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Sharpening in the field question

trailboss

January 28, 2013 15:27

From time to time, I come across somebody saying something to the effect that they prefer such-and-such steel because in a pinch they'll be able to sharpen their knife with a rock out of the creek. Whether I've been lucky or prepared or whatever, I've never had to sharpen a knife with some random rock I found lying around.

I'm curious, have any of you ever had to sharpen a knife like that? Is this some kind of urban myth that just keeps getting passed around?

Thanks.

Comments

25 comments

fastjan

January 28, 2013 17:59
I would think that sharpening a knife on a rock would only mean that you forgot your stone.

If you are heading for the woods and are packing a knife...then pack a stone too. Not one of those emergency sharpeners...take a small stone or crock stick and you'll get along just fine.
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trailboss

January 28, 2013 18:04
I always take something to sharpen a knife when I'm in the woods or field. It's just part of my kit. So I've never had to use a rock, and I don't personally know anybody who has been in that situation.

That's what got me thinking.
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pascalabi

January 28, 2013 18:09
hmmm ...
just a pathetic argue to justify buying 154cm

seriously, hard to take it seriously ...
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different

January 28, 2013 18:10
One of my brothers has always carried a cheap knife and always sharpens it on a rock, cement wall or whatever he finds laying around. They look as though they were dragged behind a car down the road for awhile, and would probably not cut warm butter too well.
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different

January 28, 2013 18:12
quote:

Originally posted by pascal.abi:
hmmm ...
just a pathetic argue to justify buying 154cm

seriously, hard to take it seriously ...

I don't argue with these people who want to buy cheap steel so they can sharpen it with a rock. The only ones they're hurting with that attitude is themselves. If they want to carry inferior stuff because of some silly idea tha probably never even occurs, fine with me. I'll carry good steel.
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po

January 28, 2013 18:21
No I've never had to do it. It is a pretty specialized circumstance. You would have to be in an extended, and unplanned survival situation, like a hiker being really lost, a stranded hunter or fisherman whose float plane pilot was arrested after dropping them off.

I've seen primitive knife sharpening in survival books, and I think I saw a video on it from Randall.

But even with a small light field sharpener, it is easier to sharpen some steels than others. I believe that is one reason why Randall had a preference for 1095 steel on his survival knives for some time. For a long time, I've carried a 420HC neck knife whenever on a hike where weight was an issue, and I don't carry a sharpener. I have a S90V handmade version of the same knife, but the 420 version is a lot easier to sharpen.

I've always been able to cut what I needed to with that 420HC neck knife, nobody was ever hurt by me not carrying the S90V version, including myself.

Lower wear resistant, high corrosion resistant steels have their place.
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kenmade

January 28, 2013 18:35
I have a field diamond sharpener with me but if I forget to bring it...in a pinch...I use the bottom of my china coffee mug.
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fastjan

January 28, 2013 18:40
quote:

Originally posted by Kenmade:
I have a field diamond sharpener with me but if I forget to bring it...in a pinch...I use the bottom of my china coffee mug.

You can also roll the window in your truck down half way and use the top of the glass as a make-shift crock stick. I have done that and it works in a pinch.
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dj

January 28, 2013 20:15
quote:

Originally posted by Trailboss:
I always take something to sharpen a knife when I'm in the woods or field. It's just part of my kit. So I've never had to use a rock, and I don't personally know anybody who has been in that situation.

That's what got me thinking.

I have known of one , my great grandfather X 1000 , I believe his name was OGG
He sharpened his flint knife on a rock .......LOL
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different

January 28, 2013 20:18
quote:

Originally posted by dj:

quote:

Originally posted by Trailboss:
I always take something to sharpen a knife when I'm in the woods or field. It's just part of my kit. So I've never had to use a rock, and I don't personally know anybody who has been in that situation.

That's what got me thinking.

I have known of one , my great grandfather X 1000 , I believe his name was OGG
He sharpened his flint knife on a rock .......LOL

gee, I hope we aren't related, my great grandfather x1000 was named Ogg. Maybe it was a popular name back then
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dj

January 28, 2013 20:21
quote:

Originally posted by Kenmade:
I have a field diamond sharpener with me but if I forget to bring it...in a pinch...I use the bottom of my china coffee mug.

LMAO ......I find it funny that you might forget the important stuff but have never forgotten your favorite Mug .....LOL
"gone camping" Honey I forgot the Tent , but maybe we can sleep in my Cup............LOL
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trailboss

January 28, 2013 22:51
@pascal, too funny. Yes, that is the steel that is always mentioned.

quote:

Originally posted by pascal.abi:
hmmm ...
just a pathetic argue to justify buying 154cm

seriously, hard to take it seriously ...

@Kenmade, you didn't use any emoticons so I'm confused.
You take a china coffee mug camping?

Also, I have heard of that before. How exactly do you sharpen the knife?

quote:

Originally posted by Kenmade:
I have a field diamond sharpener with me but if I forget to bring it...in a pinch...I use the bottom of my china coffee mug.

By the way, I have a box of whetstones, ceramic sticks, etc. Actually, there's usually at least one stashed in all of my main packs.
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something

January 28, 2013 23:20
quote:

Originally posted by dj:

quote:

Originally posted by Trailboss:
I always take something to sharpen a knife when I'm in the woods or field. It's just part of my kit. So I've never had to use a rock, and I don't personally know anybody who has been in that situation.

