Finally got my first really sharp edge!

P

PC87

Joined
Dec 27, 2011
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Well, it took me long enough but after about 4 yrs of just maintaining my PM2 on a sharp maker (I had lost the tip due to rounding and poor technique and always hurry up) I had bought a DMT aligner yrs ago with some extra stones and decided to give that a try.

Put it on the #6 setting which look to align with the edge on the knife and went through all the grits from ex course to ex fine. Wouldn't cut nothing cleanly so I decided it probably needed a micro bevel. Placed the dmt stones one at a time on the sharp maker to get the 40 degree edge and went through each grit, then finished up with the sharp maker stones fine and ex fine and a 5micron diamond strop.

HOLY COW cant even hear it cut phone book paper and my arm has no hair.

I know that probably wasnt the best way to do it but its all I could come up with at the time to get my edge back.

I have been reading on here some in the past and just cant free hand and really dont have the time to go through the process but it seems I shouldn't have had to do what I just did to get the edge I got.

Any tips would be appreciated.
 
I am a sharpening jig evangelist but highly recommend you keep trying to learn to free hand until you get it. It will teach you what you should expect from the jigs.
If you start with the coarser stones even to "touch up" an edge and go along the stone as if you were trying to carve some off the stone, but with not much downward force until you get a wire edge. Use magnification to see it. It should be extremely small. To try to see it between passes on the stone tilt the edge all around ; the light will glint off it when looking down the knife as you would hold it to cut with ; not looking toward the edge as you would if looking for a chip in the edge.

Once you get the wire edge just LIGHTLY alternate sides of the blade and go finer, and finer stones until you get a sharp edge. You will get down to one partial pass on the finest stone and then one partcial pass on the other side of the blade.

Once you get the wire edge less presure and fewer passes usually is the best way to go.

Congradulations on the missing arm hair and all. Keep up the good work.
 
Thanks,

I do want to go free hand at some point, it just wont be soon.
 
The DMT Aligner is fairly crude but mine gets the job done to set a good bevel. I will sue the Aligner then do a quick strop and have a pretty good edge.
 
Congrats!

What you experienced was common, it's simply progressing through the grits too quickly without ever establishing a complete bevel with apex. I would recommend going back to the original setting and using the XC stone until a burr forms. At this point you should be able to reduce pressure and reduce the burr making the edge sharp enough to shave arm hair or slice news print. YES, this is possible with the XC diamond hone. After that its all about changing a scratch pattern until the edge is fine enough to suite your preferences.
 
Trying to rush through sharpening when you don't have the skills is the best way to ruin the finish, if not the edge on your knives. Either you make a wire edge, or don't refine properly. Sharpening is about refinement. Or you can get a powered sharpener, and if you don't do it correctly because you rush, take time to mind the temper of the knives or use too much pressure, injure yourself or gouge the blade.

Take the time. Get over your "lack of time". Freehanding is meditation. Use it for relaxation time. It gives you awareness of your body: pressure, angles, and a reference guide for your eyes of what the actual angles are supposed to be.

Freehanding is a terrific skill. Learn it, no matter what system you have.

Zero
 
Nice! I know the feeling. It took me roughly 3 years to get edges that were truly sharp. Not just sharp enough to cut boxes but I mean truly sharp without stropping.

Stropping used to be a way to get my knives to pop a hair off when they weren't sharp enough, sort of like compensating for poor technique. Now, stropping gets them scary sharp. Keep at the free hand thing....you'll get there.
 
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