Sharpening--Intro

Yes, I've been away for a VERY long time.

For that I apologize.

I cannot say with any degree of certainty that I'll be around regularly going forward for a bit either but I'll give it a try.

What I want to talk about, at length, is how simple it is to hand-sharpen your knives and tools with a few simple abrasives and some basic technique.

I want to debunk the myths that sharpening is some sort of art form and can only be done by specialists.

Some folks will have you believe that it's worth sending your knives out once or twice a year for service but for the cost of the sharpening, you can own a set of stones that should last you years and years and learn to maintain your own edges.

I'm going to write about, and show you via video series, how to sharpen using Japanese Waterstones, DMT diamond plates, and even heavy equipment like a belt sander and buffer. Each has distinct strengths and weaknesses and I will go into those.

We'll talk about various types of edges and how you can go about converting one into another.

Above and beyond all the details, I want most of all to show you that YOU can sharpen your own knives and tools and it doesn't take a ton of practice and experience to get good at it. It will take patience, practice, and experience to get GREAT at it but for most of you being good is good enough.

I'm going to focus most on kitchen knives as that is what I use on a daily basis and those are the edges I'm maintaining and sharpening on a regular basis but there will be other types of sharp edges from axes to chisels that we'll cover also.

So, now that I've laid out where I'm going from here, I hope you'll join me as I can get these lessons written and posted.

Thanks for reading,


B

Big Chris S90V Kephart

I got a knife yesterday from knifemaker Chris Berry of Louisville, KY.

It's a Kephart pattern done up in S90V--a traditional pattern with space age materials. This is, in my opinion, an interesting idea and one that he's done before, (I've seen a Nessmuk in 3V that he did up,) and I think he should probably do again.

I will admit to being more unfamiliar with S90V than I'd like but I do know it's made by Crucible Steel, has 9% Vanadium, and is supposed to be very wear- and corrosion-resistant.

Specs:
.156" thick S90V
60 RC
4.5" blade
9" OAL
OD Green G10 handles over yellow liners
Stainless Pins and lanyard tube

This isn't, however, a post about S90V. It's about the knife (see those yellow liners?)

The Kephart is a pattern that I like because it's so darned useful, the handle is nice and comfy in the hand in a variety of grips, and it balances well. This one by Big Chris is no exception. It'll handle hunting duty, bushcrafting, kitchen work, and more without missing a hitch.

Fit and finish on this one is really good and there are no high or low spots that I can see or feel. It've very comfortable in the hand as I would expect a Kephart to be and the blade is squared where I want it squared and rounded where I want it rounded. Clearly, Big Chris and I are on the same page when it comes to this design.

Now I got this late yesterday so it didn't get put to work (plus I wanted to get some pictures BEFORE I started to get it dirty) but now it's going to have to earn a place on my belt and in my hand. The good news is there is PLENTY of knife work that needs to be done from processing a 12-pound pork belly to opening boxes to the mundane tasks of picking splinters, trimming nails, and opening envelopes.

The best part of the whole package? I think it could well be the fact that it was less than $200 to my door.

High end CPM steel, G10 handles, a hand-stitched leather sheath, and a timeless traditional design...I like it.

Thanks for reading,


B

Meat from the Fatman

Staying on the subject of food, I received a package from Fatman's Beef Jerky yesterday. He uses 100% American beef in his jerky and offers 13 flavors from Lemon Pepper and Original all the way up to Smoky Chipotle and Habanero.

Being in the market for a steady supply of good beef jerky, I grabbed the "Try Them All" variety pack so I could get a taste of every flavor and what I received was 13 one-ounce bags of beefy goodness. I also snagged a bag of the Sweet & Spicy nuggets that barely made it out of the box.

Included Flavors:
Red Chile
Green Chile
Jalapeno Lime
Teriyaki
Lemon Pepper
Salt & Pepper
Cowboy Style
Original
Smoky Chiptole
Habanero
Barbecue
Cajun
Sweet & Spicy

I was actually emailing the Fatman while I was munching down the entire bag of nuggets and he was very responsive . He mentioned on the invoice that the nuggets were not shelf-stable as the jerky was and they should be refrigerated or consumed within 3 days. I assured him that wouldn't be a problem as they were nearly gone. LOL!

Today we'll dig into the jerky and I'll be eating with the kids so we can pick our favorite flavors for a future order.

