Gec 891212

Deleted due to posting problems from earlier today....sorry.
 
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Well, I had issues getting this posted today, here is what I was trying to say:

Just adding an update to my ongoing bonding with this #89. I feel naked, but today is the first day since receipt, that it is not in my RFP or misplaced (lost) in my shirt pocket.

For the life of me, I couldn't keep the edge on it. I'm a beginner free-hand sharpener, and I'd get it hair shaving toward the tip and rear, but the middle seemed dull and the edge in general would dull rather quickly. The mark side's edge was uniform with a consistent height. The pile side "wavered" if that makes sense. The 1/3 closest to the tip and the 1/3 closest to the tang were uniform while the middle faded to nothing. I was sharpening on a stone that can accommodate the entire blade, so I sense the profile is off or the blade thickness changes. And after a good stropping, upon closing and opening, a glint of light reflecting from the edge showed that it hits the backspring......ever so slightly. Anyhow, I have a fellow BF friend that can really sharpen a knife, and he graciously took this in to see what is the problem and what can be done. Pictures to follow when the #89 gets back.
 
Will the mystery friend please sign in?....:) I received Josh's knife today, VERY sleek and actually it was pretty sharp, working on the edges now, I always try to start fresh so I used a 120, 180, 320,500 and moving up to the 800, 2k, 8k and finally a leather strop, whew ! that tired me just typing it !

The smaller blade kind of 'feels' like it's at a little harder Rockwell than the main blade, not by much, but then it is just a feel from using the stones free hand sharpening.

The main blade has an off set built in to allow clearance of the pen blade, so if you try to use an edge pro and seat the tang area, one side will be higher than the other due to the way the blade was initially ground. Free hand sharpening isn't affected from that, in this case at least.

And, Josh being Josh, he included a very nice folder as a gift for offering to help out, certainly wasn't expected nor necessary, but his choice was...well...Choice :) a Case Wharncliff copper lock, Purple Haze model that he dyed the bone a little darker, matches up really nice with my large Purple Haze Stockman!!! Blown away as it was a great choice for me, a dye in the wool wharncliff fan and lover of the Purple Haze, thanks Josh and I guess I will send your #89 back then, should have it finished up sharpening in a little while just getting to the 320 grit stone.

and a BIG Kudo's to Cory, really nice knife that Josh ended up with from you!!! nicely done sir!
G2

edited to add a photo of said Case ;)
Case_Copper.jpg~original
 
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Gary ,

I know when freehand sharpening its difficult to tell , but approximately what degree of angle do you use on the bevel ?
Do you put a micro- bevel on the edge ?

Ken
 
Yah dunno what that might be, one of the hazards of free hand sharpening and a very slight micro bevel.

Both blades sharpened up nicely too btw :) Josh, heading home tomorrow sir,
G2
 
Well, wouldn't call it expert but, I do try, I recently picked up a really nice Chosera 800 grit stone and that leaves a great toothy edge, where I have more polished edges depending on the chores, this stone has changed my way of thinking! I'll still polish the edges for my leather work and my up coming wood carving chores :) preparing for old age lol, but for my every day stuff, I think I'll go as far as the 800 grit and call it good, slices TP still at that grit.
G2
 
The #89 was waiting for me when I walked in the door last night. But something strange, a known #89 GEC-in its tube, does not necessitate a Medium Flat Rate Box. Gary, sent along two instrument boxes. What they were manufactured to hold, I know not, but they are perfect knife storage boxes. He also sent along a nice note and asked me to send one of the boxes my father's way. Gary, being a stainless kind of guy (pointy-low tips preferred), ends up with Case knives more often than not, and he knows that my Dad is a Case man, so came to be his nice gesture. He also sent along a lucky coin, this one is a 1951 Wheat Penny. Here is the package (Gary packs a knife like it is Swarovski Crystal);):

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Here is a pick of the free-hand sharpened #89 in one of the boxes with Ye Ole' Penny:

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Gary fixed this knife up perfect, it certainly is sharp........

