How sharp can a Busse get?

L

Lennyo3034

Joined
Nov 27, 2012
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490
I have a TGLB and a Boss Jack, and I haven't been able to get them as sharp as I like with just stropping. I'm not sure if it's fair to compare the sharpness of these to my EDC folders though, since it's a much thicker grind. With my EDC folders, I usually put a 30-35 degree inclusive edge on them with the edge pro, and get them extremely sharp. Hair whittling sharp on my higher end ones.

I know I can't expect that level of sharpness with my Busses, nor do I want it since I need a more durable edge. I'm just wondering how sharp these can get without reprofiling. The TGLB looks to have at least a 40 degree inclusive edge, probably higher, and with stropping with green compound, I can get it to pop hairs and barely cut paper. Is this the best I can expect with this angle? My boss jack has a convex edge and performs similarly.

How are you guys sharpening your edges? I'd prefer not to change the angle.
 
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When my blades don't respond to a strop anymore I give them very light pass on the ceramic rod.
If that don't bring them back to scary then its time for a quick ride on the belt sander.
99% of the time the ceramic rod does the trick, even on a convex edge. If you hold the angle just right, one pass can do it.
 
I usually sharpen mine with a dmt fine and then strop on leather. They get very sharp and hold a good edge as well. When I first get a busse I usually will work the edge until the grooves from the original sharpening are gone, then just polish with the strop and rouge.
 
Yeah, I figured INFI can get just as sharp as any other steel given same angle, however my folders are at a much more acute angle than my busses. The question was asking about how sharp Busse's Obtuse angles can get.
 
If you are testing sharpness by cutting paper or shaving hair then there should be no noticeable difference on different edge angles. Actual real world cutting ability though is a different story.
 
Sharpness and cutting ability are, to me at least, different things. You seem to be talking more about cutting ability, which depends on sharpness and other factors (including bevel angle, as you know).

The edge of an infi blade will get very sharp. I have mine easily push cutting soft paper, and they'll cut stiffer hairs like my chest hairs just by moving through them, without touching the skin. The edge will also cut a single, stiff hair held at one end only. That's pretty sharp!

With the factory edge though, you won't get the same cutting ability for some uses as with my thinner, reprofiled edges. They of course will not take the abuse that the more obtuse factory edge will, so you must determine which is most important to you. Also, the factory edge is very slicey, due to a courser grit finish than I use, making them great meat slicers.

My Hell Razor is thinned out with a convex, polished edge and is the best demonstrator for paper-push cutting. It tends to be used for lighter camp tasks, but with some chopping and batoning. The edge has never suffered any damage with these heavier tasks, but I would not expect it to hold up fully if I were to repeatedly baton through hard pine knots, for example. Then, I would expect to have to steel out some rolls. The good thing about infi is that the damage would probably be limited to just that; not chipping which would require grinding out.

For heavier wood processing I'll grab my Heavy Heart, which has its edge reprofiled to a straight bevel of about 35 degrees inclusive. I have smashed that knife through countless logs, often across grain, with knots, and still been able to shave hairs afterwards. It will take off my chest hairs just like the HR but struggle to push cut paper because of the more obtuse edge. It ends up tearing the paper instead due to wedging, even though the very edge is sharp enough to push cut with and, if freshly stropped, to whittle a hair.

My Active Duty was (I sold it a few months ago) thinned out to a straight bevel of about 30 degrees inclusive. It was still quite a thick blade and that made push cutting look poor, but I used the blade a few times to remove deep splinters in my hands because it was sharper and pointier than the Swann-Morton scalpel blades I have! Again, hair whittling was easy.

I always polish the edges to a fine finish (pretty much mirror) as I prefer push cutting ability over toothy slicing, for most of my use.

So, you can get a Busse blade as sharp as most steels out there, and reprofile to obtain the cutting ability that you want. Bear in mind the different properties of infi; there are things it excels at, and things where you might find another steel will outperform it in some aspect, but overall infi is always the winner for me.
 
Thank you for the write up. That was exactly what I was looking for. I may just take the edge pro to the TGLB and see how sharp I can get it. I actually prefer a toothier edge more bite.
 
Lenny Id stay between the blue and yellow marks on your TGLB as you want to keep a durable working edge IMHO. Those marks are roughly 21-24 degrees.

You might go as low as the green mark at 18% and that might be what your looking for.

I think if you get into the red 15 degrees you will thin it out too much and it may not hold up as well.

Please let us know which route you took and how it turned out.
 
Yeah, you'll need more than a loaded strop to sharpen any steel. They are great for touch up after use, or a final stage after sharpening.
I use flat stones for larger knives, but if you like the EP I would do that if you. I like around 20 per side.
I also like a toothy edge on some of my knives, and any I will use as a hunting knife. I usually stick with a medium stone on those, and steel or strop for touch up. Good luck.
 
So I took my edge pro to the TGLB today, worked out really well. I used the Blue angle setting, 48 degrees inclusive. It took a while because the factory edge was even more obtuse of an angle. I like an edge with bite so I stopped with the 600 grit stones. I then stropped using green compound and finished on my lansky V hone at 50 degrees. Sharpness is as much as I can ask for, slicing paper easily and popping hairs without scraping skin.

I may go back and hit the edge with the 1000 grit stone and polish tapes, then lansky hones again. Any thoughts?
 
Lennyo3034 said:
So I took my edge pro to the TGLB today, worked out really well. I used the Blue angle setting, 48 degrees inclusive. It took a while because the factory edge was even more obtuse of an angle. I like an edge with bite so I stopped with the 600 grit stones. I then stropped using green compound and finished on my lansky V hone at 50 degrees. Sharpness is as much as I can ask for, slicing paper easily and popping hairs without scraping skin.

I may go back and hit the edge with the 1000 grit stone and polish tapes, then lansky hones again. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Good to hear you got it sorted out . Nothing better then a sharp blade !!.
 
There used to be a youtube video of a guy close-up splitting a hair repeatedly with an FBMLE and then chopping through a 2x4 in 7 strokes.
It's one of the videos that convinced me that I had to have one.
 
Congrats, It sounds like you got it.
After a bunch of messing around with 1000,1200 and up grits, I like a worn 6 or 800 grit belt then to strop.
It just works for me, I have no reason to go any further.
 
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