Freehand Bevel Grinding Questions

[JRB Blades]

If your practicing and free hand is what your looking for, why not lose the file guide? After 25 blades you would be making some clean plunges and no file guide in your way or compromising the "feel". James

That is the next step! Thanks for the reply!

 

[JRB Blades]

Your grinds look pretty clean. You don't have to do much to get them how you like them. You might want to try grinding them post HT. For easy to grind steels like AEB-L, 1084, 15n20 your ceramic belts won't break a sweat. I switched a few year ago (not that I make many knives per year) and won't go back. It is way easier for me to get a nice crisp grind. If I forget about it and start grinding a unhardened blade it feels like the belt will grab every so often and then I have to even them out. Ita worth a try at least.

I have heard that grinding post HT would make for crisper grind lines. I will give that a try. Maybe do 90% of the grind pre HT and finish them up post HT? I know post HT I have to go back and clean up the bevel and get rid of those big scratches any way. Maybe I would rather grind one time (post HT) than to grind pre and post HT. Food for thought. Thanks!

 

[Storm W]

I have heard that grinding post HT would make for crisper grind lines. I will give that a try. Maybe do 90% of the grind pre HT and finish them up post HT? I know post HT I have to go back and clean up the bevel and get rid of those big scratches any way. Maybe I would rather grind one time (post HT) than to grind pre and post HT. Food for thought. Thanks!

If you are doing simple steels I don't think it slows you down much especially if you get into warps from a less than perfect grind.