AusVarmint

stinkitup wrote:Okay while on the topic of sharpening is their better stones to get too? I got one with a chisel set and seems pretty soft compared to the old mans? I was going to have a look in one of those knives stores like king of knives or something or is their somewhere else to go? Might have to get myself a good steel, the one that came with my kitchen set is absolutely hopeless and that is being nice.

Mate ive got an aluminium oxide stone made by australian abrasives, with the smooth side a nice red sort of colour you can still get them at bunnings for around the $30 mark. Stay away from the king of knives mate you will get robbed. This stone has served me well for years and will keep doing so for years to come so I havent bothered with another type.

Hi Jock,

Here is a pic of my knives. The white handle one is my new Dexter Russell and the black one is what I used to use
at the meat works and have been using for years since. You can tell by the wear!
Here is a pic of the point. I like the the swept back blade for skinning!
If anything is going to cut the hide it is the point!
That's why I round the point off!

Sorry to hijack your thread jock.

I have 4 steels and they are all F Dick!

If you need to know anything else ask away.

Glenn

Interesting.

Thanks Glenn.

Seems the F Dicks are getting a good Rap..

I use them for Hunting, Cutting up Sheep and in the Kitchen. I think all my Kitchen Knives are all FDick maybe a victornox and a swibo amongst them. Easy to keep sharp and awesome knives.. They all cost between $30 and $40.. I think ive got around 10 of them from pearing knives up, as well as my hunting knife and my favourite.. the FDick Pig Sticker...

The FDick Square Steels I use was around $90 through my butcher but dont know what the shops sell them for?

Havent used the square. Just the multi edge, its more of a rounded out rectangle kind of oblong shape. Wooden handle and quite long. The steel itself was probable 4-5 cms wide as i recall. Big, heavy and retail for a few hundred, likely to be a special order only item. In saying that i havent seen one in quite a while now so not sure if they are still made.

On a side note f.dick also make the best bread knife under the sun. nothing even comes close to comparing.

stinkitup wrote:Okay while on the topic of sharpening is their better stones to get too? I got one with a chisel set and seems pretty soft compared to the old mans? I was going to have a look in one of those knives stores like king of knives or something or is their somewhere else to go? Might have to get myself a good steel, the one that came with my kitchen set is absolutely hopeless and that is being nice.

I'm a convert to diamonds on steel in the fine cut here. The 'stone' stays flat unlike manufactured stones that become dished out after a few years use.

A quality steel like the F Dick will see you out.

Thanks for the heads up fella's will check out the aluminium one from bunnings, is an oil or water stone better or no real difference other than one should be soaked in water and the other needs a light oil?

preference on water. Find the oils clog more.

Dish washing liquid with a bit of water!

Glenn

Glenn,

It's nice to know that there is someone 'off the Chain' on this forum and I too love those Dexter Russels.

Every time they would come in blokes would buy them in the box load and I could never get one. Like you I prefer my old boning and Slicing knives to any of the so called game skinners with their heavy shouldered edges.

I witnessed an altercation on the chain one day when a boner was deliberately hit across the mouth with a boning knife. It opened his mouth to the back of his jaw, sliced off part of his tongue and left him looking like Heath Ledger when he played the Joker in Batman.

The bloke was lucky that his head didn't fall off (no doubt it would have been kicked down the fat belt).

Lee,

I have heard about the iodine method but have never trialled it, I am still on the prowl for an F. Dick but haven't seen any around.

Stinkitup,

A good stone, one that I use is two sided and is made by 'Pro-Edge' of Arkansas USA.

As for a finishing stone, a piece of polished slate will work wonders and to lubricate the stone use dish washing detergent or vegetable oil.

Sharpening knives is an absolute art & skill. I always have a giggle to myself when I see someone (usually a butcher) banging their knives along their steels.

I used to get hassled off a mate for using the slowly softly approach on a steel, he would be 100 miles an hour like a butcher does when he's showing off. Then he used one of my boning knives and wanted to hear real quick how i done it.