Am I adding extra work with my sharpening technique?

S

Squashfan

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Jun 6, 2012
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As most of the folks who frequent this sub forum know, I am a novice to free hand. When I started free handing reprofiles I used the back and forth stroke with my finger over the spot I was grinding. The one problem is that I seemed to end up with an extremely convex bevel. Not really bad but convex is not what I was sharpening toward. So I switched and started going in circles to reduce the convexness of my reprofiled bevels. However, this requires that once the burr is raised and the bevels are set, that I go back to the back and forth motion to replace the omni directional scratch pattern. I have done most of my reprofiles this way and once the scratch pattern is changed to the back and forth I usually have a screaming sharp knife. (To me anyway.)

So what do you guys think? Do I have an extra step that could be eliminated? Or is this a good way to go about sharpening.

Thanks in advance,
Charles
 
If its giving you the results you want and in a reasonable amount of time, you're doing fine. I went this route as well, but more by way of experimentation - I realized a smaller amount of travel tightened up my tolerances - I just don't have the ability to do longer strokes with accuracy. Then I adapted it to the out and back method I was using, and it became the scrubbing sort of pass I use to this day.

What do you think is the reason you can finish an edge/overprint the circular grind pattern without convexing but cannot do the initial bevel work in the same fashion?

Getting rid of the circles probably won't save you any time, but if you could do all your grinding with the same basic mechanics it might improve your overall technique a bit more and your finishing technique as well.
 
I guess we are all different. I can put an edge like a scalpel freehand. But circles will ruin anything I am doing.
 
HeavyHanded said:
What do you think is the reason you can finish an edge/overprint the circular grind pattern without convexing but cannot do the initial bevel work in the same fashion?
Click to expand...

To much pressure. When I tried to with just the back and forth I was using wwwaaayyy to much pressure. That and maybe to long of a stroke. I do convex the edge when I sharpen with circles but it is not nearly as bad.
 
Tighten the circle down to the size of a dime or maybe a nickel. Continue to apply pressure only at point of contact. When you find a size that works to make a flat bevel, use that as the length of the stroke for your fore and aft stroke. Still use light pressure. Or keep using your current technique, whatever works best but don't stop experimenting.
 
I have plenty of blades that need sharpened so when I finish my current knife I will try a reprofile with the fore and aft stroke.

As always, thanks for the help.
 
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