I convexed my BATAC tonight...

B

bm11

Joined
Nov 28, 2011
Messages
283
Got this knife a week or so back. It had been sharpened, but wasn't sharp, so I needed to rectify the situation. I did a compound sharpening job the day I got it in, but I wasn't happy with it, so I started over. The compound job did the majority of the material removal, so most of this was shaping the convex edge in and polishing it.

I did it on my Wicked edge, one degree at a time. I know that a mousepad would have been more appropriate, and a belt sander even more so, but I didn't want to learn on such a nice knife, so I did it on my Wicked Edge! Because of the polishing at each bevel, it took almost two hours.

I went from 15 degrees per side down to 22 per side. I did this in individual steps starting at 15 degrees at 100 grit and going 1 degree at a time down to 22 degrees per side. Repeated at 200 grit, then 400, 600, 800, and 1000. Then the same with 5um strops and then 3.5um strops. Finally put a microbevel on it at 25 degrees per side with 50 strokes per side with the 5um strops and 100 per side with the 3.5um strops.

I know that the time is definitely excessive, but it was my entertainment for the evening, and the results were great. It is now hair popping sharp and hopefully robust.

Some pics, sorry for my poor camera skills.

2012-01-24200352.jpg


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And yes, alcohol was involved!!!
 
Whoah! Killer job, man! I know a polished mirror edge doesn't always mean sharp, but it sure looks good! Nice job keeping the coating on neatly, too.

I rarely hear of people going above 300 grit, which surprised me because the first guide I used on convex sharpening recommended going as high as 3000.
 
uyotg said:
I know a polished mirror edge doesn't always mean sharp, but it sure looks good!
Click to expand...
Thanks! Mine always end up sharp. I bought a Strider MT-10 used once that had a mirror polished edge, but wasn't sharp enough to cut paper. This tells me that the sharpening job never got to the edge. I always make sure I am getting to the edge at each grit level before moving up, and my edges always push cut paper with very little resistance and shave clean as well.
 
BM11 great job - do you have any pics of the wicked edge? I am interested in the sharpening device, havent ever seen one. do you like it, is there something you would change about it? would you recommend it? im just curious
 
I'd take some pics for you and post them here, but there are already a lot of good pics here: http://www.wickededgeusa.com/

Also a lot of good videos on how to use it, etc. I will say, it is less than ideal for very large blades. It did a GREAT job on my ASH-1, but my FBM was a little on the large side for it.

A lot more time consuming that paper wheels, but I have been super pleased with the results. You can reprofile accurately which is a big thing for me. The edges that result are dangerously sharp, I can whittle hair, and quick to regain once the initial reprofile is done.
 
Great job! I take the easy way out and send them to Nate, but eventually I will get the hang of it!
 
Looks great and that is some dedication.
 
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