I'm looking to start doing thumb grooves on the spine of my knifes and was wondering where you guy's get your checkering files and is there a size or pattern that is best? Thanks for your help..
Jim, I too use a 20 lpi file, but sometimes that just ain't enough. I also use a cut of wheel to nothc the spine and then finish them off with a chainsaw file. ATTACH=CONFIG]33103[/ATTACH]
For me the checkering files leave a very sharp cut at the bottom of the groove, I stopped using them when I had stress cracks forming at the bottom of these grooves when I heat treated and actually had a few blades snap in half. This is why we round off inside corners on hidden tang knives? Maybe it's just me and I was doing something wrong ??
Just my two cents,
Clint