Deburring question

S

Skunkworkz

Joined
Mar 3, 2022
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When i am sharpening my pocket knives freehand, i do this with leading strokes. It is easier for me to control the angle throug the stroke.
I know that leading strokes wont create much of a burr compared with trailing strokes.

But doing it this way i still create a tiny burr or edge. As soon as i have this i flip the knive over and do the other side. As soon as i am done wit the other side i try to remove the burr or wire.

I do this with trailing strokes somehow, in a 8,6,4,2 sequence and after that alternating. ( on the same stone as i was sharpening on)

But i see a lot of people remove the burr with leading strokes..

could this be the reason i get my knives sharp enough to use them on a daily base but not sharp enough to shave or push cut paper?
 
Deburring is more about use of very light pressure at the right angle. It can be done either edge-leading or trailing - it just comes down to the right touch applied, using either technique. If that perfect touch was learned with an edge-trailing technique, or edge-leading, it really doesn't matter. All that matters is that it works consistently for you. Too much pressure applied, and more so if the angle is too high, is responsible for most burring issues. It's not really about the direction (leading or trailing) in which it's applied.

I do all my deburring edge-leading, using the lightest possible touch I can manage. Only a pass or two at a time - then test the sharpness and repeatability of the edge by doing some cutting into fine paper to check for snags or slipping. If it cuts cleanly and repeatedly, without snagging or slipping, I can be confident the burr has been removed or at least minimized enough that it's no longer significant. If the cutting in paper is inconsistent from one pass to the next, that's a clue there's still a burr along the edge that's moving around, side-to-side. If the edge is slipping without cutting, that could be an incomplete or rounded apex, or it could also indicate a burr that's completely folded over, mimicking a rounded/dull edge.

I wouldn't rely on counting strokes when sharpening or when deburring. There's no guarantee in that - it doesn't actually prove if it's 'done' or not, but simply relies on an assumption that it's done. That's where the cutting tests are more important and more meaningful - if it cuts well and repeatedly so, then you know for certain it's in good shape. And even better, if you can test the edge in additional ways, like cutting into cardboard or wood, and then in the fine paper again, after which the edge still performs well. That's solid proof that you've got a cleanly apexed, fully deburred and durable edge.

If your edge isn't cutting as well as you'd like after sharpening and deburring, it could be due to the edge angle being too wide/obtuse, or edge-rounding issues if deburring technique is inconsistent in held angle, or that the deburring didn't actually complete the task, leaving a flimsy burr on the edge, which moves around back/forth and impedes cutting.
 
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In addition to the great information provided by OWE, you can use other means to help remove the burr. I like to lightly draw the blade through a wooden dowel before my deburring strokes, sometimes I’ll lightly comb the burr to one side then deburr. You can also try felt or a wine cork. Maybe you already have tried these ideas.
 
I think deburring on a stone is better done with edge leading strokes, but once that's accomplished to the best of your ability, you usually want to move on to a strop, and of course there you have to use trailing strokes to avoid cutting into the leather (or wood or fabric or whatever).
 
Reading this confirmed a bit what i was already thinking: that there is stil a flimsy burr on the edge left. I still struggle a bit with seeing the burr with a light so it is hard to tell.

But I can inmagine that leading strokes break the burr more easily, instead of trailing strokes wich could drag the burr back and fort. Hence my question…

I also did try a piece of cork, and after a few strokes I also did not saw any discoloration in the cork anymore.

Is it wise to raise the angle while deburring on the stone, or wait with that until the leather?

Thanks for the advise!
 
Skunkworkz said:
Reading this confirmed a bit what i was already thinking: that there is stil a flimsy burr on the edge left. I still struggle a bit with seeing the burr with a light so it is hard to tell.

But I can inmagine that leading strokes break the burr more easily, instead of trailing strokes wich could drag the burr back and fort. Hence my question…

I also did try a piece of cork, and after a few strokes I also did not saw any discoloration in the cork anymore.

Is it wise to raise the angle while deburring on the stone, or wait with that until the leather?

Thanks for the advise!
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Raising the angle a little bit can help. Just be sure to keep the pressure very, very light when doing so. The more you raise the angle, the less pressure it takes to create a new burr, because the lateral pressure against the edge is amplified at a higher angle.

Sometimes other methods like cutting into cork or wood won't always remove ductile burrs that are prone to bending back & forth a lot without breaking off. The idea behind deburring on a stone is, you're aiming to thin the burr as much as you can by abrasion on the stone, so it more easily breaks or tears off. Once the burr is thin enough, even simple cutting tests like slicing into paper can strip what's left of the burr away. You might notice this upon cutting into the paper, if the edge catches or slips a bit on the first cut (indicating a little bit of burr is there), but then sails effortlessly through the paper on subsequent cuts, after the burr is stripped away.
 
Thanks! I will continue my journey into freehand sharpening. As I said, I am happy that I can put a decent edge on it already, but I want to step it up to a edge which kan shave hair and progress further from there.

I was always a bit affraid of freehand sharpening and how steep the learning curve is, but on the other hand, it is so relaxing and satisfying to do, almost addicting..
 
Lol.. no I would like to proceed up to higher grids and maybe one day put a real
Polished razor sharp edge on one of my all black knives..
 
Skunkworkz said:
Reading this confirmed a bit what i was already thinking: that there is stil a flimsy burr on the edge left. I still struggle a bit with seeing the burr with a light so it is hard to tell.
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Magnification before during and after sharpening is your friend.
From memory, we keep a ~2.5"x3.5" inexpensive LED illuminated magnifying glass that has 10x, 20x, and 30x magnification, where higher power yields narrower field of view... Just helped a son get the factory s35vn on a Rosewood Massdrop Ferrum Forge Gent ready to gift at Valentines day using KME. Started with KME's 600 then 1500 diamond stones. Never have I not observed amazement when a user can see whats diagrammed or described. Helps a lot. Using your phone camera works as well.
 
Update: ordered a led microscope and in the meantime picked up a knive I was sharpening ( on 600) and had a burr. Focused on removing the burr, went the 86421 and gently removed pressure,3 times trough a cork, little strop on leather with green compound.. and.. result.. it is sharp.. cuts phonebook and receipt’s easily , shaves ( not yet as smooth as a new buck knive) but it is progress, thanks for the input, I know where to focus now and get repeatable results, and proceed from there.. I am happy today. Again, thanks for the input!!
 
Skunkworkz said:
3 times trough a cork,
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Get yourself some felt furniture protectors, the ones you stick on the bottom of furniture legs to protect the floor. Stick one to something, then after the 3 times through cork, wipe the blade, then 2-3 times through the felt. 👌
 
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