# How would you fettle/sharpen this scorp (hook knife)?



## DLK (Nov 26, 2014)

I am in tool handle making mode these days. I remembered I had found early last summer this scorp that was in need of a handle. So I cleaned off the rust and will make a handle for it this week end. How do I sharpen or fettle it? 
My guess is that you sharpen it like a knife, because there is no bevel. What confuses me is that the back is not flat.

Also it has a very long tang. So do I run it all the way through the handle and bend over the end or can I just drive it deep into a handle? I'd prefer the latter.


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## Boatman53 (May 21, 2012)

That's a nice looking blade Don. I would just fit the tang in a hole with some 5 minute epoxy. As for sharpening, I don't have one just that shape but I use a Dremel with the biggest wheel I can find and finish it off with some round slip stones.
Jim


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Save Jims' idea and you can also wrap some leather around a dowel a strop

with some green compound, takes a while but it's sharp.


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## Boxguy (Mar 11, 2012)

*Don*, I looked into buying one of these to carve spoons. Technically it is called a *Twca Cam.* Typically they have a very long handle so you can get a good deal of leverage when carving. They can be a dangerous tool to use if you don't think ahead about where the blade will be if it slips out of the wood.

This is a link to *Nic Clestermann,* a guy in England who forges these blades. This is the handle he suggests making for his blades. He also recommends sharpening ideas if you look around his web site.


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

I agree with Al, Nic Westermann's handle is what you want Don.


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## DLK (Nov 26, 2014)

Thanks for all the input. In particular the Nic Westermann link was very informative and I never would have found it nor left to my own devices would I have made the handle that long. (I did not find the sharpening advice.) I have some dry hop hornbeam I think I'll use for the handle. I bet Twca cam is a Celtic name, for otherwise I can no' pronounce it. :-] It is definitely hand forged. Their are some chips in the blade near the tip I should grind out and will use a dremal or grit on a dowel as suggested, I also do have a slip stone wedge that is round on the wide end. After looking at the Nic Westermann link I bet this tool is for green wood and may be mostly sharpe enough for that already. I would like to see one in use. I'll post updated pictures when finished this weekend.

Does anyone know the reason for the odd curvature to the blade back? Everyone I have seen is dead flat.

By the way. It was in my friends uncles Bills bench who collected many of the hand tools I now own. This makes it WWII era or earlier. My friends father was the towns blacksmith so it is probably hand forged by him. All Finnish descendants as is the majority of the population living here.


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Guys - It is Nic Westermann not Clestermann. It is just the font that makes the 'W' look like 'CL'.


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## DLK (Nov 26, 2014)

Yes. Thanks. I just copied and pasted. But you caught me in time to fix it in the post above.


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## DLK (Nov 26, 2014)

Google translate says "Twca cam" is Welsh and translate to "machete Step". But poking around I see it translates to "hook knife".


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## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

Don, in the blog he mentioned doing a video on sharpening the blade. Have you been able to find that? I found several just doing a Google search for Nic Westermann twca cam and clicking on Video. Most seem to be reviews on the knife by folks that have purchased them.


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## DLK (Nov 26, 2014)

Thanks Candy. I did find this video spooncarving with big hook knife that was filmed at Saterglantan the national folk craft school in Sweden during Taljfest.

I did not find the video he mentions.

Here is another video The Nic Westermann Twca-Cam Hook Knife . After a "short" review the author shows how he uses it.

Now that I know what its called and the name of a popular maker it is easy to find such videos.

It is still a mystery to me why the one I have has the back concave ground (hollow ground) and the inside is convex ground. This is opposite to the Nic Westermann grinding.


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## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

Interesting how he seems to be using the strap around his neck as a pivot point. In the video below, a woman shows using the long handled knife like an oar for more leverage (about 3:20-ish if you want to skip ahead).





View on YouTube


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## DLK (Nov 26, 2014)

Candy your link is not working.

I think its is minute 3:20 of The Woodcraft Series - Spoon Carving, Anna Casserley

You fixed it.


