How to achieve that state of sharpness :confused:

K

kms7852

Joined
Jul 8, 2014
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So I recently got DMT double sided Diafold Extra Fine/Fine in the mail.
Tried few knives. got it sharp to "push cut" the paper.
However, although I do the stroking right and sharpening right, I just can't get it to sharpen my hairs in my body.

I try to use Ceramic Cup (Mug) in the kitchen to sharpen these knives.
Less than 2 minutes, I can sharpen any hair I want.

I'm just not getting it. I have a old leather belt, do I need to strop before to get it razor sharp?
DMT Diafold Extra Fine side should've done it... But it's not razor sharp. It's sharp but not razor sharp!

Do I need to buy Extra Extra Fine too?

I would rather spend less and get a sandpaper... maybe 3000 grits.

What do you think? What do I need to get my knives razor sharp?

Thanks!

 
I just use ceramic rods in a block. Gets mine sharp enough to shave hair easy. Don't know what you mean though by, "Sharpen my hairs in my body"?
 
2000 grit sandpaper and stropping with a leather belt will get me a hair shaving edge. The extra fine stone you are using may be a lower grit.
 
I have the same combination stone, and, yes, you need to go one or two grades finer before you can shave hair.

Strops are a reliable way to get that fine an edge, although they take some practice to get the right angle and pressure.

As far as other methods? I don't have that much experience, so I can't comment, and my knowledge of strops is based on what I've read here, so take it for what it's worth.

The combination hone gets my knives sharp enough to push cut paper, which is fine for me.
 
Shaving sharp can come even from a Coarse DMT, with good technique. The thing most have trouble with, using diamond hones, is using too much pressure. When the edge gets apexed, or very nearly so, the pressure used must be very, very light, because the aggressiveness of the diamond will quickly scrub off any fine edge present. All the more so, when using diamond hones on softer (less wear-resistant) steels, as diamond will cut them like butter. You can go finer than your Fine/EF combination if you want to, but it's not necessary to make your edges shave hair.

For perspective, diamond will be about 3X as hard, and therefore cut about 3X as deep under the same pressure as with the ceramic in the mug you've used. This is why the pressure used on diamond hones must be much lighter (like 1/3rd) in order to attain similar results.


David
 
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Try this. Before you resharpen, pull the edge pretty aggressively through a piece of wood a couple of times. Called "burnishing" I think. It strips the irregularities off the edge that can keep your stones from actually polishing the edge. Then strop with long light strokes. I just use a belt with no compound. The key to the strop is to strop one part of the blade at a time. Pull straight, lift straight up. Flip and pull back straight. Move to new portion of blade.
 
David, how long have you been into knives and sharpening? I've learnt a lot by reading your posts.


sirupatespecial said:
Try this. Before you resharpen, pull the edge pretty aggressively through a piece of wood a couple of times. Called "burnishing" I think. It strips the irregularities off the edge that can keep your stones from actually polishing the edge. Then strop with long light strokes. I just use a belt with no compound. The key to the strop is to strop one part of the blade at a time. Pull straight, lift straight up. Flip and pull back straight. Move to new portion of blade.
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I do this along side stropping and steeling and this method itself leaves me with a hair popping edge IF the apex was uniform from stones.
 
J-P SAN said:
David, how long have you been into knives and sharpening? I've learnt a lot by reading your posts.

(...)
Click to expand...

I've been into knives (accumulating) for ~25+ years, but only into sharpening (with any competence, anyway :D ) for the last ~5 years or so. I give full credit to BF and it's knowledgable membership for that, as I signed up in 2009 and have been inspired by the expertise here and 'obsessively' learning since then. :thumbup:


David
 
Very helpful posts. Thank you. I'm going to try all these new methods and post a follow up with razor sharp edge haha
 
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