BESS sharpness by edge angle

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Gottagofishn

Joined
Jan 25, 2022
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I am a super sharp junkie… can’t help myself.
Anyway, when I sharpen quality knives I can coax 70 to 100 out of them with a 15 degree angle. When I take the angle to 20 degrees around 160 is fairly normal.
I think it becomes tougher to get them really sharp due to the small edge from the steeper edge angle… or not?
I’m wondering if any BESS users see the same or am I just dropping the ball? What kind of scores are you getting from 20 degree angles? 25 degrees?
Thanks,
Al
 
I don't see much difference between 15 and 21 per side, maybe 10 or 20 if that. Far bigger differences in how I sharpen than a few degrees of angle.
 
I don't think it has anything to do with how hard it is to sharpen at a given angle. I think it is a more acute angle simply is sharper than a more obtuse one. Both can be keen, ie same apex size, but a 10 dps edge would be sharper than a 15 or 20 dps edge. This also shows up in edge retention. I have an otf i can only sharpen to 20 dps. I'm used to 15dps on all my other knives. I noticed a difference in sharpeness and how long it stayed sharp. I don't know how much but I'd bet if you lowered your angle below 15 your bess score would go down
 
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What i do find harder with a larger angle/smaller bevel is stropping. My dmt system the lowest i can go is 15 dps. Going to 10 to 11 or 12 dps is the only reason occasionally I contemplate learning freehand sharpening
 
elevator man said:
What i do find harder with a larger angle/smaller bevel is stropping. My dmt system the lowest i can go is 15 dps. Going to 10 to 11 or 12 dps is the only reason occasionally I contemplate learning freehand sharpening
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Consider an Edge Pro Apex .
I've been using mine for > 10 years . I have a Wicked Edge but never get around to using it . Best for fixed blades and larger knives ; I plan to mod the heck oit of the clamp to clear my acute edges . . . you know . . . someday .
The Edge Pro does small pocket folders / traditionals with an adapter that is cheep and amounts to a 1/4 inch rectangle of plastic with a hole in it .

Helps me make edges I never dreamed I could make when I started .
I am extremely picky now and I could not want better edges .

The only thing I would change or add PERIOD is the sliding " drill stop collars " that I have seen on other sharpeners recently that limit the travel of the sliding rod that carries the stone . Not needed for normal use but I could find them handy for some of my cheating .
 
elevator man said:
I don't know how much but I'd bet if you lowered your angle below 15 your bess score would go down
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Or at least there would be ( is ) less resistance when cutting real world work . No question ! ! !
I CANNOT STAND edge bevels wider than 15° and go down to 12 or so as soon as I have free time to get it done .

As a hand tool wood worker I have and do put hair whittling edges on bevel up plane blades as obtuse as 55° " inclusive " but I have never seen the attraction for a pocket knife .
 
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I finally started using the Tormek wheel for honing and am seeing 120 BESS scores routinely, on a variety of steels. So it becomes technique to some degree. I imagine Mr. Friction prevents obtuse angles from sharpening as sharp as acute angles.
 
Precision Edge Sharpening said:
I’ve hit 90 with a 20dps
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Very nice… I just started using Tormek’s honing wheel. After honing at the exact angle I’m getting 110 to 120. I can get sub 100 (depending on the steel) by stropping on a 1x30 leather loaded with Tormek’s honing paste. The smaller the exposed edge the harder it is for me to get consistent results with the belt.
 
Gottagofishn said:
Very nice… I just started using Tormek’s honing wheel. After honing at the exact angle I’m getting 110 to 120. I can get sub 100 (depending on the steel) by stropping on a 1x30 leather loaded with Tormek’s honing paste. The smaller the exposed edge the harder it is for me to get consistent results with the belt.
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Do you have the 4000 grit Japanese stone?
 
Lower angle absolutely makes it easier to achieve a keener edge. You're trying to create a triangle with the smallest possible angle (the apex). A wider triangle magnifies any imperfection. Imagine you have a perfect 15° edge and a perfect 20° edge, and then you abrade 1 micron from the apex on both. The 15° edge will be sharper because that triangle is narrower than the 20° triangle. In other words, the cross section where you removed the 1 micron will be wider on the 20° edge than it is on the 15° edge.
 
I freehand sharpen so all my angles get wobbly eventually. As long as they cut, I'm OK with that (got a few wobblies myself after seven+ decades).
 
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