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## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

Try it now, Don.
That's the one.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

Excellent link for handle making! Don, always make a prototype handle longer than you want it. Easy to cut short.

Jealous of your find without a handle! My shop needs a scorp badly.

Did you guys find a video on sharpening yet? I would polish the back, and dremel the front bevels.


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## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

I found this one, Terry.




View on YouTube


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## DLK (Nov 26, 2014)

Terry the tool I have is more like a knife bent into a hoop and is not beveled like a chisel. I wish I could put it into your hands and you would see what I am talking about. I only have "good" green and yellow honing compound. Should I get some white. Because of the way tool I have has been ground I suppose I will have to put the bevel on the inside.

Very nice videos Candy.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

This guy seems pretty knowledgeable!


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## DLK (Nov 26, 2014)

Looks like a good video Terry. But I have to prepare lectures now. So I will watch the rest later.


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## DLK (Nov 26, 2014)

I spent a half hour or so and rough out a handle:










Stuck in the hook knife with no glue and gave it a try. Here is a spoon (sort of) carved in hemlock.










It may work even better after sharpening. I must say the long handle sure helps this tool. (I may make a longer one. or add a knob to the end.) Thanks so much for the Nic Westerman links. I never would have put a long handle on it if I hand not seen it. This has been one of the most useful LJ interactions. (There have been others too.)


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

Excellent, Don. 
I bet you'd be tickled with some green wood. So easy to carve!


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## DLK (Nov 26, 2014)

I got to wait for warmer weather to collect some. I do have some 36 by 5 by 9 basswood timbers that I have been drying for 20 years. But I think they will be saved for figurines. (Which I was carving 20 years ago.) Or maybe chip carving. What is good green wood to carve? I've never done it.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

Whatever grows in your area and is free to pick up on the roadside. Save the hornbeam and oak for other projects, though.

Basswood is awesome, fir, spruce, alder, poplar. Any fruit woods like pear or apple, persimmon. Ornamental bushes like holly or bradford pear. If you have a Botanical Garden nearby, they routinely prune their trees and throw out some great sources.

Of course, I should remind you, 98% of my spoons have been carved by power tools of every sort from dried woods. I'm just jealous of your new tool! LOL,


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## DLK (Nov 26, 2014)

Terry, "If you have a Botanical Garden nearby" made me laugh.

I live in a northern hardwood forest. In fact I live on two wooded acres in the city.

Michigan is actually ranked in the top 10 most forested states in all of the US

Predominant Forest Type(s): Sugar maple-beech-yellow birch, hard maple-basswood, northern white cedar, red pine.

There is plenty of Ash, Poplar, Pin Cherry, Apple, Tamarac, Ironwood (Hop Hornbeam) and Hemlock around me too.
You can find plum and crab apple some times. Probably I can get plum easily.

I do have a friend who is giving me a black Cherry tree this year (I hope).

"I'm just jealous of your new tool! " I was very surprised when I found it and I am just tickled that I got it working.


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## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

Don, I contacted Nic Westermann through his website about the sharpening video. Scroll to the bottom of this post to read the correspondence from beginning to his latest response at the top (sorry if that's confusing, I'm on the iPad and can't rearrange it very easily.)

**

Hi CFrye,

I haven't seen it but would guess that as my blades have a different geometry to His is won't be directly applicable

The best thing with these tools is to leave the outside alone as much as possible, the bevel curves in two planes and is very difficult to get right. The inside face is easy as you can use the tramlines as a guide to keep this bevel really flat. The sequence I recommend is :

The main idea is to keep the inside bevel dead flat across the tramlines, but

1. Use a dowel with 1,200 grit paper on the inisde, work away from the edge; carry on until you raise a burr on the outside.

2. Strop off the burr on the outside bevel, using suede glued to hardwood/MDF with polishing compound

3. repeat 1- use 3,000 grit paper- you probably won't be able to feel the burr

4. repeat 2

5 put compound directly on the dowel and polish the inside face.

for touching up the edge just do 4 and 5.

