How to remove a wire edge?

G

GarageBoy

Joined
May 23, 2003
Messages
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How do I remove a wire edge w/o significantly changing the geometry of the knife? I realized that the Made in China POS had a 1/3 length wire edge.
 
Stropping is good, a few fairly heavy (usually pulling) strokes on any fine abrasive (stone, sandpaper, strop) with an angle larger than the angle that produced the wire edge will do. Meaning if the knife was sharpened at 15 deg which produced the wire edge, cut the wire edge of with a few strokes at 20 deg. The strop will "wrap" around the edge and effectively increase the angle without you having to worry about it. You just strop at the angle at which the blade starts cutting. The small number of strokes and the fine grade of the abrasive prevents significant geometry change.

Well, this holds true only if your wire edge is more like a burr. If you have a true wire edge (overly large burr) there is pretty much no way that you won't break off the wire edge (as supposed to "cutting" it off with the abrasive). If it breaks off, you have to start over again on medium to coarse abrasive and take care that you don't produce a wire edge and that you cut of the burr, that you are producing while sharpening, regularly.

If I don't make sense, let me know, its late.

Good luck.
 
I think it was Jeff Cooper that suggested quite a while ago to hold the knife at a much steeper angle to the stone for one or two light passes on each side.

I have used this method since and it works great. After you do it just make 5-6 regular passes on each side and you should be good.

I also keep a block of hardwood in my sharpening kit and I draw the knife across it 6 or so times to check the edge and draw off any left over burr.
 
strop the edge using a leather belt, carboard, your jeans (be careful), or a strop!
 
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