First sharpmaker, now DMT alligner

[freq18hz]

Hey folks got a few questions:

I have a spyderco sharpmaker, I could get edges decently sharp. Then I bought a Smith's two sides diamond stone, and I can freehand things shaving sharp. But now I bought a DMT aligner system with the extra course, and extra fine stones. I'm looking for beyond shaving sharp.

The DMT manual says that the angles change per setting, depending on how wide the blade is. By wide I assume they mean from edge to spine? Or do they mean thick?

Which angles should I sharpen which knives at (EDC folders, fixed blades, etc)? Is there a way to visually see, or feel the factory angle of an edge?

Also I've seen some people around here with super polished looking/factory edges after sharpening...how can I achieve this?

Thanks!


-Freq

 

[richard j]

here is what i use. for under $100. you can get a knife scary sharp in a few minutes. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=578787
check out the knife in this link http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=582180 the edge blended right in with the blade

 

[THG]

By wide I assume they mean from edge to spine? Or do they mean thick?

Both. Every movement of the clamp will cause some variation in the angle. It needs to be placed exactly in the same spot every time to keep the same angle.

This hassle is the reason I only use this system for profiling new bevels; I leave all the regular sharpenings to my own two hands.

Which angles should I sharpen which knives at (EDC folders, fixed blades, etc)? Is there a way to visually see, or feel the factory angle of an edge?

You can do any angle you want. I think the most common angles are 30°±10°.

I'm not sure what you mean by "see" the angle. I suppose you could look at the spine at the tip of the blade. That angle you see will give you an idea of the angle of your edge.

As for feeling the edge: yes, you can do that if you're sharpening with a regular bench stone. If you start your pass of the blade at an angle lower than your edge and then start raising it, there will be a point where you start to feel some resistance, meaning that you are now sharpening the edge. The angle at which that occurs is the angle of your edge.

If you're asking "how do I find the number of degrees of my angle," I don't know any precise way to do that unless you're using some kind of sharpening system that allows that. The Aligner does not; it is all approximated according to the manual they give you.

Also I've seen some people around here with super polished looking/factory edges after sharpening...how can I achieve this?

I assure you that it is not a factory edge! Factory edges are actually pretty coarse.

You can get a really polished edge by using a strop and some stropping compounds (like 1µm diamond paste.) This is something I personally don't invest time into.

 

[Heiheit]

here is what i use. for under $100. you can get a knife scary sharp in a few minutes. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=578787
check out the knife in this link http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=582180 the edge blended right in with the blade

Richard no offense intended, but he wasn't asking about those. What he asked was pretty specific and your posts can be construed as spam as you say the same thing in a good deal of threads. Again, no offense intended as I know you're a master of your skill. Some people such as I are not so good with the paper wheels and enjoy sharpening with stones, etc.

 

[Heiheit]

Hey folks got a few questions:

I have a spyderco sharpmaker, I could get edges decently sharp. Then I bought a Smith's two sides diamond stone, and I can freehand things shaving sharp. But now I bought a DMT aligner system with the extra course, and extra fine stones. I'm looking for beyond shaving sharp.

The DMT manual says that the angles change per setting, depending on how wide the blade is. By wide I assume they mean from edge to spine? Or do they mean thick?

Which angles should I sharpen which knives at (EDC folders, fixed blades, etc)? Is there a way to visually see, or feel the factory angle of an edge?

Also I've seen some people around here with super polished looking/factory edges after sharpening...how can I achieve this?

Thanks!


-Freq

As stated before the thickness of the spine as well as how tall the blade face is will affect the angle. For long, tall blades i like to put the clamp a little off the Ricasso and angled towards the tip. For thin, short blades, I do the opposite.

I like as low an angle as I can go on the aligner; this is a lot of work though. For something a little easier, Put some tape on where the blade where the clamp contacts, pinch the clamp in the front and then tighten the brass screw then tighten the plastic screw. Mark the bevel with a permanent marker and get your EF stone. Estimate which angle you think the bevel is at (I usually try 2nd to lowest). The angle will not be exact, so get your coarse stone to grind the bevel to the correct angle.

To get a high polish will take some time with diamonds; they cut deep and need to be worn in. I suggest using a single stroke from ricasso to tip (multiple times of course) to create a nice, crisp, even scratch pattern on your bevel.

You will most likely have a wire edge (burr) at the end of this process on one side of the bevel. I recommend investing in a strop and some diamond spray or paste.

 

[Jason B.]

Good advice so far.

Shaving sharp should be achieved by the finish of the coarse stone and beyond that is all above shaving sharp. Position of the clamp on average should be 50% of the blade unless the blade has a large belly, then closer to the tip is better. Reposition is fairly easy if you use a sharpie and continually check the edge with the stone as you tighten the plastic set screw.

Angle setting 5 or 6 is all I ever used.

For mirror bevels you would need to add the EEF stone and a few different compounds like the DMT 6, 3, 1 micron diamond compound. You would need to most likely use them free hand on balsa, MDF, or your choice hardwood. Before you even get to the point where they can be used you must have effectively used your previous grits first.

Take your time, check often, and take everything into consideration.

 

[richard j]

heiheit, freq18hz asked how to get a mirror finish on an edge. if you read what i posted and checked out the link you will see that the knife has a mirror finish on the blade along with the edge. another thing, what i post is not spam. my talking about the paper wheels is no different than talking about the other sharpeners out there.