Fixed blade sharpening advice

J

Jejerusik

Joined
Apr 7, 2022
Messages
148
Hey everyone!!

Not sure this is the right place. But need some sharpening help.

I have a Reiff F6 in 3v. Love the knife. Came with a Saber grind with a convex edge. I have a kme sharpening system, and I have the convex rod. I have sharpened it once with the convex rod. Did ok. But its time to sharpen again.

Is it worth keeping the convex edge, or just going to a standard v type edge?

Side note, I use the knife for mostly Firestarting, and bushcraft type work.
 
eveled said:
I would make it a standard v. I don’t like convex grinds.
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You know, I have a Bradford in 3v with a v edge and I haven't had to sharpen it. Actually I think I have sharpened it 2x now. But the edge dosent seem like it's lasting as long. But everything I read says "convex is better".
 
I like convex grinds, but I don't like sharpening them. I look at sharpening like an exact science and concentrate very hard on getting even bevels at the same angle all the way throughout. It complicates things if I also add a rounded bevel. Therefore I would just sharpen it to a V edge myself. It'll be easier to touchup in the future too now that you'll know what angle you profiled it at. I use a KME now days too and I keep a small notebook with how I clamped each blade, the angle shown on the KME that I used, and I record the actual angle as measured by my phone using an angle app. I also record what grit progression I used.
 
Jejerusik said:
Hey everyone!!

Not sure this is the right place. But need some sharpening help.

I have a Reiff F6 in 3v. Love the knife. Came with a Saber grind with a convex edge. I have a kme sharpening system, and I have the convex rod. I have sharpened it once with the convex rod. Did ok. But its time to sharpen again.

Is it worth keeping the convex edge, or just going to a standard v type edge?

Side note, I use the knife for mostly Firestarting, and bushcraft type work.
Click to expand...

eveled said:
I would make it a standard v. I don’t like convex grinds.
Click to expand...
^This is what I would do and I feel the same way.

OP, maybe give the convex one more shot and if you are still questioning if you should do a v edge, you'll have your answer. Then again, if you are questioning it at all, you might already have your answer. I've done this before on 2 Bark Rivers which were a true full convex. Put a traditional v type secondary on and was much happier.
 
LimpCroissant said:
I like convex grinds, but I don't like sharpening them. I look at sharpening like an exact science and concentrate very hard on getting even bevels at the same angle all the way throughout. It complicates things if I also add a rounded bevel. Therefore I would just sharpen it to a V edge myself. It'll be easier to touchup in the future too now that you'll know what angle you profiled it at. I use a KME now days too and I keep a small notebook with how I clamped each blade, the angle shown on the KME that I used, and I record the actual angle as measured by my phone using an angle app. I also record what grit progression I used.
Click to expand...
That makes sense. I try to be consistent as well. I find even when I strop its weird to see if I actually hitting the correct edge
 
craytab said:
^This is what I would do and I feel the same way.

OP, maybe give the convex one more shot and if you are still questioning if you should do a v edge, you'll have your answer. Then again, if you are questioning it at all, you might already have your answer. I've done this before on 2 Bark Rivers which were a true full convex. Put a traditional v type secondary on and was much happier.
Click to expand...
Thats kinda what I'm thinking too. I may just do a regular edge. I like the convex and I'm trying to get better at it but I'm not finding the edge stays sharp for long
 
Jejerusik said:
That makes sense. I try to be consistent as well. I find even when I strop its weird to see if I actually hitting the correct edge
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Yea man, I won't lie, I was a slow learner with sharpening. When you look and ask online it seems like everyone picked it up within a few weeks, I didn't find that to be the case. I'm always learning something every time I sharpen a knife. Different techniques, ways of holding things, all that. Luckily the KME makes it a whole lot easier. I've found that the tip and the choil are the harder parts. The belly always almost sharpens itself while I'm trying to perfect the tip and the choil haha.
 
