Free Trapper
| I believe that is what a long hunter would have done, pick up a hard, fine grained stone and touch-up the edge of his cutting tools. I believe that wet hemp, sand and water is what built Rome. LeeRoy
Keep your powder dry.
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| Posts: 171 | Location: Southern Nevada | Registered: 14 January 2012 |
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Greenhorn
| A few worn whet stones have been recovered at NWC / HBC sites. River stones - yep A few years back I attended a seminar on smoke-tanning moose hides by an Athabascan elder. She used a file exclusively on her knives, and literally used them to shave the hair off moose hide. Swanny
“A good dog is so much a nobler beast than an indifferent man that one sometimes gladly exchanges the society of one for that of the other.” (William Francis Butler)
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| Posts: 28 | Location: Two Rivers, Alaska | Registered: 23 March 2013 |
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Hivernant
| Better question, or maybe the answer to your question. What did they use to sharpen their razors? My guess is a lot more whetstones were carried around they we think.
anything worth shooting is worth shooting once.
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| Posts: 126 | Location: Demokratik Republik of Washington | Registered: 29 September 2008 |
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Factor
| quote: how would I keep a razor sharp edge on my knives.
Razor sharp? You can use a river rock, it works rather well. To get a knife "razor" sharp, or your straight razor for that matter..., you would use a razor strop. LD
It's not what you know, it's what you can prove
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| Posts: 3843 | Location: People's Republic of Maryland | Registered: 10 November 2004 |
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Factor
| Being in Arkansas good ones are easy to find. Picked up some good ones along Lake Michigan, as well. Used some of them this morning preparing to butcher a deer. Fiddlesticks
As long as there's Limb Bacon a man'll eat! (But mebbe not his wife...)
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| Posts: 4816 | Location: Buffalo River Country | Registered: 23 October 2004 |
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Booshway
| I was watching a couple Chilleans butcher a ewe one time and one of them touched up the knife on a river rock, done a good job too. No reason to think people didn't have whetstones. |
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Free Trapper
| I've found many locations here on the lakeshore where outcropping of slate has been deposited, and washed smooth. I have collected many different sizes and shapes, and often wondered if the smooth, flat rocks would give an excellent finish on your knife blades?
" You do with your scalp as you wish and don't be telling us what to with ours."
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| Posts: 158 | Location: lake champlain, vt | Registered: 03 January 2013 |
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Booshway
| quote: Reply
quote: Reply
quote: Reply
How about a good old fashioned file? |
| Posts: 459 | Location: Yuma, AZ......Soon to be WA.! | Registered: 19 October 2007 |
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Factor
| I've got many different densities of stones in my collection. Have found that certain stones work best on certain steels. Don't know much about various sorts of steel, I just experiment until 'this stone works with that knife the best'. Don't know if old timers went to that trouble, but I get a kick out of it. one of the stones finishes up the blade on my hatchet really well, too. 'Eagle, I've not seen a legal deer while carrying a muzzleloader. The 2 I've got were with a single shot ca'tridge rifle, so I've not mentioned them here. Butchered 5 deer so far. Wouldn't mind a couple more. Wife loves to help me. Kept all knives sharp with my river and lake whetstones. Fiddlesticks
As long as there's Limb Bacon a man'll eat! (But mebbe not his wife...)
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| Posts: 4816 | Location: Buffalo River Country | Registered: 23 October 2004 |
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Hivernant
| I didn't read through all the reply's so sorry if this has already been brought up.
Files were a very common item on any farm, blacksmith shop etc., and very available to the working man. They also show up on trade ledgers all the time.
A nice file works great to keep a good working knife sharp, as any piece of sandstone will.
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Booshway
| I've made a few whetstones from a slatey kinda rock and also from a piece of granite. They both seem to work quite well. I've always got my eyes peeled for more stones I could use. As to files, I fine that they all leave the edge just a little too rough for my liking. Almost like a serrated edge.
"Return unto me, and I will return unto you," saith the Lord of hosts. ~Malachi 3:7b
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