Thread: Mini Polished Honing Steel

Don’t like the aggressive honing steels (shepherd steel) that most knife sheaths come with. The polished steels I like are normally big freezing works style ones that I cut down to make smaller but they don’t have to be that big still so I started making some lightweight ones out of chainsaw files. 120mm long but could be even shorter and tuck away in your bino harness or pouch piss of piece.
Could make a few more if anyone wanted one. They bring the edge up on a Mercator bloody beautifully, or any knife for that matter, just have to be careful.

Great idea, I like your thinking. Will try not to pinch the IP next time I'm in the workshop haha

Originally Posted by Tentman

Great idea, I like your thinking. Will try not to pinch the IP next time I'm in the workshop haha

Cordless drill or drill press and the flat side of a grinding disc on a 5”. Polish up with sandpaper

we used to make our own from old chainsaw files remove all trace of old chainsaw file surface and then just score lightly on an old brick they worked well but only if the knife had already been honed on a stone first - really the diamond laps available now leave them all for dead provided one is gentle

What do they group like

Would a piece of polished stainless rod be quicker?

Was just about to ask that - I suspect the issue may be that the file is hardened and the stainless is possibly the same or softer than the knife steel.

Now a piece of 6mm quench hardening silver steel might be a bloody good cheap alternative. Having a head scratch about what else is in the 6mm or roughly there size that's hard and polished straight. A transfer punch could be an option and save a heap of work...

Still really like my Cambrian butcher's steels, but at 14" for the 'real' one not portable... I would like to see a No5 or No8 cut rabbiter's steel that the Cambrian outfit does - they might be about perfect (the two finest cuts they do are the 5 and the 8 which is rated as 'polished').

Originally Posted by No.3

Was just about to ask that - I suspect the issue may be that the file is hardened and the stainless is possibly the same or softer than the knife steel.

Now a piece of 6mm quench hardening silver steel might be a bloody good cheap alternative. Having a head scratch about what else is in the 6mm or roughly there size that's hard and polished straight. A transfer punch could be an option and save a heap of work...

Yeah too soft. I've got a heat treat oven if anyone wants to experiment. I've thought of doing some small oval steels out of 1/8 inch aebl, could run them super hard to make them a bit more usefull on harder knives

Small, lightweight, funtional and cheap as chips!
I put them into a pencel holder. Works a treat for me!

Sorry for the oversized immage. I struggle with the software or with myself!

got a translation on that advert please , mate ?

Originally Posted by Bushline

Would a piece of polished stainless rod be quicker?

Possibly but I’ve got a heap laying round and they take about 5 minutes to make and are harder than a coffin nail, way harder than any knife you’ll find.

Originally Posted by fawkes

got a translation on that advert please , mate ?

ruby stone knife sharpener