Emerson Sharpening advice

Baker_11

Baker_11

Joined
Feb 4, 2015
Messages
263
See if any of you guys can give me some advice. I struggle with getting my chisel edges razor sharp. I keep them sharp as long as I can from the factory just with stropping and can touch them up to keep them serviceable but i can never duplicate their out of the box edge and id like to be able too. I understand the process as described by Mr Emerson himself on the website completely but seem to struggle keeping a consistent angle freehand. I use a sharpie to check my progress but it never comes out perfect. I have also experimented with a little adjustable fixture by DMT on my 7 and mini 7 but that only seems to do a so so job as well. I want to get better so I can keep from sending knives to California and back every 6 months! Any tips to help me master the chisel edge? Thanks in advance!
 
Practice and patience.

What stones are you using? When freehanding some like to lay the handle on a table with the blade hanging over and hold the stone against the blade instead of the other way around. I like this method with Emerson's myself. I do five strokes on the sharpened side then one pass on the other.
 
dr_fosg8 said:
Practice and patience.

What stones are you using? When freehanding some like to lay the handle on a table with the blade hanging over and hold the stone against the blade instead of the other way around. I like this method with Emerson's myself. I do five strokes on the sharpened side then one pass on the other.
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I have a fine Smiths diamond stone i use most. Ill try the table thing. What about pressure. Light or firm?
 
I use light/medium pressure on the edge. Very light on the back side, only removing the burr there.
 
Another sharpener you might try with doc's method is a DMT Diafold. I have a couple of them and they work really well for the straight edged Emersons. You can get a F/XF and use the F side for the bevel, then knock the burr down with the XF side. The longer handle on the Diafolds helps me keep all the angles more consistent when sharpening this way.
 
I use the Lansky system with diamond stones. I know Emerson uses a 30 degree factory angle. When the time comes to sharpen a new factory edge, I like putting a 25 degree death edge on the front. Then strop to a mirror.

 
mystro said:
I use the Lansky system with diamond stones. I know Emerson uses a 30 degree factory angle. When the time comes to sharpen a new factory edge, I like putting a 25 degree death edge on the front. Then strop to a mirror.

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That's a great shot Mystro, is the coating DLC or oxide? Goes really well with the scales, and the bourbon...and you're right on the resharpening angle, 25 is a good choice.
 
Coating is typical Emerson black. The Jungle cqc8 is very popular and still being made. I just resharpened a older cqc15 this way and it wasn't as hard as I thought. Much like a cqc7v. I sharpen tanto edges as if they were two seperate knives. I even use blue painters tape to mask of the edge line between the tanto and belly curve of the cqc15.

John_0917 said:
That's a great shot Mystro, is the coating DLC or oxide? Goes really well with the scales, and the bourbon...and you're right on the resharpening angle, 25 is a good choice.
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I use a guided rod system which works fine. I have always had a harder time with Emerson's blades even though they are suppose to be easier, which I find to be quite relative. Most guided rod systems won't be able to maintain the factory angle, so if using one you will have to drop it down to a 25 degree. After getting a decent edge on them I kind of gave up and made my own jig, which enables me to put the slightest micro bevel on the blade. While i doubt I well be able to achieve the level of sharpness as my striders and kershaws and without buying a wicked edge. Putting the micro bevel seemed to help quite a bit. Now, we can speculate all day. The truth is...using the traditional method for the conventional grinds does not yield the same results. Just my experience and opinions.
 
Baker_11 said:
I understand the process as described by Mr Emerson himself on the website completely but seem to struggle keeping a consistent angle freehand.
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I highly recommend that you buy a Bark River strop with compound. The strop allows for slight variations in the angle you're holding the knife and it will still remove material from the cutting edge.
 
So why don't they use a conventional symmetrical edge grind? The standard grind is not a "chisel" like some like to call it, its an asymmetrical like that used on some high end western style Japanese kitchen knives. I fail to see how this makes the knives easier to resharpen and the Japanese certainly feel it turns the edge in to a right hand or left hand cutting tool depending on how its ground.
 
Not sure how you are missing that only one side is raised to a burr, no need to monitor symmetry, so of course it's easier to maintain.
 
That is not how an asymmetrical Japanese blade is resharpened and it sounds like to me from previous posts others are having a hard making it work for them too. I might add I have carried a real deal custom left-hand CQC 6 with a real chisel edge for over 15 years. I know how to resharpen chisel edges.
 
Congrats on the Six, that is a grail indeed. My only zero grind Emerson is a Custom Super Roadhouse, and I only strop the "back side" to revive it's edge. If it were to get really dull/damaged, I would reface the front side.

As for terminology, Emerson calls their edge a chisel, so as far as I'm concerned, that's what it is called. And it is that way, according to Mr. Emerson, precisely to facilitate easy field sharpening by simply raising a burr off the "presentation" side, and simply removing it from the "back side" without the worry of balancing a symmetrical edge.
 
I guess my knives get duller than that. Stropping works for a light touch up but not for edges that have seen serious work. That CQC-6 edge is pretty fragile and I have had to sharpen tiny dings off of it a number of times over the years.
 
Sidehill Gouger said:
I guess my knives get duller than that. Stropping works for a light touch up but not for edges that have seen serious work. That CQC-6 edge is pretty fragile and I have had to sharpen tiny dings off of it a number of times over the years.
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I am sure I am not the only one thinking it, but lets see some pics of that 6! Especially a lefty version, a really rare bird from what I gather. Would love to see one that has seen some use for sure.:thumbup:
 
I use the Ken Onion worksharp with the blade grinding attachment:





Takes about 5 minutes per blade.

~John
 
Thanks for all the help. Really impressed myself on the mini 7 this afternoon, still not quite factory sharp, but my best effort to date. On the curved blades a curved stone is helpful correct? I have wider flat stones for the most part?
 
Baker_11 said:
Thanks for all the help. Really impressed myself on the mini 7 this afternoon, still not quite factory sharp, but my best effort to date. On the curved blades a curved stone is helpful correct? I have wider flat stones for the most part?
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A curved stone or rod, either ceramic or diamond, makes it easier for me to do recurved blades. I like the diamond sharpeners that Emerson sells for recurves. If I just want to strop a recurve, I'll use the edge of a flat strop. A couple of the ones I have are radiused slightly so that works out well for the Commanders.
 
Someone on another thread mentioned they use a sharpmaker. Use the 30 degree settings but prop it up so the rod on the right is perpendicular. I was having problems with a rolled edge on my CQC7A and used that method today. It works really well. Of course this was after I probably screwed up the original factory angle. I'm one of those people who probably shouldn't try to sharpen my own knives. :rolleyes:
 
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