How do you keep your Sebenza sharp.

K

kutch133

Joined
Nov 1, 2000
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557
I know there are lots of users out there. Other than sending back to Chris, how do you keep it sharp. I use the Sharpmaker and a strop but I don't think I'm getting my Sebby as sharp as it can be. Let me know your secrets.
 
I'm a sharp fanatic and use the Sharpmaker/which I've dubbed the Sharpkeeper as I see that as a method of maintaining your bevels and not creating them.

Last night I touched up my Large wood inlay just a tad as it wasn't FLINGING the hair as far and as fast as I like, I used my profile ceramics to lightly touch it up and then stropped the edge as well on some leather charged with polishing compound, now...very keen edge, it was sharp before but as I said I'm a fanatic!

If initial bevels are needed to be repaired, ie you waited too long between touch ups, I use my Norton Tri-Hone set to re-establish those primary bevels, three grits on there and then on to my Spyderco Flat stones and finally the strop. I don't use any powered devices when it comes to the very edge of my knife...just isn't safe for me or my knife.
;)
G
 
When I really need to get the edge right I use a Razor-Edge blade guide and my Spyderco ceramic whet stones (use 'em dry!). They are made of the same material as the Sharpmaker stones; however, they are 1/2"x2"x8" instead of the triangular rod shape. Sometimes I need to idiot-proof my efforts, and the guide takes the guess work out of my hands. I know that there are many who don't have a problem, I'm not one of them.:D
You can find the Razor-Edge blade guide at:
http://www.razoredgesystems.com/
for $11.95, sometimes on sale for $6.95.
 
I find that not cutting anything works best. ;)

Seriously though, I use a Sharp Maker. I do light touch ups when needed. Do that and like G2 said, you won't have to ever reprofile the bevels.
 
Another vote for the sharpmaker and leather strop with polishing compound. As has been said, the secret is not to let your knives get dull.
 
I haven't hand sharpened a knife in twenty years. I've used every device known to mankind and I still don't get it. Some folks enjoy it, I DON'T.
I currently use an " EdgeSelect 120 diamond hone Sharpener Plus"by Chef's Choice. It works well, will shave hair if I spent a tad more time after bringing up a burr. OK let the ranting begin.
 
Yep, Sharpmaker and a good strop on the emery embeded leather strop does it for me too. That's sharp!!!
 
I have the Sharpsmaker and leather strops too but to put a scalpel like edge on my Classic MM I use a white wool felt wheel on one side of my bench grinder and load it with green rouge...just a light "zip zip" on each side and it is indeed scalpel sharp...its just glides through cardboard like hot butter.
:cool:
 
Wow. Never thought sharpmaker was so popular amongst sebenziastas.
Interesting.
Dis anyone try to use edge pro let's say 600 grit and then 3000 polishing tape? Whenever I get mine I'm gonna definitely do that :)
 
I have not needed to sharpen my Sebi as it does not get a lot of use. However I have found a way of keeping the convex edge on my Custom CPM10V knife and Spyderco Moran is simple if you do this.

Get a wide leather belt. Fold the belt through the buckle so you form a loop. Pull the belt to close the loop and place your foot in this loop. Using the rough, back of the belt, cover it with Chrome Polish. Pull the belt as tight as you can with one hand with your foot on the other in the loop keeping it tight.

Now start stropping the knife up and down up and down. You will find that the leather belt 'bows' slightly as you use the belt. This is in effect a simple form of slack belt and will keep the convex edge if you do this. I have found that this is enough on its own to fix a convex edge as long as the edge is not too dull and is certainly a good way to keep that convex edge, which you grind away once you use the Sharpmaker. Perhaps this method would return a convex edge even on a flat beveled edge with enough use?

The edge you get from this is quite impressive to say the least!

I think the Chrome polish is a very very high grit and forms an ultra ultra polished edge. Certainly pops hairs!

Hope it helps in some way.

:)
 
One thing I've found in using the SharpMaker on my sebbies:

The "typical" use of the SharpMaker is intended for a 20 percent bevel. However, with the moran grind, the edge of the sebenza is not at 20 degrees; more like a few degrees more.

What this means is that if you just stroke it like they do in the Spyderco video, you'll actually be missing the edge for a little while (until you end up grind the bevel down to eliminate those few degrees).

So for a newer edge, turn the blade so that it's cutting into the ceramic more. This will increase the bevel angle, and you will actually be reaching the very edge.

I found this out after spending an hour trying to sharpen the curve on my used small sebenza. I couldn't figure out why the edge wasn't changing at all; I thought may BG42 was really too hard... But then I remember the grind, and realized I was wearing metal in the wrong place. I turned the blade inward, and just two strokes (!) brought it to shaving sharp.
 
Hi John, When you say you turned the knife inward is that like if your looking at the sharpener and you have the knife edge on the ceramic rod horizantal to the base are you turning it to the left or right? To the right the back of the blade moves away from the rod your sharpening on and to the left the back of the blade gets closer to the rod.
 
Originally posted by SkagSig40
Hi John, When you say you turned the knife inward is that like if your looking at the sharpener and you have the knife edge on the ceramic rod horizantal to the base are you turning it to the left or right? To the right the back of the blade moves away from the rod your sharpening on and to the left the back of the blade gets closer to the rod.
Click to expand...

Let's say I'm using the left rod. That means
I'm turning the spine to the right -- or, I'm
rotating the blade clockwise.

I'm making the blade more perpendicular to the
rod, and less parallel. If I kept turning it,
the blade would be entirely perpendicular.
 
When you strop, do you strop "against" the edge (as you do when sharpening, and cutting for that matter), or do you do it "backwards" (spine to edge)? Or does it matter? I seem to remember the old time barbers stropped razors "backwards", but may be remembering wrong (yes, it's been a long time...) And no, I'm not going to try the ultra-fast "barber strop" until I get a little experience.

Will going "backwards" defeat the purpose? (eg, make it duller?) And finally, is a circular motion really that bad? I would think it would help to polish the edge a bit.

I've got stones now, but am probably going to get a Sharpmaker and a strop. My wife thinks I should get a tri-stone type system (like this), as that's what all her cooking buddies use, but I've got recurved and serrated blades to worry about.

-- PG
 
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