Blade Angle Preferences

T

Torrin

Joined
Jun 16, 2017
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57
I know this has been gone over at length but I'm still curious what others think.

I carry and use only fixed blades from 4" to 8". I like my blades as sharp as possible and like to touch them up often, usually by stropping. I like to use the Smith, Lansky etc V type carbide and ceramic sharpeners on the fly for touch up when stropping isn't enough.
My problem is quite a few of my fixed blades even at 4" are 25 degrees from the factory and it seems most of those handy little carbide/ ceramic sharpeners are 20 degrees or less. I really like 20 degree blade angles even on larger knives and have reduced a few blades to 20 already.

I have a Sig Kiku 4" VG-10 that has a compund blade making it tough to sharpen on a stone but easy to touch up with one of those V type sharpeners. It has a pretty thick blade and a 25 degree angle, pretty surely I will take it down to 20 but it reallt got me thinking. I have the 5.5" Kiku as well I already took down to 20 and love it.

What are your thoughts on blade angle, and when would you prefer 25 degrees or more? I do a lot of fine cutting and find 20 degrees much more suitable to my tastes overall.
Any input?
Thanks
 
I would never consider 25 dps unless use specified prying. I prefer to go 15 dps and under with a microbevel. 15 dps and 20 micro, 12 dps and 15 micro.
 
Thank you, that's what I had in mind to start trying on a couple of my shorter blades, 15/20.
 
25 dps is good for splitting like on an axe head for example. One of my Velvicuts has a 24/25 convex edge angle on it.

Chopping or carving for a knife would benefit from something like 20 dps give or take. Depending on the steel, intended use and geometry of the knife, anywhere from 15 to around 19 or 20 dps seems to be okay.
 
Torrin said:
I like to use the Smith, Lansky etc V type carbide and ceramic sharpeners on the fly
Click to expand...
is it like this?
3_581e411dc9a313.43802212.jpg


I've always thought those were the worst type of sharpening tools?

have you done freehand bench stones before?
 
I have been sharpening knives for over 25 years and still have a hard time getting a balanced edge freehand for whatever reason.
I do a lot of work freehand as a luthier and leather craftsman but my blades are never perfect without some guide.
I like those little sharpeners like the one shown but mainly only the ceramic side for light touch up and then stropping afterwards. The carbide I don't use much as they tend to leave a burr. If god forbid one of my blades needs more than touch up I go to stones using a guide.
Thanks for the replies
 
Torrin said:
I have been sharpening knives for over 25 years and still have a hard time getting a balanced edge freehand for whatever reason.
Click to expand...
Tip: MinoSharp and/or Montblanc Super Togeru guide rails with an angle cube to dial in the distance you keep from the guide to the stone. Should get you between 15 dps on up with excellent precision and very good accuracy.
 
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Lol DeadboxHero DeadboxHero working on it.
Thanks Adamlau, I'll look into that.

Checked my BM 375 Adamas, it's at 20.
This crazy SOG Kiku is at 30 to start, crazy! It is a thick blade for how short it is though, no wonder I didn't like it. I do like their new American made Pillar in S35VN though it's got to be closer to 20, haven't checked yet.
 
I don't sweat angles too much. On larger or thicker knives I go ~20* per side with a 25* micro bevel. On smaller or thinner knives I do ~15* per side with a 20* micro. I like to keep things simple. :thumbsup:
 
Most of my knives will be somewhere in the 25-30° inclusive (12.5-15°/side) range, when I get them tuned up where I like them. I don't aim for an angle specifically, but that's where they all end up after I sharpen them, just based on my naturally-held angle (freehand) and my own preferences regarding cutting performance of which, if it's not where I like it, I keep going a bit thinner. There's a noticeable uptick in slicing or push-cutting performance at/below 30°, and another big jump when approaching ~25° inclusive or so.

I don't knowingly pocket or use anything at more than ~15°/side. I've never much liked cutting performance at anything wider than that. Even basic, simple low-alloy stainless holds up pretty well at 15°/side (30° inclusive), assuming it's not used as a prybar or screwdriver.


David
 
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20 dps is max for me - and that is usually for stuff that is going to see heavy use, usually in the field, such as cutting through joints, splitting smaller sticks, etc.
 
adamlau said:
I would never consider 25 dps unless use specified prying. I prefer to go 15 dps and under with a microbevel. 15 dps and 20 micro, 12 dps and 15 micro.
Click to expand...

Exact same here: And 15 with 20 micro would be for a big 10-11" chopping knife. For Edge thickness I find 0.020" to be quite universally useful, but care must be taken to not chop at the extremity of thin branches, and go closer to their base instead (when clearing a path for example), because the swaying of thin branches can cause a surprising amount of apex damage from the leverage of the narrowly trapped edge combined with the swaying: Thin 1/4" or even 1/8" outer branches that sway a lot can do far more apex bending damage in a single hit than going through a rigid 6" log...

For the same reason, when withdrawing a big chopping knife at these angles from a big log, care must be taken to minimize any twisting motion.

Gaston
 
18 DPS is my sweet spot. But generally I've been known to go around 15 dps and do an 18 over that to improve cutting performance if it's needed.
 
What are some good non-motarized guided angle sharpening systems? I have a Lansky with basic stones right now with the clamp and guide rods. It works very well for me, but is limited in angles.
 
I'd heard a lot about the Edgepro especially but hadn't researched it enough. I put that at the top of the list.
This VG-10 is taking forever to reprofile, it's almost done though finally. I will be buying an Edgepro before I do another one lol.
 
I don't know the exact angle, but usually I have a "natural" angle that I sharpen most of my knives at. All I know is that it is smaller than 20 dps, because the apex doesnt touch the spyderco rods at the 20° setting. Even my large chopping knives are smaller than 20°. All are slightly convexed. I would guess they are at about 18°.
 
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