How Do You Know When You're Done?

Trout Hound

Trout Hound

Joined
Sep 28, 2014
Messages
693
What it says - what do you check to know when you're finished sharpening? Here's what I've been doing:

1. Check bevel under 3x magnifying lamp to see if it looks like what I expect.
2. Check apex under bright light from several angles for any reflected light.
3. Sharpie if there's any question that I've ground to zero.
4. Slice some newsprint.
5. Shave some arm hair.
6. Three-finger sticky. ('Cause I like 'em toothy.)

How does that look? What do y'all do?

Thanks!!!
 
I sharpen always under the same light which is a Sylvania LED spotlight, not too bright yet i can detect any glint or imperfection more than any other lights i tried sharpening under.
I sometime use a 20x jeweler loupe but i only use it when i get bothered and dont see or understand what's going on.
When doing fine honing or stropping i check the edge with my left thumbpad and three fingers method.
If i get happy with the tactile results with the above method i just pull a phonebook paper sheet and slowly cut it and then try to shave the remnant of my arms hairs which are really scarce these days, i also keep a full tin of my beard hairs (15-20 cm) to whittle them.

Honestly when i'm just touching up a not so sharp edge quickly i often just try to shave and see if it is at least 'popping' hairs.
 
I'll also cut into something a bit harder (eg. block of wood) or something a bit abrasive (eg. cardboard) to make sure I don't have a wire edge. A wire edge will breeze through paper and shave hair, but it'll break off when cutting something harder.
 
flarp said:
I'll also cut into something a bit harder (eg. block of wood) or something a bit abrasive (eg. cardboard) to make sure I don't have a wire edge. A wire edge will breeze through paper and shave hair, but it'll break off when cutting something harder.
Click to expand...

Actually, it's been my experience that newsprint will make you real honest about that real fast. Any type of wire edge, and it'll just tear instead of cutting. It will shave, though, sometimes impressively well.
 
It depends on the knife and its' use.
My work knife is finished when it's "fingernail" catching sharp. I give it a few passes on the strop just because I like too but for my needs at work that is not necessary.
My EDC is also fingernail sharp then polished with the Lansky ceramic hones and passes over the strop to polish the edge...because I like the way it looks when polished.

My large "chopper" gets sharpened with a medium and fine Lansky hone...hand held, not in the holder...and the black arkansas hone just to remove burrs and give it a bit of smoothness.
My Bark River DPH gets touched up with sand paper on drawer liner material and finished on the strop for smoothness not really polished.

I sometimes use my 15 power loupe to look at the edge of my EDC...ZT770cf...I'm curious to see what scratches remain, etc. I sometimes look at it under my microscope at work...never a good idea in general because every scratch looks like a grizzly bear attacked it lol and if there is a micro nick, which is nearly impossible to remove unless you have all day and nothing to do, it looks like the Grand Canyon...I try not to look at any edges with my mic hehehe.
 
Shaving in both directions, push cutting newspaper. As long as it's a clean edge, I'm happy.
 
I'll usually just touch the edge on my arm hair. If it grabs (without touching the skin) I'm happy and carry on. If it slides over and just lays the hair down, a few more swipes on a fine hone and back to work. :)
 
I do all of the sharpening on my coarse stone, once I turn a full length burr it's basically just polishing from there on out. Work up in grit and to the strop until it shines a mirror like finish. If I can cut half circles out of printer paper with no snagging I'm happy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top