Having trouble getting a razor edge on my delica wave :(

[Kousii2]

I recently got a Spyderco Delica 4 wave through a trade. I have sharpened this knife on my sharpmaker and then stropped it and it still feels like my dullest knife. Is it because of the grind? Am I doing something wrong? Any input would be nice.

Thanks,
George

 

[res1cue]

It is because you have reprofile the edge, since it hasn't been properly apexed. Sharpmaker is not the best tool for that. Sharpmaker is good for when you already have an apexed edge.

My advice is to buy a stone and learn how to sharpen on there using the sharpie trick. Then, once you have formed an edge, switch to the Sharpmaker for the final edge

 

[fatherhudson]

My sharpmaker puts hair splitting edges on my delica in just a minute or 2. There is no way res1cue can no for sure that you're not apexing the edge, i would mostly ignore someone that speaks with such certainty after reading 3 sentences about a knife. Delicas come from the factory with a very steep edge (mine is somewhere south of 30 degrees inclusive). You should have no problem sharpening it on the 40 degree sharpmaker setting unless the previous owner put a much more obtuse angle on it. I suggest marking the edge with a sharpie then take it to the 40 degree sharpmaker side and see if the sharpie on the apex of the edge gets ground off. Use consistant strokes and finish with very light edge leading (downward) strokes. I like jdavis828's sharpmaker video a lot, definitely worth a watch if you think you might be doing it wrong. If you can't get an edge post back here and someone else can give you advice on a profesional sharpening service or re-profiling stones for the sharpmaker.

 

[fatherhudson]

Also, try to find a way to consistently check sharpness. Personally, I can't really tell how sharp a knife is with my fingers (at least past a certain point) so i use phonebook paper to test for sharpness. Some people like seeing how well the knife shaves. Just find a method and stick to it.

 

[SharpKind]

I recently got a Spyderco Delica 4 wave through a trade. I have sharpened this knife on my sharpmaker and then stropped it and it still feels like my dullest knife. Is it because of the grind? Am I doing something wrong? Any input would be nice.

Thanks,
George

You could try a lansky deluxe system there about 30 bucks and they re-profile very well, i do it to most of my knives, depending on what there going to be used for.

 

[res1cue]

I suggest marking the edge with a sharpie then take it to the 40 degree sharpmaker side and see if the sharpie on the apex of the edge gets ground off. Use consistant strokes and finish with very light edge leading (downward) strokes.

umm.. isn't that what I said?

if he can't feel any improvement by using a sharpmaker that must mean his edge is at a larger angle than the sharpmaker. Whether that is because it has been worn down, or because the previous owner had it at too large of an angle, he has to reset the angle.

 

[Whitedog]

Are you sharpening a full flat ground blade or one of the Delicas with a saber grind? If saber grind you will have to thin out the edge. A good bench stone coarse to medium grit will do the job. If you don't have one then you could use wet/dry sandpaper on a flat surface to do the job.