HOME | DD

Description
Previous Step:[link]

Step 7: Cutting the Choil and Grind Plunge.

Cutting the choil is the easiest part of the whole thing and it another part that you don't need. I actually see less and less knives with choils on them. I know for the most part hidden tang knives don't have them and on a lot of full tang knives the ones that do have them are quite large.

My choils are usually 3/16" or 1/4" thick half moons. On occasion I will change it up and do something like the one on [link] or [link]

The main reason I keep a choil on my knife is for two reasons. One it lets me know where to stop when sharpening. Since this is a full tang knife with a recessed finger groove and not a knife that has a guard that can adequately protect you from yourself in the sense that if you aren't paying attention you will slip and your finger could go to the blade.

I try to make deep finger grooves so this doesn't happen, but if I let my edge go all the way to the back like a hidden tang knife can, since it had an actual guard, then the chances of someone hurting themselves is increased. That is why I usually give 1/4"-1/2" between the very back of the blade to where the guard ends to place my choil.

The second reason is it helps me to line up my Grind Plunge. I don't recommend using a ruler as I have, but it is possible. The best thing to use is calipers of some sort, a square if you must, or the file jig that is made for squaring hidden tangs. Personally I like to use the squaring jig, but they are rather expensive in most cases. A caliper would be my second choice, and then a level or ruler.

I do all of this with three round chainsaw files. I start with 1/8" on all three parts, cutting the choil, and each side of my blade. The only reason I do this is to start my cuts. I can live with a few mess ups with a small file rather than a mess up with a big file. Of course at this point we still have a lot of metal to take away, so mess ups are really an issue. I then go to 3/16" and finally 1/4" Just because I like the way bigger choils and grind plunges look.

I should also say that I don't go too deep with my plunges right now. I usually take off about 1/8". Deep enough to where you can see the cut all the way up to the spine of the knife. You can always come back and cut it deeper, which we will if we have to, but there will be a lot of filing and sanding, so taking too much off at this point could mess up the whole knife.

Next Step: [link]

I want you! To give me your soul!

Logan Pearce
www.pearceknives.com

Description
Previous Step:[link]

Step 7: Cutting the Choil and Grind Plunge.

Cutting the choil is the easiest part of the whole thing and it another part that you don't need. I actually see less and less knives with choils on them. I know for the most part hidden tang knives don't have them and on a lot of full tang knives the ones that do have them are quite large.

My choils are usually 3/16" or 1/4" thick half moons. On occasion I will change it up and do something like the one on [link] or [link]

The main reason I keep a choil on my knife is for two reasons. One it lets me know where to stop when sharpening. Since this is a full tang knife with a recessed finger groove and not a knife that has a guard that can adequately protect you from yourself in the sense that if you aren't paying attention you will slip and your finger could go to the blade.

I try to make deep finger grooves so this doesn't happen, but if I let my edge go all the way to the back like a hidden tang knife can, since it had an actual guard, then the chances of someone hurting themselves is increased. That is why I usually give 1/4"-1/2" between the very back of the blade to where the guard ends to place my choil.

The second reason is it helps me to line up my Grind Plunge. I don't recommend using a ruler as I have, but it is possible. The best thing to use is calipers of some sort, a square if you must, or the file jig that is made for squaring hidden tangs. Personally I like to use the squaring jig, but they are rather expensive in most cases. A caliper would be my second choice, and then a level or ruler.

I do all of this with three round chainsaw files. I start with 1/8" on all three parts, cutting the choil, and each side of my blade. The only reason I do this is to start my cuts. I can live with a few mess ups with a small file rather than a mess up with a big file. Of course at this point we still have a lot of metal to take away, so mess ups are really an issue. I then go to 3/16" and finally 1/4" Just because I like the way bigger choils and grind plunges look.

I should also say that I don't go too deep with my plunges right now. I usually take off about 1/8". Deep enough to where you can see the cut all the way up to the spine of the knife. You can always come back and cut it deeper, which we will if we have to, but there will be a lot of filing and sanding, so taking too much off at this point could mess up the whole knife.

Next Step: [link]

I want you! To give me your soul!

Logan Pearce
www.pearceknives.com