I’ve enjoyed using two inexpensive “mill knife blades” from Hyde Tools of Southbridge, Massachusetts for bootmaking:
Both are flat bars of high-carbon steel sharpened with two flat bevels at one end, like TINA’s 270G or Barsnley’s double-bevel paring knives. They are noticeably narrower, but also far less expensive here in the United States.
The shorter, 6″ version works well in my relatively large, thin hands without any kind of handle holder. The larger 9″ has length to spare.
I have a wood handle for thinner extension blades that I use for clicking. I see that Hyde and Dexter make handle holders for mill blades, as well. I don’t think I’ll be buying one. I’ve wrapped the bare blades in hockey tape for now. Perhaps I’ll make scrap leather sheathes for them sometime later.
Still, I do tend to prefer single-bevel or “chisel ground” knives, especially for skiving.
Going through my first pair now, on the heels of collecting way too many styles of new and vintage knives because you know what if I need one‽ Anyway so far the one that’s been head a shoulders over the rest for general utility has been an R Murphey blade (I’m sure it has a real name) that looks like it was made from a single steel bar like the one above, with a double-bevel edge and a blunt tip in the British shoemaker knife style, and a heavy brass and wood handle with a set screw to allow you to work close to the handle (i used it that way for shaping the buildup and carving a holdfast) when I wanted small controlled movements, or further away for eg clicking and ripping. It holds an edge ok and sharpens to razor edge easily so I’m guessing a softer steel. The handle was too bulky for low angle skiving and I liked the more oblique angle of the edge of Lisa’s japanese knife so thats what I used for that. And of course this is all first impressions but if you haven’t tried one of these out, they look plentiful on the bay.
Heres a picture of my set up for my first time. Apologies for mess but the knife is on the lap apron. Also I glued a peice of stiff soling leather to the knee of the apron and put rouge on it and its super convenient for a quick strop between cuts to keep everything like buttah
Great photo! Nice green view out that window.
R Murphy is definitely a company, rather than a model. They are out of Massachusetts, like Hyde. My go-to lip knife at the moment is one of theirs. I much prefer it to the C.S. Osborne’s I tried to start with.
Murphy’s website isn’t a model of completeness, but it looks like you might be using:
- #86823 “Adjustable Handle Knife Blade”, 17 gauge, 8 by 1/2 inches, $10.80 on their website
- #86713 “Adjustable Handle Knife — Brass”, 4-1/2 inches long, $54.00 on their site
There are a number of these combos available much cheaper on eBay right now.
Yah sorry poor wording, just meant the blade is by r Murphy, I have one of their lip knives as well but got it well-used so had a heckuva time getting it sharp, its an awkward shape, and haven’t found much to love over a blunt edge knife like the English style knife.
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Lip knives have been tricky for me, too.
Some folks I look up to just hone on a thin stone or steel. That means they can’t hone right up to the lip, but keeping just the middle sharp works fine for them.
What’s been working for me is a little round strop I made. I wrapped a piece of scrap leather around a dowel, overlapping at one edge like a cinnamon roll and tacking down. Then I rubbed it with my go-to green honing compound.
Having the little ridge where the leather overlaps itself lets me strop right up the lip or the handle.
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Brilliant! I’ll try that. I used the edge of my strop but it didn’t really get in that curve
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I’ve been so pleased with the Hyde mill blades that I tried, and especially with the trick of using a handle as a depth stop, that I added some more blades to an order:
The pointy 2607 was my clear favorite from the first batch, so I got another for the garage. I had hopes for the little 4546, but I’m most excited about the larger BG71A. I get the feeling that blade in a mill blade handle may replace my lip knife for whittling and trimming, and be much easier to sharpen:
