sharpening a victoria knox pocket pal?

[LIBuck]

Hi all - I'm new to carving, and have been reading all the old posts about folding knives. There is obviously alot to say about the carvin' jack and ross oar and other more expensive knives, but i was also pleased to find a lot of positive comments on a simple $15 victoria knox pocket pal.

given cost constraints, and the fact that i'm not sure that i'm going to stick with carving, i'd like to get a pocket pal. however, it seems like most people "modify" the blade, or basically do some kind of fancy sharpening.

i don't know anything about sharpening at this point. what will i need (stones/strops/grinder?) to get a pocket pal in good carving shape and keep it there?

any other advice? thanks in advance!

[Ron T]

Hi LIBuck,

Do a google search on "scary sharp."

[jmischel]

If you're planning to carve basswood rather than found wood, I'd suggest that you spend that $15 or $20 on a Murphy bench knife, Flexcut carving knife, or something similar. You'll be much happier with a purpose-built tool. Granted, you can't carry it in your pocket and it'll be pretty much worthless to you if you decide that you don't want to continue carving, but it seems to me you'd be handicapping yourself by starting with a less-than-optimal tool.

[LIBuck]

Ron T - i googled scary sharp and i found some great info... but it all seems to be gear toward chisels and gouges! nothing on a knife that i came across...

jmischel - i actually already purchased a murphy bench knife. that got me started, and is great when i'm around the hosue, but i'm on the go alot, and i really would like to find a good / cheap folding knife to keep in my pocket... again, i see the benfits of an oar knife or something $ comparable, but i if a guy w/o much sharpening experience can get buy with a victoria knox, i'd like to go that direction. mind you, i don't have any sharpening equipment right now - not even for the bench knife, so i'm looking for something to use for the bench knife as well as a pocket knife.

[AlArchie]

Whether you decide to get the pocket pal or go with a dedicated carving knife like the Murphy or one of the Flexcuts, there really is no pressing need to modify either one of those Victorinox blades. They are the same as the two on most of the Victorinox Swiss Army knives. I have had one of the slightly larger camper models and have used those blades for all kinds of carving and whittling with absolutely no modification. However, I only use it when I'm out hiking or camping....at home I have Whittlin Jacks and Flexcuts, along with a favorite razor knife from Rick Ferry.

As a "hiking and camping knife" I simply sharpen it with a pocket diamond stone......used to use a pocket oil stone till I found the 5 buck special diamond stones at K-Mart. And I use the old Boy Scout standard to sharpen...lay the blade flat on the stone, then raise the back about the thickness of a dime. With this angle locked in, stroke forward as if trying to slice a thin shaving off the stone.....ten strokes on one side then flip the blade over and do 9 strokes on the other side, flip again for 8 strokes, flip again for seven, on down to one on each side. That should give you a well sharpened blade. Then simply strop a dozen times or so on each side and you knife is ready to go. On the trail I simply use the back side of my belt for a strop...no need for any compound here...it works just great.

And those stainless steel blades stay razor sharp through a lot of abuse.

The handle on the Pocket Pal looks a mite thin for my bear paw hand, but give it a try and you might find you like it. It is obviously not the best carving or whittlin' knife, but You asked about personal experience and that is mine....on the blades, not the handles. And it is something you can stick in your pocket and have handy all the time. I'm seldom without my Swiss Army knife so if I want to cut a walking stick, or whittle on a piece of found wood, I'm ready to go.

Al

[LIBuck]

alarchie - that was a great response, so thank you very much. i think i'm going to go with a pocket pal and a boyscout stone for now. i just wanted some confirmation that the 2 could give me an acceptable edge if not an amazing edge.

thanks!

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

Found these pocket knives, don't know about the quality ??
Whittler Bob: Knives and Chisels

Dave

[jmischel]

LIBuck

You can certainly get an acceptable edge using a boyscout stone and that knife. I have a little Buck folder that is my camp and trail whittler, and I use a sharpening method very similar to what AlArchie described.

I think soon, though, I'm going to order either the FlexCut Carvin' Jack, or that Kershaw Double Cross modified by Rick at Little Shavers. That Buck is a fine knife, but the handle is a bit on the small side . . .

[Nomad]

The narrow handle on the Pocket Pal is not the most comfortable for carving imo. You might consider getting a Victorinox Tinker. This has a larger handle and the back side has a phillips which is better than a corkscrew for comfort. To shape and profile the blades for carving, check out Chris Lubkemann's book, Whittling Twigs & Branches or The Little Book of Whittling. He has some good info in there on shaping the small blade on the Swiss Army knife.

[Shimmy]

Outside of the home ,I have been carving with the same Swiss Army knife for 20 yrs.I use the small blade.It is comfortable and keeps a sharp edge.I always have it on me.