Confessions of a Former D2 Hater.

Speaking of sandpaper & glass combo, can you sharpen edge-to-spine way, or even japanese forth-back-forth method? I too would be interested of trying out sandpaper on glass. Main reasons being cheap cost, overwhelming avaibility and over all effectivenes. I'm fascinated of how so many old-timers tells that this method is an ace.
 
J-P SAN said:
Speaking of sandpaper & glass combo, can you sharpen edge-to-spine way, or even japanese forth-back-forth method? I too would be interested of trying out sandpaper on glass. Main reasons being cheap cost, overwhelming avaibility and over all effectivenes. I'm fascinated of how so many old-timers tells that this method is an ace.
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If you use back & forth strokes, it's best to make sure the sandpaper is firmly stuck to the glass with glue or some temporary adhesive. That'll prevent the paper from lifting or curling up into the path of the edge, and being cut by it. Having said that, I would still prefer to use edge-trailing only, on sandpaper; it's relatively easy to scrape abrasive from the paper with edge-leading (not good for a refined edge either), and that's why I generally avoid it.


David
 
Obsessed with edges, do you use sandpaper on sharpening? If so, how would you compare it to sharpening on stones?
 
J-P SAN said:
Obsessed with edges, do you use sandpaper on sharpening?
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Occasionally, though not quite as frequently as I used to. The first D2 blade I re-bevelled was a Queen Country Cousin (sod buster pattern), and I originally thinned the edge grind with a Fine diamond hone, then convexed it using sandpaper over my leather-on-oak strop block. The sandpaper worked great for that. I still sometimes use sandpaper for simpler stainless knives (kitchen knives, and Case's Tru-Sharp blades); they respond especially well to 220-320 grit wet/dry, used on a wood backing. I've more recently been gravitating to using hard hones for much of the same tasks; especially diamond hones. I used Coarse & Fine DMT Dia-Sharp hones to thin the edges on a Buck 118 in D2 (limited run) and a Queen fixed blade in D2 as well. The larger/thicker blades are more easily done with diamond hones, or at least a larger bench hone in SiC or AlOx. In lieu of the bench hone, the SiC wet/dry paper over glass (firmly affixed) performs very similarly to a SiC bench hone. The glass backing even makes the sandpaper sound like a SiC stone (both have a nice 'glassy' ring to them, when sharpening).


David
 
J-P SAN said:
Speaking of sandpaper & glass combo, can you sharpen edge-to-spine way, or even japanese forth-back-forth method? I too would be interested of trying out sandpaper on glass. Main reasons being cheap cost, overwhelming avaibility and over all effectivenes. I'm fascinated of how so many old-timers tells that this method is an ace.
Click to expand...

Start out edge trailing, but as you become accustomed, you can use it any way you want as long as the surface is hard. On my Washboard I use it exactly like a soft waterstone. Scrubbing fore and aft pass to grind a new edge and raise a burr, leading stroke to remove the burr. I use a very light leading pass on the slack of the paper as if I were dusting the edge. This method is so quick and reliable - is a great convenience and a key benefit of using the sandpaper. Once I'm sure the burr is eliminated I finish with a few very light trailing passes. On to the next finer grit, or strop on paper and be done.
 
Diamond is the hardest so if you for some reason are having trouble with your current medium of sharpening I add a vote for Diamond plates. DMT makes some efficient ones.
 
Tomorrow I'm going to start checking out CTS-XHP a supposedly stainless particle D2
 
Dmt stones will make short work of any steel. Since my time is limited these days, it's become my default. D2 is a great steel, long been one of my favorites for hunting.
 
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