A Smooth Edge

[Anderson]

I recently purchased a fixed blade from an American knife maker.
I like everything about this knife except that it isn't what I would even call sharp.No line on my finger nail when drawn across,takes a real effort to even
slice a chip out of my finger nail.

When I asked the maker about this he said one that he puts on a SMOOTH EDGE and it might fool me,well it doesn't.
So what is a smooth edge?

I asked what angle he sharpens the blades at and he replied that doesn't know since he sharpens freehand.
How can you sharpen a blade without knowning the angle you are holding the
blade to the stone?

Thanks in advance
Anderson

 

[gbuskirk]

A knife edge that is too smooth will push cut well but won't slice well, because it will lack microserrations. That's what I've read recently anyways - this is a new hobby for me.

 

[Gene Martin]

Many knifemakers sharpen with a belt grinder rather than a stone. Even then one should know about what angle is being used. Few makers that
I know use anything other than freehand with a stone. Again, we strive for a certain angle, depending on the thickness of the edge and shape of the blade, but we don't use a a jig. We don't use a jig to grind the knife, whether it's forged or stock removed, flat, convex or hollow ground, so there isn't much sense in using a jig to sharpen.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Gene

 

[the possum]

I asked what angle he sharpens the blades at and he replied that doesn't know since he sharpens freehand.
How can you sharpen a blade without knowning the angle you are holding the
blade to the stone?

Well, it should be just as easy for you to tell what angle it was sharpened at. If you can't roughly tell by eye, lay the edge on something like a flat board as though you were going to sharpen it. Slowly push the edge across the wood, (again, as though you were using the board like a sharpening stone) raising the spine as you go, just until the edge bites. There ya go.

BTW, welcome to the forums.

 

[Cougar Allen]