Favorite sharpening method

huntyukon said:
That’s pretty impressive! If I understood correctly then that’s sharp razor sharpness.
Yeah, I really like to get myself one of those too one day. Mainly just cause they look like a pretty need piece of technology. Although, I saw in a video that they don’t necessarily give accurate readings. Sounds like there is a certain way you have to cut the wire and also how the wire is set up and strung. Do you find there’s any truth to that?
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I have a bess tester, but there's a better, nearly free option: a paintbrush. If you can get the edge to bite a thin, nylon paintbrush bristle, it's sharp. If you can flick the tips off the brush you're around 100 bess.

I've been meaning to make a chart of how a knife cuts paintbrush bristles and what the equivalent bess number is.

Pros:
It's free, because you have one sitting in the garage somewhere
You can easily test the entire edge in seconds, without reloading the tester
It's actually harder to cheat

Cons:
You don't get a number, but then again if you can cheat the machine who cares.

Try this: get a clean paintbrush and hold it upright in your left hand. Grab one of your everyday kitchen knifes. Moving the edge towards the brush tip at any angle, can you get it to bite the bristle? Now try your best freshly sharpened blade. What happened? Will it only bite when it's near the handle? Will it bite even at the flexible tips?
 
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Sando said:
I have a bess tester, but there's a better, nearly free option: a paintbrush. If you can get the edge to bite a thin, nylon paintbrush bristle, it's sharp. If you can flick the tips off the brush you're around 100 bess.

I've been meaning to make a chart of how a knife cuts paintbrush bristles and what the equivalent bess number is.

Pros:
It's free, because you have one sitting in the garage somewhere
You can easily test the entire edge in seconds, without reloading the tester
It's actually harder to cheat

Cons:
You don't get a number, but then again if you can cheat the machine who cares.

Try this: get a clean paintbrush and hold it upright in your left hand. Grab one of your everyday kitchen knifes. Moving the edge towards the brush tip at any angle, can you get it to bite the bristle? Now try your best freshly sharpened blade. What happened? Will it only bite when it's near the handle? Will it bite even at the flexible tips?
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Man, thanks for the tip! I’m gonna sharpen a kitchen knife in hap40 and a couple folders in M390 and magnacut and will try the paint brush method.

As far as the chart you were mentioning, I think that would be a great idea. I for one would definitely make use of it and find it very helpful.

Again, thanks a bunch for reply and tip! I’ve learned so much on this forum already! You guys are awesome, for patiently explaining stuff that most of you already know!
Means a lot 🙏
 
I use a variable speed horizontal disk, with degree wedges.
Sharp knives should not be tested on arm hair. You'll be sorry if you try. :)
 
"I use a variable speed horizontal disk, with degree wedges.
Sharp knives should not be tested on arm hair. You'll be sorry if you try"
Fred, Is this something you made or purchased. Sounds interesting. Can you explain more or maybe a picture or two. Thanks.
 
Sando said:
I have a bess tester, but there's a better, nearly free option: a paintbrush. If you can get the edge to bite a thin, nylon paintbrush bristle, it's sharp. If you can flick the tips off the brush you're around 100 bess.

I've been meaning to make a chart of how a knife cuts paintbrush bristles and what the equivalent bess number is.

Pros:
It's free, because you have one sitting in the garage somewhere
You can easily test the entire edge in seconds, without reloading the tester
It's actually harder to cheat

Cons:
You don't get a number, but then again if you can cheat the machine who cares.

Try this: get a clean paintbrush and hold it upright in your left hand. Grab one of your everyday kitchen knifes. Moving the edge towards the brush tip at any angle, can you get it to bite the bristle? Now try your best freshly sharpened blade. What happened? Will it only bite when it's near the handle? Will it bite even at the flexible tips?
Click to expand...
There’s a brand of rolling paper that I know someone uses because the rolling paper is very consistent and the one brand has intertwining fibers making it more difficult to cut.
 
