An Experiment with Angles

Joined
Feb 13, 2017
Messages
2,674
So today I decided I needed to touch up the edge on my ZT 0566cf(Elmax) and thought I'd try something new. Instead of sharpening the entire blade with the same angle I thought I'd put a thinner edge on the upper 1/4 of the blade to where it was shaving sharp, and on the lower part I put a thicker edge on, still sharp, but where it'll hold it's edge after more uses.

I'm not sure why I decided to do this, just an experiment I suppose. I know when I'm breaking down boxes/larger items I usually cut through with the mid to lower part of my blade, and for detail work I use the top edge of the blade. So it made sense to keep the edge thicker where it'll take more abuse and thinner where I need it to cut cleanly and a bit more precisely.

I sharpen all my knives freehand with a double sided diamond stone(Coarse/Fine) and a 1000 grit Arkansas stone, very simple, but ultimately effective. If I had to guess I'd say I put a 30 degree inclusive angle on the top quarter and a 40 degree inclusive angle on the lower 3/4's.

I thought I'd share my little experiment and ask if anyone else has done/thought about doing this to one of their knives. In theory it makes a lot of sense to me, now it's time to test it on every day chores.
 
I'll be sure to. It may not yield much information, but it seemed like something to try. I can definitely see a difference in sharpness just from cutting paper. I can push cut paper easier with the thinner edge, though that's a given. I'm intested in to see if roughly 5 degrees steeper each side will make a noticeable difference in edge retention.
 
Back
Top