Fiddleback Forge Kephart owners question.

myemptymind

myemptymind

Joined
Oct 5, 2012
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Anyone own a Fiddleback Kephart? Im having a real hard time getting a decent edge on this knife. Im about to use my edge pro on it but afraid of ruining an awesome blade. Its a convex edge, how will this fair on the edge pro?
Ive stropped it on both black & green compound, the middle of the blade is very sharp but cant seem to get the rest of the blade to match. Any help?
 
myemptymind said:
Anyone own a Fiddleback Kephart? Im having a real hard time getting a decent edge on this knife. Im about to use my edge pro on it but afraid of ruining an awesome blade. Its a convex edge, how will this fair on the edge pro?
Ive stropped it on both black & green compound, the middle of the blade is very sharp but cant seem to get the rest of the blade to match. Any help?
Click to expand...

I don't have a Kephart, but I had a tuff time with my Hunter variant. What really worked for me was 250 grit sandpaper on top of my strop. I stropped it until I felt a sharper but rougher edge, then I leather stropped the crap out of it with black, green and white Stropman compound to smooth out that rough edge. This process did take the micro-bevel off of the blade and did put some small scratches on the blade, but you can shave with it now. When I get a little more time I'll strop those scratches out. Im sure you could be a little easier on the sandpaper step and be able to keep your micro-bevel, if that's your preference.

IMO, I would rather have a razor sharp, scratched, functional blade than a shiny sparkling knife that I can't use.

Also angle and pressure are the key to proper stropping. For me it's a paticular feeling and sound I get when stropping, that tells me I'm using the correct pressure at the proper angle.

Check out the Virtuovice channel on youtube. He's got some excellent stropping videos as well as reviews on convex blades and steels.

Hope this helps. Good luck.
 
This helps a lot, thank you. Will try this tonight
Joe Duder said:
I don't have a Kephart, but I had a tuff time with my Hunter variant. What really worked for me was 250 grit sandpaper on top of my strop. I stropped it until I felt a sharper but rougher edge, then I leather stropped the crap out of it with black, green and white Stropman compound to smooth out that rough edge. This process did take the micro-bevel off of the blade and did put some small scratches on the blade, but you can shave with it now. When I get a little more time I'll strop those scratches out. Im sure you could be a little easier on the sandpaper step and be able to keep your micro-bevel, if that's your preference.

IMO, I would rather have a razor sharp, scratched, functional blade than a shiny sparkling knife that I can't use.

Also angle and pressure are the key to proper stropping. For me it's a paticular feeling and sound I get when stropping, that tells me I'm using the correct pressure at the proper angle.

Check out the Virtuovice channel on youtube. He's got some excellent stropping videos as well as reviews on convex blades and steels.

Hope this helps. Good luck.
Click to expand...
 
Andy's 01 offers great edge retention and as such takes a little more work to sharpen.

Getting it sharp on sandpaper is the way to go, then to the strops.

250 is coarser then I would go, unless the blade needed serious material removal.

I usually start with 1000 or 2000 depending on the condition of the edge.


Don't be afraid to work different sections of the edge at different times.

Also, try tip to heel stropping when your working the point section of the blade.


Take your time, keep a very light touch, and listen to the sound of the blade on the sandpaper/strop, it will let you know when you're working the actual edge.




Big Mike
 
Thanks, Im trying the sandpaper tonight
Big Mike said:
Andy's 01 offers great edge retention and as such takes a little more work to sharpen.

Getting it sharp on sandpaper is the way to go, then to the strops.

250 is coarser then I would go, unless the blade needed serious material removal.

I usually start with 1000 or 2000 depending on the condition of the edge.


Don't be afraid to work different sections of the edge at different times.

Also, try tip to heel stropping when your working the point section of the blade.


Take your time, keep a very light touch, and listen to the sound of the blade on the sandpaper/strop, it will let you know when you're working the actual edge.




Big Mike
Click to expand...
 
I reprofiled mine to a V edge. The convex geometry still worked great for wood work and such. I am just not handy sharpening a convex edge.
 
I wouldn't go with such low grit (you mean 220 right?) to sharpen, that is a grit used to remove steel and reprofile steel.

When sharpening convex knives, I've never gone lower than 320 grit, but I'd probably start with 400 grit and then go higher from there. Most of the time, you only need to touch-up the edge. 600-800 grits will work, 1000 and over is if you want to polish the edge.
 
CWL said:
I wouldn't go with such low grit (you mean 220 right?) to sharpen, that is a grit used to remove steel and reprofile steel.

When sharpening convex knives, I've never gone lower than 320 grit, but I'd probably start with 400 grit and then go higher from there. Most of the time, you only need to touch-up the edge. 600-800 grits will work, 1000 and over is if you want to polish the edge.
Click to expand...

Your right, 220 grit, my bad. It worked for me, however my blade was on the duller side and the geometry was pretty fat. So my method of sharpening my hunter did include a little reprofiling. That being said, I still like using my 220 grit for sharpening my more blunt/duller blades, and especially taking out chips and roles on my scandi grinds. I can also get more sharpening sessions out of one sheet of 220 than I can with a higher grit IMO.
 
Also, my sandpaper is labeled "Very Fine 220 Grit". I don't know if there are different grades of 220 sandpaper out there, but this is what I use.

I must admit, I am a novice to convex edges. But, my system does work for me. I prefer having all my knives be razor sharp and my system gets my blades to my preference. Great, now I sound like a broken record.
 
I went out and bought a sheet of 600, 800, 1000. Used them all & finished with a leather strop, extremely sharp!!
Thank you to all:)
 
myemptymind said:
I went out and bought a sheet of 600, 800, 1000. Used them all & finished with a leather strop, extremely sharp!!
Thank you to all:)
Click to expand...

Late seeing this and glad you got it all sorted out. I have 320, 600, and 1200 grit I use on top of a thick mousepad-ish seat cushion. Works wonderfully.

355C22F0-6A29-4767-AA7D-14DB7963256B-22687-000008E17BF127CA_zpsa66932c3.jpg
 
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