Buy a Wicked Edge sharpener?

I can sharpen higher alloy steels on ceramics. It wears them out and takes a lot of time. I use the diamond plates to set the initial bevel, and on some knives like hunters go to 1200x Diamond. For kitchen knives, I go finer with ceramics.
 
I've never tried ceramics.

This 3m lapping film some guys talk about using, if that's the same stuff I used to use in tool and die, we would lap carbide die button faces with it, pretty sure it was diamond. I don't know what the product was called I never saw the package but it was mylar backed and different pastel colors, pink yellow blue etc.
 
kuraki said:
I've never tried ceramics.

This 3m lapping film some guys talk about using, if that's the same stuff I used to use in tool and die, we would lap carbide die button faces with it, pretty sure it was diamond. I don't know what the product was called I never saw the package but it was mylar backed and different pastel colors, pink yellow blue etc.
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Newer water stones are ceramic.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/home/popupPage.aspx?p=67186

I have the Bester/Imanishi stones myself.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=67088&cat=67175


The 3m lapping films are what you describe. I’m not sure what they use for grit, but your description is what I have.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.aspx?p=33004&cat=1,43072

Silicon carbide or chromium oxide.
 
I think it’s best to learn to sharpen free hand. Sharpening is mostly technique and a little bit equipment/stones/abrasives.

I see guys over sharpening with gizmo sharpeners.

There are two types of cutting, push cutting and slice cutting. Push cutting, like shaving, requires a very keen edge. Slice cutting requires a courser edge.

Sharpening is a matter of raising a burr and then removing the burr. The sharpening angle changes to suit the cutting task.

Hoss
 
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for those that use sharpening guides/aids etc vs hand sharpening on stones,
do you save time or is it the more consistency that's important to you?

I also think it's important to learn to sharpen by hand on stones,
because you can feel the steel and the stones, and there is a lot of pleasure to be derived from it IMO.
 
kuraki said:
I don't use water stones because I assume they are like any other stone in that they're softer than vanadium or tungsten carbides. Diamond plates sharpen everything, whether it's 1084 or 10V.
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What are diamond plates?
 
Steel plates with diamond abrasive plasma deposited on them
 
DevinT said:
I think it’s best to learn to sharpen free hand. Sharpening is mostly technique and a little bit equipment/stones/abrasives.

I see guys over sharpening with gizmo sharpeners.

There are two types of cutting, push cutting and slice cutting. Push cutting, like shaving, requires a very keen edge. Slice cutting requires a courser edge.

Sharpening is a matter of raising a burr and then removing the burr. The sharpening angle changes to suit the cutting task.

Hoss
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I agree with all of this.
One motivation I had to buy it comes from doing the final bevels on daggers.
I feel a bit nervous using a slack belt, going back and forth over the 4 edges trying to get the junction as perfect as possible.
If it turns out well I almost feel like it was a bit of luck.
I'm hoping that starting with the ultra coarse 50 grit, I can get those bevels to meet more perfectly without as much hoping and praying...
 
HSC /// said:
for those that use sharpening guides/aids etc vs hand sharpening on stones,
do you save time or is it the more consistency that's important to you?

I also think it's important to learn to sharpen by hand on stones,
because you can feel the steel and the stones, and there is a lot of pleasure to be derived from it IMO.
Click to expand...

You can either hold the knife and move it across the stone, or you can hold the stone and move it across the knife to sharpen a blade.

I use an edgepro style of sharpener with AO stones from congress tools.

Depending on the steel and how thick of an edge I start with, I may take it to the belt grinder with the platen set at the desired angle to the point it almost forms a burr, then I take it to the edge pro and set the same angle and put on a perfect edge to the point of mirror finish if desired.

I like the Hapstone and Edge pro style of sharpeners because the blade is not locked down and can be moved for longer blades.
 
I like to broaden my knowledge. Today I use a belt grinder for quick sharpening and a Wicked Edge for more high end edges. But I've been practicing on both my washboard sharpening system and stones, just for the kick of it.

In my belief, nothing beats the belt grinder when it comes to create sharp edges quick. And the Wicked Edge vs stones, they're the same (moving the stone or the blade), except the stones will give you less angle accuracy no matter how good you are.
 
DevinT said:
I think it’s best to learn to sharpen free hand. Sharpening is mostly technique and a little bit equipment/stones/abrasives.

I see guys over sharpening with gizmo sharpeners.

There are two types of cutting, push cutting and slice cutting. Push cutting, like shaving, requires a very keen edge. Slice cutting requires a courser edge.

Sharpening is a matter of raising a burr and then removing the burr. The sharpening angle changes to suit the cutting task.

Hoss
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What type of stones do you prefer Mr Thomas?
 
I'm no stone expert, by any means. But there is a difference between moving the stone over the knife vs moving the knife over the stone. It has to do with finger pressure, and matters on thinner blades.
 
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Brock Cutlery said:
I'm no stone expert, by any means. But there is a difference between moving the stone over the knife vs moving the knife over the stone. It had to do with finger pressure, and matters on thinner blades.
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I don't think so, Shosui Takeda is one who uses a hand held stone sharpener, you can purchase one.
The difference in when you move the stone over the knife with the above mentioned systems is that they are guided to a consistent angle. Takeda method is freehand.
 
currenthill said:
I like to broaden my knowledge. Today I use a belt grinder for quick sharpening and a Wicked Edge for more high end edges. But I've been practicing on both my washboard sharpening system and stones, just for the kick of it.

In my belief, nothing beats the belt grinder when it comes to create sharp edges quick. And the Wicked Edge vs stones, they're the same (moving the stone or the blade), except the stones will give you less angle accuracy no matter how good you are.
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This is fine for most knives. However, hard thin knives such as kitchen knives or leather knives are easy to overheat on the grinder. I only do them on stones by hand to minimize heat buildup.
 
Willie71 said:
This is fine for most knives. However, hard thin knives such as kitchen knives or leather knives are easy to overheat on the grinder. I only do them on stones by hand to minimize heat buildup.
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Yes, I should have said that I sharpen on a variable speed grinder, at very low speed with water cooling. So the risk of overheating is very low.

I often do convex edges on a leather backed platen.
 
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