Best sharpening stone for 1095

[22-rimfire]

I use WD-40 as a lubricant with my Norton India stone. Almost always have some of that lying around.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Bingo. "The Double Stuff is a 303F and 303M bonded together and packaged in a leather pouch..."

I assume 303M means Medium (more of that code language) and 303F id Fine.

Curious what the M is equal to compared to say 400 sandpaper? I just got my ESEE-4 shaving sharp using 400 grit on a desk top as opposed to having a mouse pad underneath. With a Sharpie marking the edge, I was able to put exact point load on sections of the blade starting from the tip. I finished on a dry, leather belt strop.

The medium Spyderco produces a finish along the lines of something like ~1200 grit wet/dry sandpaper (when fresh). Not quite to polished, but a very fine satin. Wet/dry sandpaper becomes effectively finer with wear, so at some point, 1200 would start to produce a higher shine.

1095 usually responds well to somewhat less aggressive abrasives for finishing. One can still utilize something like a coarse/fine diamond hone for setting bevels (purely for speed), and some 220/320-grit sandpaper on firm or hard backing works well for that also. Beyond that, anything from 400 grit and up will finish it well, depending on preference. White and green compounds work very well for stropping 1095. Finer white or black compounds (5 micron or finer), used on a hard/firmly-backed strop, can polish 1095 pretty fast, even if following sharpening at a relatively coarse grit (320 or higher). I've noticed my 1095 bevels don't take long to polish up, as I've used white and/or green compounds on paper-over-wood strops to maintain them.

The above just reflects how I've been sharpening and maintaining it. Well-executed 1095 is a pure joy to sharpen up and use, and it can respond well to a very wide range of sharpening tools. Poorly-executed 1095 (usually much 'softer' at lower RC) is a lot more finicky, and won't respond well to very aggressive abrasives, or too much pressure. I have examples of both the very good and the very bad. The differences between them can be astounding.


David

 

[Blackie Scantling]

Thanks David,

ESEE prescribes using a Sharpmaker at a 20 degree angle to sharpen their knives. I was never disciplined enough to maintain a factory grind at a fixed angle and therefore I have put, what I believe to be, a convex edge on my 1095 ESEE-4. I just deboned a turkey with it and it doesn't feel as sharp as when I started but I believe a quick stropping alone should bring it back.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Thanks David,

ESEE prescribes using a Sharpmaker at a 20 degree angle to sharpen their knives. I was never disciplined enough to maintain a factory grind at a fixed angle and therefore I have put, what I believe to be, a convex edge on my 1095 ESEE-4. I just deboned a turkey with it and it doesn't feel as sharp as when I started but I believe a quick stropping alone should bring it back.

When or if you find it convenient, you might try 'stropping' the blade on some firm/hard-backed wet/dry sandpaper in a higher grit; maybe something like 800 or higher. If you're already comfortable with your stropping technique, and your edge is already somewhat convexed, it's a natural progression for your hands and your blade. You might find you like touching up your edges this way, and well-executed 1095 responds greatly to it. I recommend first trying it at a higher grit, because it'll pose less risk for your edge while you're getting accustomed to the feel of it. Anywhere from 800-2000 grit is a good place to start; you can tailor your grit choice to your preferred edge finish later on, when you get comfortable with the method.

Just using some temporary adhesive, or a 'glue stick' used for craft work, to stick a piece of wet/dry paper to a board, can work very well. this is exactly how I do mine, and I use essentially the same method for stropping with compound on paper-over-wood. It works great. The hard backing under the paper will work more effectively to keep your edges very crisp, while the 'stropping' technique will still maintain a little bit of convex behind the apex. Softer backing (leather/mousepad/etc) under the paper will be more prone to rolling over and around the apex, and poses a greater risk for dulling or rounding off the edge.


David