Sharpen that Spine!

[@DougPalumbo]

You have one of the best all-around bushcraft/outdoor life channels! Love your work with Townsend’s channel! Highly informative and throughly entertaining! Keep up the great work!

[@jordanwatson2238]

I watched your video on fatwood and saw that you were using a sharp-spined knife with a ferro rod. I then type "how to sharpen the spine of a knife" and find you again, sharpening the exact knife I have. It's like the tutorial was made for me, and now I am subscribed!

[@vans.8435]

Dan Wowak...Amazingly I was just thinking about filing the back of a Mora that I'm giving to my grandson. Timely video as usual.

[@cillaloves2fish688]

Saw someone baton the knife into a stump n work on the spine with both hands. Seemed like a good idea too!

[@jackvoss5841]

Good ideas, Dan. An option here is that the back edge doesn’t have to have sharp, 90 degree corners full length, and some users may not want square edges all the way out to the point. If a bush knife is used for finer work, some of us control those carving cuts with thumb pressure on that back edge. 90 degree corners get you sore fingers pretty quick. The last few inches out near the tip are where thumb pressure is usually applied. And the work of those 90 degree corners is done almost totally back near the hilt. So, some users may prefer rounded corners out near the tip, and definite 90 degree corners for out some distance from the hilt. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying

[@johnnyrebel5458]

I was in the process of doing this same thing when your vid popped up. Thank you for the vids it helps teaching a couple people I know that want to get into bushcraft when I don’t have the time to do it GREAT JOB!!!

[@askewedchimp]

I love your ability to anticipate questions others will have (like using a wet grinder). You're a natural teacher.

[@markfbeyth56]

I leave a small part of the spine right next to the handle with the factory grind on the spine so that you can place your thumb on the spine to give a bit of direction and extra pressure on the blade sometimes the ground spine will really dig into your thumb when it’s 90 degrees a piece of tape over the blade is a good gauge of where not grind

[@teddydavid2816]

Good tip

[@WayPointSurvival]

Good tip. Thanks for the info.

[@TheFlatlander440]

I love my Mora Companion. I already sharpened the spine and it works great. It's one of my backup bush knives I keep in my pack at all times. Thanks for sharing.

[@warrenohuyran5401]

Really good video Dan, I do wish you were able to make all your videos longer but like all of us you have a life too and that family comes first along with everything else a person has to do from day to day. I enjoy all your knowledge you share on your videos and how nice you go about your teaching on youtube and you dont put anyone or anything down and thats rare on youtube anymore it seems. Really good video, till next one take care buddy.

[@garychwojdak8856]

Interesting,thanks.

[@airtonthoma8740]

i'v done it to my pocket knife, works fantastic! thanks a lot

[@maryjames4733]

Thanks so much...I got my mora but didn't know how to put the edge on it....:) great up front easy to understand video

[@TheGrayManOG]

Good information. I used a hand grinder on one of mine and wouldn't suggest people do it either.

[@wendyowens4125]

I did mine using a vise and a draw file technique. Worked quite well

[@woodswalker7119]

Thanks for the tip. I didn’t realize Moras weren’t 90 degrees and my neighbor went out for a weekend with me and he couldn’t strike fire with a ferrro rod. Duh!!! Just did the spine after this and all is good. I did let him use my AS Mountaineer and he was successful so I had an inkling at least. Your channel is the most helpful of all! Thanks again!

[@dougjohnsonbushcraftandbjj5561]

Some are, some aren't. Depends on the model

[@JimRodgers]

I've done that to all of my fixed blade knifes, and a couple of my folders as well. Less than a minute on the ol' belt grinder and she's good to go. Great tips!

[@Divici02623]

Thanks 👍

[@edieboudreau9637]

Excellent for any knife, as you said early in vid. Thanks.

[@juanitababcock4427]

Excellent video ! I am a women and I think I will be able to do this now !

[@SwampValley]

Great advice, it's really easy. I often use sandpaper up to 1500 wet n dry paper on a flat table working the knife forwards and back like a stabbing motion (blade up 😂). Really cheap and works good too.

[@falkenvir]

Thank you for the tip

[@mat-ventures]

Thanks a lot Dan for the tips!

[@bulldawg6259]

Baton the knife into the stump. Then use two hands. The burr at the end helps everything, kinda like a cabinet scraper l really like your videos, best on the topic

[@ElementBushcraft]

that was my first thought

[@TheOctapodi]

Excellent video. This is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!

[@joayers4246]

This is good information. I'm not a fan of re-inventing the wheel. I recently (last couple months)started watching youtube videos and stumbled onto yours. I have learned a lot from yours.... About squaring the knife spine; believe it or not I figured this out last year on my own after the striker got too dull to work and I had to resort to my knife. I almost ruined the edge of my knife and thought, "there's got to be a better way".. Now I'll have to keep digging through your archives to see if there are any other "wheels". ;)

[@mmessenger14]

Great info. Thank you!

