Do I need a guided sharpening system?

rodriguez7 said:
I use the 1 inch belts from klingspor, I like to blend my edges into a nice convex, then I finish on a spyderco sharpmaker with a 20 degree micro bevel. Seems to work good so far. Pops hair right off my arm when I’m done. Sometimes I’ll finish with a strop.
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I just ordered those same 1" belts, and I hadn't considered the spiderco, but I like that idea.

I stumbled on some posts mentioning the buck honemaster 136, and they were all basically glowing at how well it works. I found a super clean one on eBay for $30, curious to see if such an old tool is really that great. If it isn't, then I have a cool old tool :)
 
kuraki said:
I've tried a lot of various methods for sharpening. Paper wheels, on the grinder, freehand, guided. Pretty much the only thing I haven't tried is guided and powered like a Tormek. They all work. I keep coming back to using my guided jig for the majority of knives I make. It's consistent, reliable, repeatable, and I can tell the buyer it was sharped at X degrees since so many have guided systems themselves.

Something like a kitchen knife I'll still do freehand on a 2x8" stone because I likely ground the bevel to 0 before sharpening and the length of the blade just makes it easier to do freehand. Something like a big chopper I still do at my grinder because it's faster and maybe convex. Everything in between I like my guided jig.

AFAIC - diamonds are a man's best friend :D
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Natlek said:
You can build guided sharpening system for less then 10 $ and then you need only three different grit size /200-400-800 / DMT diamond stone and piece of leather to sharpen any known and unknown steel ............
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I'd love to see a picture of yall's guided jigs for your belt sanders. I'm having trouble visualizing them.

I've been mulling over making an MDF wheel for final sharpening.
 
There's a misunderstanding my jig is manual. It's essentially an edge pro with a clamp.
 
Question for the knowledgeable: I just finished heat treating/tempering my first knife. I brought the primary bevel to a Trizact A45 machine finish (my stopping point), is it okay that my edge is still hovering around .022" (.010" at the tip, oops!) before I create the secondary bevel with the bubble jig/j-flex belt? Or should the primary bevel it be closer to zero at the edge before that point?
 
Personally, .010" is the maximum I like to terminate the primary bevels to before sharpening. The thinner the better. Then, just adjust edge geometry to the cutting task requirements.
 
Adam Buttry said:
Personally, .010" is the maximum I like to terminate the primary bevels to before sharpening. The thinner the better. Then, just adjust edge geometry to the cutting task requirements.
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Roger that. To expand on my question, Fred.Rowe Fred.Rowe suggests "setting" the (secondary) bevel angle using the grinder/platen, can I achieve that .010" thickness during that step, or should I go back a few grits and grind the whole blade thinner?
 
Your primary bevels should terminate evenly (tip to heel) down to .010" BEFORE setting the edge (secondary) bevels.
 
googlebutt said:
Question for the knowledgeable: I just finished heat treating/tempering my first knife. I brought the primary bevel to a Trizact A45 machine finish (my stopping point), is it okay that my edge is still hovering around .022" (.010" at the tip, oops!) before I create the secondary bevel with the bubble jig/j-flex belt? Or should the primary bevel it be closer to zero at the edge before that point?
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.02 may be appropriate for a rough use knife or chopper, about .015 is the thickest I go though, and .01 is more common for utility knives. kitchen knives are generally in the .005 range. I am not actually opposed to a thinner edge in some locations, but it should be intentional. A thicker mass behind the edge is definitely tougher. In a basic bushcraft knife, it would be appropriate to go from .015 near the ricasso to .005 at the tip. If you need to baton logs, use the thicker section, for better edge retention on cutting tasks, use the tip.
 
J. Keeton said:
I'd love to see a picture of yall's guided jigs for your belt sanders. I'm having trouble visualizing them.

I've been mulling over making an MDF wheel for final sharpening.
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I don t have one I use DMT stone on hand guide sharpening tool . But if you have adjustable rest table on your grinder I don t see any reason why simple grinding jig / which we use for grinding bevel / would not work for final sharpening ? Just set the angle and sharpen that knife ............ ?
 
quick sketch................?

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One more thing .......because it is finished knife with handle on you can use CA glue on blade to hold on jig.............light tap will loose steel from jig when you are done with sharpening one side .It is easy to clean glue after that . I don t use anymore clumsy clamps to hold knife blank on jig .I just glue blank to that square tube as I already explain......

4aKU8sr.jpg


That tape is just in case.......:D
Unglued
6PJu9H0.jpg
 
My first truly sharp edges were achieved with the DMT Aligner kit, many years ago. I then learned free hand, but never truly mastered it.(accident left me with use of only one arm/hand before I could). I also became very skilled with the Work Sharp, thus also learned on my belt grinder as a result.

I now use my own home built system which is modeled after the Edge Pro/Hapstone systems, but to my design specs (to make it easier for me with my disability). And I use Shapton Glass “Edge Pro” stones on all knives. My edges now compete with any of the best. As should be for ALL knifemakers.

Whatever you choose, understand that it will take time to get the results you want. Any of the more seasoned knifemakers here will stand by their sharpening technique, and put their edges up against any! Many knifemakers have demonstrated achieving a shaving sharp edge using a brick and stropping on newspaper! It is a learned skill, and achieving this takes both time and practice. Nothing more. It’s not how your SHARPENING SYSTEM performs...rather, it is a matter of how YOU perform.
 
I use an edge pro, and tell the customer the angle and highest grit used. If money is an issue, you can get knock offs on eBay, but the angle marks are inaccurate. You will need to measure your angles and make a new set of marks.

With high hardness, or high alloy steels, I set the edge by hand on a 220g or 320g diamond stone, then use the edge pro up to the desired grit. I was wearing out my 120 and 220 edge pro stones too quickly before the diamond plate.

Of course, leather strop to finish.
 
What SFPM range should I shoot for when setting the edge on a dry 400 grit Klingpor j-flex belt (42" if that matters)? Dipping between passes of course, but I was curious if there's a such thing as too slow when setting the initial edge.
 
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