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- Sep 20, 2015
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PS: turns out to answer your questions took a small novella. Brace yourself.
Why sharpen the knives hand held with a very small stone ? It is simpler than getting out the guided system and for the knives it only takes a few light strokes in the right place and we are whittling hair again.
Why ? Because when it comes to metal working, machine guided is more precise and more brainless than screwing up my eyes and holding my tongue just right for long periods to hand sharpen my way through several grits to reprofile and polish a bevel.
So really at this stage I don't need proper diamond stones for the Edge Pro. Maybe some day I will get them but the more I work with the slightly lesser "Super steels" like M390 and M4 the more I like those and can use my Shapton Glass Edge Pro stones for those. So far anyway.
How often do you true your stones back?
For large woodworking hand plane blades quite often; after every ten blades or so for Shapton Pros some what more often for softer water stones.
For the pocket knives I run them over a diamond plate when I can no longer get the surface clean using a nagura stone. I use a nagura stone any time I am working with the finer stones but only to clean them not make slurry.
Occasionally I will use the triangle rod or small hand held stones while sitting down.
I find recurves very easy to sharpen hand held using round or very narrow (1/2" wide) water stones. Though I don't have but a couple of those blades. And I don't go for the high polish on those just a shave sharp usable edge.
Mostly it boils down to how much metal do I have to move and how many things do I need to sharpen in one sitting. For instance if I have one drill bit that is not too beat up I will busss out the little diamond paddles and free hand it. If I have several bits or if they are just really beat up I will unbox my Drill Doctor bit sharpener and have fun with that (diamond coated barrel in it). Some of the bits are cobalt so I use diamond and do not go for any kind of mirror ha, ha, ha.
I usually touch up a knife that is near sharp (cuts but won't shave) using a ceramic Ultra Fine triangle or 8,000 small hand held water stone; (4,000 if needed first). They are usually old Norton water stones. For my woodworking hand plane blades I ALWAYS touch up in a jig because I need precise control of the edge geometry and they have more wear by the time I sharpen (see bellow).How do you guys and gals sharpen your knives? If you free hand on a stone, why?
Why sharpen the knives hand held with a very small stone ? It is simpler than getting out the guided system and for the knives it only takes a few light strokes in the right place and we are whittling hair again.
I ALWAYS use a guided system for major sharpening; especially reprofiling and when polishing the whole main edge bevel so it looks flat and precise (I like the way it looks). Doesn't mean I might not knock the corner off the transition between the main surface of the side of the knife and the bevel as I go along.Or if you use a guided system, why?
Why ? Because when it comes to metal working, machine guided is more precise and more brainless than screwing up my eyes and holding my tongue just right for long periods to hand sharpen my way through several grits to reprofile and polish a bevel.
Yes I have a couple of very coarse diamond plates ten inches long and hand bevel the super steels on those reprofile only. Sounds contradictory to what I just wrote about the guided system. I only have two S110V knives and only one needed to be reprofiled on the diamond plate. I have a full set of smaller DMT "Aligner" stones that I can fudge into my Edge Pro for those two knives but light hand held touch up is mostly what they need now. I just bought a 940 with S90V but have done no reprofiling to it and only light work with the finest two diamond plates. I don't plan on ever reprofiling the 940 due to the cool guy dull gray coating that is on it.If you have water stones, do you have a diamond stone to help with dull super steels?
So really at this stage I don't need proper diamond stones for the Edge Pro. Maybe some day I will get them but the more I work with the slightly lesser "Super steels" like M390 and M4 the more I like those and can use my Shapton Glass Edge Pro stones for those. So far anyway.
I have found it to be a mistake to sharpen S110V on anything but diamond. The results were very sharp but also VERY short lived. DIAMOND IS THE WAY TO GO WITH THAT STEEL.Or just a bit more time spent on your water stones?
How often do you true your stones back?
For large woodworking hand plane blades quite often; after every ten blades or so for Shapton Pros some what more often for softer water stones.
For the pocket knives I run them over a diamond plate when I can no longer get the surface clean using a nagura stone. I use a nagura stone any time I am working with the finer stones but only to clean them not make slurry.
I always use full size stones while standing up, whether hand sharpening or using a jig (for the woodworking tools).I really enjoy using my stones. Something relaxing about sitting down with half a dozen knives when they need a sharpen. Something that feels romantic and old school about it.
Occasionally I will use the triangle rod or small hand held stones while sitting down.
Although sometimes I do wish I had bought a guided sharpening system, easier to use, harder to make a mistake and can sharpen knives with a recurve edge a lot easier.
I find recurves very easy to sharpen hand held using round or very narrow (1/2" wide) water stones. Though I don't have but a couple of those blades. And I don't go for the high polish on those just a shave sharp usable edge.
Mostly it boils down to how much metal do I have to move and how many things do I need to sharpen in one sitting. For instance if I have one drill bit that is not too beat up I will busss out the little diamond paddles and free hand it. If I have several bits or if they are just really beat up I will unbox my Drill Doctor bit sharpener and have fun with that (diamond coated barrel in it). Some of the bits are cobalt so I use diamond and do not go for any kind of mirror ha, ha, ha.
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