Jejerusik said:
Thats kinda what I'm thinking too. I may just do a regular edge. I like the convex and I'm trying to get better at it but I'm not finding the edge stays sharp for long
Click to expand...
Also remember that all 3v is not created equal. Heat treat can have a big impact, as well as edge geometry. Just to add to my comment above, I also free hand but I don't strop (touch up on ceramic rod) so like shane, my edges will always come out somewhat convex to a very small degree. The key to free hand sharpening is to find "your" angle. So an angle that you can comfortably hit all the time by feel (it isn't a number, just a feel). Then practice practice practice. Lots of cheap knives out there to practice on.
 
Arathol said:
Some 800 or better grit sand paper, a mouse pad, and you are good to go for a convex edge. Its just as simple as stropping a razor....
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I have heard about this technique before. Kinda confuses me a bit. Is there a video on this??
 
Jejerusik said:
I have heard about this technique before. Kinda confuses me a bit. Is there a video on this??
Click to expand...

There probably is a video (didn't look), but the concept is simple. Hold your blade at a consistent angle as you strop across the mousepad, and the pad "gives" slightly (ie, creates a small radius), allowing a convex edge to form.

A normal strop will give the same effect, but more strokes are required as the leather that most strops are made from is not as flexible and doesn't compress as much as a mousepad.
 
LimpCroissant said:
Yea man, I won't lie, I was a slow learner with sharpening. When you look and ask online it seems like everyone picked it up within a few weeks, I didn't find that to be the case. I'm always learning something every time I sharpen a knife. Different techniques, ways of holding things, all that. Luckily the KME makes it a whole lot easier. I've found that the tip and the choil are the harder parts. The belly always almost sharpens itself while I'm trying to perfect the tip and the choil haha.
Click to expand...
I find the same issues with the kme. I learned if you angle the tip and choil like in a straight line parallel with the clamp it really helps with the choil. I'm still getting the tip down better. But I have sharpened hundreds of knives for friends family co workers just to get pratice but im still not 100% there.
 
shane45-1911 said:
There probably is a video (didn't look), but the concept is simple. Hold your blade at a consistent angle as you strop across the mousepad, and the pad "gives" slightly (ie, creates a small radius), allowing a convex edge to form.

A normal strop will give the same effect, but more strokes are required as the leather that most strops are made from is not as flexible and doesn't compress as much as a mousepad.
Click to expand...
Holy crap! That's not how I invisioned it in my head! I like to over complicate things lol
 
craytab said:
Also remember that all 3v is not created equal. Heat treat can have a big impact, as well as edge geometry. Just to add to my comment above, I also free hand but I don't strop (touch up on ceramic rod) so like shane, my edges will always come out somewhat convex to a very small degree. The key to free hand sharpening is to find "your" angle. So an angle that you can comfortably hit all the time by feel (it isn't a number, just a feel). Then practice practice practice. Lots of cheap knives out there to practice on.
Click to expand...
Do you know a good place to get some stones? I have the KME stones but there not big enough obviously. I wasn't sure if there's a good place to start. And that is true about the 3V. My bradford in 3v with a v edge I still haven't had to sharpen once and I have had it longer. I used it but once I got the rieff I haven't put the knife down!
 
Jejerusik said:
I have heard about this technique before. Kinda confuses me a bit. Is there a video on this??
Click to expand...
Lots of videos in fact....Here is one that covers the basics....
I use some 1x6 with a piece of 8oz leather glued to the surface. I've got a number of different grit papers from 400 to 3000.
 
Jejerusik said:
Do you know a good place to get some stones? I have the KME stones but there not big enough obviously. I wasn't sure if there's a good place to start. And that is true about the 3V. My bradford in 3v with a v edge I still haven't had to sharpen once and I have had it longer. I used it but once I got the rieff I haven't put the knife down!
Click to expand...
Sure. Any place that sells good stones! But seriously, for the last 10 years I have been just using an inexpensive double sided norton stone ($25 synthetic), a cheap smiths ceramic rod with plastic handle, and then if I want that little extra I have an ultra fine spyderco ceramic stone. All my sharpening needs have been done with this. Have done some serious reprofiling of Spartan S35VN with this setup, took a while but the results were great. Take a look and ask around in the maintenance tinkering and embellishment section for more info on what stones to get. Be careful though, tis a rabbit hole.
 
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