Ray Mears / Sharpening a Knife at Camp_Part 1/2

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Schönes Messer

[whynottalklikeapirat]

I bring these stones whereever I go. Life never gets dull.

[TheAirsofter141]

This has to be the best knife sharpening video on youtube. Very informative. Plus, do you know where i can get my hands on a set of Japanese water stones. Thanks

[redhawk810]

when i sharpen my knife, i have some light and shinny blotches very close to the edge. what am i doing wrong?

[86sportyguy1]

Ryanrrx-that is true, but a convex edge is much harder to maintain for average Joe camper. Most people have enough difficulty keeping a regular edge sharp. Scandi-ground knives can easily be kept very sharp. Besides, you shouldn't "abuse" your knife anyway. ;^)

[baggedandblown]

@86sportyguy1 Ehh, i disagree. All you need is a decent surface, a mouse pad and some sand paper. I don't even know how to put a nice V edge on a knife (Never bothered wasting money on a stone) yet i can put a razor edge on a knife within minutes if the edge is just rolled. I honestly think convex edges are easier to maintain than V grinds.

[Atkrdu]

@baggedandblown Hey, I've got a question: If you use a stone while rolling the blade, would it flatten the edge? Or would it still stay curved because the back edge is coming up higher as you're moving it?

[baggedandblown]

@Atkrdu I don't understand what you mean. Do you mean lift the spine of the blade upwards as you sharpen? As in, increasing the angle that you're sharpening at each stroke? Please elaborate on your question, i don't really get what you're trying to say :)

[Atkrdu]

@baggedandblown What I mean is that you are running the blade with a kind of spin as you drag it. If you were to take the point, starting with it flat & dragging it across, when you were at the end of the stone the point would be pointing down (as if you were going to stab the stone). You do the same thing with the edge. I saw this on Youtube (I don't remember what video it was, but I'm pretty sure the guy was sharpening a Bark River). If you have any more questions, ask.

[ryanrrx]

Realisticly Scandi grind is the worst for bushcraft, simple convex would be stronger and last longer! I've done many videos on Scandi vs convex! 10 times out of ten even with better steel the Scandi cannot withstand punishment like convex

[VenomsCompromise]

Does Ray have his own youtube channel?

[D7eadnaught]

While I'm here, there is a great chap on eBay called (Rem) who made some really cool sheaths for my favourite knives his shop is called Leatherworks eBay uk, if like me you want to furnish your favourite tools with care and maintenance, have this guy treat your knife of choice to a new jacket, blown away by the quality!!!! £59-69 Sounds expensive, beer and a kebab and taxi on sat night never sounds expensive.....;)

[D7eadnaught]

Such a useful video, I watch it over to keep up on my technique! I never sharpened knives in my life till this video taught me. Had a F1 for 3 years now still scary sharp! My Eggen is still razor sharp, and not yet had a chance to use it but my Arthur Wright and son rosewood knife will be sharpened this way, I love my knives and this video really works for me.

[zaio12]

and i just looked up the knife he was sharpening it was super expensive this is very Disappointig

[zaio12]

but japanese water stones are very expensive most people cant aford that is there another way

[karvatussu]

hello! could anybody tell me what shirt ray is wearing in that video? i would be so thankful.

[Drownedinblood]

Is it possible to sharpen away the bevel? I think I recently did this to two of my favorite knives I used to be able to get them near razor/practical sharp and suddenly I see there is basically 1mm of bevel and it's dull as spine.What do I do? Thinking of sending it to someone but want to learn how to deal with this myself.

[residentevil926]

@Drownedinblood I think all you need to do is ground the knife or make a new bevel.

[mysss29]

@Drownedinblood If you want to widen the bevel, just get a coarser stone/sandpaper/file/etc. than usual and sharpen as if the bevel were wider. Eventually it will be. It's very obvious how to do it.

[Drownedinblood]

@mysss29 Well tried that seemingly works but the edge wears away ridiculously fast.Been using 400 and 600 grit sandpaper and a ceramic rod.

[mysss29]

@Drownedinblood What knife is it? "Wearing away" sounds like you're either cutting diamonds with it or your knife is made of clay or something, haha.

[Peekingduck]

interesting to know might be that in Japan the 'slurry' is collected, dried put in a lollypop locking tool and used for dusting the Katan (Japanese sword) with to get rid of old oil... just thought that might be fun to know...

[maneatingtoilets]

How long should a knife last you? Assuming its not abused.

[gamingguru97]

@maneatingtoilets a good knife should last you a life time, if you keep it in good shape

[mysss29]

@maneatingtoilets Until it's worn (sharpened) down to nothing or it breaks. In other words, more or less your entire lifetime.

[Zaharkl]

"Sharpening a Knife at Camp" With equipment you WOULDNT bring to camp. So essentially at home.... hmm interesting.

