1/32" is .030" thick. That is WAY too thick for the edge before sharpening.
You want the starting edge to be between .005" and .010" before sharpening.
The starting edge thickness determines the "Thickness Behind the Edge" called TBE. This needs to be thin for the knife to cut efficiently. Many of us take the bevels down to what we call "almost sharp" before making the edge. If you start with almost no edge thickness the edge will be sharp and only take a few seconds to a minute to establish.
Here is how I establish the edge and sharpen.
1) Grind the HTed blade bevels to an edge thickness of .005"- .010". It will almost feel sharp. Some places may be sharp enough to cut your fingers, so be careful.
2) Carefully flatten the edge on the belt grinder at slow speed, or on a stone, to establish a smooth edge with no dips or bulges.
3) Touch up the bevels one last time at 400 grit to make sure the edge is almost sharp and even thickness all the way down the edge. At this point the bevels should be finished except for hand sanding if you are doing more than a 400-grit finish. When you are done with all sanding the bevels, tape up the blade and edge to protect it (and to protect you).
4) Do nothing more to the edge until the knife is finished.
5) When the knife is done except for sharpening I use one of several sharpening methods
A) Sharpen on a stone judging the angle by eye. This is easier than you would think.
Note - Fred Rowe makes a great tool for getting exact angles on bevels and edges called a Bubble Jig. See The Exchange. It will also teach you what different angles look like.
B) Sharpen freehand on the grinder using the belt area between the top idler wheel and the tracking wheel. I have the grinder running very slow and in reverse while doing this. The belt is moving in the direction of spine-to-edge, so it won't catch the super sharp edge. This is what I did 95% of the time before making my new sharpening setup. For a quick sharpening of my kitchen and shop knives, this is what I still do.
C) Sharpen using my edge jig and my new upper platen. This allows exact angles and very sharp sharpening. It takes a little longer to set up but makes better edges.
6) ALL sharpened edges need to be stropped to remove the tiny (sometimes microscopic) wire edge. I do this on a charged leather strop or on a charged linen buff. I don't recommend buffing for those not trained, as it can be very dangerous to both the knife and user when buffing a very sharp edge.
The difference between a sharp knife and a scary sharp knife is in the stropping. Stropping also polishes the edge to make less cutting friction.
7) After stropping, I cut down a piece of cardstock (80-120 pound paper) several times to assure the wire is gone.
TIP:
Sighting down the edge under a good light will show any minute flat spots that are not fully sharp. They will show as "glints". The sharp edge areas will look invisible, as no light reflects off it.
. Thanks for your tips.
