I've had this little beast as EDC for quite a while and it finally got dull enough that I have to "seriously" sharpen it instead of a few strops on ceramic rod and leather strop. The AS is designed for punching holes and it seems that its tip area has wider angle than the rear part. I really like this design, but it's also difficult to sharpen. Also, the rear end of the blade is not grinded in a straight line and curves a little to the right side. Considering the two issues, I really hesitate to put it through the sharpmaker. How do you guys sharpen your AS?
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How to sharpen an AS?
- Thread starter lreed
- Start date
Matteo Escobar
Gold Member
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2002
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- 4,143
You can realign an edge with either a steel or a ceramic rod only so many times. After that you need to rework the edge. I reccomend a strop from HandAmerica. They have a new spring loaded system that allows you to quickly and easily change grits of sand paper, and it also comes with leather strop attachments, and a ceramic rod. When a rod won't work on my edge anymore I use a 600 grit for a while and finish with an 800 or 1000. After that a few passes over the leather and it's a razor, but with enough teeth for some heavy duty cutting.
Oh, and the system also comes with a pad that you can place under the paper for convex grinds.
Hope this helps.
Oh, and the system also comes with a pad that you can place under the paper for convex grinds.
Hope this helps.
t1mpani
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2002
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- 5,517
I'd say that about covers it for straight sharpening. Or...
Just an idea here, if you don't mind a little elbow grease: mine is a Rat Shaker, but I think the edge grinds are pretty comparable. I took mine down to a fairly narrow convex edge with just a mill file, course/medium/fine arkansas stones, mousepad/sandpaper and finally leather strop. Took me about four hours to get it where I wanted it. It'll slice as well as punch holes now.
INFI will probably slow the material removal down a bit, but
it'd still be possible.
Edited to add: And here I thought I was going to be away from computers. I should probably stop screwing around and get back to work.
Just an idea here, if you don't mind a little elbow grease: mine is a Rat Shaker, but I think the edge grinds are pretty comparable. I took mine down to a fairly narrow convex edge with just a mill file, course/medium/fine arkansas stones, mousepad/sandpaper and finally leather strop. Took me about four hours to get it where I wanted it. It'll slice as well as punch holes now.
INFI will probably slow the material removal down a bit, but
it'd still be possible.
Edited to add: And here I thought I was going to be away from computers. I should probably stop screwing around and get back to work.
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2003
- Messages
- 1,550
I recently spent two days scraping Hornets nests of the walls of my house with mine and managed to dull it somewhat. Baked mud tries out a blade.
Anyhow one of the sharpening systems that will set the angle for you will greatly help take the guess work out of sharpening freehand.
The one I use is a Bladesharpener but there would be heaps of others on the market.
Or any of the above advice.
Anyhow one of the sharpening systems that will set the angle for you will greatly help take the guess work out of sharpening freehand.
The one I use is a Bladesharpener but there would be heaps of others on the market.
Or any of the above advice.
- Joined
- Nov 28, 1999
- Messages
- 14,985
Since I am not a huge fan of the assymetrical edge anyway, I am in the habit of reprofiling all my user Busses. The Assault Shaker is one I carry and use a lot. I simply sharpen mine the way Grandpa used to do it. Only, I use diamond hones. I swipe it twice on the side that has less metal ground off from the factory, and once on the other side, until the grind is even. Once you get it to that point, sharpening is pretty easy. I still wish Jerry would come out with a thinner version of the Assault Shaker though. 3/16" would still be indestructable.
RokJok
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2000
- Messages
- 4,198
Like the others, I've taken the asymetrical edge off my AS and thinned the edge down for better cutting efficiency. Took me about an hour of casual work on an Edge-Pro Apex to get it to the condition seen in the attached picture. In this state it takes only a few licks on a Spyderco Sharpmaker to bring the edge back after it gets dulled cutting meals on glass plates or other hard-surface work.
(edited to add) To answer your original question, there was a video that used to be posted on the Busse website that showed how to sharpen the asymetrical edge. You might try to find someone who saved it from the site. Otherwise, you can sharpen the AS using the "sandpaper on a mousepad" method to retain the shape of the edge. You can also simply sharpen it on a Sharpmaker or other stones. That works pretty well, although it does reconfigure the edge as you work the edge.
(edited to add) To answer your original question, there was a video that used to be posted on the Busse website that showed how to sharpen the asymetrical edge. You might try to find someone who saved it from the site. Otherwise, you can sharpen the AS using the "sandpaper on a mousepad" method to retain the shape of the edge. You can also simply sharpen it on a Sharpmaker or other stones. That works pretty well, although it does reconfigure the edge as you work the edge.
Thanks RokJok, but I actually like the current profile on my AS a lot and don't want to re-profile its edge. So I guess I am gona to live with the not-so-good edge from the ceramic rod for a while and send it back to Bussecombat when it becomes unacceptable to me.
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2003
- Messages
- 3,049
on an assymetrical edge, you can use a sharpmaker, or a stone to sharpen out the flat edge (the really really really thin side)
and use the mousepad and sandpaper for the wide convex edge. it takes longer to wear the edge down doing it that way instead of sharpening both sides the same way, or so ive been told.
basically, strop the wide edge, and steel off the rolled edge you get from it.
it really is a hell of a lot easier to sharpen then a symetrical v or convex edge...
harder to deform too...
i kinda wish i had kept it on my bm-e...
and use the mousepad and sandpaper for the wide convex edge. it takes longer to wear the edge down doing it that way instead of sharpening both sides the same way, or so ive been told.
basically, strop the wide edge, and steel off the rolled edge you get from it.
it really is a hell of a lot easier to sharpen then a symetrical v or convex edge...
harder to deform too...
i kinda wish i had kept it on my bm-e...