[wgiles51]

A couple of points. First, when Ray speaks of camp, he means base camp or home. In the field is the term he uses for being in the woods or on the trail. THe knife that he is sharpening in this video is a single bevel knife, like a Mora. The knife that he sharpens in his "in the field" video is a double bevel knife, like most US knives. I don't know that one style is necessarily better than the other, but single bevel knives are easier to hold against the stone and maintain a constant bevel.

[Piero1998]

what type of knife is that:)

[WhyDoYouCareWhatMyUs]

If you had the Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife you'd already have a sharpener attached to the sheath. JAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA­HHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH

[Antiks72]

what the hell does ray mears need a knife for? 

[ILoveSanuks]

whats the name of that little stone he rubs on the last whetstone?

[GattiF50]

@ILoveSanuks He rubs a "nagura stone" on the fine stone (6000 grit) it creates a slush that speeds up the sharpening process. It can also be used to flatten the waterstone. You can get a nagura stone on Amazon for about $10.

[TheRussell85]

hahhahaha dont be fooled!!!! you CAN NOT!!!! get a knife looking like the one at the end of the vid with stones............ FACT he has used a polishing wheel with different grade soaps.

its a shame but stones are old hat now........ iv been using a wheel for the last 5 years now and i never look bk.................. oh by the way im a knife maker!!!!!!!

[MrGlynful]

@TheRussell85 this IS Ray Mears we're talking about... he probably used a hazelnut shell paste or some rabbit bile on a stick to get the edge. Or maybe just the nagura stone an his bare hands. He's that good.

[Delta8559272]

what makes a woodlore knife worth waiting 10+ years for? i know of many knives that would be just as suited for the job and can be overnighted

[milotist]

have a queston i just bought a sharpening stone for 2 dollars and t wrtes - combined stone but when i put it on water it sucks all the water and dries imiddiatly ?? why s that hapenning

[maethorize]

@milotist just leave it in the water until it stays wet, it'll probably take 30 minutes or even several hours.

[robbabcock1969]

His technique is okay but his stones are seriously dished! To get the best edge, Japanese water stones have to be meticulously flattened. Also, be advised that the method Mr. Mears shows only works on a Scandi grind where the bevel serves as a guide.

[Eye4GotM8]

i recently purchased all the,stones in this video but cannot get a mirror edge finish on my knives

[ShawDAMAN]

it's interesting too the different substances that can help give your knife an edge. using a car window edge is a cool idea. I've actually had great success using the unglazed bottom part of a ceramic or porcelain cup!

[TheLibac2]

in his knife safty video he says taking out his knife with care. 1.03 ????

[EvilKineeval]

where can you buy (if so) all of the stones featured here in one place please

Many Thanks

[sedition11]

@EvilKineeval

axminster.co.uk

[BaByFaceWade]

anybody know where to get the g-1 8000 grit king whetstone?

[1840218403]

how do you know it is an 8000 grit and not a 6000grit

[ShawDAMAN]

awesome video, to me it was something of a revelation, getting a mirror finish like that from a sharpening stone. surely worth it, people think they can get a 15 dollar diamond hone and keep their knife in tip top shape but I think it's worth it to occasionally give you knife the beauty treatment.... must have a hair popping edge on it! :o

[tony2timekilla]

where can i get all the stones? please answer

[relicen1]

Before buying japanese waterstones like these, you should read up on using and maintaining them, flattening etc.

[yoohoosk8r]

Anyone know of some stones that are a bit more portable? im looking for a primary sharpener that is portable.

[CiaranRooney125]

@yoohoosk8r The Falkniven DC4 sharpening stone should do the trick!

[assassin616]

i dont see how he gets that mirror pollish, i have the same stones, and use the same process, and i dont end up with that polish, he must be at it for hours to polish it that much, this man truly is a god of all things bushcraft!!! One day ill get there, lol

[20tom09gt]

ive just got my ray mears knife and the same stones the knife obviously does not need sharpening yet but before i eventually have to sharpen it im going to practice with a mora knife.

[anemela]

very nice video! i want to ask...i have buy a survival knife (alpen).i follow the instructions and the edge didnt sharpening(its still to fat)....what else to do?

[NLHNTR]

@anemela What Ray describes here only works for knives with a Scandi grind. If your knife has a secondary bevel this method will not sharpen the edge because the edge bevel (secondary) will not contact the stone. Google knife edge grinds, lots of info out there on grinds and how to sharpen each one. Cutlerylover has a video on youtube about edge grinds that should help you.

[anemela]

@NLHNTR

thanks

[BombMastre]

Thank you so much for posting this!

You are helping a lot of people, including me! :)

So keep up the good work!

