Help with really Small blades Worksharp precision Adjust Knife Sharpener

[777 Edge]

Have a look at some more pics-

Work Sharp Precision Adjust - Gritomatic upgrades Sneak Peek

I've been working on my Leading Edge system upgrades for the Work Sharp Precision Adjust and it seems that my system might soon be available from https://www.gritomatic.com/ This will integrate my system with the Work Sharp Precision Adjust to give it some major upgrades. It is the same...

www.bladeforums.com

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Small blades can be challenging, on my clamp system I made a 'shelf' that is clamped and extends out to a small shelf that I lay the blade on, so the knife isn't clamped but held by hand, similar to the Edgepro style and that does a pretty good job.

But on teeny tiny blades like this one, I used my guided worksharp and that did pretty good, basically freehanding it but using the grits on the tool, key is the blade needs to have a good grind down to the edge, otherwise you have a chisel and that sometimes is hard to get to cut well.

Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

This is a 'shelf' that I made out of hard maple, boy is that stuff hard! two sides, one for slightly larger small blades and one for petite blades,

Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

G2

 

[SomebodySomewhere]

Deleted.

 

[Kcsstrat]

Some of you all are of absolutely no help at all. You remind me of another forum I participate in, a hot rod forum. Someone will explain that he has a 302 Ford V-8 that he would like to get a little extra horsepower and torque out of, and asks which mods would be the best for a certain budget. Inevitably people start answering "Buy a Chevrolet 454". "Get a Corvette". etc. etc. Why is it when someone asks a specific question about sharpening using a specific device, he gets the "learn to sharpen by hand" answers which is not even remotely what he is looking to do.

They all have to make themselves feel important or something because they landed on this thread, for some reason, yet they have nothing constructive to say. I personally learned how to freehand sharpen, but that evolved into bigger ambitions. So, when you decide you want to start making aggesive changes to a blades profile, and you want every line to be crisp and look aesthetically pleasing, a jig or guided system does help. Once I establish my bevels, I can then maintain that edge by matching bevel angle because that's all you are really doing by freehand sharpening. Fact is, a blade can be very asymmetrical, and ugly, yet be perfectly sharp. Anyway, like others have said, the people who make the knives of today, they are definitely using every resource available to them, which includes jigs and guides and all sorts of cool stuff. Very few people even use a hammer anymore when creating a blade. Yes, there are a couple of artisan bladesmiths that actually have talent, skill, and knowledge. Those people did not manufacturer the knife in your pocket though. Freehand sharpening is actually stupidly easy. The first time you apex an edge, that's basically it. If the OP does not want to mess with it, that's his perogative. Just practice some critical thinking and come up with a resolution. If you're incapable of that, then just don't click in a text field. Why do people just want to criticise people just for doing things differently than them?

To the OP check this link out

Sharpening a Small Knife on a Guided Sharpener

Learn how to overcome the challenge of sharpening small knives on guided systems with an innovative solution from our sharpening specialists.

www.sharpeningsupplies.com

 

[sodak]

No, "some people" want others to learn a very simple and useful skill. Unless you have some physical disorder or are not smart enough to understand the process, sharpening a knife by hand is pretty simple. It's a shame that people have no skills today. If you are going to play with or use knives, sharpening is part of that-and sharpening by hand is by far the easiest and most efficient way to do it.

Unless the OP has a mentor to show him what to look for and how it feels to correctly find the bevel, learning freehand sharpening is not that simple. I never got the hang of it until I bought an Edgepro (EP) 20+ years ago. Once I used that, and started getting some truly sharp edges, it absolutely showed me what to look for and how grit progression should feel. And the first knife I sharpened on the EP was razor sharp on my very first try. Plus, when I want to thin the edge bevel, the EP allows me to do that with enough precision, it looks like it came from the factory or knife maker.

While I usually freehand now, I keep the EP set for the angle that I want, and it is faster by far than freehanding. It's sitting right there waiting for the next one, no setup required.

To the OP, I rigged up a similar setup as Gary Graley, with a small clamp for my tiny blades. It's good to have options.

 

[Gottagofishn]

Wow… did that ever turn into a pi$$ing match….
Edge Pro offers a magnet for their table. And, if you really want to go to the dark side, Tormek is all about guided systems and has a small knife jig that works pretty well.
Maybe some of us need to take a break and go fishing…

 

[David Mary]

Bill DeShivs agreed, freehand sharpening is very simple and easy to learn to serviceable levels, especially with affordable diamond plates and all the information resources we have today. If someone "just doesn't want to learn" freehand sharpening, it's one thing to say that and move on. But I like how you kept your answers matter of fact, and didn't come down to the level of immaturity you were often met with in this thread for sharing this basic and helpful truth.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Had someone asked, "I have hand tremors and can't manually sharpen a knife." I'm sure some of us would have answered differently.
People have been sharpening knives by hand since knives were invented.
Maybe I should design a phone app that sharpens knives. I'll be rich!

 

[sodak]

What precision are you talking about? The super exact precise angle of xy° or something? That this angle changes if the blade has a belly does not bother you? And how does that "precision" show in real world use? Serious question.

A serious question deserves a serious answer. I'll give you my take. Most of the time, I use an Edgepro (EP) to thin the bevel behind the edge. I prefer a more acute edge bevel than most makers are willing to grind. And I'm fine with that.

I don't use a belt sander enough to thin the edge bevel and make it look professional. You, as a knifemaker, can probably do that freehand. I've tried, and I can't. Nor do I have the time to put in to learn that skill, assuming I would ever be capable of it. Thinning the edge on a stone takes a long time, and still looks bad when I do it. I can use the EP for a very professional looking bevel which I then generally freehand after that or put on a microbevel. Or both.

As for the bevel, if you want to keep it the same width over the entire cutting edge, you are correct the angle has to change. But I keep the angle consistent and the bevel widens at the belly and at the tip. Actually, the bevel has to change as the width of the blade changes. For my purposes, that works really well, and makes freehand sharpening very easy. A lot of people really dislike that look. I don't. I don't care much about the exact angle, as long as it's thin enough to suit my purposes.

As to your question about precision, for me, the precision in setting the bevel is paramount. However, if I'm looking for the sharpest edge possible, I've never seen a freehand edge that can rival one from my EP. And the beauty of it is, anyone with an EP (or similar system) can make that same claim. It's fast and repeatable. I don't do it that often anymore, but it is a very nice way to get my wife's kitchen knives sharp with minimal effort. I've also been able to get some younger people interested in knives and sharpening by showing them what a highly polished edge can do. Getting the younger generation interested in knives and sharpening is always a good thing, IMO.

I'll give you an analogy. I grew up in a golfing family. As a result of many thousands of hours of practice, I could easily drive a golf ball well over 350 yards consistently throughout my entire adult life. Many golfers can't do that. That's ok, we all have different abilities. I think it's easy, others think it's very difficult. I was lucky enough to have mentors teach me. Left to my own devices, I never would have understood what it takes to be able to do that. I was lucky.

Kind of like sharpening. I disagree that you can read about it, watch YouTube videos, and "get it". Maybe I'm just a slow learner. I've been told that before. It's (for me) a tactile feel that has to be developed, and while the EP taught me, it would have been faster to have an experienced person show me first hand. I would love to attend a session with Bob Dozier, Murray Carter or Phil Wilson, I'm sure I'd learn a ton more than just watching them on YouTube.