Help me get a razor edge on my Knife using DMT's Diafold® Magna-Guide

[Jason B.]

That's the kind of statement that implies the lack of willingness to fully understand the process.

What I am capable of and the knowledge I have is obtainable by anyone but you must want to know it.

There is always room for improvement so why stop at good enough? You can always be better at something if you try.

 

[THG]

There is always room for improvement so why stop at good enough? You can always be better at something if you try.

Because better costs more money (for the equipment) and more time. Seriously, I'm just cutting cardboard. My edge is going to be dead soon anyway lol

But I do like to have one or two knives on hand that are as sharp as I can possibly get them, though. The finest stone I have is DMT EF, however, and I'm really not willing to spend any more money.

 

[Jason B.]

Its not always about getting them as sharp as possible with the finest abrasive.

"better" was being related to technique and knowledge.

 

[THG]

Touché.

 

[ubuwalker31]

Testing sharpness is not really a test as it is a inspection....There are three was to inspect a edge....the third and most telling is high magnafication. Even when you think you did the best job ever viewing at 100X or more can show you things you didn't even think were there....High magnafication lets you see exactly what is happening and allows you to relate to the feel and inspection by the naked eye.

Thank you for your enlightened and scientific comments. Very refreshing on an internet forum.

I went on to Amazon and found a 30x jewelers loop, a 45X pocket microscope and a 60x -100x Pocket Microscope that might fit the ticket...do you have any recommendations?

Testing is really the wrong word because testing it to find out how well the edge performs....Once you know what is happening at a specific grit and what your mistakes really look like the test of sharpness becomes simply that, a test.

I think you're trying to distinguish the scientific observation of a theoretical ideal edge from an engineering test of how well a blade actually cuts. Both are equally valid but the engineering stress test (how many phonebooks can I stab) are more common, while a microscopic examination of the blade is usually ignored.

I think we need to use both as knife nuts. I've heard plenty of advice that a razor edge on some materials doesn't provide the best cutting action, and some roughness is needed on the material, necessitating a quick sharpening on a coarse stone after fine honing.

 

[THG]

Don't get a pocket microscope... They're very difficult to use. The magnification is so high that the slightest movement causes your object to go out of the viewing area. And you're holding it with your hands, so...

A loupe would probably be a better idea, but:

1. It's obviously not going to give you as much detail as a microscope
2. If it's rated at 30x, you can expect it to be much less than that (unless it's one of those expensive ones of higher quality)

 

[jaynick]

i agree with the above post. the ratings are usually alittle more than half. so if they say 30x expect around 20x.

check out the digital usb microscopes on amazon. they vary in price and quality but a lot of them are well under a 100 and you can record video n snap stills. it also works great for checking trich content on medical marijuana buds.