Just cant get on with diafold.

A

alwyn

Joined
Aug 7, 2010
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Is there a basic/simple/foolproof way of holding the knife to diafold that will give me a good basic edge. How do you guys do it?
Also I wondered if you cut on the back stroke as well as the forward?
alwyn.:(
 
they make a plastic snap on guide that does around 20 degree per side

You also have the DMT aligner guide

Or, you can fold a paper corner a couple of times until you go from 90 to 45 to 22.5 (close enough for some)
 
I think the trick to maintaining a consistent angle is to not focus your attention on the edge itself - look at the whole picture including the sharpening surface, your hand and the entire blade of the knife. Every time you set the edge down on the sharpener, the picture should look the same. Take a mental snapshot, make a pass and repeat, each time referencing the mental snapshot you made before.
 
Pushing the edge into the stone is the better method . Get a good guide, a magnifier of 10X and look at the edge often in bright light as your sharpening . This will tell you a lot . DM
 
Isn't the Diafold something like 1"x6", and then the handles kind of get in the way, effectivly making it even smaller? I don't know anyone who uses one of those for normal sharpening, they are generally used for field touch-ups. Anyway, a full size stone would really help, I think.
 
I think they maybe only 1"X4" . Anyway, I agree get atleast a 2"X6" stone and you'll achieve better results . DM
 
I get amazing results free handing on diafolds. I use more pressure (not a lot) on the coarser grits and then more strokes and less pressure with each progression through the stones. I have a Magna-Guide but I prefer to use them freehand and like akennedy73 said

Take a mental snapshot, make a pass and repeat, each time referencing the mental snapshot you made before.
Click to expand...

It's no biggie if you feel a little sharper or burred to one side before you change to the next stone, just give it a pass or two until they feel the same on both sides and move along. I just use my finger and lightly drag it down and feel the edge start to bite. Others use plastic tubes - I have a light touch. Get 'em close, the strops will take care of them in the end.

In the end after XX-fine, hit the strops with some DMT 3 micron, 1 micron Hand American 21 carat spray and maybe even .5 micron spray. (3 strops minimum). This will give you an edge to the naked eye that looks like a mirror and that's as far as I take it. I like some bite in a blade with a barely perceptible toothiness on the edge. YMMV. :)
 
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Use your thumb as a guide? Usually centering your thumb on the spine and following the curve will do fine.
 
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