Edge bevel question

[kingsqueak]

So as I'm digging around and putting together the pieces as it were...

I got an EdgePro and started sharpening anything in reach.

One of the things I've seen mentioned and that I've tried that seems to work, particularly with my older, crappier (if I had to guess, most are 440's as they are unmarked) steel blades is a double bevel.

I profiled the main bevel 'low' somewhere around 15 degrees roughly and polished it out to 1000 grit. This thins the edge profile obviously. I noticed on the crappier blades that this doesn't always cut all that great so I then put a 1000 grit secondary bevel at a quite a bit higher angle, say at least 25-30 degrees. I noticed on an older Gerber Magnum LST that it really seemed to improve it vastly.

Did I just do a better job on the secondary bevel vs the first try or does this actually make sense where the steeper bevel supports the softer/cheaper steel better than just a single low angle bevel? From what I read, that seems to be why it is working, but just doing a head check on it.

I did the same on a few kitchen knives and a CRKT ringed razel with similar results. The initial low profile bevel wasn't as good until I put the secondary on it.

With my Benchmade 741 I just matched the factory high angle bevel, I'd estimate has to be 25+ and it was an instant razor with just enough work to polish out the very rough factory edge. I did it this way because this one already has a thin blade profile. This one has decent steel too, I could actually feel the difference when sharpening it.

This is all in context for my pocket folders, not meant for chopping, primarily slicing with no real impact on them.

 

[knarfeng]

does this actually make sense where the steeper bevel supports the softer/cheaper steel better than just a single low angle bevel? From what I read, that seems to be why it is working, but just doing a head check on it.

Yes, it makes sense. Less expensive no-alloy-ID blades are usually run soft. The softer steel requires more support. So, a broader angle give it the support it needs. This gives you better edge retention because the edge doesn't bend over. 20° per side seems to work good for me for such blades.

 

[kingsqueak]

Thanks for the reply.

This is one of those....I'm not sure why I didn't search as I search this forum constantly anyway...it's been beaten to death it turns out. Why I didn't search, I don't know.

So the summary here is, that yeah it helps, particularly with the softer steels.

What I'm finding with some of the cheaper knives is that my primary shallow bevel is even too shallow with the secondary on it. Indeed the edges roll over easily. Luckily a ceramic rod or steel fix them right up, but I won't be going so shallow on soft blades in the future.

I need to add a strop to my tools for sure and it's been interesting to learn more as I go about how to put a 'proper' edge on something depending on the use.

The feel of different steels is so much more obvious with the EdgePro for me and that's been great....vs my unskilled hand on a free stone or with the much flimsier Lansky system. The EdgePro I feel connected to the blade a lot more and can really tell a good piece of steel more easily now that I've played with a variety of them.