Veritas marking knife - more grinding misery

[Steve Maskery]

Hi all, do I need a visa to come over here?

I have a rather nice Veritas marking knife. Or at least, I used to. I now have a useless piece of steel and a damaged handle and it's all my own fault.

The problem is that every time I use the knife, the point breaks off and I have to grind it back. I've tried water stones and a Tormek and every time I just wreck the shape of the blade, the point is far too stubby, then have to try again to redress the angles. Yesterday I put it to the Tormek and I've damaged the handle.

It's a shame, as when it was new it was a beautiful knife.

So my Q is this - how do you keep such a blade sharp? I know that one or two members have made their own. How do you jig up for it?

Any help to salvage my lovely tool would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Steve

 

[woodbloke]

Hi all, do I need a visa to come over here?

I have a rather nice Veritas marking knife. Or at least, I used to. I now have a useless piece of steel and a damaged handle and it's all my own fault.

The problem is that every time I use the knife, the point breaks off and I have to grind it back. I've tried water stones and a Tormek and every time I just wreck the shape of the blade, the point is far too stubby, then have to try again to redress the angles. Yesterday I put it to the Tormek and I've damaged the handle.

It's a shame, as when it was new it was a beautiful knife.

So my Q is this - how do you keep such a blade sharp? I know that one or two members have made their own. How do you jig up for it?

Any help to salvage my lovely tool would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Steve

Steve - this sounds very odd to me...the tip shouldn't break each time you use it. I use a knife made from an old HSS planer blade from my K419 and all I do to touch it up from time to time is to freehand sharpen on the DMT's. Because of the angles involved it's difficult to jig up to get them spot on every time, but doing the job freehand gets close enough
If your V knife is getting close to the point of no return, I'd abandon the use of a Tormek as it's too difficult to get 'up close and personal' with it...instead I'd opt for a Dremel or Proxxon mini-drill with appropriate grinding wheels and carefully nudge it back to some sort of usability. I ground and honed a scribing gouge the other night with mine, and for this sort of delicate work I think they're ideal - Rob

 

[Steve Maskery]

Thanks for that Rob, I have a dremelalike, I'll try that.

I'm not exaggerating when I say it breaks every time, it seems very fragile to me. I'll let you know how I get on.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Steve,

odd that the tip breaks off. The last person I spoke to about marking knives was mahking at yandles last year. He had a knife in his hand with the tip broken off (dunno if that's the way he says hello to people normally :wink.

Can't remember what brand his was.

Dave

 

[Paul Chapman]

I have a Veritas marking knife and have never had problems with the tip breaking off :? Like Rob, I think it's best to hone them freehand.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[lurker]

Just thinking aloud here : do you reckon the steel might have been hardened but not tempered?? and is left brittle??

I note "this product is no longer available"

I make these using a ground down blunt jigsaw blade.

What blade profile does the veritas one have ?

 

[woodbloke]

I have a Veritas marking knife and have never had problems with the tip breaking off :? Like Rob, I think it's best to hone them freehand.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

...amongst others :wink: :lol: - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

8) 8) :wink:

 

[jonbikebod]

I have one of these knives and I have broken the tip several times so now I don’t use it. This is a shame as it was an expensive knife. I re-sharpen freehand resting the entire bevel on the sharpening medium. My current preference is for scary sharp but water stones or diamonds also work.
The blade is made from A2 steel but as it has been observed this doesn’t seem to be ideal for knives as it is too brittle – at least it is when it hasn’t been cryogenically tempered. I stand to be corrected but I believe no L-V/Veritas A2 blades are cryro treated. All L-N blades made in the last 5 years are. This is one reason L-V planes tend to be less expensive than L-N. I am convinced this gives a tougher edge particularly when sharpened to less than 25 degrees. I notice this with low angle plane irons but it is of course relevant to knives as well. Trouble is L-N don’t make a marking knife.
Jon.

 

[dunbarhamlin]

I do mine freehand - don't know how thick the Veritas is - nice big bezel on a Vesper, so easy to register, but not a big problem with thin blades like a Kerf Kadet or BS.
If the point is problematic, after honing the two arrow side bezels, would adding a very small, steep, square bezel to the tip make it sufficiently robust without loss of function?

 

[Steve Maskery]

Well guys, I've had another go, this time with the dremel an then on Jap stones. This is what it looked like after messing it all up yesterday:

and this is what it looks like after a bit of fettling today

It's a big improvement, although hardly yet pretty. It's a better shape and it is sharp again. There are a couple of hollows from the dremel, but I'm reluctant to keep going just to get them out. It's not just the time, but I strongly suspect that the more I do the greater the chance of cocking it up again. And I have little faith that it will stay sharp for very long anyway. We'll see. If it continues to behave like this I think I'll be commissioning a RobEdge (TM) or an EdEdge (TM)

Thanks all
S

 

[Escudo]

Dave's right I remember Martin had broken his knife when we were at Yandles last year.

I don't use my Veritas knife much these days now that I have a Blue Spruce...
Cheers all, Tony.

 

[Ironballs]

Steve, can't help much with your Veritas but I can recommend the smaller paired Japanese marking knives from Axminster. Sit very comfortably in the hand, make marking dovetails easy and are sharpened very easily by hand on a stone

 

[OPJ]

How do you jig up for it?

...That's what you're supposed to tell us, Steve!! :wink:

Like Ironballs, I've got one of the Japanese marking knives from Axminster and have not managed to break the tip yet. I did knock it off my bench the other week, at college, and it stuck firmly in to the chipboard floor - no damage done!

They are very easy to hone and the hollow backs make things even simpler.

 

[woodbloke]

Steve - that's looking 100% better already...just shows you what a steady hand can accomplish (that's before the evening vino...hic :lol: :lol: ) - Rob

 

[Steve Maskery]

Olly, there are some things on which even I, internationally renowned woodworking superstar, can't advise. I do have a nice Jap knife too, but it is only right-handed. Interestingly, I've never broken the tip of that.

The Veritas was a 50th pressie from my mate Brian-Next-Door, and as I do generally rate Veritas stuff I'm loath to bin it, on both counts. But it is a disappointment.

Rob, yes, pleased with the improvement. But if you want to do a swap of products, let me know, I'm game!

S

 

[woodbloke]

Rob, yes, pleased with the improvement. But if you want to do a swap of products, let me know, I'm game!

S

How to you mean Steve?...PM if need be - Rob

 

[p111dom]

Sound likes the tempers gone to me if it's breaking off. Simple solution would be to re harden and temper the blade. It's very easy to do and couldn't hurt. It certainly can't make the situation worse.

 

[woodbloke]

Steve is having one of these:

and as I normally make a couple at a time, does any other member of the forum want the second one? Blade in carbon steel (hardened and tempered) handle in African Blackwood - Rob

 

[Steve Maskery]

And Rob is getting a complete set of some fantastic DVDs! Seems like a jolly excellent mutual deal to me.
Email me your address, please, Rob - [email protected]



Dom - how can I harden and temper it now that it is fixed in the wooden handle? I'm not sure if it can just be pulled out.
S