my pocket knife as
>>sharp as possible -- ideally "scalpel sharp". It's night-time (about 10 pm
>>local time) in an urban area and we're heading back to our lodging. There
>>are no nearby open stores. [Note: there was an open pharmacy but it's just
>>that -- they don't carry razor blades there].
>>
>>I finally decided to use a stone, brick, concrete, or similar surface as a
>>sharpening stone -- and I didn't have any facility for either flattening
>>whatever I choose or even measuring flatness except by eye or feel. I
>>finally found a small area on the corner of a stone building that felt
>>smooth and flat enough and I used some available moisture to perform a
>>honing operation until the blade felt smooth and sharp enough -- measured
>>totally qualitatively by running it across the surface of my thumb-nail.
>>
>>We went back to the lodging, boiled water which we used to "sterilize" the
>>blade and performed our makeshift surgery fairly successfully -- the blade
>>was, in fact, sharp enough that there was no pain when used to create a 1/2"
>>long, ~1/8" deep incision into a section of calloused skin and the
>>underlying healthy tissue.
>>
>>Enough of the medical saga and onto the real question: Are there any
>>suggestions for sharpening a blade under these conditions that would have
>>been either easier or better than what I did?
>>
>>TIA
>> Norm
>
>
> The unglazed bottom ring of a porceline coffee cup is one of my old
> standbys
>
> Gunner
>
> "Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
> Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
> off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
> them self determination under "play nice" rules.
>
> Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you
> for torturing the cat." Gunner
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The bottom rim of many ceramic things - coffee cups come to mind,
are similar to ceramic crock sticks. A stroke or two on the
inside rim of a glass and a honing stroke on a belt of leather
boot top should get you "operating".
(top posted for your convenience)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)
[email protected]
"Norm Dresner" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Recently while I was traveling in a foreign country (Italy if it
> matters), I had occasion to need to make the 1-1/2" knife blade
> on my pocket knife as sharp as possible -- ideally "scalpel
> sharp". It's night-time (about 10 pm local time) in an urban
> area and we're heading back to our lodging. There are no nearby
> open stores. [Note: there was an open pharmacy but it's just
> that -- they don't carry razor blades there].
>
> I finally decided to use a stone, brick, concrete, or similar
> surface as a sharpening stone -- and I didn't have any facility
> for either flattening whatever I choose or even measuring
> flatness except by eye or feel. I finally found a small area on
> the corner of a stone building that felt smooth and flat enough
> and I used some available moisture to perform a honing operation
> until the blade felt smooth and sharp enough -- measured totally
> qualitatively by running it across the surface of my thumb-nail.
>
> We went back to the lodging, boiled water which we used to
> "sterilize" the blade and performed our makeshift surgery fairly
> successfully -- the blade was, in fact, sharp enough that there
> was no pain when used to create a 1/2" long, ~1/8" deep incision
> into a section of calloused skin and the underlying healthy
> tissue.
>
> Enough of the medical saga and onto the real question: Are
> there any suggestions for sharpening a blade under these
> conditions that would have been either easier or better than
> what I did?
>
> TIA
> Norm
>
On Fri, 25 Nov 2005 16:07:44 GMT, "Norm Dresner" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>Recently while I was traveling in a foreign country (Italy if it matters), I
>had occasion to need to make the 1-1/2" knife blade on my pocket knife as
>sharp as possible -- ideally "scalpel sharp". It's night-time (about 10 pm
>local time) in an urban area and we're heading back to our lodging. There
>are no nearby open stores. [Note: there was an open pharmacy but it's just
>that -- they don't carry razor blades there].
>
>I finally decided to use a stone, brick, concrete, or similar surface as a
>sharpening stone -- and I didn't have any facility for either flattening
>whatever I choose or even measuring flatness except by eye or feel. I
>finally found a small area on the corner of a stone building that felt
>smooth and flat enough and I used some available moisture to perform a
>honing operation until the blade felt smooth and sharp enough -- measured
>totally qualitatively by running it across the surface of my thumb-nail.
>
>We went back to the lodging, boiled water which we used to "sterilize" the
>blade and performed our makeshift surgery fairly successfully -- the blade
>was, in fact, sharp enough that there was no pain when used to create a 1/2"
>long, ~1/8" deep incision into a section of calloused skin and the
>underlying healthy tissue.
>
>Enough of the medical saga and onto the real question: Are there any
>suggestions for sharpening a blade under these conditions that would have
>been either easier or better than what I did?
>
>TIA
> Norm
The unglazed bottom ring of a porceline coffee cup is one of my old
standbys
Gunner
"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.
Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner
On 11/25/05 10:07 AM, in article
[email protected], "Norm Dresner"
<[email protected]> wrote:
> Recently while I was traveling in a foreign country (Italy if it matters), I
> had occasion to need to make the 1-1/2" knife blade on my pocket knife as
> sharp as possible -- ideally "scalpel sharp". It's night-time (about 10 pm
> local time) in an urban area and we're heading back to our lodging. There
> are no nearby open stores. [Note: there was an open pharmacy but it's just
> that -- they don't carry razor blades there].
>
> I finally decided to use a stone, brick, concrete, or similar surface as a
> sharpening stone -- and I didn't have any facility for either flattening
> whatever I choose or even measuring flatness except by eye or feel. I
> finally found a small area on the corner of a stone building that felt
> smooth and flat enough and I used some available moisture to perform a
> honing operation until the blade felt smooth and sharp enough -- measured
> totally qualitatively by running it across the surface of my thumb-nail.
>
> We went back to the lodging, boiled water which we used to "sterilize" the
> blade and performed our makeshift surgery fairly successfully -- the blade
> was, in fact, sharp enough that there was no pain when used to create a 1/2"
> long, ~1/8" deep incision into a section of calloused skin and the
> underlying healthy tissue.
>
> Enough of the medical saga and onto the real question: Are there any
> suggestions for sharpening a blade under these conditions that would have
> been either easier or better than what I did?
>
> TIA
> Norm
>
Sharpen the blade at home before you leave on the trip? Then be sure to put
the knife in your checked baggage, of course. Sounds like you did a pretty
good job.
On a side note, a good friend and fellow modeler is a Captain with Delta,
who used to fly with a full toolbox to work on things in his hotel room at
night. He's now not allowed to fly with the dangerous #11 Xatco blades, etc.
--
Thanks!
Brian Ehni
"Norm Dresner" wrote: (clip) Are there any suggestions for sharpening a
blade under these conditions that would have been either easier or better
than what I did?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Possibly finding another building with an even smoother stone to finish up.
;-) Actually, you might have been able to improve things slightly by
stropping the blade on a leather belt or shoe. Or stroking it on the side
of a glass tumbler.
"Gunner Asch" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> The unglazed bottom ring of a porceline coffee cup is one of my old
> standbys
>
> Gunner
Works best if you mount the knife on linear bearings...
Norm Dresner wrote:
> Recently while I was traveling in a foreign country (Italy if it
> matters), I had occasion to need to make the 1-1/2" knife blade on my
> pocket knife as sharp as possible -- ideally "scalpel sharp".
I have a folding diamond hone by DMT approx. 5"x1"x1/2". (The handles
fold over the sharpening surface. You should carry one in your fanny
pack or lugage.
Ted
"Norm Dresner" wrote in message
> Fortunately the blade was reasonably sharp before we left on the trip
If that's the case, the first thing that comes to mind is using a leather
belt as a razor strop ... that was the way we touched up our pocket knives
to skin all those rabbits and squirrels as a kid. It's worked for a
multitude of barbers to this day.
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 11/06/05
"Leo Lichtman" <[email protected]> writes:
> Possibly finding another building with an even smoother stone to finish up.
And remember not to skip a grit! :-)
Now where did I put that 220 building......
--
Sending unsolicited commercial e-mail to this account incurs a fee of
$500 per message, and acknowledges the legality of this contract.
Keywords:
In article <3gHhf.22879$sg5.645@dukeread12>, "DanG" <[email protected]> wrote:
>The bottom rim of many ceramic things - coffee cups come to mind,
>are similar to ceramic crock sticks. A stroke or two on the
>inside rim of a glass and a honing stroke on a belt of leather
>boot top should get you "operating".
Inside of a toilet tank? Or the cover?
Doug White
"Brian Paul Ehni" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:BFAC94A0.3EE2%[email protected]...
> On 11/25/05 10:07 AM, in article
> [email protected], "Norm Dresner"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
> Sharpen the blade at home before you leave on the trip? Then be sure to
> put
> the knife in your checked baggage, of course. Sounds like you did a pretty
> good job.
>
> On a side note, a good friend and fellow modeler is a Captain with Delta,
> who used to fly with a full toolbox to work on things in his hotel room at
> night. He's now not allowed to fly with the dangerous #11 Xatco blades,
> etc.
> --
> Thanks!
>
> Brian Ehni
Fortunately the blade was reasonably sharp before we left on the trip and I
had no expectation of ever needing to do that sort of thing by myself or I
would have at least packed a single-edge razor blade or two into the checked
luggage.
Norm