Hey everyone! I was just wondering if anyone had any good ways to find an angle. 15 degrees and 20. I know the folding paper trick and I also usually use quarters but I know that isn't accuracy since there are so many different knife shapes and sizes. I would like to make a wedge or something but I really need something so I know I am at a twenty degree angle when I want to be and I'm not at 10 degrees or thirty...
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Consistent angles!
- Thread starter Gradyw
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I am always using "sin" to figure out how high to raise my spine off of the stone for a particular angle. Gotta use the trig from high school. sinΘ = opposite side / hypotenuse. Let's shoot for a 15° edge angle (per side). We need to make one measurement, the "hypotenuse" of our right triangle, which will be the measurement from edge to spine. Let's say our knife is 1.5" tall. This is our hypotenuse. Our "opposite angle" is the one we are solving for, how high to lift the spine off of the stone, or "x" in our equation. Our angle "Θ" is 15°. The equation is sin15°=x/1.5. To solve for "x", multiply both sides by 1.5, you get x=1.5(sin15). X then equals .388". So you need to raise the spine (center of the spine) .388" off of the stone for a 15° angle. That's how I do it. You can make yourself some wedges of particular angles you use often if you don't want to do the trig every time. I just do the trig, it's easy for me.
Shooting for a 20° angle with a chef's knife that is 2" tall, you would have sin20=x/2. x=2(sine20) x=.68" Raise the center of the spine .68" off the stone for a 20° per side on a 2" tall knife.
There may even be a chart floating around here somewhere that someone has taken the time to do, which gives all these blade heights and edge angles for easy referencing.
Shooting for a 20° angle with a chef's knife that is 2" tall, you would have sin20=x/2. x=2(sine20) x=.68" Raise the center of the spine .68" off the stone for a 20° per side on a 2" tall knife.
There may even be a chart floating around here somewhere that someone has taken the time to do, which gives all these blade heights and edge angles for easy referencing.
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2014
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Google - Richard Kell Bevel Guide
http://www.bladehq.com/item--Richard-Kell-Solid-Brass-Bevel--16412
http://www.bladehq.com/item--Richard-Kell-Solid-Brass-Bevel--16412
I'm a fan of Fred Rowes angle wedges. They come in a set from 14° up to 20°. They've been indispensable to me for keeping consistent angles and have really helped me with my freehand sharpening (semi freehand I guess). He is on the forum here. I could never before keep a consistent angle let alone know what angle I was sharpening at.
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I used to use a block with angles inscribed into the sides to sight along, sight along the spine and line up for whatever angle you want. Once the bevel gets set you can go by feel and Sharpie.
CPP
Gold Member
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- Sep 8, 2014
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Do you find the bevel guide helpful? I tried using it a few times and it seemed to leave a large margin of error. If only they had allowed each angle to continue to a V instead of putting a hole at the base of each angle...
The guide is really designed for chisels, or chisel grind knives. Here's the maker's instruction video for equal bevel knives.
"Chisels are easy" he says. Knives look more like guesswork to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lXV9cOoUL8
The real truth is, the exact number of the angle really doesn't matter much. Holding that angle consistently *does* matter. A blade guide of some sort can really help, whether it's a wooden or plastic wedge, a clamp, a folded piece of paper, or a full jig system. Anything to help you hold the angle consistently will help.
If you're stuck on the idea of "the exact angle", I understand. I was too for a while. I built an adjustable sharpening ramp and painstakingly measured the exact angle of the ramp at many points and marked it so I could sharpen to exactly 15 degrees or 12 or 10, etc.
Here's the video that original inspired me to make my own:
[video=youtube;AXhrqfV5jvs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXhrqfV5jvs[/video]
The video above is NOT me. That's another bladeforums member (having trouble recalling his BF name right now).
My ramp is similar to his but not the same. My top and bottom pieces meet at a sharply defined point with a hinge so measuring for distance (and thus angle) is easier. My sliding piece rides in a channel; we made mine at my job (at the time) on a CNC machine, so cutting the channel, etc was pretty easy. The end result is very similar to his.
I used it for a month or so and had one breakthrough sharpening experience with it, so it was worth it overall. It's sitting unused right now, but it was a nice learning tool.
Brian.
If you're stuck on the idea of "the exact angle", I understand. I was too for a while. I built an adjustable sharpening ramp and painstakingly measured the exact angle of the ramp at many points and marked it so I could sharpen to exactly 15 degrees or 12 or 10, etc.
Here's the video that original inspired me to make my own:
[video=youtube;AXhrqfV5jvs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXhrqfV5jvs[/video]
The video above is NOT me. That's another bladeforums member (having trouble recalling his BF name right now).
My ramp is similar to his but not the same. My top and bottom pieces meet at a sharply defined point with a hinge so measuring for distance (and thus angle) is easier. My sliding piece rides in a channel; we made mine at my job (at the time) on a CNC machine, so cutting the channel, etc was pretty easy. The end result is very similar to his.
I used it for a month or so and had one breakthrough sharpening experience with it, so it was worth it overall. It's sitting unused right now, but it was a nice learning tool.
Brian.
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2014
- Messages
- 2,930
:thumbup::thumbup:
An issue with ramp systems, even V Cross-stick systems, is holding the blade perfectly horizontal/vertical. The ramp may be at a perfect 15° but if you're holding the blade at a 2° tilt, the resulting angle will be off.
Don't have one myself.
As I understand it, the hole at the base is required as part of the manufacturing process.
:thumbup:
An issue with ramp systems, even V Cross-stick systems, is holding the blade perfectly horizontal/vertical. The ramp may be at a perfect 15° but if you're holding the blade at a 2° tilt, the resulting angle will be off.