Help a newbie sharpen...

Visibility · Mar 27, 2009

I have my edge pro, and feel I have a knack for it. I having problems with the edge beyond 1k. Edge will be flawless so then I go to polish with the tapes and it gets worse. It seems almost like the tapes don't have an abbrasive on them so mucn as putting a finish buff on the knife....thoughts?

Also, are there any other stones on line that are 1x6? I'd like some fner stones than the 1k just to goof around.

Also, what is a push cut? I see people saying "it ill push cut a whole week." what are they talking about ?

One last thing....I'm going to get a book and learn more....which book is the best/most comprehensive on sharpening?

richard j · Mar 28, 2009

i cant help you with your edgepro but push cuting is what my friend is doing in this video with a knife i made. http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...deoid=51941310 check out this link to another method for sharpening http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=578787

Skimo · Mar 28, 2009

very lightly run the tape over the edge. this should help.

MORIMOTOM · Mar 28, 2009

the tapes are abrasive, otherwise they would not polish the edge.

it is getting dull after the tapes? that is odd.

don't apply any pressure to the edge when using the tapes other than what gravity supplies. make sure it is flat on the blank and evenly adhered. be sure to add water.

the tape may be rolling or the edge may be cutting in to the tape.

gary jp4 · Mar 28, 2009

Maybe you are changing the angle from the last stone used to the tape. If the thickness is a little different then the stone you need to compensate by changing the angle. Check with a Sharpie to be sure.

stitchawl · Mar 28, 2009

Sounds like a case of 'too much pressure' to me. Number one cause of screwing up an edge when using EdgePro. Just let the weight of the swing arm be the pressure of the tapes, and when using the tapes, change sides for EVERY stroke, being sure to wash off the tapes at the same time.

Stitchawl

MORIMOTOM · Mar 30, 2009

stitchawl said:
Sounds like a case of 'too much pressure' to me. Number one cause of screwing up an edge when using EdgePro. Just let the weight of the swing arm be the pressure of the tapes, and when using the tapes, change sides for EVERY stroke, being sure to wash off the tapes at the same time.

Stitchawl

change which sides? the edge or the tape?

stitchawl · Mar 30, 2009

MORIMOTOM said:
change which sides? the edge or the tape?

The blade sides, just as when you are using a bench stone and alternating sides with each stroke. When using the tapes I alternate after every stroke as well as really flushing the tape with water each time. This removes any metal particles that can ruin the mirror finish. The tapes aren't the same as the water stones where we need to have a slurry built up.

So I only allow the weight of the carrier arm to be the pressure on the blade, take one stroke away from the edge as in stropping, and use a lot of water. I'd guesstimate that I only use perhaps 15-20 strokes with each grit of tape.

Stitchawl

MORIMOTOM · Mar 30, 2009

interesting, ill give it a try next time.

thx.

Jeff Clark · Mar 30, 2009

There are basically two kinds of cutting that you do with a knife edge. You can draw the edge across the material as you cut (this is commonly called "slicing") or you can push through the material without that crosswise action (called "push cutting" around Bladeforums). When you are butchering meat you usually are conspicuously using a slicing action. When you shave or carve wood you are often push cutting. When you dice vegetables on a cutting board you may be push cutting unless the food tends to squish easily and you add a little slicing action to your push cutting. Usually when you chop things you are doing sort of a ballistic push cut.

If you have a very thin and acutely sharp edge it will both push cut and slice extremely well. If your edge is not as thin or acute it will actually benefit from some roughness left on the edge to act as microscopic serrated teeth. If your edge works better after you hone with a 1,000 grit stone than when you polish it with a finer grit it indicates that you did a second rate job of sharpening in the first place. Some of your cutting effectiveness was coming from the edge roughness left from your 1,000 grit hone.

To get great push cutting performance you need to spend more time working with your coarser hones to achieve a low edge angle that really meets at a fine edge. If you lay the groundwork then your honing tapes will refine that edge to something that push cuts and slices well. One way that you check for push cutting performance is the classic push-cutting activity of shaving.

For many people the edge left by a 1,000 grit hone is a very reasonable compromise. It is easy to put on and slices well. Most people get some incidental slicing action even when they are whittling. It is hard to prevent some crosswise slicing blade motion as you work.