Sharpening nickers

[Patrick Chase]

Is it possible a typo above and you mean the #55 had three nicker styles?

My curiosity is going crazy as my understanding is there are two basic style of knicker on the #55. The sliding oblong knickers on the early models and then the cloverleaf design use started some time between 1910 and 1920. What was the third design?

The #55 definitely had 3 design revisions per nhplaneparts: A "long sliding nicker", a "shorter sliding nicker" (with lower threaded hole position on the skate), and then finally the "cloverleaf nicker". I *thought* (based on nhplaneparts again) that the same was true for the 45, but it may be that it only used one or the other of the two sliding variants before moving to the clover-leaf design. That would seem odd considering that the 45 predated the 55 in production, though.

Steve, we've already established that you have a newer 45 and that it and its irons differ from older ones. This is one of those differences.

[Jim Koepke]

Is it possible that you didn't notice the distinction between the two sliding designs?

Absolutely, didn't have anything on which to notice it, so it is more like didn't know. That is the reason for my question. Two different sliding nickers makes sense.

jtk

[maximillian arango]

I mostly lurk but what I have done is kept them in the plane and just strike them with a file a few times and turn it. If that isn't good enough for you I use to screw it to a wooden ruler and sharpen it like a chisel but I found that to be over doing it.

[Patrick Chase]

I mostly lurk but what I have done is kept them in the plane and just strike them with a file a few times and turn it. If that isn't good enough for you I use to screw it to a wooden ruler and sharpen it like a chisel but I found that to be over doing it.

Indeed. As I've said over and over in this thread, nickers are made soft enough to file for a reason. I do not understand the fascination with stoning them.

[steven c newman]

Sigh....no wonder I have Patrick on my Ignore list....

[Patrick Chase]

Sigh....no wonder I have Patrick on my Ignore list....

Why, for pointing out that these things are specifically designed to be sharpened in a way that's easier and faster than the one you suggested, and that preserves the one dimension that actually matters (thickness)?

[Stew Denton]

Hi All,

I will have to try a file next time I sharpen one. Sharpening those things is a pain.

I sharpened the one on my Record 778 about a week ago using a coarse carborundum stone, it is a cloverleaf type. About half way thru the job I decided it would go better with a band aid on the index finger that held the nicker, pinching it against my thumb. The band aid didn't help hold the nicker, but it did stop the skin from wearing off further, as I hadn't noticed I was rubbing my finger against the stone wearing the skin away to the point it was bleeding a little bit. The skin has not completely filled back in and is still thin there.

Simple advise: Don't do what I did and rub your finger against a carborundum stone.

Regards,

Stew

[Patrick Chase]

Hi All,

I will have to try a file next time I sharpen one. Sharpening those things is a pain.

I sharpened the one on my Record 778 about a week ago using a coarse carborundum stone, it is a cloverleaf type. About half way thru the job I decided it would go better with a band aid on the index finger that held the nicker, pinching it against my thumb. The band aid didn't help hold the nicker, but it did stop the skin from wearing off further, as I hadn't noticed I was rubbing my finger against the stone wearing the skin away to the point it was bleeding a little bit. The skin has not completely filled back in and is still thin there.

Simple advise: Don't do what I did and rub your finger against a carborundum stone.

Been there, done that. Ditto for marking gauge wheels, the blades of smaller marking knives, etc etc. I've tried abrasion-resistant gloves, but they just get gunked up from the cutting fluid (water, oil, whatever). If you do it enough your index finger gets callused. I hadn't had those since I was practicing Cello for a couple hours a day, then I took up woodworking :-)

[steven c newman]

600 Medium India stone works better....

[allen long]

Sorry . . . cannot . . stop . . . myself . . . from . . . asking ..... if you need to sharpening advice because your nickers are in a bind?

[David Myers]

Sorry . . . cannot . . stop . . . myself . . . from . . . asking ..... if you need to sharpening advice because your nickers are in a bind?

Please sir. We'll thank you to take this forum seriously.

Now, as to the question of sharpening knickers, one usually sharpens wearing the same pantaloons that one carries out the work of the day in.

[Patrick Chase]

Sorry . . . cannot . . stop . . . myself . . . from . . . asking ..... if you need to sharpening advice because your nickers are in a bind?

Well played as always.

[James Waldron]

When I was about seven, maybe eight, my Sainted Mother put me in (k)nickers for Church one Sunday. No one thought they were sharp. I got into a fight about 'em, too. A fight at Church! I was grounded for about five years for that. But I did sneak the (k)nickers out of the house and onto a bonfire. Very satisfying.

[ken hatch]

Please sir. We'll thank you to take this forum seriously.

Now, as to the question of sharpening knickers, one usually sharpens wearing the same pantaloons that one carries out the work of the day in.

Well played as always.

When I was about seven, maybe eight, my Sainted Mother put me in (k)nickers for Church one Sunday. No one thought they were sharp. I got into a fight about 'em, too. A fight at Church! I was grounded for about five years for that. But I did sneak the (k)nickers out of the house and onto a bonfire. Very satisfying.

He he he said nickers....I've been waiting for this thread to go south from the start.