Does Busse offer a spa/sharpening service?

For a user, that’s the perfect way to handle it. No loss of cutting function—if anything a small temporary enhancement. And minimal loss of steel/edge life. Win-Win.

Plus, it was a quick and easy fix that let’s you know you can freely hack and beat the holy bejesus out of it and touch it up again from time-to-time as needed. Definitely an example of proper Busse maintenance protocol.

 

A 3000-4000 grit finish will keep most dings from happening on a 20 dps blade. I go through knotts with my 15dps SHBM's at 4000 grit and no dings at all. Razor sharp afterwards. I destroyed my turkey, a ceramic dish and a cutting board with it. No edge damage.

 

Thanksgiving rampage?

 

Need pics.

 

Hey Cobalt—

What part do you think a high polish plays in reducing edge damage?

 

Sounds like I will need to get a worksharp

 

I’d like to hear Cobalt’s reasoning as well;if I had to guess I would say it has to do with the microserrations left on a coarser edge acting as tiny inclusions wherein to start a “tear” which can lead to those dings.

 

4000 grit is pretty fine. Not exactly microserrations.

Cobalt, what is your technique? Hand sharpening on stones, stropping with wet/dry sandpaper, or some assisted device?

 

I would find one of the guys here offering Wicked Edge sharpening services. You will get a killer polished edge.

 

This is all just my opinion. If you look at an edge under extreme magnification you will see that coarser finishes do indeed look like tiny serrations, while these tiny serrations help in cutting, they are also tiny little stress risers that can cause larger pieces to break off, and, thus, what you see which is chipping and denting in INFI's case. polishing the edge removes those tiny little stress risers and keeps the edge running longer. You actually loose some cutting ability on certain materials but in my opinion you gain some edge strength. You don't have to go super high in grit to get a cleaner edge. I think 1500 to 2000 would be fine as well, certainly better than 400, 600. Some people go to 6000 to 8000. Who knows maybe it is all just my imagination, lol.

As for sharpening, once I have an edge reprofiled to how I like it, I maintain it on a 4000 grit stone and some super high grit sandpapers, depending on the type of edge. The reprofiling part can be a pita though. I have done it myself many times and have also had it done for me many times when I am lazy about doing it. Once you have an edge you like, higher grits are what you want to use because you do not want to remove a lot of metal all the time. lower grits remove tons of metal. no need for that. I am sure I am preaching to the quire on this though. I am by no means an expert sharpener, and I have seen what people on this forum can do and the fine polished edges I have seen are impressive. Better than mine.

 

had done on the better knives and mechanically done on cheaper ones, lol. I love automotive paint sand paper. The black stuff and you can get some really high grits and you can also place it on mouse pads for the slight convex edges.

 

On my folders I have noticed that a mirror edge lasts a long time but does not cut some materials as well as say stopping at 1000 or 1200 grit. Think you are on the something.

 

I have stones up to 1000 for my wicked edge and 1mc and .5mc strops. I use the auto wet dry sandpaper wrapped around the 1000 grit stone in 1200,1500,2000 and 2500 for the in between sharpening. The edge is just about a mirror at the 2500 grit. I saw some 15000 and 30000 grit last week that I may try but don't think it would make that much difference between the 2500 and the stropping.
This is the edge after going from 2500 to the diamond paste strops.

 

Thanks Cobalt—interesting theory. I know when Jim Ankerson changed from polished edges to 400 grit in his extensive testing on rope in the Knife Reveiws and Testing forum, he experienced significantly longer edge life. That was also Phil Wilson’s predicted result, which was why Jim tried it. But that’s slicing action—not chopping, which is obviously more likely to induce edge fracturing. I certainly credit you with at least as much experience chopping as anyone else here, so glad to have your opinion.

 

Thanks all. Interesting and useful information.

 

What Ankerson and Phil Wilson found is right. At rough finish edge will cut longer because micro pieces of the edge keep coming off creating fresh ones. Sometimes it even appears that the edge resharpens itself with use. In order for that to work you have to have a thin edge. Which is why I really liked the old assymetrical edge. It was very thin since it was basically a convexed chisel grind edge. For chopping, which is what I do mostly, a polished edge is better, imo. A compromise between the two would be 800 to 1200 grit. I am sure you can find what the edge of a knife looks like on different grit levels.

 

The above is a typical factory edge. The rough edge acts like a saw and cuts well. It also slowly breaks off as you cut. Compare that to the 4000 grit finish below at same magnification. Just found these pics on the net.

 

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Good old hand shaprening on a 600grit diamond stone, followed by a stropping on a piece of leather with automotive buffing compound keeps mine razor blade sharp. Sometimes a rub on a butcher's polishing steel to take it that little bit further. As has been said by Cobalt and others, a slightly coarser edge remains super slicey for a very long time. Especially with general cutting like meat etc. I have found a nicely poilshed edge lasts longer on harder materials like cutting up boxes, chopping wood etc.

I have an INFI Ratmandu that has an awesome polished convex edge on it that goes and goes and goes. I recently sliced up about 40 heavy cardboard boxes with it, and it still shaves nicely.