I'm failing sharpening miserably

J

JohnS

Joined
Apr 14, 2002
Messages
249
I'm glad I started with just my basic 3. I'm obviously not too good at sharpening, but have done fairly well with my other knives and a sharpmaker.
For my Busses I bought a strop, veritas and a ceramic rod. So far I've managed to make my somewhat dull blade into one that I couldn't possibly cut myself with :rolleyes: . Seems to be rounding the edge. I was about to take a stone to it, but figured I'd stop in and ask for some help.
Any suggestions as to where I went wrong. HELP!!
 
Don't get discouraged, you can do this! You've got the tools, and believe me, with a little practice, you'll be splitting dust motes with your edge!

The strop and Veritas compound are great. Make sure that you mark your convex edge with a sharpie to make sure that your getting the edge, and not smoothing out the crinkle coat above it.

As for the ceramic rod, mark the flat bevel also. Jerry gave me a GREAT piece of advice, hold the knife flat on the rod, and pivot it down until the edge touches the ceramic rod. Then you know that you have the correct angle. The sharpie mark will confirm that visually for you.

Good luck, and hang in there! The results are worth the effort!
 
Thanks!! - I have smoothed out some of the crinkle coat. I'll try the sharpie next.
 
In order to solve the problem you need to be as specific as possible about what you are doing. It is easy to do something that you might not even think is significant but which could be completely preventing the sharpening.

-Cliff
 
I really haven't had any luck with the marker on the edges either.
I'm using the ceramic rod on the flat side. Have gone to a pretty steep angle and am raising a burr. Then I am using the strop with veritas on the other side (tried different angles). Dragging backwards on both sides rather than trying to cut in as I would do with my sharpmaker. I managed to get it a little sharper, but still couldn't even cut paper.
Marked both edges and seem to be taking it off about 1/16th to 1/8th " back from the edge. I have removed a little of the crinkle coat to the point where I believe that it is geeting too smooth. I think that I was really overdoing the turning the angle of the blade before. Had tried sandpaper (320 and 600 grit)on a mouse pad before I got the rod and strop and may have really mucked it up with that. Seems like I've rounded the convex side a little. I've been tempted to try to take it down flatter so I'll have more of an edge to work with.
Just about to the point where I'm going to call the Busse shop to see about sending it in to see if they can bail me out. Can they put a symmetrical edge on it for me?
I'm not that good at sharpening, but I've never had a problem sharpening a regular blade well enough to get a decent edge.
 
The Busse shop could easily sharpen it for you, as for putting a symmetrical edge on it, they probably could and would, but I'd call them to be sure.

If you are cutting 1/8th or so back from the edge, then you are hitting the shoulder, and not the edge. You might want to adjust the angle that you are holding the knife. Are you stropping both sides? I just strop the convex side, not the flat side, but that's just me.

Do a search here on sharpening, and you'll get a wealth of info, and there is info on the Busse web site also.

Good luck!
 
i do, i don't have the time or ability to do it any other way. i have bought all the cool stuff but i am still to stupid to do it right all the time. it is hit or miss for me. i use the sharp maker and my knives always cut me when i let them. until i get smarter or first hand instruction i'll stick to the easy (dumb) way.

how about a busse sharpening class? jerry could have a bbq at his house and teach us.
 
I think I'll try your way - maybe I should have used the money on more Busses instead of the sharpening supplies ;)
 
When you sharpen a Busse knife, try not to raise a big burr on it. It is really hard to get it to come off since the steel is so wear resistant. I just lightly strop the flat side on a ceramic rod and then strop both sides on a leather strap with some polishing compound. I usually have to strop it a LOT more on the leather than sharpening with the ceramic rod. I suppose from all the stropping the edge will eventually be convex on both sides but oh well!

Don't forget to make sure the burr is stropped off, and you might try using a steel to align the edge.
 
John,
Just be patient and make sure you are contacting the edge to the stone/strop. I really had a problem with this.

Also as Antdog said don't oversharpen, INFI will raise a burr fairly quickly.

Good luck, keep us posted. :D:D
 
JohnS :

Marked both edges and seem to be taking it off about 1/16th to 1/8th " back from the edge.
Click to expand...

This could be the critical problem. The entire bevel should be getting abraded optimally, but at least the very edge should be getting hit evenly on both sides. Use the rod on the flat sid for a few passes and then strop on both sides. If this doesn't help then the edge is probably so worn you need to use a more aggressive abrasive such as sandpaper. If nothing works then by all means convert the edge to something that you can sharpen easily. No matter what the properties of an edge in regards to shape, if it is dull the functionality is low.

-Cliff
 
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