All the best

-Ruben

[EvilKineeval]

where can i get tht nagura stone and block, plz reply fast!

[outdoorstylelife]

you are applying too much pressure...

[Cartoonruf]

What great useful things to sharpen a knife with. :)

[ShadowLord3220]

Original water stones are VERY expensive unfortunately :/ I have 2 cheap ones and fine diamond stone, cheap and my knife is sharp enough :D

[ChronoSama]

@ShadowLord3220 .... >.> they're not. Western shops just rip customers hard. In asia a typical King brand (yes it's a japanese brand) 1000 grit stone is around 15-30 dollars, and if you look after it... probably last you you're lifetime. My local kitchen knife store here in Australia sells the same stone for 199 dollars... XD.

[ShadowLord3220]

@ChronoSama Oh, thats true ofcourse. I live in Europe, and they arent much cheaper than in Australia. Something like 160-180 bucks, thats a robbery...

[synal]

Thanks so much Ritchie! You even took the time to list down the exact type of stone he's using! I'm sharpening my knife now, and this is great!

[20tom09gt]

beautiful knife

[Glockster42]

keep up the good work posting these RitchiePowell

[7Trend]

I wonder if it is necessary to apply that much pressure while sharpening?

[BARTUCQUAKE]

@7Trend no pressure ... water stones work very good with a light pressure of the blade expecially with the 4000 grain

[dave135]

Where's the best place to buy some good whetstones? are king the best?

[sindr0ne]

@dave135

heinnie.com/Accessories/Sharpe­ners/Waterstones/c-1-93-370-39­0/

One of the best sites out there, purely for the variety of bushcraft materials supplied. You'll find they have a brilliant selection of water stones

[sirbura]

that is a sexy knife

[Axbent]

my advice is to stop whn u reach the point of the knife, or u can round of the point. But obviously he made a good job!

[TheLockestern]

what is better 1000-6000 or 1200-8000?? don't know which one I should take...

[TheLockestern]

what is better 1000-6000 or 1200-8000?? don't know which one I should take...

[vjanda1]

How do you know what angle to hold the knife at it it doesn't have such a bevel?

[Conan568]

Nice stones.

I like Ray's bushcraft series the best.

I even bough a Gransfer's Bruks small Forest axe on Ray's recommendation.

It's more like a hatchet than an axe but it is awesome, I love it.

Ray rocks.

[WATTYATHINK]

I use wet sandpaper ... the kind used by auto body shops. Never had a problem.

[Conan568]

Yeah it works great.

I polish my Damascus steel blades to 2500.

[HIQUALITYSHIT]

good vid, and a beautiful knife

[turbo311]

Very similar to Murray Carters sharpening, nearly identical stones. I'd like a knife like that one.

[SharpeningNut]

The amount of knowledge this guy has is amazing always something to learn from his thanks for uploading

[milotist]

thank you ritchiepowel i know that to making a video isnt easy but all of your vid are great

best wishes again

good luck

[chrismcnie]

not too sure about that, it even says on his website that the new woodlores are sharpened with a 6000. dont think he would have made the same mistake twice. it even links to this same video.

[RitchiePowell]

Yap, it even says on his books and everywhere else. But that's G-1 #8000 used in this vid for sure. I've contacted the manufacturer many months ago and asked them to watch this vid. Maybe his vendor made mistake? Or he usually uses 6000 but he only had 8000 when shooting this vid. It's not a great deal, 6000 works fine.

[EvergreenBushcraft]

Hey Ritchie. the 6000 grit stone isn't actually 6000, i believe its a 8000 grit; you can tell by the arch in the middle of the bottom of the stone.

[RitchiePowell]

Yap EvergreenBushcraft. Great discernment!! It's G-1 #8000. I don't know why he thinks it's 6000, but I've annotated as 6000 because he says so. Do you want me to fix the annotation? TIP, you don't need to soak the fine stone in water, you only have to keep the surface wet. Cheers, RP

[EvergreenBushcraft]

Aww naw, you can leave it how it is. i was just surprised Ray actually mad a slight mistake! o:

Thats interesting about not having to soak the fine grit. i was thinking about buying the 8000 soon, so good to know!

[RitchiePowell]

You don't need to soak the Nagura Stone too.

[milotist]

hey ritchepowel its me again !!

and my name is milot not milotist !!

your videos are great mate just keep posting

best wishes from me

[RitchiePowell]

Hey milot, thanks to you. People like yourself pushes me to keep uploading but please understand that scrapping these takes time. Best wishes to you too.

[richard2mitchell]

@RitchiePowell where can you get that knife?

