Can't get nice firm bevel lines, please help

M

minnesotaknifenoob

Joined
Jan 29, 2025
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Hi there,

New knife maker here, using a 1x30 which I know isn't the best. But it fits the budget.

I'm having a really hard time getting nice crisp bevel lines. It seems like no matter what I try, jig, no jig, platten, no platten. I get a more eased edge look. One smooth continues bevel. I would like a more pronounced bevel versus the spine.

I've watched tons of YouTube videos and I see how their doing it. Just won't work for me? No matter what I try I basically get one long taper, not a nice clear to see transition from bevel to the spine and top area of the blade near the spine.

Thank you!!
 
I can say this even though I’m nowhere near what many of the knifemakers on this forum are at in this skill.
Practice and time- whether you’re using a jig or freehanding bevels, it takes a lot of knives and tons of trial and error before you can consistently have good results.
Of course there are little tips and tricks to make it easier (sounds like you know about them) but repetition is the main thing here.

Another thing, a wider belt (2 inches probably) could make the bevels a little crisper but Certainly easier to make.
Have fun, Linus
 
+1 wrt sharp belts- tough with a teeny grinder- that's where I'd start
 
I think you should make a filing jig....
I don't think you are going to get crisp lines with a 1x30, those platens suck.
People will hand sand crisp lines.

Like others said it's a hard to acquire skill to make pretty knives.
 
If budget is the primary concern, don't forget that folks were making blades with nice bevels centuries before belt grinders.
Rough em in with the 1 x 30 then finishing by hand with a decent sanding stick will fit almost any budget and isn't that difficult depending on the steel.
 
or better yet, rough in the bevels with your machine and fine tune with files. You can push and pull files, holding them perpendicular to your work piece. It's surprisingly fast, and the hot tip there is to make sure you have a card file on hand and keep the file's teeth clean. Before heat treatment, of course.
 
Grind your bevels.

When/if the get washed out, use sandpaper, feathering adhesive and a flat surface (surface plate, glass, highly polished tile) to flatten the "flats" back out and bring back the crisp edge.

You'll need to make sure that your sandpaper is secure to the surface, or It'll do the same thing as the belt.
 
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I had a 2x42 that I had difficulty (early on) getting decent bevels and crisp lines. I fabricated a better (reinforced) platen and that helped, a lot!

I used a piece of thicker angle iron, some screws, JB Weld and a ceramic glass piece.

Tracking on those smaller machines can also be a concern, causing the belt to travel quickly out of the grind path and creating dips and bumps in the grind. A light touch and understanding that they run fast is key to minimizing that.
 
Welcome minesotaknifenoob.
Fill out your profile so we know where you live. It will help with better answers and offers of help.

A good procedure is to get a wide tipped red or blue magic marker (Amazon's you friend), or blue layout paint (DyChem spray is best), and cover the blade bevels. Draw on the surface with a black sharpie the line you want to grind to. As you grind you can clearly see the grind line. Re-cover the surface every few passes to keep track of the line. You will quickly learn how to make smoother and straighter passes.
 
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Some pictures of your grinds may help us help you. Also, not sure where you are in MN, but next Saturday the Midwest Knifemakers Guild is holding their sp ring meeting/class in Mankato. The knowledge would be worth the trip.
 
1 x 30 sounds like a nightmare to bevel on. I feel like it would be too easy to gouge the blade due to the narrow belt being less forgiving if your passes are not super precise and steady.
 
In addition to the great tips above I'll rephrase what Devin has already said. Use abrasives like you stole them, both belts and sheets. If they aren't "biting", they're just rubbing and creating heat from friction.
Worn out abrasives waste time and make ugly grinds.
 
I only work with a 3x36 belt grinder as of now. I’ve always laid the blade flat to sharpen up the bevel lines.
 
I'm still new and I put in all my plunge lines with a file. The bigger the round on the file dictates how much curve your gonna have towards the tip and if you use a square file you get a straight plunge. It goes amazingly fast and then you never have to touch the plunge and worry about that potential mess. Also, if you go to about 40 thou thickness you just match up the rest of the blade to that thickness with the belts and ready for heat treat. I personally start going to the plunge once I get to 120g because it goes slow enough I won't mess it up anymore.
 
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