Gerber Gator Folder giving me fits.

[Colog]

I have a Gerber gator folder w/ gut hook. Its in good shape but recently needed sharpening. I have been attempting to sharpen it with a spyderco sharpmaker. I started with on the 30 degree angle because I had read that this is what the blade comes out of the factory with. I got it sharp, but not to the point of shaving hair. Cuts paper good but won't shave. So i decided to use the 30 degree angle as a back bevel and went to the 40 degree side. I have followed the SM instuctions to the tea. I am keeping my angles straight. But this damn blade just won't shave for me. WTF am I doing wrong??? I can easily get all my spydercos, benchmades, bucks and kershaws to shave without effort. But this damn Gerber is pulling the hair out by the roots. I clean my rods after a few hundred strokes, and try again. The result is always the same. Sharp, but not really sharp. Help please.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

Are you checking for a burr?

 

[Cougar Allen]

 

[DGG]

Put magic marker on the edge and sharpen to see if you are hitting the very bottom of the edge (the primary micro-bevel). If not you are reprofiling the shoulder on the knife (use the 30 degree rod setting). If you are removing steel at the very bottom edge use the course brown rod corner until sharp. A razor blade has about a total angle of 8-10 degrees so I don't judge knife sharpness by the ability to cut hair. Once sharp at this stage go onto the next step, until very sharp. Don't progress until the knife is very sharp at each stage. Finally use your hone/strop with some chromium oxide to remove any remaining burr and put a little polish on the bevel.

http://forums.egullet.com/index.php?showtopic=26036


http://www.drsharpening.com/leatherhone.html

Good luck! Hope you can get the edge. If not then it may just be that the steel wasn't properly heat treated.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Cuts paper good but won't shave.

I have that knife, the steel is very soft and thus it is easy to push the edge to one side instead of having it form clean. Cut the edge off with a couple of light passes directly into the medium rods. Form the edge with the medium rods in the 15 degree settings. You will have to go very light, shortly after it starts slicing paper it will start to shave and push cut paper. If you notice that it only shaves on one side then increase the angle significantly like 10 degrees, clean the stones and reduce the force on the rods and use a few light alternating passes to reform the edge. Now use the fine rods again alternating and do the same with them if they push the edge to one side.

If not you are reprofiling the shoulder on the knife ...

If he was hitting the shoulder it would be having no effect on the edge.

-Cliff