How do you like to finish your edge?

Rennd · Jan 28, 2016

What I've been doing lately is the mousepad convexing method using lapping film ranging from 12 to .3 micron, then microbeveling that convex edge on edge pro choseras up to 10k grit, then balsa strops up to .25 micron. Leads to a hair splitting edge with a nice, clean apex, while still retaining a lot of the strength of a convex edge. It also seems a little easier to pull off than a full V edge, but it could just be me, because it certainly takes longer.

Kwon Kwang · Jan 28, 2016

I'm very basic with my sharpening, and probably couldn't do it without my Sharpmaker. I like to do either a straight 20 DPS edge or a 15 DPS edge with a 40 inclusive microbevel. Before and after sharpening, I straighten the edge out with a small honing steel. Despite the redundancy of that last step, I find it effective.

Trout Hound · Jan 29, 2016

Lately I've been liking a DMT Fine finish, followed by light stropping on plain leather. Just the right amount of tooth in the edge for everyday use.

For woodcarving, I've been going on down to Spyderco fine and stropping with Flexcut gold. If I do it right, that edge will push cut end grain hardwood like butter.

lutejones · Jan 29, 2016

I'm with trout hound on this one, I really like 600grit diamond as a great everyday use edge

For carving and the simpler steels that I use, mostly 1095 variations or O1, I find that the ceramics are more delicate when it comes to clean the edge, often creating a burr on the opposite side right away. What I prefer is the Finnish of a translucent Arkansas and then I agree on the flexcut gold

Tony18 · Jan 29, 2016

I like the edge I get from a DMT coarse followed by a few passes on balsa with 1u diamond spray. Refined with a nice bite to it.

ncrockclimb · Jan 30, 2016

I've posted this before, so forgive me if I sound like a broken record...

I am trying both 300 and 600 diamond stones on the KME, then finish with either Flexcut Gold or black compound on leather. I like the toothy finish much better than the polished edge for my fixed blade bushcraft knives.

For my folding EDC, I go use the brown rods on the Sharpmaker.

FWIW, I find that the toothier edge last longer than the smooth edge created from using the 1500 diamond stones and the stropping through the complete Stropman progression: black, white, green and red. The few times I have done this, the edge is amazing, but gets dull quickly.

Wowbagger · Jan 30, 2016

How do you like to finish your edge?

you mean after I got it hair shaving sharp ?
I palm strop it on my bare palm.
Why ?
Because it is a little bit of unexplainable magic that seems to make a difference.

I use the word "unexplainable" very loosely. I have had a razor / bare strop aficionado explain to me what it actually does but I prefer the world Magic to all of that.

bflying · Jan 30, 2016

Using a KME, my fave signature edge is a frosty jeweled finish. Still able to keep a laser edge, and makes people say "wow!" when they see it. In the daylight, it's like a light show.

HeavyHanded · Jan 30, 2016

I always finish off with some form of stropping on paper, doesn't matter what finish the edge has. Last night pounded out a kitchen knife on about 3 minutes - a blast on the King 240 grit, handful of passes at slightly higher angle on the Norton 8k, stropped on plain paper. Could just crosscut newsprint with a push and shave armhair, but as you might expect, very catchy.

Jason B. · Jan 30, 2016

HeavyHanded said:
I always finish off with some form of stropping on paper, doesn't matter what finish the edge has. Last night pounded out a kitchen knife on about 3 minutes - a blast on the King 240 grit, handful of passes at slightly higher angle on the Norton 8k, stropped on plain paper. Could just crosscut newsprint with a push and shave armhair, but as you might expect, very catchy.

Sounds like a Japanese fish market edge

Magnaminous_G · Jan 30, 2016

Jason B. said:
Sounds like a Japanese fish market edge

Yeah, what were you doing with that knife, HH?

