Recommendation? Good site to learn about sharpening

B

Bo-dacious

Joined
Aug 13, 2016
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Hey guys, I was wondering if there is a good site to learn the ins and outs of sharpness and making something sharp. Like the physics of it. I tried science of sharp but it's too technical and doesn't really explain what I want to know.

Does anybody know a good site?

Thanks,

Bo
 
Bo-dacious said:
Hey guys, I was wondering if there is a good site to learn the ins and outs of sharpness and making something sharp. Like the physics of it. I tried science of sharp but it's too technical and doesn't really explain what I want to know.

Does anybody know a good site?

Thanks,

Bo
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This site is, ask for tips and tricks in the maintenance section here.
 
Try the search function here. There is a TON of information on the maintenance forum mentioned above, but it can be hard to dig through. Searching by thread title can pull up an absolute wealth of information.
 
T.L.E. Sharp said:
The maintenance and tinkering forum specifically.
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For sure this is it.

Look through the stickies at the top of the page.
Pretty much all you need to know is use an Edge Pro Apex. Learn which stones work with the steel you are sharpening. You will know it is the wrong stone if it glazes and stops cutting or won't take the bur off but just keeps flipping it back and forth (assuming you are sharpening real steel and not something out of the bargain bin).

It is worth looking at lots of magnified edges on line . . . just Google.
Use some decent magnification yourself and learn from trial and error how to hold the bur in relation to the light source to see if you've gotten rid of every bit of it.
Learn to test the edge on your finger nail; this can be like a computer print out of edge analyses info once you learn to do it. Practice and think.
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Just youtube a few wicked edge videos. The system cost more,
but in life you get what you pay for!
 
Bo-dacious said:
ins and outs of sharpness and making something sharp. Like the physics of it
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This video is THEEEEEE most concise and right on thing I can think of when it comes to what you are asking about. Basically : make the edge very thin, (very, very thin on the order of .005 to .010 inch) and very shallow angle ( on the order of 10° per side) and if the edge gets beat up then resharpen and make the edge a little thicker and a little wider angle (12° per side) and try it again. He knows; he hand forges custom knives and was trained by the Japanese masters.
What are we talking about in a knife? What would that look like ?
THIS !
A superior cutting edge . . . unless you are trying to cut bricks and bones . . . then maybe go a little thicker and an little wider angle. ;)
IMG_3374.jpg

 
Bo-dacious said:
Hey guys, I was wondering if there is a good site to learn the ins and outs of sharpness and making something sharp. Like the physics of it. I tried science of sharp but it's too technical and doesn't really explain what I want to know.

Does anybody know a good site?

Thanks,

Bo
Click to expand...

The only Physics you need to know is that pressure = force/area.

In my opinion, either you are satisfied with generalizations, mis-information and over-simplification, or you go down the rabbit hole into the technical details to understand what is actually going on.
 
This site.

There's YEARS' worth of sharpening expertise here, maybe decades' worth in fact. Thousands upon thousands (or TENS of thousands) of posts and discussions from (likely) the best in the field. Not just in the Maint forum either; look into the makers' sub-forums also, for more detail about the steel and how it's made and heat-treated, ground, etc. I don't think I've ever not found the answers I'm looking for here, or at least enough good clues and inspiration to spur me in more efficiently digging up good info in my other internet searching.

Searching the internet successfully for answers usually comes down to figuring out how best to frame the 'question' you're seeking answers to. And reading the discussions and posts of the experts here makes that much easier. A lot of my own reading of posts here and participating in thread discussions has inspired me to go looking for more answers to questions I'd previously not even thought to ask. That's how learning happens.

There are a lot of other forum sites with excellent info also; Spyderco's own site comes to mind. And for specifics about steel and abrasives and tools, look to the mfr's sites for more good information. Crucible (when they were still in business) and Sandvik both have had excellent info about steel's chemistry and physical properties, and how it's made. I'm sure there are many more, but those two are sites I've referred to often.

A technical instructor I had a long time ago, while training in the military, said it's not necessarily important to always know all the answers to every question (that's impossible anyway). It's more worthwhile to learn how & where to find the answers you're looking for. A site like this is a great 'hub' from which to start searching. :thumbsup:
 
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