Sharpening the Top Clip Yes or No

[Ssamac]

How many of you sharpen the top clip of your drop point knives? How do you do it?

I have an older Ka Bar USMC knife with a great edge but the top clip has never been sharpened. Would you sharpen it? I use the knife for dressing game and a general carry knife in the woods.

Thanks
sam

[skullworks]

Check your local laws. I believe a double edged knife is illegal some places. I know a hog hunter that uses knives and he prefers to have the top 2 or 3 inches sharpened.

[kbaknife]

I would say that most generally speaking, "sharpened" is not really that accurate of a word when it comes to false edges.
When you consider the normal thickness of a spine, and then the fact that the material is removed only about 1/4 of an inch in most cases, the remaining "edge" is far too obtuse to ever get truly "sharp".
Please note that I said "in most cases". I'm sure there are circumstances when the maker can determine more acceptable dimensions in advance, but for the most part, clips are just taken to an infinite edge and called "sharp" when in actual fact, you'd probably have a difficult time cutting yourself on one!

[Ssamac]

Thanks guys.
The top clip on this knife is not spined like the main body of the blade. It is tapered down and much thinner already. Looks like it would take an edge just as well as the edge on the bottom of the blade.

sam

[Grey Taylor]

I wouldn't.
Aside from any legal issues I just can't see a reason to sharpen that area in a working knife.

Guy

[Lamey]

Unless your going to use the clip to cut, or want it sharp to aid in "sticking" something,  i wouldnt want it sharp.

I sharpen most clips on my Bowies,  but as Karl says, unless you do some serious recontouring its to obtuse to really get 'hair poppin sharp.  On occasion I will take the extra time to make sure the clip is real sharp, just depends on the knife, the customer, and what i feel like doing.

Again, unless sharpening the clip is actually going to serve a real purpose I wouldnt sharpen.

[Ragnarok Forge]

The only reason to sharpen a false edge is if you plan to use it as a real edge for cutting something on the back stroke.  I carried a fighting blade in Iraq that was sharpened on the main and false edges for just this reason.  

the problem is it made the knife useless as a working tool.  You had to be too careful using it as a working blade.  It was and still is a perfect fighting knife.  The sharp false edge allows a viscious back cut either by intention,  or as a feinting / recovery back slash on a missed thrust or stab.

[Lamey]

I wouldnt agree that a sharp clip makes a knife a useless working tool,   matter of fact you can use that sharp clip for alot of things you may not want to use your primary edge for.   In general as mentioned earlier the clip edge angle is going to be more obtuse, and therefore able to withstand more abuse without damage.

If done right the sharp clip on a Bowie can "snick" through 1" saplings and such with ease.

All that said,  i still fall back to the position that unless you are planning on using the sharp clip to actually cut,  dont bother.

[Jsthnt]

I have an old Kbar that I sharpened the top edge of.  I was able to get it sharp enough to cut very well.  The issue arose when using it to field dress a deer.  When the top edge barely touched the paunch I had a mess.  When using it with minimal visibility it becomes very easy to find your fingers with the back edge.  As mentioned above the back edge is very handy for jobs you wouldn't subject your main edge to.

[Ssamac]

OK lots of good opinions. I had a Bowie with the top clip sharpened and used it almost like a gut hook. Would open the belly and the lining with and upstroke and cut around the membranes with the downstroke. Never thought about it to cut branches, however. I use the blade near the hilt for that which saves most of the cutting edge.

The top clip on this knife has a blunt or rounded edge right now and then is flat past the clip so the taper is already there. Would not take much to sharpen. I need to look out for places where a double edge is illegal, however.

Thanks
sam

[jomama]

its a good way to cut yourself, but i like it.

[Lamey]

any proper Bowie knife should be able to cut ya coming or going!

[kbaknife]

Originally posted by Lamey:
any proper Bowie knife should be able to cut ya coming or going!

Definitely something a knife maker from Alabama would say.......
Gotta keep your eye on those guys!

[Ssamac]

LOL If it's really sharp you don't cut yourself -unless you do something, well, not too smart.
Nice part about a big knife is you don't need to put your hands in the way to make it work.

sam