Doing it wrong??

Myker

Myker

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Feb 5, 2011
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Hey guys,

I see the Lansky is a very popular way to sharpen with you folks. Well I have a Spyderco Sharp Maker and once again just can't seem to get that edge I desire. Given the choose of 30 or 40 degrees which would give better results say on a Becker Crewman?? Thanks guys, and ya the fork is a little tougher to make with my hands then it was to make in my mind!!!
 
The more obtuse angle is probably going to get you quicker results on the thick Becker steel, but it'll support the 30 degree angle if you have the patience.

Try the sharpie trick.
 
Color the sharpened edge with a sharpy. After sharpening a bit you will be able to see how much of the edge your getting, then adjust your angle accordingly.
 
Ok, you need a Lansky (got that) and a sharpie.

Start with the coarse stone (extra coarse if you have it).

Clamp the knife on the spine, right where the little indentions are on the clamp. Make sure when you hold the knife up, the edge is centered in the clamp, then crank it down as tight as you can get it.

Take the sharpie and mark along the edge, completely blacking it out.

Take the stone and the rod, lay the rod on a flat surface, I use the kit box top. Place the stone on the rod and tighten the thumbscrew in the front. Make sure the stone and the rod are in line with one another. If the rod has some bend in it, flex it slightly until it straightens out and is perfectly in line with the stone.

Place the rod through the 19 degree (I use 25, its a good working angle)

Gently begin moving the stone back and forth moving from the ricasso to the tip. See where the sharpie is gone. If you are hitting high, you will still have sharpie on the edge. If you are hitting low, you will have sharpie on the shoulder. Adjust the angle until you are striking from the edge to the shoulder completely.

Repeat this process until you get a burr on the under side, should take about 5-6 passes. Flip the clamp over, and repeat the process until you get a burr on the under side. Once you have it, change from coarse to medium, and repeat the process, sharpie, stone, burr. Then change to the fine stone.

Repeat, sharpie, stone, burr. Once you are using the fine (extra fine) stone, continue to make passes until the burr gets smaller and smaller until you can barely feel it. Then strop it.

Stropping it is not an overly difficult process. Leather, canvas, denim will be fine. If you don't have jewelers rouge, chromium oxide, or crystylon power, use powder detergent. Rub your charge (rough, CO, or CP)into your strop until there is no sign of the charge sitting on the strop.

Start by pulling off the blade, meaning drag the spine first, and the edge must be touching the strop, at the appropriate angle. You will feel when the edge begins to grab, and thats where you want to be. Back and forth, about 10 times on each side, and you should look at the edge and see mirror. Test on hair, paper, pets, spouses, and the neighbors pets.

Let me know how it works out for you.

Moose
 
That's a great how-to Moose. Looking forward to trying out my Lansky rig on my incoming BK2 and necker. Never been much of a hand at sharpening, but with the above tips I bet even I can pull it off nicely.

:thumbup:
 
Moose, You really move the stone back and forth on the blade through all the stones/grits? I've always only touched the stone to the metal on the up stroke. I think, that way there is no bur if you do it correctly. I'm not knocking your method I only want to know more about how/why you do it that way.
 
You want to make a burr. The smaller the better, but the burr is the forming of the new edge. You can hit the knife on the upswing if you wish, or, hold the stone stationary and move the blade. As long as the there is perpendicular movement of the stone across the knifes edge, it sharpens.

A great book to read, is Sharpening Made Easy by Steve Bottorff. Its a real basic read, good pictures and a great explanation, both in layman's terms and scientifically (geometry), of what sharpening an edge is all about.

Moose
 
moosez45 said:
Ok, you need a Lansky (got that) and a sharpie.

Start with the coarse stone (extra coarse if you have it).

Clamp the knife on the spine, right where the little indentions are on the clamp. Make sure when you hold the knife up, the edge is centered in the clamp, then crank it down as tight as you can get it.

Take the sharpie and mark along the edge, completely blacking it out.

Take the stone and the rod, lay the rod on a flat surface, I use the kit box top. Place the stone on the rod and tighten the thumbscrew in the front. Make sure the stone and the rod are in line with one another. If the rod has some bend in it, flex it slightly until it straightens out and is perfectly in line with the stone.

Place the rod through the 19 degree (I use 25, its a good working angle)

Gently begin moving the stone back and forth moving from the ricasso to the tip. See where the sharpie is gone. If you are hitting high, you will still have sharpie on the edge. If you are hitting low, you will have sharpie on the shoulder. Adjust the angle until you are striking from the edge to the shoulder completely.

Repeat this process until you get a burr on the under side, should take about 5-6 passes. Flip the clamp over, and repeat the process until you get a burr on the under side. Once you have it, change from coarse to medium, and repeat the process, sharpie, stone, burr. Then change to the fine stone.

Repeat, sharpie, stone, burr. Once you are using the fine (extra fine) stone, continue to make passes until the burr gets smaller and smaller until you can barely feel it. Then strop it.

Stropping it is not an overly difficult process. Leather, canvas, denim will be fine. If you don't have jewelers rouge, chromium oxide, or crystylon power, use powder detergent. Rub your charge (rough, CO, or CP)into your strop until there is no sign of the charge sitting on the strop.

Start by pulling off the blade, meaning drag the spine first, and the edge must be touching the strop, at the appropriate angle. You will feel when the edge begins to grab, and thats where you want to be. Back and forth, about 10 times on each side, and you should look at the edge and see mirror. Test on hair, paper, pets, spouses, and the neighbors pets.

Let me know how it works out for you.

Moose
Click to expand...

:thumbup: thank you for this tip i have never thought of doing this before, i plan on trying it out!
 
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