I'm interested to see if I can line them up from mildest/sweetest to spiciest.

I'll let you know once we've had 'em all!

Thanks for reading,


B

Steve's Original

I've been on a bit of a kick lately to change up what I'm eating, when, and how much and an easy way to make that change came about in the strangest way.

I was reading a post on Bladeforums about calorie dense foods and someone linked to Steve's Original and his Paleo MRE--jerky, nuts, and dried berries in a vacuum-sealed bag with a 2 year shelf life. It sounded right up my alley so I looked around his site further.

What I did was order some of everything (I think) and what I received was a large box of pre-portioned, nutritionally sound, long-term foods that give me plenty of protein and vitamins and few carbs--more like what our paleo ancestors would've eaten and it is YUMMY!

Everything is organic and you can even choose grass fed beef jerky. There is Apple Pie (until December 31,) Coconut, cereal, snack bars, jerky, snack sticks, dried fruit, and the Paleo MRE that originally brought me to the site.

On top of tasting good and making snacking easy, Steve's gives 15% of sales on PaleoKits and PaleoKrunch to Steve's Club which helps kids learn about fitness and nutrition.

Give 'em a look and a taste.



Thanks for reading,


B

Foolishness?

I'm working on another project and, if time allows, will get pictures together for a DIY.

The reason I ask if it's foolishness is the complete lack of time I've had for ANYTHING let alone a silly side project...

The plan is to make a lightweight desalination still that can be used to make fresh water from salty and also from contaminated/polluted using a source of heat.

I'm going to modify one of my camping pots so the capacity will be somewhat limited but it'll be something I'll actually have with me when I go out.

The actual design work is what I'm doing right now and I have to decide whether to use all copper tubing (bulky but robust) or something like a high-temperature medical tubing (lighter but could melt or tear in use.) This will come in time.

The design would use a minimum of tools and be nearly fully reversible in order to use the pot as a pot.

If I do this, it'll be this weekend that I get it put together and tested. So, hopefully you'll see some pictures by Sunday/Monday. :)

Thanks for reading,


B

I Smell A Project

I've played with the idea of making a custom machete for a couple of years now and it just never went anywhere. Then the market for custom machetes really took off and now you can spend as much as you'd like on them and get some real dandy pieces.

Well, I don't want to spend much and I already have several machetes so it's time to take one of them and do the work on it myself.

What I've got here (pardon the terrible, blurry picture) is an Ontario 12" Cutlass Machete that has been stripped (Bar Keeper's Friend and a Scotchbrite pad work wonders) and the handles have been removed. It has been sharpened over and over and there is a bit of a recurve at the plunge line but I'm going to see if I can't clean that up.

Now, as to what I'm going to do...

I don't know yet. I've got my Sharpie and I'm ready to start drawing.

I've got a piece of apple wood sitting here that may be destined for life as a handle. I'm looking at maybe a more traditional parang style handle if I can figure out how best to attach it to the existing tang.

I'll make sure you get a chance to see where I'm going with this one once it's underway.

Thanks for reading,


B

Breakfast

Looking for an easy and healthy fireside breakfast?

How about a cup of good old oatmeal?

It's easy to prepare, travels well, can be made many different ways, and really sticks to your ribs.

I like to use Quaker Old Fashioned Oats over instant.

Here's the basic recipe:

1c Water
1/2c Old Fashioned Oats
Pinch of salt

Combine everything in your cup and bring it to a boil for 5 minutes.

Stir.

Eat.

See how easy that is?

If you want chewier oats, don't add them until the water is boiling and then follow the recipe.

Add dried fruit during cooking or fresh after for an additional nutritional boost. Add sugar or maple (or birch) syrup for added sweetness.

This morning I've added some dried blueberries to my oatmeal for their antioxidants and because they taste good. :)

With a 5 minute cook time, you can make these over the coals, a Trangia stove, any other fuel stove, or even the cooktop. You could even make up a cup before bed time to fire up the engine to help you sleep a bit warmer.

Now I burned a bit in the bottom of my canteen cup so I'll be scrubbing a bit more during the clean up but it's easily avoided so it won't ruin the taste of your breakfast. I should've stirred it more often but was getting one kid on the bus and another one ready to go so it didn't get my full attention today.

Bon Appetit!

Thanks for reading,


B