Steel Revival Update: October 10, 2026
While I stared at an edge that had a recurve dip in it where no dip belonged, the owner was waiting patiently. I could get his knife sharp in the time he had, but I couldn't get it right, and that gap between sharp and right is what this issue is about. It's been a few weeks since the last update, so there's some catching up first.
In the Shop: Catching Up
The past few weeks have been full of small projects, experiments, and lessons that are beginning to come together. Some things worked out better than expected, while others reminded me how much there is still to learn.
I finished the M3 and the heirloom knife I'd been working on. Both were good learning experiences, with a little different work required for each. I patched and conditioned the leather and wooden handles, polished the guards and bolsters, removed rust, repaired damaged blade profiles, and put sharp edges back on them.
The heirloom knife needed some extra attention. Its blade had accumulated quite a few scratches, so I hand-sanded it to clean those up before establishing a more uniform bevel and sharpening it. It took time, but I think the result was worth the effort. These projects are teaching me to look at a knife as a whole, rather than just concentrating on the cutting edge. The handle, fittings, blade finish, and edge all contribute to the finished piece.
Building a Better Sharpening Setup
I've been experimenting with different wheels for the Woods arbor and a standard bench grinder. CBN, Scotch-Brite, cotton buffing wheels, and paper wheels all have different jobs to do, and I'm trying to figure out the best combination for my shop.
At the moment, I'm leaning toward CBN wheels on the Woods arbor, with a combination of Scotch-Brite and paper wheels on the other grinder. A dedicated buffer might eventually find its way into the shop, too, but I'm trying to make the best use of what I have before adding more equipment.
I'm also working on a guide bar and a jig to help maintain consistent sharpening angles. I tried a temporary setup a few weeks ago as a proof of concept, and it showed enough promise to justify developing it further. There is still plenty to work out, but even a rough experiment can be valuable when it helps reveal what might work.
Lighting is another part of the project. I've been adding brighter LEDs and looking at ways to illuminate the wheels themselves. Being able to see what I'm doing clearly seems like such a basic requirement, but it's easy to underestimate how much good lighting matters until you start improving it.
What I'm after is a setup that lets me work more consistently, see what I'm doing, and get better results with less guesswork, which matters more to me than simply owning more equipment.
Out in the Field: What the Travel Kit Taught Me
One of the more satisfying developments this week was putting the 3D-printed diamond plate holders to work. A little time spent designing and making shop aids is worthwhile when they finally move from the workbench into actual use.
One of the sharpeners used them to give an out-the-front (OTF) knife a fresh, clean edge, while I worked on a couple of folding knives and some multitool blades.
The Recurve
The first folder presented an interesting challenge. Somewhere along the edge, about three-quarters of the way from the tip toward the choil, the blade had developed a recurve. The ambidextrous thumb stud was positioned awkwardly enough to interfere with someone's previous sharpening attempts, and over time the edge had taken on a shape that needed correcting.
I started with a 180-grit diamond plate and worked up from there. Even with the coarse plate, resetting the apex took quite a bit of time because of the recurve.
I was sharpening it while its owner waited, which put a practical limit on how much reshaping I could do. I believe I removed enough of the damage to establish a good working edge, and he was happy with the result. Still, I think I could have done better with more time and the full shop setup at my disposal.
That's an important distinction for me. Getting a knife sharp is one thing; restoring an edge to the shape it ought to have is another. I hope he'll bring it back, when I can spend the time needed to work toward a better profile. There's a difference between delivering a useful result today and knowing what might be possible with a little more time and care.
The Multitool
The multitool blades presented a different set of problems. One had a serrated section and an asymmetrical edge, with each side sharpened at a different angle from the factory. The thick handles also made it difficult to maintain a consistent angle against the diamond plates.
That experience exposed some shortcomings in my travel kit. These are exactly the kinds of knives I'm likely to encounter when I'm sharpening away from the shop, so I need to be better prepared for them.
What Goes in the Kit Next
Here's the running list of problems the field handed me, and where I stand on each:
- Serrations and hard-to-reach sections: I have a couple of diamond rods that should help. They need a real test.
- Thumb studs and fittings in the way: Still an open question, and I'm looking for something that gets the stone past the obstruction.
- Thick handles that throw off the angle: Still open. A way to support or space the blade may be part of the answer.
- Blades bent out of shape: Still open. I need to decide what can be fixed on the spot and what should come back to the shop.
I don't have all those answers yet, but I have a much better idea of what I need to investigate, which is a useful outcome in itself.
