Edge Pro question...

REK Knives

REK Knives

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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Apr 3, 2011
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I can't seem to get a finished edge (i.e. hair popping sharp) on the 320 or 600 grit stock EP stones... any tips?

I soak the stones before use, have tried this with the angle cube and the magic marker trick (so i know i'm getting all the way to the edge with the stones) and i also can feel the burr with both the 320 and 600. I then remove the burr after I dry the stone with multiple very light strokes on each side. for some reason, it still won't shave arm hair, its really weird. I don't have any issues with the 220 getting shaving sharp or the 1000.
 
Are you doing alternate strokes? One very light stroke per side(alternate) for a total of 5 strokes per side to finish up with each stone. Worth trying.
 
The only suggestions I can make is to make sure you wtch th videos, and pay careful attention. Most people immediately geqt impatient and freak out when they can't get a knife razor sharp on their first try.
 
singularity35 said:
Are you doing alternate strokes? One very light stroke per side(alternate) for a total of 5 strokes per side to finish up with each stone. Worth trying.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I do this. I will actually dry the stone somewhat first because then it will have less cutting power (as Ben Dale suggested) to get the burr off. I am at a loss kinda as to what is going on. My 320 stone is mostly worn down, maybe that has something to do with it. I do flatten it periodically, so I don't think that has anything to do with it... hmmm
 
razor-edge-knives said:
Yeah, I do this. I will actually dry the stone somewhat first because then it will have less cutting power (as Ben Dale suggested) to get the burr off. I am at a loss kinda as to what is going on. My 320 stone is mostly worn down, maybe that has something to do with it. I do flatten it periodically, so I don't think that has anything to do with it... hmmm
Click to expand...

The only thing I can recommend at this point is to get a loupe so you look at your edge and really see what's going on there. Since you mention that your 320 is worn down, there might be an angle discepancy when you shift stones from 220 to 320. There's a hassle free way of compensating for varying stone thickness(which results in different stones hitting your bevel at different angles) using a drill bit collar. Here's a vid I made that shows the principle. I am using a clamp to make things somewhat clearer but the principle is the same. I hope my poor explanation is sufficient to convey the principle. Pardon the poor English and the poor camera work. I hope this will help.

[youtube]qXvHAGyxq0M[/youtube]
 
There is a short, but nevertheless undeniable learning curve. With a bit of patience, and practice, it will come. I would also strongly recommend the loupe and a thousand grit stone.

If you desire a very sharp, but rough toothy edge, the SF diamond plate from Ben Dale at Edge-Pro is superb. Not a very aesthetically pleasing edge, but quite aggressive.
 
Ben Dover said:
There is a short, but nevertheless undeniable learning curve. With a bit of patience, and practice, it will come. I would also strongly recommend the loupe and a thousand grit stone.

If you desire a very sharp, but rough toothy edge, the SF diamond plate from Ben Dale at Edge-Pro is superb. Not a very aesthetically pleasing edge, but quite aggressive.
Click to expand...

thanks for the tips guys... yeah, i have a drill stop collar and have used that as well to no avail, in addition to the angle cube. but i shouldn't need either because the 320 stone is thinner than the 220, thereby making the edge angle slightly steeper. theoretically, it should hit the edge more and more the thinner the stone, right?

Ben,

yeah, i have actually sharpened 200-300 knives on my edge pro, which is why I don't understand what is going on. I remember when i first got the thing that I could get it shaving sharp on the 320, I don't know what is up. Yeah, I have grits all the way up through the 6k tape. I also have both the diamond stones from Ben... thanks for the recommendation! I actually like the "rougher" of the two diamond stones which puts a NICE toothy edge on it. And that's what's weird, that is hair popping sharp with no problem! huh...
 
That is weird. Out of curiosity, what knife and steel is it?
 
A good 10X-20X loupe, or if your eyes are as old as mine, a VEHO digital microscope will allow you to visually examine the edge and determine if your stones are hitting the very edge of the edge.

Another procedure that I frequently use is to increase the angle 1/2 degree for the final polishing stone. I do not consider this a true "microbevel" but it seems to add just a touch of "crispness" to the edge. :thumbup:

P.S. If all else fails, pack your equipment away and take a week off from sharpening. When you come back, problems seem to disappear! :D
 
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