D2 Steel And Chasing The Burr?

Razor

Razor

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When I sharpen my Protech rockeye folder on the sharpmaker using the diamond stones I end up with a burr. When I try removing the burr, it just seems to jump from side to side. I dulled the blade on purpose, and tried sharpening it again, and same thing. I am using the diamond rods because I read on here that D2 needs to be sharpened using the diamonds rods. Any advice would be appreciated.
 
I don't raise a bur .I just do one side to the next until it grabs my thumbnail at a 45 degree angle. Then move up from there. Creating the bur is one way of knowing you apexed the edge but not the only way. Since creating it makes issues of it's own I forgo it. I freehand but I also have a belt sander and paper wheels. Reprofiling and other heavy work I do with the belt.
 
With D2 and diamond rods, take care to go extra light in pressure to gently abrade the burr away. Diamond doesn't need much pressure to cut the steel and it's carbides anyway; anything heavy will be counterproductive. I'd suggest using only the flats of the rods as well, as the corners will focus pressure even more, even when the touch feels relatively light.

Depending on how you hold the knife when using the SM, that can make a big difference in pressure applied. When using such a device, I always like to hold the knife with just fingertip pressure (between pad of thumb and pad of index finger, at the heel of the blade, or at the pivot or bolster of the handle), with my other fingertips just supporting the weight of the knife from below the handle. In other words, no full-fisted grip on the knife, which (for me) tends to make pressure against the rods much heavier.
 
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Have you tried any alternative deburring methods, like high-angle microbevels, drawing the edge through wood or hard felt, folding the burr to one side and cutting it off on the next pass, or a pasted strop?
 
Have you sharpened any other knife than the one mentioned on the same set up without the same burring problem?
 
It seems like I have had more trouble with D2. I really like D2 steel. It seems like when I do get the burr off, the knife is dull. I have used the UF rods to remove the burr, but the knife seems dull.
 
Mr.Wizard said:
ike high-angle microbevels
Click to expand...

One of my favorite new "toys" lol, for sharpening are diamond lapping films.

3 micron, .5 micron, and .1 micron. Set the bevel at 15 per side, then switch to the 3 micron and do a few passes at 20 degrees, finish up with the .5 and .1 and voila! Hair splitting edge and virtually no burr since it's such a high grit yet cuts fast because it's diamond.
 
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brando555 said:
One of my favorite new "toys" lol, for sharpening are diamond lapping films.

3 micron, .5 micron, and .1 micron. Set the bevel at 15 per side, then switch to the 3 micron and do a few passes at 20 degrees, finish up with the .5 and .1 and voila! Hair splitting edge and virtually no burr since it's such a high grit yet cuts fast because it's diamond.
Click to expand...

What type/brand of films do you use? Source?
 
With hard steels I try to raise a very small burr for the reasons you mentioned.

Try drawing the blade through a piece of wood a few times tonget rid of the burr. Then continue to refine the edge with your stones.
 
I find it hard to get rid of a substantial burr. Try stropping regularly during the sharpening process, so as not to really get a burr. I strop on leather or sometimes on cardboard laid flat on the desk. But leather is better. The advice above about drawing the burred blade through wood is a good one. I will sometimes cut up a cardboard box with a badly burred blade. It is usually sharper afterwards than it was with the burr!
 
DaveDM said:
Thanks for the response. I wish Lee valley also sold 1micron sheets. Anyway I would order some soon.
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Yeah, although .5 micron follows up after the 3 micron quite well. .5 removes metal pretty quick even though it doesn't feel like it's doing much. I found they load up pretty quick with water, wd40 seemed to work better. After they load up a bit, mother's mag polish does a pretty good job of making them look like new again.
 
D DaveDM You can get all of these and more at PSIDragon.com although you'll have to create an account to see prices. Unlike some other metallography suppliers you can buy one sheet at a time.

(link to non supporting vendor removed by staff)
 
brando555 said:
Yeah, although .5 micron follows up after the 3 micron quite well. .5 removes metal pretty quick even though it doesn't feel like it's doing much. I found they load up pretty quick with water, wd40 seemed to work better. After they load up a bit, mother's mag polish does a pretty good job of making them look like new again.
Click to expand...

Thanks. That is a lot of useful info.

Mr.Wizard said:
D DaveDM You can get all of these and more at PSIDragon.com although you'll have to create an account to see prices. Unlike some other metallography suppliers you can buy one sheet at a time.
Click to expand...

Thanks. That is an excellent source of supplies for a knife enthusiast.
 
I’ll add my two...

D2 is full of huge chromium carbides and some smattering of vanadium carbides, especially the good D2. Wink wink. A good edge from this steel should be done with SiC or Diamond.

Chromium carbides, especially the K2 variety, can be quite hard, not to mention the vanadium carbide content, which is often overlooked when discussing D2 sharpening. Some D2 has over 1% VC (vanadium carbide). Most of it has at least a healthy dose.

I don’t find D2 to be that much harder to sharpen, provided the abrasive used is harder than the carbides. SiC stones (and diamond of course) are the D2 stones to use.

Apex with the coarse stone on both sides (burr form) and then de burr with high angle light pressure passes (2 on each side). Simply refine from there.

Again, due to the amount, and most importantly SIZE of the K1 and K2 chromium carbides, and the smattering of small vanadium carbide, you need a good abrasive to handle them.

Cheap diamond plates will sharpen D2 like a pussy cat. So will SiC stones.
 
I just finished a D2 blade (AG Russell Ti-Fist Titanium/CF Framelock) using a SM and finishing with a standard leather strop (on a block) with green chromium oxide. Took my time on it, and turned it into a razor. The trailing edge movement off the strop took off any residual burr on the edge. The previous advice about using the flat of the rods and not pushing too hard is good. I ruined a DMT blue paddle sharpener years ago by applying too much pressure, and could never do more than flip the burr from side to side.
 
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