# sharpening hawkbill knives



## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

They do make round India stones, but my linemen friends tell me they just throw them out and get a new one. They're just a couple dollars. 

The arc tube inside an HID lamp words pretty decent to touch one up.


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

MDShunk said:


> They do make round India stones, but my linemen friends tell me they just throw them out and get a new one. They're just a couple dollars.
> 
> The arc tube inside an HID lamp words pretty decent to touch one up.


 the cheap lineman knives i would throw out but the pocket knife is too expensive to throw out its around 20 - 25 dollars


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## KayJay (Jan 20, 2008)

electricalperson said:


> does anyone know any good stones to sharpen these kinds of knives? it needs to be thin since a regular bench stone doesnt work


I have a couple of Klein 48036 sharpeners. I’ve used this type for years on all kinds of blades. They make a decent enough edge, at least for stripping wire and sheath. 
I find that most of my knives don’t hold an edge for long anyway, so I get plenty of use out of the sharpeners.
I’ve also bought identical sharpeners from L.L.Bean before, so these aren’t exclusively a Klein item. I think they were around $10.00 each. A nice Mill-Smooth file is also useful for dressing blades on work knives.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

KayJay said:


> A nice Mill-Smooth file is also useful for dressing blades on work knives.


Yeah, I almost bet I could get a half-decent edge with the same half-round file I use to debur the bigger conduit.


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## cguillas (Jun 25, 2009)

There's a truck in my neighbourhood that drives around every few days ringing a bell like the iced cream man. $2, 5 minutes and it's sharper than sin. The girl does a damn good job. Come to think of it, I'm just about due for a fresh edge.


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## lectro88 (Jul 13, 2009)

Fine round chainsaw file works great. If you find the edge rolling, Carefully file into or toward the edge. It will only take few seconds to go from dull to dangerously sharp !


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## KayJay (Jan 20, 2008)

lectro88 said:


> It will only take few seconds to go from dull to dangerously sharp !


I wish this would work on my intellect and wardrobe as well! :laughing:


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

KayJay said:


> I have a couple of Klein 48036 sharpeners. I’ve used this type for years on all kinds of blades. They make a decent enough edge, at least for stripping wire and sheath.
> I find that most of my knives don’t hold an edge for long anyway, so I get plenty of use out of the sharpeners.
> I’ve also bought identical sharpeners from L.L.Bean before, so these aren’t exclusively a Klein item. I think they were around $10.00 each. A nice Mill-Smooth file is also useful for dressing blades on work knives.


This is pretty much how I handle it. I use the draw sharpener everytime I pull the knife out for use, I got used to that with my machete in the Corps. If the blade gets knicked, file it first. That little sharpener will keep you going for a long time, the same way a chef uses a steel on his knives daily.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/products/69099.aspx


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

The best way to sharpen a hawkbill knife is to place it in the bottom of a garbage can and place the lid over it.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Peter D said:


> The best way to sharpen a hawkbill knife is to place it in the bottom of a garbage can and place the lid over it.


Got that right. I really don't want a knife that needs sharpening. At the least, I'd want several so that a sharp one is always at hand and I can take a whole batch in to the sharpening guy. How much is a Buckingham lineman's knife? I think they're every bit of 5 bucks maybe.


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## cmec (Feb 11, 2008)

I bought a wet and dry grinder from grizzley you can freehand them on the top stone really good.

You can buy workman pocket knives from the knife store by pigeon forge tn for about $6. each , I bought a dozen had to put them in the safe my kid wanted a new one every time he went camping with the boy scouts.

Has anyone figured how to sharpen a wood owl bit yet ?. Ive looked at tool grinders on e bay, or are they throw aways.


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## BIGRED (Jan 22, 2007)

For all of my sharpening needs, I bring my stuff to an old Italian guy, man is he the best. People send him things from all over the US. I read somewhere that a tube from K&T sharpens pretty good, I use one on my kitchen knifes.


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

find out if you have a local sharpener. a lot of times they do drive around like said above, but only go to businesses. normally you can find out by asking a local butcher or shop.


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## Shado (Jan 1, 2009)

I have always just used a file, now a diamond file on mine for the past 25+ years....had 1st one for 20 years then my cub lost it somewhere, still have my 2nd one and its going strong.:thumbsup:


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

cmec said:


> Has anyone figured how to sharpen a wood owl bit yet ?. Ive looked at tool grinders on e bay, or are they throw aways.


Do you mean "wood *awl* "? Those I will use a file on. Wood _*owls *_I just let go.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

JohnJ0906 said:


> Do you mean "wood *awl* "? Those I will use a file on. Wood _*owls *_I just let go.


Wood owls are sorta mean. I accidentally cornered an owl in the haymow of a barn. I think he wanted to stay and fight. Most birds will just flit on by.


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## cmec (Feb 11, 2008)

JohnJ0906 said:


> Do you mean "wood *awl* "? Those I will use a file on. Wood _*owls *_I just let go.


NO I mean wood owl , bought them from scott electric , the steel is lightweight and hard and supposidibly will go thru nails havent tried them yet. Kinda thinkin theyre throways only cost $8.00


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

cmec said:


> NO I mean wood owl , bought them from scott electric , the steel is lightweight and hard and supposidibly will go thru nails havent tried them yet. Kinda thinkin theyre throways only cost $8.00


Could you post a picture? The only wood owl I have ever heard of is the bird.