I use some combination of DMT guided sharpener, Fallkniven diamond stones, silicon carbide sandpaper on a mousepad (400, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000 and 3000) and a homemade leather strop with green or diamond 3 micron paste, and sometimes a steel hone. I am not great at freehanding with the diamond stones, but I will use them to get close and then switch to convexing with the sandpaper. Or I will use the guided sharpener and then round the shoulder with the sandpaper and strop. You will get better. Decide what methods you like and then practice.
 
I don't know if anyone here remembers these things we used to call 'phone books' but they used the worst, flimsiest, crappiest paper available. A knife edge that can cut this stuff without hanging up is pretty sharp
 
I’ve tried stones of various Ilk all my life, and never had luck. I’ve had great luck with the grinder … very slow speed, wetted belt, 400 grit, and I use a little angle widget to set the angle before each pass, lock that in on the blade with a hand behind the blade, then make a pass. Repeat alternating sides until a burr is raised along the entire edge … then change to a slow leather belt until the burr is removed.
 
What??? They don't make the "BOOK" anymore!!! How will I look up someone's phone number now?

I can still see and hear in my mind James Earl Jones telling us to "Look it up in THE BOOK."
 
when I was your age, we used to let our fingers do the walking
 
Hey Fred, how’s it going. I haven’t been around much lately.

One of the hardest tests I tried is to fold up the edge of a phone book page about 3/8” and then push an edge straight down into the paper with no slice and no angle of the edge to the paper. It took a lot of care and often some refinement beyond the Sharpmaker fine triangles.

For now I use my vertical angle blocks with a stone of the day leaned against it. Though it hurts me to do so, I start at 22 degrees then work lower. My usual angle is 12 degrees per side for my knives. Others I try to match the factory edge or drop to 22 if they’re more obtuse.
 
me2 said:
Hey Fred, how’s it going. I haven’t been around much lately.

One of the hardest tests I tried is to fold up the edge of a phone book page about 3/8” and then push an edge straight down into the paper with no slice and no angle of the edge to the paper. It took a lot of care and often some refinement beyond the Sharpmaker fine triangles.

For now I use my vertical angle blocks with a stone of the day leaned against it. Though it hurts me to do so, I start at 22 degrees then work lower. My usual angle is 12 degrees per side for my knives. Others I try to match the factory edge or drop to 22 if they’re more obtuse.
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It makes a big difference if the blade your sharpening has thinned flat bevels. Nothing is harder to sharpen than a blade that is "fat" behind the cutting edge. It narrows your options. I like 12 per side if I can get it. Fred
 
Fred.Rowe said:
Nothing is harder to sharpen than a blade that is "fat" behind the cutting edge
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I own 2 "wannabe" hunting knives like that. Wish I had understood blade geometry then like I do know. In my opinion a true hunting knife is supposed to be reasonably thin behind the edge. Maybe not necessarily as thin as a good cook knife, but not as fat as an outdoor chopper either.
 
AVigil said:
I have used several methods, 2x72, 1x30, paper wheel, free hand stone.

Currently I use a guided rod system. I have a Hapstone R2 and ISPROF Pioneer. They give a repeatable edge without a lot of stress.
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AVigil AVigil did you pick any specific clamps for the R2 and tsprof that are suitable for small slipjoints? especially flat ground?
do you use these sharpening systems to establish the edge profile after coming off the grinder, or do you use belt to do that first, then go to the guided system?

thanks
 
ashwinearl said:
AVigil AVigil did you pick any specific clamps for the R2 and tsprof that are suitable for small slipjoints? especially flat ground?
do you use these sharpening systems to establish the edge profile after coming off the grinder, or do you use belt to do that first, then go to the guided system?

thanks
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The clamps that come with both systems work great for both flat and hollow grinds for slipjoints. I clamp one on the ricasso and the other on the blade. Both style of clamps can be adjusted to the taper of flat and hollow.

It do all sharpening on the guided rod system.
 
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