Any carvers? Advice needed.

[Smudger]

Dumb question #476

I have just bought some cheap carving knives, small ones, from Proops. I'm liking what I am doing (which is making some toilet passes - long story) but I don't think the knives are sharp enough. I have honed them on a fine oilstone (both edges until a wire edge appears) and then stropped them, and they feel sharp on the thumb but not on the wood (pine). Given that I have oilstones and large and small diamond stones, what would you experienced people do?

 

[matthewwh]

Can you post a picture of the blade?

 

[Smudger]

This is the set.

The blades appear to be made out of marmalade. Having got them reasonably sharp they were blunted very quickly.

 

[matthewwh]

They all look simple enough to sharpen, no curved cutting edges or anything, so I doubt there is anything wrong with the way you are sharpening them.

If the steel isn't properly hardened the burr will be persistent, i.e. it will flap from one side to the other rather than seperating cleanly when you do your first stroke on the other side.

If that's the case you have two options:

Either harden them yourself with a blowtorch and a little pot of oil (with no additives in it) - you might have to make new handles for them if the existing ones get singed.

Or send them back to Proops and get a couple of good quality frost or flexcut knives instead.

 

[Smudger]

Thanks for that. I think I'll take the latter option - I could harden them at work, but as you say, that will involve new handles. I'll give them a try on some more amenable wood as well. Presumably open-grained pine isn't ideal?

 

[mudman]

Another thing to remember with knives is that when you strop them, don't present them at an angle to the strop as this can round over the edge. Lay them flat on the leather, there is enough 'give' in the leather to strop the edge this way.

 

[Smudger]

Ah!

I'll change my angles, then.