Trout Hound · Jan 30, 2016

lutejones said:
I'm with trout hound on this one, I really like 600grit diamond as a great everyday use edge

For carving and the simpler steels that I use, mostly 1095 variations or O1, I find that the ceramics are more delicate when it comes to clean the edge, often creating a burr on the opposite side right away. What I prefer is the Finnish of a translucent Arkansas and then I agree on the flexcut gold

With ceramics, I use VERY light pressure and alternating strokes. Anything else, and you've got a burr right away. I could use something like DMT EEF or a waterstone instead, but the Spyderco Double Stuff fits very conveniently in my whittling kit, and it works well enough if you learn how to play well with it.

HeavyHanded · Jan 30, 2016

Definitely a meat-market type of edge, with the 8k standing in for a smooth steel. This is a utility knife I picked up a while back from the Goodwill, some sort of stainless that is slow to grind yet does not like to take a fine edge. A good test knife for technique or strategy trials.

I'm going back to basics and trying to get into these lower grit waterstones for best results - reduce or eliminate scratching above the shoulder, reduce stone dishing etc, so really just playing around and seeing how many corners I can cut at the same time. Lately I've all but stopped using any waterstone lower than a 1k in favor of the DMT plates. This goes along with the HF belt sander thread to some extent, as I am having a tough time with the HF in terms of actually reducing time on each knife compared to freehand (though certainly a lot easier) with exception of bevel setting.

Also, even with angle guides on the grinder I'm hitting a more consistent angle on my stones.

But not to derail the thread, I'm also keeping tabs on finish results before and after plain paper stropping and when used with just a few smears of stone mud. Recently had surprisingly good results using reclaimed swarf/debris from the XC or C DMT plates used with water - just tap a few smears on a sheet of paper and its dry by the time I come off the EF or EEF. I really didn't expect much from it as it should be almost 100% swarf, yet it darkens up across the high points as one would expect with a mild abrasive, clearly doing more than just burnishing...

grybsh7 · Jan 30, 2016

No matter what grit I stop at, anywhere from 600 to 10k I always finish
on my Spyderco 8"x3" uf then leather strop.

Magnaminous_G · Jan 30, 2016

grybsh7 said:
No matter what grit I stop at, anywhere from 600 to 10k I always finish
on my Spyderco 8"x3" uf then leather strop.

The Spyderco Ultra Fine is approximately a 4k grit stone. Why would you go up to 10k and then back down to 4k? Or do you mean you make a slightly toothier microbevel with the Spyderco stone?

lutejones · Jan 30, 2016

Trout Hound said:
With ceramics, I use VERY light pressure and alternating strokes. Anything else, and you've got a burr right away. I could use something like DMT EEF or a waterstone instead, but the Spyderco Double Stuff fits very conveniently in my whittling kit, and it works well enough if you learn how to play well with it.

I've been wanting to try the double stuff for a while, I usually carry the DC4 from fallkniven and that is one coarse ceramic.

I don't know if you are aware of it but there is a great thread on the workshop subforum about whittling

grybsh7 · Jan 30, 2016

Mag I suppose that is exactly what it does, puts a micro bevel on the edge.
I just can never get the edge like I like it without tuning it up on the uf and stropping.
I've tried dialing it in on the EP but I always can get it to treetop off the uf and strop.

bflying · Jan 31, 2016

Trout Hound said:
With ceramics, I use VERY light pressure and alternating strokes. Anything else, and you've got a burr right away. I could use something like DMT EEF or a waterstone instead, but the Spyderco Double Stuff fits very conveniently in my whittling kit, and it works well enough if you learn how to play well with it.

By "Double Stuff", do you mean the small two sided 6" x 1" Medium/Fine stones? If so, I just picked one of those up a few weeks ago. Great portable size, and comes with a good looking suede pocket slip. It's not like a Sharpmaker, or even a KME is difficult to take where/when needed. But if space is limited it's a great little package.

Trout Hound · Jan 31, 2016

bflying said:
By "Double Stuff", do you mean the small two sided 6" x 1" Medium/Fine stones? If so, I just picked one of those up a few weeks ago. Great portable size, and comes with a good looking suede pocket slip. It's not like a Sharpmaker, or even a KME is difficult to take where/when needed. But if space is limited it's a great little package.

Yep, that's the one.