Favorite sharpening angle?

K

knife117

Joined
Jan 30, 2014
Messages
175
When you get a new knife, what angle do you like to re-profile it to if it's not how you like it? I'm sure this varies by application.
 
knife117 said:
When you get a new knife, what angle do you like to re-profile it to if it's not how you like it? I'm sure this varies by application.
Click to expand...

I've never "measured" mine however I can tell you this, most people who bench stone don't go off of an angle, it's more a feel or simply addressing the angle already set.

I personally like a little shoulder when I can afford it for edge reinforcement however, Spyderco has made me a large fan of the FFG.
 
I put my own edge on every knife within a day or two of buying it. However, the preferred angle varies dramatically depending on the blade material, the blade thickness, the grind and the intended application.

Generally speaking:

A small blade made from steel that holds an edge really well like M390 or S90V, that will also be used for light duty can potentially take an extreme edge like 30 or 32 degrees inclusive (15 or 16 degrees on each side), but it will roll over often and need continuous touch-ups. A larger heavy-use knife in a more "middle of the road" steel (like 154CM) would be better off with a 40 degree secondary bevel and would benefit from a 50 degree primary micro bevel at the edge.

Blade thickness (really.... thickness at the shoulder of the sharpened edge) will have a lot to do with the angle you can achieve as well.

For most EDC knives I find a double bevel with a 34 degree secondary angle and a 40 degree primary angle gets me great sharpness while resisting rolling over quite well under most circumstances.
 
knife117 said:
When you get a new knife, what angle do you like to re-profile it to if it's not how you like it? I'm sure this varies by application.
Click to expand...

I reprofile almost every knife I buy down to 18 degrees on my EdgePro. I do this so that I can do touch ups for a long time after on my Sharpmaker at 20 degrees and not have to worry about hitting the shoulder.

In my experience, almost all production knives have too obtuse of an angle to sharpen on the Sharpmaker and get a good result; this is the real reason many people struggle on the Sharpmaker when they first get it; they are just hitting the shoulder.
 
I freehand nowadays so I just go for the angle that feels natural. I'm guessing that's usually around factory but over time it seems like I thin out the edge. I don't worry too much about it to be honest. They come out aggressively sharp lately so I don't see the point in measuring my angles and changing shit.

You can measure it and be as technical as you want to be about it but at the end of the day nothing beats just getting the feel for it in my opinion. And its so much more fun too.

EDIT: Ok I got curious now and ended up checking. Apparently I sharpen my EDC at about 15 degrees each side.
 
Last edited:
As low as the steel can handle without failure in my uses. Ranges from 5/6 degrees per side up until 15 degrees per side. If i am lazy 20 degrees per side on my axe.
 
15 per side on the Edge Pro, then 18 per side micro bevel. From there, I touch up with the Sharpmaker and a strop as needed.
 
I keep most of my knives in the 20ish range, but will go a little lower for high wear steels like s90.
 
I also freehand with stones. As others already said, with this method it's not about measuring the angle, it's about feel.

I rarely reprofile an edge, it's more about just making the most of the angle that's already there. Over time, the edge may thin out or even convex, depending on your technique. That being said, I can generally significantly improve the sharpnes of a factory edge, and none of my knives have a problem cutting phone book paper or shaving hair.
 
I am glad that this came up. I only started acquiring knives for the past 2 or 3 months and now have some from Benchmade, Kershaw, ZT, CRK, Boker, and Hinderer. I have a Sharpmaker and just received a Stropman Billy. I have contacted a couple of the manufacturers to determine what the blade angle is on the knife coming from the factory. Both informed me that they are 30-35 degrees. The Sharpmaker allows either 30 or 40 setting inclusive. What angle should I choose for general use of my folders? I mainly just screw around with them never really doing any real heavy use. Comments appreciated.
 
This largely depends on the geometry and steel of the blade. If it's thin and tough, 30 degrees inclusive. Otherwise I'll stick to 40 most of the time.
 
I think this thread will continue to be interesting because of the extremely wide opinion about useful blade angles. 10 to 50 degrees inclusive! :eek:
 
I haven't tried a lot of steels but I absolutely love my ZDP-189 stretch. I sharpened it at 15 degrees with a 18 degree micro bevel.
 
I have my Vixtorinox knives sharpened at 25 per side. I find they are thin enough to still cut like that devil at that angle and they hold up better at a steeper angle.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top