help me get a polished edge

O

Obsidion

Joined
Jan 9, 2007
Messages
63
ok here`s what im having trouble with, the edge angel of my Emerson Commander was to steep for my lansky clamp set or sharpening system as they seem to call it. i now have a 30degree angle and the edge looks polished to the naked eye. but with some magnification it looks coarse.

took some close macroshots of the edge.
edgeres.jpg


zoomed in:
edgezoom.jpg


it is really sharp now and it shaves hair really easy. but can i get the edge smoother?

its a chiselgrind.

I have tryed to run it over the back of a legalpad but still this coarse.

is there a way to get it smooter or is it so thin that it will break up this way?
 
try using wet/dry microfine sandpaper 1000,1500,2000 and if you can find any finer?

I've even wrapped the Lansky hones with it

I hope this helps
 
If the blade looks polished, and shaves hair very easily, it's probably about as polished as you're going to get it. All edges will have tiny little teeth when magnified, no matter how polished. You can probably polish it some more with a leather strop and some CrO compound, or use very high grits of sandpaper.
 
A less magnified photo of the edge might help. That edge looks mighty smooth to me (yes I see the roughness but it's negligible)
 
i really have to get a strop :-/ would a leather belt do?

mkphc: nice ill try some 1500paper on the hone :)

Jamesh Bond: i tryed it and the blade kinda dug in, was once told that was what a sharp knife should do. is this right?
 
An edge like that is an aggressive slicer. A polished edge should not catch at all. They are better for push cutting. I kinda geek out on super polished laser edges, but I find a slightly toothy edge better for general utility.

A leather belt will do fine, but if you want a really polished edge, rub some kind of abrasive into it, as Django606 suggested. Strop it until it glides across you fingernail with no resistace.
 
ok ill have to go buy a belt :)
trying the drypaper right now. hope this helps..

been wanting to just grind it down to a V-edge but not shure since im getting a Bm rukus soon so ill give this chiselgrind some more time.. not dont like it yet
 
got this with p1200 paper :)

edge4.jpg


edge3.jpg


just found the p1500 so im still at it.. strangly it doesent shave as good now.. ill just have to work on it
 
Jamesh Bond said:
Make sure there isn't a burr on the flat side. You need to remove it or your blade will be really dull.

Something interesting, if you haven't seen it yet:
www.emersonknives.com/EK_Sharpening.html
Click to expand...

thanks :) that was the page that instructed me to use the back of a legal pad..

its very sharp now. maybe even sharper than a damascus sebenza i sharpend for a friend :)

i dont dislike the chisel grind anymore,

Thank you all for the help! i really appriciate it!

msiley: for these shots i used a Canon eos 350d "digital rebel" i think its called in the states, a Sigma 50mm 1:2,8 DG macro lens. 1000w light and shot with RAW..
 
I just bought a commander and everything I've read about sharpening since I got it made me worried that I'd made a mistake.
If I'm reading this thread right the lansky system coupled with stropping as suggested on the Emerson site should get me a good edge?
I don't want to wreck my knife trying to do it freehand until I have more experience/practice.
 
Try using the saphire hone on the Lansky to polish it up. I like Black or Translucent Arkasas to polish mine up though ceramics will do nicely in a pinch.
 
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