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## Mike_586 (Mar 24, 2009)

cmec said:


> Has anyone figured how to sharpen a wood owl bit yet ?. Ive looked at tool grinders on e bay, or are they throw aways.


I've got three wood owl (Irwin calls them speedbor) bits myself, the kind with a spur rising parallel to the screw feed, and haven't had to sharpen one yet, but they say a slim taper file (square or triangular) is the way to do it.

http://www.timberwolftools.com/tools/woodowl/woodowl.html
http://www.irwin.com/irwin/consumer/jhtml/detail.jhtml?prodId=IrwinProd160002


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

I was sitting at a traffic light just up the road the other day (AM), and I happened to be checking out the poles (go figure), and I looked up and here is this 2' tall (+/-) owl with big yellow/orange eyes sitting on top of the pole - the light turned green and I didnt have time to get a pic. don't see them hanging around in the daylight too often.


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## Mike_586 (Mar 24, 2009)

wildleg said:


> I was sitting at a traffic light just up the road the other day (AM), and I happened to be checking out the poles (go figure), and I looked up and here is this 2' tall (+/-) owl with big yellow/orange eyes sitting on top of the pole - the light turned green and I didnt have time to get a pic. don't see them hanging around in the daylight too often.


But was it a wood owl?









Brown Wood Owl


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

Mike_586 said:


> I've got three wood owl (Irwin calls them speedbor) bits myself, the kind with a spur rising parallel to the screw feed, and haven't had to sharpen one yet, but they say a slim taper file (square or triangular) is the way to do it.
> 
> http://www.timberwolftools.com/tools/woodowl/woodowl.html
> http://www.irwin.com/irwin/consumer/jhtml/detail.jhtml?prodId=IrwinProd160002


I use those same bits, but have never heard them called "wood owl" bits.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

JohnJ0906 said:


> I use those same bits, but have never heard them called "wood owl" bits.


Maybe it's just me but I think the timberwolf brand seem a little better made, heavier duty. I don't drill many holes in wood any more but they look like the way to go.


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## cmec (Feb 11, 2008)

I havent tried sharpening one yet,but I think if you get the flutes differnt hights it wont work as well, need some kinda jig or adapter to grind them the same hight and angle.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

Mike_586 said:


> But was it a wood owl?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
beats me ? (don't think so - looked kinda like this:


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

I use a basic utility knife (sheet rocker type.. fixed blade) with a very dull blade.

It skins romex and works great on THHN.. those other knives you speak of look more for cutting tree branches


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

Black4Truck said:


> I use a basic utility knife (sheet rocker type.. fixed blade) with a very dull blade.
> 
> It skins romex and works great on THHN.. those other knives you speak of look more for cutting tree branches


 heres the thing...i hate utility knives so thats why i use a hawkbill pocket knife. much more sturdy

i bought the spyderco triangle sharpmaker. it sharpened my other pocketknife to hair shaving sharp. i have a bald spot on my hand testing it out. it sharpens hawkbill knives too but its a little difficult so im going to practice. i got a pretty good edge on it good enough for skinning 600 mcm conductors and romex :thumbsup:


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## Kevin J (Dec 11, 2008)

electricalperson said:


> heres the thing...i hate utility knives so thats why i use a hawkbill pocket knife. much more sturdy
> 
> i bought the spyderco triangle sharpmaker. it sharpened my other pocketknife to hair shaving sharp. i have a bald spot on my hand testing it out.  it sharpens hawkbill knives too but its a little difficult so im going to practice. i got a pretty good edge on it good enough for skinning 600 mcm conductors and romex :thumbsup:



Just what were you testing out?:laughing:


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

Kevin J said:


> Just what were you testing out?:laughing:


 i shaved a spot of hair off the back of my hand with the knife. a guy that used old tools to make furniture on tv said to test out a sharp chisel by shaving hair off your arm


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

heres the guy http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/


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## Kevin J (Dec 11, 2008)

electricalperson said:


> i shaved a spot of hair off the back of my hand with the knife. a guy that used old tools to make furniture on tv said to test out a sharp chisel by shaving hair off your arm



I got what you meant. Just poking a little fun.:thumbsup:


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

Kevin J said:


> I got what you meant. Just poking a little fun.:thumbsup:


 i know i was just explaining:thumbsup:


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## Kevin J (Dec 11, 2008)

I use an Arkansas whetstone for sharpening my personal knives, and a steel to touch up an edge. If it's a work knife, I just toss it and get a new one.


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## sparky83 (Sep 26, 2010)

*sharpening knife electrical style!*

Find an old burned out Metal Halide and then proceed to smash it! Grab the inner ceramic cylinder and there you go it is round so should work well. I guess it to be between 1500 to 2000 grit, when it gets dirty use Comet to clean it.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Every gun show I've ever been to has at least one knife-sharpening booth.


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

I enjoy sharpening knives and those are the hardest to do. I have the klein one and you basically have to use the crappy blade cutter to sharpen it good. I would normally only use those on cheap kitchen blades or hard to sharpen hunting blades. I like to use several different grit stones for different applications and metals.


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## ralpha494 (Oct 29, 2008)

sparky83 said:


> Find an old burned out Metal Halide and then proceed to smash it! Grab the inner ceramic cylinder and there you go it is round so should work well. I guess it to be between 1500 to 2000 grit, when it gets dirty use Comet to clean it.


You mean high pressure sodium. The 1000 watt ones are the best.


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