Compounds for honing

bmktdk

bmktdk

Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
205
I was wondering what compound you are using to hone your knives. I know the green color seems popular because it is very fine. Anyone notice a difference using the different colors? I think there is black, white, red, yellow,and green. Are the different colors any standard grit?
 
I use the green solely myself. It's 1 micron IIRC which is very fine, but it doesn't take too many passes to keep an edge up, so I don't see a point in going with a rougher grit.

I think I paid $5 shipped for a bar on ebay that will last for years.
 
I ask you, why would you want to hone your edge. A rougher edge has more cutting power and will last longer and is easier to re-sharpen. If you want to shave, get a razor. I use the brown rods on a Spyderco Sharpmaker. On 1095, it puts a great edge with a nice "bite" and will still shave the back of my hand. Honing is for barber's.
 
TAGannon said:
I ask you, why would you want to hone your edge. A rougher edge has more cutting power and will last longer and is easier to re-sharpen. If you want to shave, get a razor. I use the brown rods on a Spyderco Sharpmaker. On 1095, it puts a great edge with a nice "bite" and will still shave the back of my hand. Honing is for barber's.
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Not true.
 
All of it.




Brown ceramics do put on a nice edge though. ;)
 
All of it? You have got to do better than that. Otherwise, your arguement is useless.
 
When a edge has imperfections those imperfections are the first thing to become damaged. When the edge is finished properly their are no imperfections to become damaged, this shows the true wear resistance of the steel and not weak "teeth" at the edge becoming deformed.
 
You sound like you know what you are talking about, but, in the end, you are wrong. It is the micro-abrasions that cut meat, razors cut hair. A polished edge fails quickly. Hence serrated edges.

Hence again why there are steels like 20CV and S30V that have tons of carbides in them. They act as little teeth and cut the heck out of stuff.

A steel (the kind used by chefs) re-aligns the micro serrations of a blade to continue the cutting process without removing steel.

My knowlege comes from 20+ years of making knives and sharpening them professionally and living near Crucible Metals and getting to visit with the people who formulate the metals that are now on the cutting (no pun intended) edge of custom knives.
 
Plus you need that honing compound to knock off the burr. Sure, the burr feels sharp if stood upright but it won't stay that way for long...too fragile. You knock that burr off with a bench strop and you have a better edge. No, it is not absolutely necessary but folks that leave on the burr are resharpening...because they have to.
 
TAGannon said:
You sound like you know what you are talking about, but, in the end, you are wrong. It is the micro-abrasions that cut meat, razors cut hair. A polished edge fails quickly. Hence serrated edges.

Hence again why there are steels like 20CV and S30V that have tons of carbides in them. They act as little teeth and cut the heck out of stuff.

A steel (the kind used by chefs) re-aligns the micro serrations of a blade to continue the cutting process without removing steel.

My knowlege comes from 20+ years of making knives and sharpening them professionally and living near Crucible Metals and getting to visit with the people who formulate the metals that are now on the cutting (no pun intended) edge of custom knives.
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I'm not sure about that.

Microabrasions are how rough the side of the blade near the edge are, not the alignment of the blade, and honing is to correct alignment.

Think of it this way. To cut something, you're pushing material along the blade. There are two directions of force, towards the edge and along the edge. If the edge isn't aligned, there are gaps as the material is going along the edge, and the pieces of the material are hitting the material after the gap head-on, which is going to cause more damage. It's the same principle as aerodynamics on vehicles; there is more force against the front of a flat-nose bus than a sports car.

As for serrations, they don't have those 'gaps' but instead have more roughness along the side of the blade (i.e., above the edge), which provide a variable resistance, the extremes of which give it extra grip, as well.
 
Well that's good but if I'm wrong then so are you ;) I also have about the same amount of sharpening experience but have take my level of sharpening knowledge to a extreme. Cutting hair and cutting anything else is no different you are still using a thin piece of metal to separate a object. I would love to argue this with you but I see you would not understand. (no offence intended)
 
Vehicles are cutting air. polished and streamline work great.
Knives cut flesh.

Ever use a circular saw with a polished edge?
How about a chain saw with a dull, worn out blade?
How about a worn out hack saw?
Bastard files suck when they are worn out.
 
TAGannon said:
Vehicles are cutting air. polished and streamline work great.
Knives cut flesh.

Ever use a circular saw with a polished edge?
How about a chain saw with a dull, worn out blade?
How about a worn out hack saw?
Bastard files suck when they are worn out.
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That is a completely different kind of cut and a bad example.
 
What I've always been told (and experienced since I was young, well, younger) is that a rougher edge will cut better in the short run because it acts like a serrated knife. However, with use those micro-serrations deform easily which quickly dulls the knife. Kind of like using a razor sharp saw blade made out of solid gold. A more finely honed edge doesn't slice through things like meat as well, but the edge lasts much longer.
 
There's a balance that needs to be struck. I find that a stropped, 1000-2000 grit edge works best for most non-choppy blades. Enough tooth to start the cut but still fine enough that they don't break off and dull quickly. For chopping or wood carving then go all out with the honing till it's a mirror.
 
TAGannon said:
A polished edge fails quickly.
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Why would a polished edge "fail quickly"?

I find that mine last a long time. Of course, a serrated edge will "cut" for a longer time - but that's because it's not truly cutting - instead, it's mostly tearing.

TAGannon said:
Hence again why there are steels like 20CV and S30V that have tons of carbides in them. They act as little teeth and cut the heck out of stuff.
Click to expand...

Every steel has carbides. It's a vital part of what makes steel "steel".
Perhaps you're referring to the size of the carbides?

TAGannon said:
A steel (the kind used by chefs) re-aligns the micro serrations of a blade to continue the cutting process without removing steel.
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True - but what bearing does this have on whether a stropped edge cuts more effectively than one which isn't stropped?
 
Knifenut, I was simply trying to use examples that you would get. Guess not.

Yes, there is a balance of polish to micro-serrations. Love to see you polish that edge in the field. Flint knapped knives are ancient. Nice balance of serration with polished on those.

You will never see a polished edge at a rope cutting competition.

Theory vs practical application is what is happening here.

I'm through. Take care.
 
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