How To Clean And Sharpen A Kirpaan?

[MoneySingh000]

Waheguru Ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji ki Fateh,

How would I properly clean my Kirpaan and sharpen it because it is pretty dull.

[Tera]

Yup, ours need sharpening too... Anybody?

[ms514]

VAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA, VAHEGURU JI KI FATEH

Some options for cleaning - wash thoroughly (some mild soap and water if there is any sort of oil or grease build up), dry thoroughly. If rusty, you can use a very fine grit - REALLY fine - if you don't mind a slightly dull satin finish. Steel wool or better yet, that green pad for cleaning dishes works well to remove surface rust. Deeper rust may require bench grinder, perhaps with a buffing wheel, and a lot of polishing. An alternative to manual sanding is using acidic solutions such as vinegar or lemon juice to remove rust , which you can dip your Kirpan into for a minute or two (MONITOR how it is doing by taking it out and inspecting it every minute or so, as acid eats away metal) - but keep in mind that keeping them in that solution too long may give it a patina - a protective grey/blackish coating which can prevent further rusting, but may not be visually pleasing to some.

As for sharpening, buy a diamond hone - there are some which are a square brick that have four sides of different coarseness to remove different amounts of metal. Hold the Kirpan at a steady angle and pass it along diagonally so that all of the edge is passed over the hone. Repeat on the other sides of the hone (start from the coarser side if it is completely dull and work your way up to the finer sides. If it just needs a touch up, then just use the finer sides). If the Kirpan has no edge (dull as a butter knife), then again, a bench grinder on the edge could begin to give you an edge. You could use those Kitchen knife sharpeners (some are even on the back of electric can openers), but use them carefully, as you will have no real control over how the edge gets sharpened.

Whatever you do, always try to oil the Kirpan before putting it back into the sheath to prevent rust. Sarbloh can rust VERY quickly, and steel is not exempt either. Try gheo or coconut oil if you can - other oils get rancid and start to smell quickly. Knives are usually oiled with stuff like mineral oil or gun barrel oil for protection, but this is an obvious issue because Kirpans are also used to do Bhog of langar and Karah Parshad.

This is general advice regarding edged weapons. I am not sure how your specific Kirpan is made. Real weapons are forged, hardened at the edges and functional, which unfortunately, many Kirpans are not (some are literally stamped pieces of steel with no attention to the actual cutting edge whatsoever). Always, ALWAYS be very conservative with whatever option you are going to choose. Otherwise, you risk damage to the Kirpan that is not repairable.

[MoneySingh000]

Thanks for the info...For my big Kirpaan it was rusty and dirty I used this rough material for washing dishes and some of the rust came off but it is still dirty, Ill try cleaning it will vinegar or soap...but for sharpening is there an alternative way to sharpen a Kirpaan than getting the diamond hone..I've heard of getting a flat rock and sliding the edge of the kirpaan back and forth on the rock or flat surface...

[ms514]

VAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA, VAHEGURU JI KI FATEH

Yes, you can use a rock, but make sure the rock is flat and consistent in grain - not different variations of rough - think like a cement sidewalk type of slab or rock. There is the possibility of gettingm emory cloth (used to sand metal/pipe ends), attaching it to a wood block and rubbing the Kirpan edge at a steady angle against that for sharpening. The only thing that concerns me with using some rock is if there are inconsistencies in the surface, it may end up damaging the edge, as well as how coarse the surface is (should not be too course, otherwise, rather than sharpening, it could damage the edge).

[MoneySingh000]

Can u give a link to a video just in case I dont do it wrong...

[ms514]

VAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA, VAHEGURU JI KI FATEH

Don't have one I can recommend, but know that Youtube has many...

[Kaljug Singh]

This might help:

http://www.sikhawareness.com//index.php?showtopic=12111

Regards,

K.

[MoneySingh000]

Thanks very much!