Having some trouble sharpening VG10...

V

VGten

Joined
Apr 20, 2009
Messages
19
Hey Guys,

When I'm sharpening my VG10 delica, I can never seem to get the burr to dissapear. Instead, it just continues to bend from side to side, never decreasing in size or breaking off.

I start on the medium grit sharpmaker stones, and sharpen till I can feel a burr. I test by dragging my fingernail from the top of the bevel down to the edge, and when I have raised a burr my fingernail will catch on the edge. I test near the tip, then the belly, and then the back to make sure that the burr runs the entire length of the edge. Then I go to the corner of the fines, and I spent an what seems like an eternity trying to sharpen off the burr, but never having any luck.

I use the same method with my tenacious, and I can knock the burr off on the fine stones in just a couple of sets. It is easy to get that knife scary sharp. I can get the delica shaving sharp, but it takes alot of effort to shave and isn't nearly as sharp as it was NIB.

What am I doing wrong? Is there some trick to getting a good edge on VG10?
 
VGten said:
Hey Guys,

When I'm sharpening my VG10 delica, I can never seem to get the burr to dissapear. Instead, it just continues to bend from side to side, never decreasing in size or breaking off.

I start on the medium grit sharpmaker stones, and sharpen till I can feel a burr. I test by dragging my fingernail from the top of the bevel down to the edge, and when I have raised a burr my fingernail will catch on the edge. I test near the tip, then the belly, and then the back to make sure that the burr runs the entire length of the edge. Then I go to the corner of the fines, and I spent an what seems like an eternity trying to sharpen off the burr, but never having any luck.

I use the same method with my tenacious, and I can knock the burr off on the fine stones in just a couple of sets. It is easy to get that knife scary sharp. I can get the delica shaving sharp, but it takes alot of effort to shave and isn't nearly as sharp as it was NIB.

What am I doing wrong? Is there some trick to getting a good edge on VG10?
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Have you tried stropping?
 
Maybe the steel's a bit soft? Stropping isn't too hard. Put the blade at the angle the edge is sharpened at, if not a little bit steeper and have a set amount of strops, or "strokes" per side. After every 20 or so strops, take a scotch brite pad and rub the the strop to get that 1st little top layer off because it's then loaded up with steel. Hope this makes sense.
 
VG-10 is one of those steels that have a PITA burr, a strop would be a good choice and would take care of that burr but you might want to get some UF rods first. The UF rods will reduce the burr to almost nothing plus make your edge much sharper and have a nice polish. I would still suggest getting a strop to use after because as many others will tell you once you learn how to use it you'll kick yourself for not getting one sooner.
 
If you're trying to make the burr go away with the fine rods, that's going to take ages.

Once you develop a burr, clean your brown stones and then start going 1-1 on each side with them until it's gone.

My method is to Sharpen 1-1 at a higher (more obtuse) angle after I have developed a burr. This way the burr is gone for sure (instead of flopping back and forth). Of course you'll have to go back to the angle you used to create the burr, and then sharpen 1-1 again until you get to the edge (because doing the higher angle will have created a microbevel). That should eliminate the burr problem, and then after you're done with medium, you can move onto fine (going 1-1 from there on out, of course).
 
I have a Lone Wolf Glock tool made by spiderco with vg10. I used a note pad to strop it with. cardboard works also. I just started using it in last year after I read about it some place. it is so much faster that trying to take it off with a stone. also since it drags on the paper you can tell when its gone. you don't have to but if you want you can put the microbevel on after you take the wire edge off.
Storm
 
I want to welcome VGten and skillgannon to these forums.

VGten, be sure you are making feather-light strokes on those Sharpmaker stones. Consider getting the ultra-fine stones as well. Since I became super conscious of the lightness of my strokes, all my VG10 blades are very sharp. Good luck.
 
nate3993 said:
After every 20 or so strops, take a scotch brite pad and rub the the strop to get that 1st little top layer off because it's then loaded up with steel.
Click to expand...

Great tip. This makes SUCH a difference for me. Although I always just figured that top layer that gets a little hard and glossy is the chromium oxide compound being packed down. Now it makes sense to me that it is loaded with steel.
 
KarlMaldensNose said:
Great tip. This makes SUCH a difference for me. Although I always just figured that top layer that gets a little hard and glossy is the chromium oxide compound being packed down. Now it makes sense to me that it is loaded with steel.
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It gets loaded with steel maybe every 100-200 strokes not 20, chromium oxide does not cut that fast. The glossy finish you see is the material packing down, thats when it really starts working.
 
TIZWIN said:
I want to welcome VGten and skillgannon to these forums.

VGten, be sure you are making feather-light strokes on those Sharpmaker stones. Consider getting the ultra-fine stones as well. Since I became super conscious of the lightness of my strokes, all my VG10 blades are very sharp. Good luck.
Click to expand...

I think your right here. I was putting way to much pressure with the sharpmaker and I think I was making my knives duller. I lightened the pressure in my passes and then I started seeing wonderful results. Same goes for most methods of sharpening that I’ve tried. A longer series of gentle strokes with good control (yes I’m still talking about knives) will give better results then using to much force.
 
When I have a burr that just seems to bend from side to side when you alternate strokes, I run the edge down a piece of wood a couple of times to break off the burr.
 
I was struggling with my native 3 for like a half hour one day. I think you need to break through the facotry edge. I can get it to shave.
 
Masteroffajitas said:
I was struggling with my native 3 for like a half hour one day. I think you need to break through the facotry edge. I can get it to shave.
Click to expand...

Great point. The factory edge on many top end production knives is hit and miss. For some [good] reason, great knives get better with use ;)
 
And be sure to watch both sides. Sometimes from the factory, the angles on each side are different. My Leatherman's blade, for example, has one side between 30 and 40, but the other side is greater than 40.
 
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