Tips & Techniques: Getting Your Hunting Knife Ready
With hunting season approaching, I've had several inquiries about sharpening hunting knives, and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes through the door. Different designs bring different challenges. A knife that is going to spend a few hard days in the field deserves some attention before it goes out, because a dull blade or a rusty gut-hook is a lot harder to deal with once you're miles from the truck.
Here's a pre-season check you can do at home in about ten minutes:
- Look for rust and hidden grime: Check the blade, the guard junction, and inside any gut-hook, where fat, hair, and moisture like to hide.
- Test the edge safely: Use a piece of paper or paracord instead of your fingers. If the edge skates across the surface instead of biting, it's time to sharpen.
- Inspect the sheath and handle: Cracked leather, loose fittings, or a worn grip are much easier to fix in October than in the woods.
- Pack a touch-up tool: A small rod or stone lets you refresh the edge in the field.
- Clean, dry, and oil before storing: A light coat of protective oil and a sheath that stays dry will keep rust from showing up mid-season.
If your knife needs more than a touch-up, bring it in early. For hook-style edges and how to sharpen and store them, see our June 13 issue on the gut-hook. Next time, I'll report back on the changes I make to the travel kit.
Industry Spotlight: Wicked Edge and Its Two-Rod Design
One of the recurring challenges in sharpening is holding a consistent angle along the whole edge. I've been wrestling with it in my own shop with guide bars and jigs. There are plenty of guided systems out there that take on the same problem, and Wicked Edge is one of the better-known.
The Story
Wicked Edge was founded in 2007 by Clay Allison, who spent 15 years running elk hunts in southern Colorado. He was tired of hauling three or four knives and a sharpener into camp, and after months of trial and error, the first Wicked Edge Precision Sharpener came together in his garage. The company says all of its systems are designed and built in the USA.
How It Works
- A clamp holds the knife: The blade stays fixed while the stones move around it.
- Two guide rods, one on each side: This is the part that sets it apart. Many guided systems use a single rod and stone, so you sharpen one side, then flip the knife or switch sides. Wicked Edge gives each side of the blade its own rod, so you can alternate strokes without repositioning anything.
- A dial sets the angle: Depending on the model, the range runs from roughly 13° to 35°. The company advertises angle repeatability of ±0.05°, which is its own claim and one I haven't tested.
- A full line of abrasives: Diamond stones, ceramic options, lapping films, and leather strops with compounds.
- A portable option: The Venture series is the compact, travel-friendly version, with fixed angle options of 15°, 17°, 20°, and 25°.
- Settings you can reuse: The company also maintains a page of sharpening settings submitted by customers, which gives you a starting point for a given knife.
You can see their approach on the Wicked Edge website.
My Honest Take
I'm not endorsing this system, and I haven't used it. It's an unusual take on the guided-system idea, and I see no reason it wouldn't work. A few things I noticed:
- The upside: Alternating strokes on both sides without repositioning fits the wire-edge advice from our June 6 issue. It's a sensible way to keep the burr from building up on one side. The company says this also makes sharpening much faster, though I can't verify that.
- The cost question: With one rod per side, each grit needs a stone for each rod, so you may buy stones in pairs rather than one stone per grit like most other guided systems. That's my observation, not a complaint, and it's worth pricing out before you commit.
- The limits: No guided system solves everything. Recurves, serrations, awkward thumb studs, and thick handles can still complicate the job, as the folder and multitool in this issue showed.
When you compare guided systems, look at how repeatable the setup is, how many different knife shapes it can hold, and what the abrasives cost over time.
Sometimes a good industry idea is one we can learn from without ever buying it.
Our Take
Every knife has a history. Some have been used hard and some neglected, and others have design features that make them harder to sharpen than they first appear. Each one gives me another opportunity to learn how to recognize what's needed and how best to approach it.
The shop improvements, the sharpening experiments, and the work on customers' knives all feed into one another. A problem in the field can lead to a new tool in the shop, and a knife that doesn't go as smoothly as I'd like teaches me what to change next time.
Sharp gets a knife working today, but getting it right means restoring the shape it ought to have, and that takes time, the right tools, and a closer look. I'm not looking to stop at good enough just because I can get a blade sharp. I want to keep learning what better looks like and how to get a little closer to it.
What's Your Take?
Have you encountered a knife or tool that turned out to be more challenging than it looked? I'd be interested to hear what made it difficult and what you learned from the experience. Those are the kinds of lessons that help all of us get better.