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How do you get your blades treetopping sharp?
- Thread starter Nogorn
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- Apr 12, 2009
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The most significant impact on final sharpness always comes from the earliest stages of sharpening. Making sure the edge is fully apexed from the first stage is what will make the difference in the last stage. Almost without exception, every time I've had trouble making an edge shaving- or tree-topping sharp, I've always had to go back to coarser steps and finish apexing the edge (I fought this a long time, and finally figured it out, while also using a Lansky system). You'll know the edge is fully apexed, when you can generate a burr along the full length of the cutting edge, using only very light strokes with the coarsest hone. Once that's done, the following steps become much, much simpler, producing big changes in sharpness with a minimum of additional grinding. By the time one gets to stropping the edge, only a handful of passes (maybe 5 or less) on the strop can quickly get the edge tree-topping, if the edge is at least shaving sharp coming into it.
David
David
I always make a burr before moving on to the next stone but maybe i'm just not doing it right. Don't get me wrong i have used my knives to shave while i was at work before and they can whittle thick hair but i cant get them treetopping sharp. Thanks for the advice. ill work on my burrs more.
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- Apr 12, 2009
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Tree-topping hairs is a pretty fickle thing anyway; as much depends on the individual hair as anything else. The other thing that'll make a difference is the edge angle. If the edge is much wider than 30° inclusive, these things get a lot more challenging, and the apex will have to be near-perfect and crisp to make it tree-top or whittle hairs. One way to 'test' if your overall technique and burr-forming/removal methods are good, is simply to re-grind to a lower edge angle and see if you notice an improvement in shaving/tree-topping sharpness. If you still don't see improvement, it's likely the edge could still use additional refinement to a more complete apex. This is likely the best way to know if you've been stopping a little bit short of fully apexing, if it still won't shave or tree-top at lower edge angles. Some cheap steels just won't take edges fine enough to do it, but I'm finding more and more that it's rare when the steel itself gets in the way. Edges on those may not last long at all, but they should at least take an edge fine enough to shave with, for a few strokes anyway.
David
I am by no means an expert sharpener. I worry more about having an edge that will last and is easy to maintain.
I sharpen to a burr on one side counting the number of strokes to get there. I then do that number on the other side. I then start working my way down to finer stones and few strokes on each side until I get a polished edge (by no means mirror, I'm not that good or patient). I finish up on a leather strop, just a few strokes on each side. I maintain that edge regularly with a few strops after anytime I use the knife until it is no longer getting back to sharp on the strop, then its time for the stones.
BTW I use a 25 deg angle on each side for a 50 inclusive on most of my pocket knives. An angle that steep will not treetop hairs, but it will shave them smoothly and the edge lasts a lot longer. My kitchen knives are sharpened at 20 for a 40 inclusive and my Moras are sharpened at the scandi bevel whatever that is, probably about 12 for a ~24 inclusive, but I am not sure on that.
I sharpen to a burr on one side counting the number of strokes to get there. I then do that number on the other side. I then start working my way down to finer stones and few strokes on each side until I get a polished edge (by no means mirror, I'm not that good or patient). I finish up on a leather strop, just a few strokes on each side. I maintain that edge regularly with a few strops after anytime I use the knife until it is no longer getting back to sharp on the strop, then its time for the stones.
BTW I use a 25 deg angle on each side for a 50 inclusive on most of my pocket knives. An angle that steep will not treetop hairs, but it will shave them smoothly and the edge lasts a lot longer. My kitchen knives are sharpened at 20 for a 40 inclusive and my Moras are sharpened at the scandi bevel whatever that is, probably about 12 for a ~24 inclusive, but I am not sure on that.
Just for fun pick a knife you don't use anymore, but is still a decent blade material. Look for one with a thin blade profile and go to town on it at a really acute edge angle, like 25 inclusive and see what happens.
After thinking about your post for a few minutes I am now curious to see if you can do it. If you decide to do it let us know how it turns out.
After thinking about your post for a few minutes I am now curious to see if you can do it. If you decide to do it let us know how it turns out.
Well i just sharpened my leek like you said and took every precaution. made sure i formed a burr on every stone that would move to the other side with one pass. Used marker on the super fine stones to make sure i covered the whole blade. even checked with my jewelers loop and stropped with red compound then 0.25 micron diamond spray. it shaves but it won't whittle hair. at least some of my other knives whittle hair...
I am going to give up on getting a better level of sharpness till i get the edge pro or wicked edge system.
Sharpening knives is one of those things where the sky is the limit, sometimes its hard to be satisfied and quit. I certainly can understand that.
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I find that I can get really sharp if after shaping properly(getting a burr and deburring properly) that finishing with very light strokes(at least 10 per side) on each grit stone that I use, gives me the best results.
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- Dec 16, 2012
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I have tried my best, and I also just cannot get hair splitting sharp. I use a DMT Magna-Guide up to EEF (3 micron I believe) and thensstropoon Flexcut gold and green a little finer. I have tried numerous steels and different angles, no success. I know a fair amount about technique to get it, and have all the tools I need to do it.
Seems like hair splitting is just a heck of a challenge to achieve.
Seems like hair splitting is just a heck of a challenge to achieve.