Many thanks,

Nic

From: C Frye 
Sent: 24 March 2016 15:49
To: N Westermann
Subject: Re: Enquiry from Nic Westermann website

Thank you for the reply. I've found a sharpening video with Ben Orford on YouTube. Can you tell me if this is a good reference?






Spoon Knife Sharpening And Maintenance - Ben Orford
m.youtube.com
[This video is viewable in 'Full HD'] [Please click on the 'Show More' tab for more information and important links] Please feel free to check out Ben's work…

Again, thank you for your time,
CFrye

_
On Mar 24, 2016, at 05:11, N Westermann <nic> wrote:

Hi CFrye,

I am afraid that has still not been made, I keep hoping to find the time but so far have not managed to.

Many thanks,

Nic

__
From: CFrye
Sent: 23 March 2016 11:42
To: N Westermann
Subject: Enquiry from Nic Westermann website

Name: CFrye

Message: You mentioned, in your April blog, a video on sharpening the Twca cam blades. Can you provide a link?
Thank you,
CFrye


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

Thanks for sharing this, Candy.
Have you tried to sharpen yours?


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## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

Terry, I don't even have one…yet. 
Keeping the eyes open, though.


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## DLK (Nov 26, 2014)

Thanks Candy. I am still not certain we are on the same page, so here is a freehand sketch of the cross section of my hook knife blade. (A bit exaggerated, it is more "pointy" then shown. )










As you can see the outside is not anywhere close to dead flat and the inside has no tramlines. So I am quite perplex.
But nevertheless I did get it sharp enough to work. Sharpened more like a knife then a chisel. I.e. about 20 degrees off center on both sides. Again thanks for contacting Nic. Maybe I should send him some pictures.


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

Since it has no bevel, I would treat it the same as a cabinet scraper. The back is not flat because when it was made, it started out as a flat piece of steel; one end was rolled up to form the tang. The remaining flat portion was then curved to form the cutting end. The forming and bending caused the back to form a curve .


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## DLK (Nov 26, 2014)

Update:


Flattened back with 120 ceramic grit belt sander. Then honed using Dia-Sharp Diamond Mini-Hone KitDia-Sharp Diamond Mini-Hone Kit
Sharpened and created inside bevel with sandpaper on dowel.
Got my 1942 Dunlap lathe working.
Bought 5/8 to 1" 8tpi adapter, Nova G3 Chuck, PSI headstock drive centers.
Turned 3/8" tenon on a to be knob of apple. Drilled 3/8 inch hole in hop-hornbeam handle.
Glued (epoxy) tennon to handle. Finished turning the knob.
Turned tenon to accept copper plumbing ferule. Drilled hole to accept hook knife tang.
Bought torch to heat tang and burn into the handle. Epoxied tang in and ferule on.
Here is the result:


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Looks great Don. I look forward to seeing it being used on a project.


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## DLK (Nov 26, 2014)

Thanks Andy. I did try to carve a ladle with it out of green poplar but it was to stringy for carving. Otherwise it worked great.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

Looks sharp, Don.

Sounds like a $600 knife?


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## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

That is a beautiful tool, Don. How long is the finished handle?


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## DLK (Nov 26, 2014)

> That is a beautiful tool, Don. How long is the finished handle?
> 
> - CFrye


It finished at 19" long and varies from 1.25 to 1.5 inches in diameter. The hook itself is about a 1.5 inches in diameter.


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## DLK (Nov 26, 2014)

> Looks sharp, Don.
> 
> Sounds like a $600 knife?
> 
> - terryR


Maybe so maybe so. Lathe was about $100 when I got it , Goodwill found turning tools $25, Nova Chuck $99, ball bearing $10.72, 5/8 to 1" 8 tp1 Adapter $19, PSI 7 Piece Multi Spur Drive Center Set $66. Advice from LJ fans priceless.


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