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Finally, Gary used an old trick to prevent the blade from slapping the backspring. A little cork laid in perfectly.

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Gary-I can't say thank you enough my friend.

And so, the #891212 saga continues. Its in my RFP and headed to football practice tonight.
 
Awesome job, Gary. What a great gift, and thoughtful to include Josh's dad. Big kudos to you, sir. Josh, kudos to you for still having so much hair on your arm! I'd be pretty embarrassed to post a picture of my "sharpness tester". :p
 
Glad she arrived back so quickly ! and you are most welcome, the coin was given to the doner as Josh had gifted me that Case Copper lock, beauty too :)

Hope your dad will be able to make use of that box, he can also carefully carve around the knives he wants to display in there, or the foam does compress enough they can just rest in the grooves already made. I get these occasionally from work as they hold sensors and we sell them separately so we end up sometimes with a few nice boxes left over, pack rat that I am, I beg to get them when they do come up.

G2
 
I have a similar pattern in Red Abalone. I actually used it once when out for a steak dinner. Received some nice comments from a couple of the waitresses.:)

IMG_20150728_1651557_rewind.jpg
 
After Gary graciously ensured this #89 had an extremely keen edge, it went back into the pocket. I wanted to post this updated pic. I believe you'll agree that it has reached maturation in the patina department.

Some other thoughts, I can guarantee you that its edge is extremely sharp, alas it is not a good slicer. Why? It is sleek, it is slender, it has a "Gary" edge. It cuts apples, but not like lightening, and not like my TK Cuban. Why?

I have a theory. The blade height (from edge to back) is very short. Hey this is a slender/sleek pattern. Being short in distance from edge to back, the blade's actual profile is wedge shaped to a point that it cannot be "thin behind the edge". That is what I'm thinking anyhow. It certainly can handle the task, but just does not excel. What it excels at is general EDC. All around great knife, that disappears in the pocket.

Take care:

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Regarding the not slicing with great ease despite being shaving sharp, your thought that the wedge shape is wider due to the short edge to spine distance, depends on thickness of stock for wide a "V" or wedge it makes. Across the spine, at the tang is it 1/8" or 1/16" ?
There is also 'drag', a deep blade like in a Toenail pattern has a more narrow "V" but the large blade surface is in contact with the object being sliced so there is more friction, "drag", which means more pressure needed to slice.
So, thickness of the wedge or "V", vs. depth of blade creating drag, which is more important for ease of slicing ?
I'm thinking GG might know the answer which is why i'm asking it here.
kj
 
kj in my opinion the tonail patterned knife being thinner at the edge bevel shoulders and gradually thickening out to the spine would slice easier as the material will be able to separate better as it slices, where the shorter wedge of the narrower blade has a fight right at the start, just an abrupt jump in thickness hurts things like slicing through thicker material. Through clothing or material that isn't thick, probably a toss up, the 89 did get quite sharp and will cut...especially yourself if you're not careful ;) but for most things we come up against, a thinner blade would be handier.

My Stockman had nice wide blades with grinds down thin to the edge, they cut/slice great !

stockman_sheepsfoot_blade.jpg~original


Stockman_sheepsfoot_edge.jpg~original


G2
 
Thanks KJ and Gary. The 89's main blade stock is 1/8", but it is offset ground, so the blade stock is 3/32" tang forward. The blade height (at the mid point-laying flat on ruler-hypotenuse) is 7/16". If we compare the ratio between 1/2*blade thickness stock, to the blade height (not measuring along the grind-not the hypotenuse) we should come up with a ratio. We could compare this GEC's ratio to the same ratio of a blade that we know is a good slicer and see if a pattern develops. Anyone remember trigonometry?
 
Rockon75, that is an interesting idea to use mathmatics to see if there is an optimal ratio between stock thickness and blade 'height' that is best for slicing.
kj
 
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