Coarse vs. Fine Stones For Finishing an Edge?

HH, Thank you. That's a Buck 110 with cpm-154 blade, I'm holding. Which after the cutting it earned a great deal of respect. DM
 
Mike Stewart of Bark River Knife and Tool makes truly excellent knives for hard use, like bushcraft and hunting. All of his edges are highly refined and polished.
 
I've said this before, and I'll say it again, because it really matters. Sharpen your tool, for the correct job. I have stated that I use some knives pretty heavily. I've even gone to a new SE Spyder. However, I got a Manix in yesterday, in BD-1. I started sharpening it, and went all of the way through my XF stones on my Sharpmaker. This thing is polished, and as sharp as I've had any knife. It's not my heavy use knife, it's my edc.

Hwangjino for example, obviously uses a knife in a profession. I think he knows whats up when it comes to his art. That doesn't mean his knives, or techniques, will work for me. Nor mine in his. Right tool, right job. YMMV
 
Ben Dover said:
Mike Stewart of Bark River Knife and Tool makes truly excellent knives for hard use, like bushcraft and hunting. All of his edges are highly refined and polished.
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The Bravo Necker 2 I rec'd was not highly polished or refined, but it was ground very thin with an acute convex. Also had a microbevel on one side that needed to be corrected.

I've done enough tests to stand behind my conclusions - I'd have to see a lot of evidence to the contrary to make me change my mind. I don't expect to change anyone else's either, but for anyone who hasn't figured this out to their own satisfaction yet, do lots of cut tests as you take an edge from coarse to fine and decide for yourself. Don't go on assumptions.

Edit to add: Bushcrafting is essentially green woodworking - a refined edge makes a lot of sense, mostly chopping and pressure cuts. Many many people prefer an edge with more tooth for processing game.
 
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And I've done enough hunting and camping to know what works for those activities. As for "tooth" in processing game..... well no. If you know what you're doing you don't cut from the outside and cut through hard slick fur, but insert the point and slice skin from the inside.

BTW, I've discussed this with Mike Stewart on the telephone, and he has no use for "rough edged" knives. He polishes them all. It's possible you got one that slipped through QC, but if you had sent it back, you would have received a new knife with a highly refined, polished edge.

If the rough, sawtooth edge works well for your uses, then more power to you. I know what works for me.
 
Ben Dover said:
It's possible you got one that slipped through QC, but if you had sent it back, you would have received a new knife with a highly refined, polished edge.

If the rough, sawtooth edge works well for your uses, then more power to you. I know what works for me.
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No need to send it back, I'm real happy with the edges I make.
And yes, a rough edge does work very well for some of my uses, not so much for others. I follow the path that produces best cutting efficiency and longevity with a minimum of effort.

Again, I urge others to take no one's word for what "works" best, experiment and decide for oneself.
 
singularity35 said:
May I ask for some clarification? I know that you like the cutting performance of a fine edge but are you suggesting that it will hold an edge longer than a coarse one?
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I hope he isn't because they just plain don't and it's a HUGE difference percentage wise.
 
Ankerson said:
I hope he isn't because they just plain don't and it's a HUGE difference percentage wise.
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Mr. Ankerson, thank you for visiting in on this. Yes, there is a HUGE difference. One year I field dressed a large Mule Deer in the 210lb. range. Field dress for me is gut, skin and quarter then hang the quarters in a tree and start packing them out. The knife I chose that year was a early Buck 103 skinner with a 440C blade. I wanted to test the edge retention of a fine sharpened blade so, I sharpened it up to the Black Arkansas and stropped it on green COx until it thundered. Then was able to take a nice Buck. This blade, cut very well at first but played out at some of the last quartering cuts and I pressed it to finish. Then I sharpened it to 280 grit (SiC stone) with very little stropping and it handled 3 large Mule Deer before requiring some touch up. Plus, I have a witness. DM
 
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