Fixed Blade Knife

[williamcharles]

Thank goodness for that. I have a couple that have been lapped on the sidewalk. Did a darn good job.
A thick plate of glass with an abrasive paste is good. Which method do you prefer? You probably don't use the sidewalk.
I'm not that much into furniture making these days though I used to design and build tables and ornate picture frames so my chisels and plane blades are sharpened on my Arkansas stone. I'd be lost without it. Come to think of it, I'd be lost without my table saw, routers and jointer/planer.

 

[williamcharles]

The HD is a heck of a deal all right. Excellent choice.


Looks like you're going round and round re basic use of your knife...utility vs tactical vs bushcraft, etc. I'd suggest settling on what you want to DO with it, then start looking at individual models.

I think for your price point that Mora would work for either the utility (Companion HD) or Bushcraft purpose. But a $30 tactical knife would be a 'toy tactical' without the robust materials and construction needed to do well in that roll. Stick to Utility/Bushcraft as you'll likely be hacking on wood, etc. and not people.

Good advice Blackhorse. I still haven't found that one magic knife that will do it all and do it all well.
When I was still teaching survival courses I always recommended the Moras. The little red plastic handled 510 is still one of my favs. I took five knives to test on a week long trip on a ridge top in West Virginia. The only one that got used was a 510. From cutting shelter poles, splitting kindling, making trap triggers and pot hooks to food prep...it did it all. I've had that knife for about nine years and have sharpened it till the blade is only 3 1/2" long and I still use it as a neck knife.
Some of my former students were amazed at what could be done with a thin 4" blade. I call it a 4" but as you already know they're actually closer to 3 7/8". What me worry about 1/8"?

 

[eklektos44]

Thank goodness for that. I have a couple that have been lapped on the sidewalk. Did a darn good job.
A thick plate of glass with an abrasive paste is good. Which method do you prefer? You probably don't use the sidewalk.  
I'm not that much into furniture making these days though I used to design and build tables and ornate picture frames so my chisels and plane blades are sharpened on my Arkansas stone. I'd be lost without it. Come to think of it, I'd be lost without my table saw, routers and jointer/planer.

Never tried a sidewalk, how's it work? :scratch:  I use a lapping stone. You don't want to put anything on a water stone but...wait for it...water. If you do you will be singing the blues..

 

[williamcharles]

I only use the sidewalk to lap my aluminum oxide stone. I just wet a fairly smooth spot of sidewalk and started rubbing the stone against it in circular motions. If I had water stones I'd only use a Nagura or lapping stone.