Asymmetric Edge Resource Thread

I better cleant first! It shavs but not popping sharp. But for use should be ok. I think I'll touch it up after I use it instead of before.
Thanks for the tip!
 
Newbie here, a simple question, I don't know which is left or right !!
To determine the right or left edge, do you hold the knife with edge facing you or away from you?
Thanks,
 
Oh, Jerry!!!
Um do you still have my Asymmetrical Busse in your safe?
May I have it now??
:D
 
~2002-2003, I think.

A limited run of Asym B-11's in 2010

That early then. I was thinking later like..........'08. When I look at the tip of my NMFBM and FBM from the "top" they definitely look like they are asymmetrical but I guess they are out of the date range.
 
nn17vl.jpg
 
That early then. I was thinking later like..........'08. When I look at the tip of my NMFBM and FBM from the "top" they definitely look like they are asymmetrical but I guess they are out of the date range.

Look like this? Asymetrical Battle Mistress on left Badger Atak on right

2quhna1.jpg
 
That early then. I was thinking later like..........'08. When I look at the tip of my NMFBM and FBM from the "top" they definitely look like they are asymmetrical but I guess they are out of the date range.
I don't know for sure, but seeing as how those BMs weren't created normally with asymmetrical grinds and that it's only asymmetrical at the tip, I might attribute that to errors or inconsistency in grinding.

That's interesting--the flat-grind side of that edge still has a a primary grind. I didn't know Busse did that. You'll notice that the B11 in your next post is completely flat on the left side. Sort of like a convexed chisel. The edge on the flat side is a very tiny grind.
 
The Battle Mistress is an older straight handle.
ouy05g.jpg

The edge itself is not chisel ground.One side is slightly flatter though.The grind becomes more pronounced on the convex side at the tip and gives the effect of a chisel at the point.Hard to get a pic but here is a view from the point with the blade on it's spine
2a6mut4.jpg

And another from the top with the blade up (Yes I know I need to sharpen it :()
14o52mb.jpg
 
Thanks for all the information, I'm getting a b-9 here real soon. It will be fun checking out what she can do, seems most of the guys who've been around a while really like this geometry. Yeah you old(er) guys :) I love it when good information is passed down !!
 
When you get your Basic 9 read Papathud's posts on keeping it sharp. Little but often. :thumbup: You have done really well finding one ... :cool:
 
We will shortly have a number of new converts to the wonders of the Busse Asymmetric Edge. I thought it might be helpful to gather in one place the various users hints, tips, and tricks on maintaining, fine tuning, or improving the Asm Edge. I know there have been scattered posts on this in the past. Let's try to collect all these here in one place.

To make it most useful, instead of posting links, let's copy and post the text here whenever possible.

I'll start with the sharpening tips by Jerry, as posted on Bad Mojo.

quote from Jerry Busse:

"SHARPENING TIPS

***WARNING***
Use the sharpening tips listed at your own risk!

The term Asymmetrical edge does not mean that the knives are chisel ground. All the knives are flat ground, with complete symmetry right to the edge bevel and this is where the Asymmetrical work is done. Hence the name Asymmetrical EDGE. With the blade edge down the left side is flat ground and the right side is convex ground. This edge is both stronger and easier to sharpen than many other grinds.


Method 1
How do you sharpen the Asymmetrical Edge? To maintain the asymmetrical edge, the flat and convex sides should be sharpened in different ways. To sharpen the flat side you need to use a ceramic rod and draw the knife towards you, edge away from you. To sharpen the convex side you can you a leather strop. Sharpening the knife in this way will realign the edge without removing as much metal.


Method 2
This is Cliff Stamp's current sharpening method as follows:

Touch up with strop, first on canvas then leather plus Lee Valley CrO compound if this fails to produce a high quality edge. Turn to a few passes on 800 grit ceramic rod. If this fails to leave an aggressive edge, remove a little more metal so try a few passes on a 600 grit 12" DMT diamond rod. Touch up with strop and if necessary, a few passes on 800 grit ceramic rod.

Afterwhile even this stops working as there will be a visible secondary bevel on the edge. Then back up one step further, Use a SiC wet/dry sandpaper on the convex bevel, Then use a SiC waterstone on the flat bevel. Then use a finer grit of the same & touch up with strop and if necessary a few passes on 800 grit ceramic rod.


Method 3
This last method is to use a buffer / slack belt sander, this method is much quicker if you have the skills.


Method 4
Contact & send the knife back to Busse Combat Knife Co. for sharpening."

^^this^^
 
My methods are very similar to those in RG's quote from Jerry which are attributed to Cliff Stamp. Especially the first paragraph.

The technique in the second paragraph is the same for me using a waterstone on the flat section. This angle is where the "magic" lies and retaining it is very important. I colour the flat section with a sharpie/marking pen and use a waterstone as water does not dissolve the ink and this is just eroded by the grinding effect of the stone. I use a jewellers loop to make sure the metal is being removed across the whole section of the flat grind ensuring that this is kept as per the original angle.... which as I say seems to be the most important thing in keeping the edge working brilliantly. It appears to be about a 9 degree angle.

I differ on the convex side as when I need to re-profile after a lot of use or after flattening the edge by clipping a stone .... I use a belt sander instead of sand paper .... I initially use the edge as it comes as this is usually excellent .... but following a tip from Will York I have taken the convex side a little higher and used a lot of belt tension for a steeper more appleseed convex curve. This seems to improve the geometry but go steady as you don't want to enable the edge to "roll" more easily. If I have a failing on my edges it is that I often take them too high wanting maximum geometry advantage ... then forgetting that the rolling effect when cutting into wood at 45 degrees negates this advantage if the edge rolls. You only need a slight improvement to what comes from the factory on the convex side .... the factory curve seems done to cope with guys chopping breeze blocks .... I don't do this .... but have found it helpful if you hit a stone .... although taken just slightly steeper the edge obtained is truly amazing .... my Basic 5 has this done to it and has yet to be in need of re-sharpening .... I just re-align the edge using a ceramic rod on the flat side .... it is definately one of the sharpest knives I have.

On my Basic 9 and the Basic 11 I will probably just do the section near the handle like this for fine carving ..... leaving the sweet spot on the chopping part of the blade as per the factory angles.

^^^and this^^^
All i could add is that i use a very old, almost smooth butchers steel on the flat side at almost 0 degrees to remove the burr, flat as possible.
 
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