Does anyone know what angle Buck sharpens to?

Easyrider

Easyrider

Joined
Jan 31, 2000
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The title pretty much says it all. I have a 501 in S30V steel out of the custom shop and a new 112 slim Pro, also in S30V. The 112 came MUCH sharper than what I can get my 501 to.

I used a Worksharp, Ken Onion edition, and I cannot seem to get my 501 anywhere near as sharp as the 112.

Any ideas outside of maybe the sharpening angle?

Thank you for any help.
 
I don't think s30v responds to sharpening with silicon carbide belts as well as 420hc does.

At least that's been my experience.
I've been sorta looking at diamond type belts with out much luck.
I believe there are diamond sprays to help, but I don't know much about those.

I think only the blade grinder attachment can be adjusted to 15 degrees.
 
I dont know the Ken onion belt sander product. cant help there. I have a smaller belt sander I use rarely. it's a free hand setup though, not a guided setup.

if the Ken can only do 20 degree per side you're into making microbevels. i used to do this on every knife via diamond stones and free hand and sharpmaker guided system. not a bad thing but changes geometry from Buck's factory setup. I've gone back to Bucks 15 per side setup. slices better and truth be told I'm not cutting anything I need a more robust edge for typically.

off topic....still having glitches posting drags and sometimes posts, sometimes doesnt. weird glitch.
 
The Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition Knife and Tool Sharpener features an adjustable angle guide to nail any edge from 15-30
 
Fricken forum server is a real pain in the was the last two days.
 
Yep.
Mike's right.
I just looked at mine.
Sorry.
Thank's Mike.
 
jbmonkey said:
I dont know the Ken onion belt sander product. cant help there. I have a smaller belt sander I use rarely. it's a free hand setup though, not a guided setup.

if the Ken can only do 20 degree per side you're into making microbevels. i used to do this on every knife via diamond stones and free hand and sharpmaker guided system. not a bad thing but changes geometry from Buck's factory setup. I've gone back to Bucks 15 per side setup. slices better and truth be told I'm not cutting anything I need a more robust edge for typically.

off topic....still having glitches posting drags and sometimes posts, sometimes doesnt. weird glitch.
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Boss, everything from factory comes with microbevel. :D
 
SiC grit will do s30v. Just keep working at it. That is the only stone Jim Ankerson uses to dial in his blades of vanadium steel and he gets good edges. DM
 
David Martin said:
SiC grit will do s30v. Just keep working at it. That is the only stone Jim Ankerson uses to dial in his blades of vanadium steel and he gets good edges. DM
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Thanks Dave.
They say with age comes patients.
I guess I'm not that old yet.:)
 
jbmonkey jbmonkey , right... I think I see where you're going. If he can only do a 20* per side with his gadget. Then a slight micro bevel is not going to
get you to 15*. He would need to reprofile the edge to at least 16* and then micro bevel it and that should get him close. DM
 
My Ken Onion belt machine is adjustable from 15-30 * per side. But I rarely use it, I’ll explain... I like to go 15 per side and a micro bevel at about 17. But that changes because as you contact the belt with the blade It flexes and makes a convex edge that’s close to a 20* at the apex so micro beveling doesn’t work well with this method. I’ve practiced on old kitchen knives and tools and it’s okay but I can do better by hand. I mostly use it for badly chipped or dulled knives and it speeds up the process but I finish by hand. I’m just to old school to allow my technic and skill to diminish with a guided machine. Maybe if there was a way to keep the belt from flexing with a solid backing I could do better with the machine.
 
I'd apex the knife on your worksharp and then learn how to do microbevels to get the sharpness up.
You gotta put your worksharp down thought and do these micros with ceramic rods or diamonds. Some kind of hone. Forget the strop. Get a sharp maker or something similar. Try not to convex the edge too much on the worksharp prior to this.
 
David Martin said:
jbmonkey jbmonkey , right... I think I see where you're going. If he can only do a 20* per side with his gadget. Then a slight micro bevel is not going to
get you to 15*. He would need to reprofile the edge to at least 16* and then micro bevel it and that should get him close. DM
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yep, exactly.

also to note if Buck microbevels from the factory at 30+- inclusive, then the primary bevel is steeper and would be, I'm guessing without measuring, say 20 or 25 inclusive. less than the microbevel. if the Ken Onion sharpener can go as low as 15 per side or 30 inclusive, as brought up later by folks....once the microbevel edge is worn past the geometry of the microbevel and 30 inclusive it wont hit the edge anymore. it cant be sharpened at that angle, without reprofiling the primary bevel steeper to allow for that 30 inclusive microbevel. so Ken Onion wont work unless it can do 12.5 per side or 10 per side. etc.
 
David Martin said:
Sergeua Sergeua , why do you think a micro bevel needs to be done on a ceramic or diamond stone? DM
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It's better if it's something hard and flat and doesn't release abrasive like Waterstone or something. That's all I know will give the results OP wants and it's easy to come by. Just do edge leading strokes. This shit put spyderco on the map.
Just seeing what is being asked and how and trying to keep it simple, get results without complicating things.
 
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Sergeua said:
It's better if it's something hard and flat and doesn't release abrasive like Waterstone or something. That's all I know will give the results OP wants and it's easy to come by. Just do edge leading strokes. This shit put spyderco on the map.
Just seeing what is being asked and how and trying to keep it simple, get results without complicating things.
Click to expand...
good point. itd be easier for most on a sic or diamond type stone than a belt. for op might just be easier using a stone for a microbevel...if that's what you're saying.
 
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