Sharpening Handbook

Crack Weeder

Crack Weeder

The Crack Weeder is used for uprooting weeds in bricks and other minor activities in the garden.

The hooked side is used to drag between the bricks, and is not sharpened, though it may need to be re-ground to not have the edges rounded over.
The back edge (bottom, right in the picture to the left) may be sharpened for use as needed. Guidelines shown below are for Included Angles (α). The two edges could be sharpened differently, but that is not typically done.

There can be a debate about how sharp the back side knife should be. Notes regarding this are below in the Notes & Comments section.

Edge Angles

Dandelions, like all things in nature, are beautiful when you take the time to pay attention to them.

June Stoyer

General Guidelines
α	Notes
35° - 40°	This edge will get banged around a bit, so it could even be ground up to 45° or 50°.

Notes & Comments

Information regarding Grindstones

How Sharp Should a Crack Weeder Be?

The gardener needs to decide how sharp the back edge of the Crack Weeder should be based on the activities for which the tool will be used. But in general, it should less sharp than tools like hoes.

Tormek Notes

The Tormek SG-250 grindstone works well for sharpening this tool. Also, grinding the outside edge using the Tormek's vertical position (with the grindstone rotating towards the edge) is recommended.

Because the blade is curved, the KS-123 does not work for this application.

Bench & Angle Grinders

Using a bench or angle grinder is not recommended as this will surely overheat the tool, removing the temper from the edge. Additionally, the shaping of the edge is difficult to control.

Sharpening the Edge

KJ-45 Bottom Stop

If using a Tormek with the KJ-45 jig, the bottom stop is recommended (as indicated in the picture to the left). This makes setting the angle far easier.

The picture on the right shows a Japanese weeding sickle being sharpened on a Tormek (the blue piece behind the grinding wheel is a drip tray).

If you choose to use a machinist’s hand file,

Start with a 8-10" medium (or second cut) file.
Finish with a 6" smooth cut file, then use this file to remove the burr.

Micro Bevel Notes

The micro bevel makes the resharpening of this tool easier. If you sharpen the tool using a machinist's hand file, this is recommended. It is less critical if you use a Tormek grinder for the sharpening.