Finishing the blade

jonathan creason

Well-Known Member
Has anyone used anything other than the standard file and sandpaper to finish a blade? I know the Japanese used stones, but I'm not certain what type, and where to find them. Are there any types of stones that can be found here in the lower 48 that would work well? I know something like ryolite would be very tough, and probably remove a good bit of steel. Maybe basalt or slate too, and finish up with a fine sandstone. Just thining out loud here, and trying to get away from being wasteful with sandpaper.
 
I have used a flat piece of sandstone from a creek to sharpen an axe and a knife. It worked at the time and it was all I had. For finishing an edge it was not fine enough of a stone but it removed metal and the blades were sharp enough. Folks in more primitive places in the world use rocks all the time to sharpen knives, axes, machetes etc.. The back of ceramic tile can be used. I have seen it done on the edge of automotive window glass as well but have never tried that.
 
How about the actual hand sanding of the blade though, anybody tried that with natural stones? I'm thinking about getting some slabs of some pretty tough chert and trying to work down a few blades with them. If it doesn't work I can always knap the stone.
 
get a selection of standard polishing stones from mcmaster-carr. I use them all the time because they are not too expensive and they keep lines nice and crisp. You have to learn to keep them flat by wearing them all over and by working them against another stone of lower grit or a belt sander. Use diluted windex for cutting fluid, and soak the stones by spraying them with 3:1 or so water to windex until they don't absorb any more. YOu also need to knock the sharp corners off of each side so you don't gaul your work. These don't cut quite as fast as paper, but they are cheaper and great for keeping things straight and for cleaning hard-to-get areas. I use them a lot. You can get the same effects (sort of) as traditional stones by rounding in with your polishing strokes.
kc
 
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