That's what got me thinking.

I have known of one , my great grandfather X 1000 , I believe his name was OGG
He sharpened his flint knife on a rock .......LOL

Yeah, but I bet Ogg would've still used an M4 knife if made them back then
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something

January 28, 2013 23:22
quote:

Originally posted by Po:
No I've never had to do it. It is a pretty specialized circumstance. You would have to be in an extended, and unplanned survival situation, like a hiker being really lost, a stranded hunter or fisherman whose float plane pilot was arrested after dropping them off.

That's about the only way I see it happening... if you're planning on being out in the middle of nowhere long enough to need to sharpen your knife, why wouldn't you just take a sharpener along?
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geocyclist

January 29, 2013 01:23
I can't believe no one has brought up having more than one knife?

I always carry more than 1 knife, a fixed blade, a folder, maybe more. I would agree with Po, only in a long term survival situation should you need to sharpen a knife. If I were planning on skinning 5 deer or something I would bring several knives and/or a good sharpener, not just a "mini" sharpener.

Getting back on topic: if you plan to sharpen in the field take a good one, if not then a small diamond one. In this case it would be for emergency use, so diamonds are your friends. Especially if you only have 1 stone.
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grampa

January 29, 2013 02:12
Had to? No.

Done it anyway? Yup!

Why? Why not! To see if I could do it. To see how difficult it was, and what a good knife sharpening stone from the creek looked like!

Knife? SAK.

Best stone? Fine grained, worn smooth in the creek. The fewer bumps, the better!

Results? Sharper, but a very rough grind. Very difficult to sharpen the area close to the handle, cuz the stone was rounded, just wouldn't fit in there.

Recommended for wear-resistant steels? Nope.

YMMV.
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serelaw

January 31, 2013 03:43
quote:

Originally posted by fastjan:

quote:

Originally posted by Kenmade:
I have a field diamond sharpener with me but if I forget to bring it...in a pinch...I use the bottom of my china coffee mug.

You can also roll the window in your truck down half way and use the top of the glass as a make-shift crock stick. I have done that and it works in a pinch.

You made me chuckle
I remember learning that when I was a kid.
We were fishing/hunting in Tremonton.
Good one Fastjan. Thanks for triggering the memory.
My father in law showed me the coffee cup deal.
He was from Nebraska.
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fastjan

January 31, 2013 04:11
It's good to hear from you serelaw! It's nuts that you used to be my neighbor and now you live in Alabama! I'll bet the hunting and fishing are good there. I don't know, but is it hard to find a rock there to sharpen a knife on?
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archer

January 31, 2013 05:08
Geo beat me to it, take more than one knife and of good quality steel that holds a good edge and don't bother with the hassle, i would take a couple of folders as well.
I've seen Bear Gryls take sand out of a creek put it on a flat stone and sharpen a knife on it, there is always a trade off , a good knife will keep an edge but will be harder to sharpen a cheap knife easy to sharpen but you'll be wasting time with it.
Those survival shows do bring uo some good ideas.
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trailboss

January 31, 2013 15:28
Yes, I am usually a knife plus a smaller reserve guy. Well, that along with a pocket sharpener of some kind.

I just find it interesting because I hear that line of reasoning from time to time but have yet to meet anybody who had to do it.
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po

January 31, 2013 16:27
It is strictly a survivalist issue. I have considered it in my past, in situations where I was going on an extended backpack trip, three plus days, and am paying attention to weight in the pack. The sharpener usually goes out. My little 420HC neck knife has always cut everything I've needed - food packages, a little paracord, etc. - without needing sharpening over that period. The only consideration would be the very unlikely situation where I got lost or stuck for several days...

In that situation, I might use my knife for more than during a planned hike, particularly if I got seperated from my pack, tent, stove. I might need it for shelter making, fire making, etc. It might get dull, and I wouldn't have a sharpener. I might want to try a rock, and I might have more success with less wear resistant steel. In fact, I'm thinking of trying a Ti knife for this in the future.

It isn't like rock sharpening is a requirement for every knife you buy.
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cspaintballride

February 02, 2013 04:20
i have the benchmade sharpener the one with the diamond stick screwed in.. i love it. i use it for work all the time, i use it on my leatherman, benchmade, and my kershaw, oh and kitchen knives.
slicing through pipe insulation ( Armaflex ) really dulls knives believe it or not..
it sharpens great, i dont press too hard unless i damaged my edge.
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geocyclist

February 02, 2013 16:05
The other thing to me is that I would only sharpen a "good" knife on a stone is a true survival situation, life or death and there was no other option. Keep in mind I don't take junk knives into the woods. I take good knives, that are sharp and I can depend on.

I am not saying you can't sharpen a knife on a stone. I just wouldn't trash the edge on a good knife unless I had too.

For true backpackers I say a short section of a crock stick or ceramic rod is the best weight to performance compromise for a backpacker to get a just in case sharpener into the pack.
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dj

February 02, 2013 16:14
Never sharpen in the field after a rain ......those fields can get awful muddy.
Unless of course its a nice grassy pasture
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po

February 02, 2013 16:36
quote:

Originally posted by dj:
Never sharpen in the field after a rain ......those fields can get awful muddy.
Unless of course its a nice grassy pasture

Plplplplplplplplplplpllpl!!!
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