Clamping in same spot (KME)

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Pcexbird

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Nov 27, 2020
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This question is for KME users. How do you consistently clamp your knife in the same spot (or generally close) to the same spot?

Is there a solution to prevent guessing where you clamped previously?

Thanks, I'm really glad to have ordered the KME it's my first serious sharpening system.
 
might have a look at my post here, several ways to help when starting out Pcexbird-

KME Vs. Tormek Vs. Work Sharp Ken Onion Vs. Bench Grinder

Just wondering what is the best way to sharpen my knives, I have used a KME and didn't love it, not sure if its because I didn't know how to use it but it took me an hour or so to get an edge on harder steels, I'm a bit of a steel nut so I have a range of different steels from S110V, S90V, S30V...
www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com
 
I clamp mine parallel to the edge, and just out to where the belly of the blade begins...if that makes sense. You can use your cell phone and take a pic for reference the next time. I use an angle finder on my phone. My case is flat on the sides so it will sit on top of the stone holder just fine. You just want to have the KME oriented on the base the same every time, and the stone holder on the same spot on the blade. Once you get the bevel angle where you want it, check the angle and right it down. There is some play with the KME on the base, but with a knife clamped in, and your angle finder on top of the stone holder it's repeatable every time.

I check my stone thickness with calipers. You'll notice the course 140 is like 5 thousands thicker than the fine stones. I actually bump my angle up to adjust for that when going to the fine stones. Saves you time and wear on the stones. Once you do it the first time and have your bevel set you won't need to use the course to resharpen. Just write the angle down when you're done, and set it up the same next time. I put a reference line on the base. Looking straight down on it everything is in lined up with it. That's the easiest way I've found to keep it consistent. That's all overkill, but I hope it helps.
 
kane22, are you saying KME's 140 is 0.005 inches / 0.13mm thicker, then KME's 1500 when new, or as they are used? I never noticed enough to measure.
 
Pcexbird said:
This question is for KME users. How do you consistently clamp your knife in the same spot (or generally close) to the same spot?

Is there a solution to prevent guessing where you clamped previously?

Thanks, I'm really glad to have ordered the KME it's my first serious sharpening system.
Click to expand...
I use this to know where I clamp it each time for consistency. I write down marking and angle for each knife.View attachment 1810554
 
scottc3 said:
kane22, are you saying KME's 140 is 0.005 inches / 0.13mm thicker, then KME's 1500 when new, or as they are used? I never noticed enough to measure.
Click to expand...
I was never smart enough to measure them when they were new. My thinking it the aluminum plates are all the same, but the courser graded diamonds will be bigger making the stone a hair thicker.

I noticed when I would use the 140 grit and had what felt like a burr on both sides, I didn't seem to quit be hitting the apex with the finer stones. Under magnification you could see just the smallest bit of the edge I wasn't hitting with the fine stones. That's when it dawned on me to check the thickness. I have the thickness compensator, and just adjust for it now. You could just grind a little longer with the finer stones, and you would be fine too.

FWIW I also have some real nice hard ark stones, and they vary too. Not by grit, there's just some variation from one to the other. So I check anything I'm going to use anymore. It might be overkill, but I'm getting good results.
 
When I was using the KME I used to take a pic of the clamped knife on my phone. Good enough to reclamp in almost the same spot.
 
i took notes on the phone, writing down millimeter measurements off my digital caliper. at some point i had to add an accompanying photo to make sense out of my notes for a particular knife. eventually i stopped taking notes, mostly because i used the system less and less, because i naturally transitioned to freehanding and never looked back:
screenshot_2022-05-07rfj4h.png
Now looking back, i doht understand sh*t what i meant with the notes, i've forgotten their meaning/application, i caht remember! It'd be best to take a photo of the clamped blade with the notes (=measurements) written down on the blade face itself with a fine Sharpie.
Will you agree that the list of notes is ridiculous? Well, it wasn't in the beginning. For my main knife, I fixed the optimal position in the clamp and then tried my best to write down the relevant measurements. With each knife, the list got longer and longer, and sometimes it was difficult to express the fixed position in words (hence the photos). When i revisited a particular knife, then yes those notes were indeed helpful for reclamping and resharpening; back then i remembered what they meant. But after 1-2 years i realized that this entire procedure (guided system, taking notes, resetting up the system for each knife over and over again, reproducing the noted measurements with a digital caliper) wasn't my path to stay on. I learned a lot during that period, and then moved on.

I graduated.

So have fun with your new KME!! 👯‍♂️ 🥳 👯‍♀️
 
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