DMT for small blades

[LEGION 12]

Hi everyone i have been useing a DMT aligner for a little over a year now love it does a great job getting my knives razor sharp i am sure this ? has been asked but i couldnt find it and the reason i ask this here is because it relates to my slipjoints . When using this system how does one use the clamp the aligner on to small blades like a small pen knife or a narrow blade like a slimeline trapper without the stones hitting the clamp without raising the angle ? Thanks Rich

 

[Blues]

Moved to proper forum...link left in "Traditional" forum...

In my limited experience with the system you have to make some compromises. On very thin/narrow pen blades you clamp as far back toward the spine as possible and then find the shallowest angle that works.

(Some folks use the side of the clamp without the screw for both sides of the blade to get a little shallower angle. This would require reclamping the blade after raising a burr on one side.)

Personally, I prefer to freehand sharpen the blades if any jig system won't allow an appropriate angle.
(I generally use these systems only to establish a new bevel on a knife. After that it's easy to keep them sharp freehand.)

 

[LEGION 12]

Sorry abought that was gonna put this here in the first place but its only my slipjoints that are this small where this causes a problem . I have been freehanding them to get them sharp which does work just getting my angels perfect like i do when useing the clamp and moving the clamp back from the spine doesnt seem to be working probably because i am not putting the clamp back in the same exact place every time . What i think i will try is making up some kind of shim to fit between the blade and clamp and see if maybe that will work so i get a more consistant angle ?

 

[Blues]

You might want to freehand both sides just to create a new low angle bevel and raise a burr.

Then clamp the blade and use the shallowest angle possible to remove the burr and create a tiny secondary bevel.

Doing this will hardly effect the cutting ability of the edge and will keep a symmetrical secondary bevel above the cutting edge. Worth a try and you might be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

You might find that using a higher angle will still give you an excellent edge. The nice thing about small blades (like a pen blade) is that they're thin. That thin geometry makes a big contribution to cutting ability. The guide will allow you to make the edge clean & uniform along it's full length. Even at a slightly more obtuse angle, that can make a big difference.

I had a similar issue with sharpening the pen blade on a SAK, using my Lansky clamp. Just used a higher angle, and was pleasantly surprised with the results.