# Repaired a knife correctly.



## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

As a knife salesman, I often buy several of the same knives due to popularity or a break in price. For example, The Barge is popular with both women and preppers due to its prying tool at the end of the handle.

Sometimes you get a knife with flaws. I usually keep that one and fix it for personal use. Several weeks ago I got a Ruger Compact and the bevels were imperfect and the lock wasn't up to my standards. I gave it a rudimentary sharpening with more coarse waterstones and just tucked it into my jacket for use as a "beater."

But I am also a member of KimberTalk, and they have a knife and sharpening section. We do more polishing there, and I included a Japanese TV show from YouTube showing how a togishi actually works. I must stress, I am *not* a togishi, but I use several of their stones and techniques.

In thinking about their skill and precision, it began to bother me that I just did a "so-so job" on this Compact. So I soaked all the stones and gave it a righteous polishing. I made sure the pivot was adjusted correctly and the liner-lock did it's job.

Below is how the knife looks now.


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## 0rocky (Jan 7, 2018)

Fine looking polish work. Might I inquire what grit waterstone was used for the final polish. I have a small collection used to hone my straight razor. Was that ever a long learning process.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

0rocky said:


> Fine looking polish work. Might I inquire what grit waterstone was used for the final polish. I have a small collection used to hone my straight razor. Was that ever a long learning process.


I have waterstones that go up to 30,000 grit. But that's not how I finish the polishing.

I have several mounts layered with thick, antique glass and it's dead flat. I use Edge Pro polishing papers and several pastes, Alumina grits, PDP emulsions and a nanodiamond slurry from Ken Schwartz.

Believe it or not, the slurry takes an edge to 3.2 million grit.

That was not used on this knife, however. I used the PDP, and stopped at about 500,000 grit.


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## 0rocky (Jan 7, 2018)

Wow, and I thought I used too many steps going up to a final grit/grade stone. Thanks for supplementing my education. While I may have your attention, would you care to share any thoughts on the concept of over-honing. Is it a term that relates to an edge that is to sharp for the application or might it be something more technical, e.g., I find that I prefer to use a toothy edge for applications involving a lot of draw cutting, use a fine edge for applications involving chopping or shaving. 

I’m going to look at the Edge Pro paper and emulsions you mentioned. 

This is a very nice forum for sharing useful information and I thank you for your expertise. If I seem over the top it’s because the folks a few years older than me were tool and die makers who wouldn’t share the time of day with you. Secrets passed down from father to son. I’d innocently walk up to them in the shop and they’d put their tools away, even do this amongst others in the guild. Then came CNC machines.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

0rocky said:


> concept of over-honing


I've been a polisher for over twenty years and never heard of the concept. It probably refers to sharpening a knife so often you wear it down to a nub. We had boners at Oscar Mayer in Madison who all thought they were master sharpeners--and I've seen their old knives. They are half the width of the knife when it was new. I think they took a whetstone to a knife and scrubbed it until the blade got sharp--by accident.

Samurai swords were beaten to death in combat, and a togishi fixed them. It was only when the katana had been polished many times that the soft iron core was exposed.



> I'm going to look at the Edge Pro paper and emulsions you mentioned.


I'll send you Ken's phone number by PM.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

0rocky said:


> Wow, and I thought I used too many steps going up to a final grit/grade stone. Thanks for supplementing my education. While I may have your attention, would you care to share any thoughts on the concept of over-honing. Is it a term that relates to an edge that is to sharp for the application or might it be something more technical, e.g., I find that I prefer to use a toothy edge for applications involving a lot of draw cutting, use a fine edge for applications involving chopping or shaving.
> 
> I'm going to look at the Edge Pro paper and emulsions you mentioned.
> 
> This is a very nice forum for sharing useful information and I thank you for your expertise. If I seem over the top it's because the folks a few years older than me were tool and die makers who wouldn't share the time of day with you. Secrets passed down from father to son. I'd innocently walk up to them in the shop and they'd put their tools away, even do this amongst others in the guild. Then came CNC machines.


Hey I am one of those tool and die makers, my father and grandfather were also.:tango_face_wink:

Anytime someone would watch me, I would stop working and sit down if not already there.

I would stop because anyone watching would cause me to screw up, even today I can't work with someone observing.


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## 0rocky (Jan 7, 2018)

SOCOM42 said:


> Hey I am one of those tool and die makers, my father and grandfather were also.:tango_face_wink:
> 
> Anytime someone would watch me, I would stop working and sit down if not already there.
> 
> I would stop because anyone watching would cause me to screw up, even today I can't work with someone observing.


I got good laugh. I know you're actually much better than that. Heck, you _had_ to be back then. Everyone back in those days was held to much higher standards.


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## 0rocky (Jan 7, 2018)

@The TouristPlease don't take this as an "I told you so". Meant as a respectful FYI. The term over-honed may be limited to something that occurs with straight razors and not edged weapons. The following is an excerpt with the URL at the bottom.

*Correcting an over-honed razor*
To eliminate an over-honed edge, draw the razor backward in a diagonal line across the hone, using the same movement and pressure as in regular honing.
Honing and stropping

PS many thanks for the PM


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

No offense taken, I learn something new everyday. I don't do many razors, but I do use that diagonal movement on strops and the HandAmerican fixture. I just never heard the phrase.


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