[@raybloxsom2159]

Dan, Thanks again Always informative and practical Love all your videos Great to see you on the Town send videos

[@corbreedt1329]

Youre too under rated

[@bushcraftnorthof6012]

I once used a skate sharpening machine at work to do this. Even sharper, with a slightly hollow grind! Take care.

[@baroneb5043]

Bushcraft North of 60 fukn brilliant..!!!!

[@joshinside5185]

Your tha Man Dan!!!!!

[@davidrogers182]

My new bushcraft black mora will not throw a spark, however my Condor kephart throws tremendous shower of sparks. I’ll certainly grab file and follow your instructions.

[@linklesstennessee2078]

Good video Dan

[@samsworldofrations6996]

Another great tip👍

[@joetaylor2932]

Good video! Thanks

[@garys5540]

Great vid !! thanks much!

[@LovingIdaho]

I have put 90 degree spine on most my knives since late 80s. I just used a belt sander for it . People still scratch their head when they grab one of my buck knives that have a 90 degree spine .

[@backdraft916]

Great vid!

[@Dominic.Minischetti]

Yes very important thing. I found a Hyde square point knife while fishing one day. Took it home and cleaned it up, squared up the spine and use that for all my needs without worrying about messing up my knife. I know it’s an extra bit of kit, but I like it.

[@SimplicityEDC]

What would be an ideal coarsenes/grit for a file?

[@pamelagonzalez9567]

cool info thanks!!

[@jwrappuhn71]

Good vid bro.

[@wmk0100]

Have you ever used the draw file method?

[@MrBikboi]

Could I do this process on my Naniwa Chosera whetstones? Starting with my coarsest grit 400 up to 1000 by laying the knife spine flat on the stones?

[@jessr.3763]

Hey Dan, What would you suggest for many Tops Knives models that are differentially heat treated with a softer steel on the spine that on the cutting edge? I have a silent hero I bought for woods use, and I've been hesitant to file the spine on it without knowing how the differential heat treat impacts scraping perfomanace. Can the spine of these sorts of blades be filed as well, or does the softer steel make this a bad idea? Thanks for all the great information you share!

[@raal6163]

What sharpening stone is that?

[@utharkruna1116]

My mora came with a nice edge.

[@bobyoung241]

I found that little bur rolls big sparks. So I put burs on all the knives I can, even some pocket knives.

[@greedygringoprospecting6941]

or like I did I used one of my dmt (diamond) sharpening stones started at 325 grit and worked my way up to 4,000 grit strikes the ferro rod beautifully some of the other steel used to make knives are as hard as your file mine (D2) so the diamond sharpening stone have a good day boss nice !!!

[@HUGLIFE12]

Thanks nice video, I just bought a benchmade puuko and I found out that it doesn't have a 90degree spine

[@kevincroop8480]

When are your knifes going to ready to sell. Looking forward to getting one.

[@marshamahaney6997]

Thanks, worth knowing. :-)

[@finelli556]

Awesomeness

[@MegaAaron42]

I am not sure about the knife you are demonstrating with because my knifes have hardened blades, meaning file's just glances off of them and have no effect on sharpening the spine.

[@charlesjames5486]

thank you Dan. I ate sushi while watching this hahaha

[@guns4funcajanajustin]

Good tips the chainsaw file does a much better job

[@Q-BinTom]

Thanks the info Dan Wowak..... If thats your real name........

[@420Pikachu]

Smh one dislike? Someone must not want to survive

[@hanikaram3351]

you are right , very easy process did it 4 times on two knives and they are not Mora

[@fiercepandaz]

Of course you could always get a Morakniv Garberg instead of the companion which already has a 90 degree spine.

[@malamute8257]

What's funny is I came across this video because I use my knife outside of wilderness or survival situations, so I have no use for the 90° spine on my Rat. I keep cutting either myself or my pants reaching into my pocket. Thinking of tossing it in a drawer for future camping and going back to a polished, metal kershaw.

[@willemmentz7190]

North Arm Machete Co also has an excellent video on this. I think it is titled 'Machete Card Scraper'. Thanks for your god videos.

[@kidbach]

Prof., suppose you live in the concrete jungle with no logs nearby?

[@victorcastle1840]

In that case you don't need a 90 degree spine, can't light concrete !

[@billg7101]

🇺🇸👍🇺🇸👍🇺🇸👍

[@rogerwilco1777]

I guess I shoulda watched this before rounding off the back of my Tops BOB with a grinder.. its ok, we'll just call it a 'weight reduction'

[@mrwes100]

Baton the knife a bit into the stump. Makes it easier to hold.

[@HarshmanHills]

I try to do this with all my mora's

[@appalachianoutdoorsman5721]

Hey everybody its jerry.

[@VJLasorsa]

too much attention is being made of a 90 degree spine.... honestly I think it gets way too much focus.... I want a knife that can cut and slice.... has a good grip...

[@DollarDon62]

Hey Dan I sent you a video on Facebook IM. Check it out please. Possibly another useful bush tool....again great video.