[RitchiePowell]

@richard2mitchell You can get that knife from Ray Mears' online store. Web address in description. But the Wooldlore knife is now 10 years + waiting list. The Ray Mears Bushcraft Knife might be faster to get. Cheers, RP

[73mandala]

@RitchiePowell Is that correct, a 10 yr waiting list? I know of 1 in a pawn brokers and although it's been used a bit it still looks in serviceable vg condition. He wants $90 Aussie dollars, roughly about the same as the US dollar at the moment. I think i better get down there and buy it. What would it be new, can anyone tell me?

[RitchiePowell]

@73mandala Go for it mate!! ONLY if it's a real Woodlore!!

[73mandala]

@RitchiePowell Has there been fraudulent ones of these knives made?

[TheProgrammer93]

@73mandala it's currently £295.00 new and there is a waiting list, I hope you bought that knife! :)

[OnRappel]

@richard2mitchell Although it would be really cool to have a REAL Woodlore knife, there are many knife makers who make virtually the same knife at the same level of quality. If you want a custom knife for about $200, Off the Map Outfitters makes a great knife that looks very close to the Woodlore. Spyderco's Bushcraft knife is also an awesome knife for a decent price.

[thiuslord]

i have samurai so i dont need any shit of this :P

[TheNightmare1976]

If you have samurai,let's do harakiri!

[hoodstarx1]

im scared of your knife

[milotist]

mora knife

japanesse water stones

[taylorsls]

Authentic Japanese Waterstones? That'll cost you a pretty penny there.

[milotist]

i like rthat knife xD

[milotful]

thats what i call sharpen knife xD

[fistoramshank]

It just seems like a lot of shit to carry

[Vaun2]

The reason the knife is so shiny, is because it looks like a laminated steel blade, witch has a mirror finish. And its a single beveled edge.

[TheDelica4]

What kind of grind is the edge?.

[EvergreenBushcraft]

Skandi Grind. or double bevel edge. Looks like a 22 degree angle.

[AdriusBartolomeu]

holow Mr. Mears. I was wandering were wod you normaly find a japanese water stone ???

[StockStang]

google search "japanese water stone"

[garystorey]

@AdriusBartolomeu Japan

[dynamicz108]

How can he get such a polished look on his blade, i use the same stones but can get nowhere near as polished as that - any suggestions?

btw i use a 1000 an 6000 king stone

[EvergreenBushcraft]

It could be the type of steel (i believe 01 high carbon steel) but im not sure.

[TheDelica4]

cool thanks

[dynamicz108]

Ah true that could be a factor.....i have a Mora Clipper btw

[EvergreenBushcraft]

Oh, well i think Clippers are stainless steel, i have the same problem with my knife, and its stainless also.

[alexpoz09]

they make the clipper 840 mg witch is carbon i have that the 711 and the # 1 you cant go wrong with any of them does the stainless hold a good edge

[651bobby]

clipper can be bought in either SS or Carbon, carbon are better if you are serious about a sharp knife. Clippers are not zero ground (they have a fine terminating egde) so this method ray describes does not work so well.

[BobbyBorg26]

Yeh but you are stupid and Scottish that's why.

[dynamicz108]

You wanna stop following my movements you little soviet gaybob!

[BobbyBorg26]

Or what? Also not from the soviet, little wee man

[dynamicz108]

Is this how pathetic you are gona be eh? stalkin my profile and video movements!

You cant even get the correct service right cos you dont know anything haha - you aint welcome on Youtube!

[EvergreenBushcraft]

ha, he's British...

[651bobby]

ha, you're a twat...

[QuietBearr]

Its because the blade is polished when he bought it, that doesnt happen from sharpening. You can do that on any knife, although different steels have different polishability, or at least how easy it is to get it to a mirror polish. Some good ones are O1, 440C, 154CM, and a good example of a hard to polish is D2.

You can do it yourself, you need a buffing wheel (or tons of time), and multiple grits of diamond paste, or other buffing compound. Try taking it up to about 16,000 grit.

[mib2259]

If you don't have a clamp, I find a small piece of that non-slip matting they sell for use on car dashboards works well. Much lighter and cheaper too.

[espia4ci]

what kind of knife is that?

[RitchiePowell]

Woodlore Knife.

Designed by Ray Mears and made by Alan Wood.

O1 High Carbon Tool Steel

Blade length: 11 cm

Hardness: RC-59

Sold online at Ray Mears' website but, waiting time is likely to be around 10 years plus...

Cheers,

RP

[pmurph019]

Needs to clean his nails.

[20tom09gt]

rays knife looks so sharp you can tell he is a pro

[voodish2]

do not forget to check the stones too, they tend to loose more material in the middle and you won´t achieve the same sharpness. Use sand paper on a piece of glass, or any other flat hard surface and strike the stone until flat.

[jannisfriedrich]

does anybody know where to get the stones?

[RitchiePowell]

Ray uses "KING" waterstones.

Search them on the web!