Just can't sharpen my F1 3G properly!!

T

troller

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Jun 15, 2010
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I just can't do it... howevery I try, I can't get good results...

my F1 3G got a somehow dull edge (not so dull, but surely not hair-shaving sharp) and I cannot take it back to the good status...
I tried with the stropping with sandpaper starting from 800 grit up to 2000 and 5000. But I couldn't get a good sharpness!

any suggestion? I know this steel is very hard, maybe I'm giving up too soon, I should only try to strop it more times?
 
Try more strokes, do one side until you have a proper burr (not the fake one, but the one you can actually feel and turn by finger). That is a lot of strokes, as I found out while sharpening my pilot survival knife. Then, when you strop, I have been told to use loaded strops first, with the rough side first, then the smooth side and do 200 to 300 strokes per side. To finish it off, I like to use the side of a car window (as per Ray Mears) and the knife develops a very fine edge that cuts like hell.
Also, someone told me and I agree with him, that you only sharpen up to grit 600 , anything after that is kinda polishing. If the knife is not shaving by the time you are done with 600 grit, you did not take enough strokes per side. Use very light strokes, weight of the blaxe only. It took me awhile to find this out, I was turning the edge upwards because of the pressure I applied to the blade.
I might be wrong, but it works for me. Try it, you have nothing to lose.
 
you're using wayyyyyyyy to high of a grit of sandpaper. try 400 and do 10 stokes on each side then 8 then 5 then 2 then 1 and then do the same on 1000 and you'll be hair popping. I used to use sand paper and sharpened alot of high wear resistance steels and you honestly can get a wicked edge and never go over 600 grit.
 
There is no point in moving to a finer grit if the knife isn't sharp at the current grit. If the knife isn't really dull then you don't need to do a complete sharpening job and raise a burr. If it is sharp but just won't shave then it shouldn't take much to get it back to shaving sharp. If it seems to not be getting sharp then most likely you are not getting all the way to the very edge. Try the Sharpie trick and make one pass to see where you are hitting.
 
had the same problem with my f1 for the first few weeks. While playing/learning/stropping with it I dulled it and I was not able to bring it back to hair shaving. Then I raised the angle considerably (to a point that looks TOO high)....and the miracles started.
In my opinion you should do the same. 400 grit will give you results in no time (10-15 passes). then 800/1500/2000/2500 and strop (just to be super-polished). Use new sandpaper. You should see a nice flowing steel-trail, especially on the 400 sandpaper, after a couple of passes. If not, then you are probably too shallow and you are just scratching the belly. Listen to the sound it makes as it passes.
Be consistent, with light pressure (but not being afraid to take some steel off especially in the 400 stage). Take your time to examine the edge after 2-3 passes.
The f1 has a very "rounded belly" and it can trick the eye. You think you have the right angle, but in reality you are not hitting the actual edge. After that you will be able to shave your arms like I did and look like a freak :P
(I m new to sharpening properly, so if some other members think that this is not a good advice for some reasons, I could also benefit from the criticism)
 
For a convex edge I find the wet/dry paper and water on a computer mousepad to be quick and easy. I just use 600 grit for my EDC.
 
I've only had to resort to using sandpaper once. 95% of the time regular black and green compound is all that's needed.

Make sure you are sharpening the correct part of the edge - to do this colour in the edge with a black maker and if you are rubbing away portions that are behind the edge rather than the edge itself that's where you are going wrong.
 
I tried for a month or so to sharpen my convex edge BRKT Bravo 1.
I tried all angles, sandpapers, and polishing compounds.
Never got it shaving sharp.
I got so frustrated, that I put a nice V-Bevel edge (40 degrees) on it with my Edge Pro.
The thing is laser sharp now, and still has a strong edge at 40 degrees.
Hair just jumps off my arm when it gets an inch away from it. : )
Needless to say, I'm not a fan of convex edges.
Perhaps I just don't have the patience or manual dexterity to do it properly.
I do, however, know I can get fantastic results with the Edge Pro, and Sharpmaker for touch ups.
Lenny
 
HandofCod said:
I've only had to resort to using sandpaper once. 95% of the time regular black and green compound is all that's needed.

Make sure you are sharpening the correct part of the edge - to do this colour in the edge with a black maker and if you are rubbing away portions that are behind the edge rather than the edge itself that's where you are going wrong.
Click to expand...

Agreed! The sandpaper routine is really only needed if one has let their knife get dull. Frequent stropping on compounds will maintain a sharp edge.

Now...if you got a dull edge to begin with....you need coarser sandpaper! You could probably end on 800! Start at around 200 to 300. Use the Sharpie trick, if you think you have raised the spine just the right amount - lower it, and NO PRESSURE!

You'll get it. Keep practicing. All of a sudden you will have a sharp knife and the light bulb will light up. Just takes some time.
 
Lenny said:
I tried for a month or so to sharpen my convex edge BRKT Bravo 1.
I tried all angles, sandpapers, and polishing compounds.
Never got it shaving sharp.
I got so frustrated, that I put a nice V-Bevel edge (40 degrees) on it with my Edge Pro.
The thing is laser sharp now, and still has a strong edge at 40 degrees.
Hair just jumps off my arm when it gets an inch away from it. : )
Needless to say, I'm not a fan of convex edges.
Perhaps I just don't have the patience or manual dexterity to do it properly.
I do, however, know I can get fantastic results with the Edge Pro, and Sharpmaker for touch ups.
Lenny
Click to expand...

I think that's where you went wrong Lenny. Trying all angles will turn your edge into a spoon. All you have to do is find the correct angle and stick with it. I did exactly the same thing to a bevel grind on stones. Couldn't get the edge to come up so I'd get frustrated and change technique. Now I put a convex edge on all my knives. It's just too easy to maintain!
 
Thanks everybody for the replies

SO I know I need to use lower grit sandpaper. As per the correct angle, is it correct to place the blade flat on the paper and then lift the spine for about the thickness of the blade? Or do I need to lift it more and have a higher angle, like 35-40°?

What are you usually using? The http://www.barkriverknives.com/convex.htm page suggests to lift the blade just as its thickness (around 10-15°), but I found that if I lift it more (to 40°), I get better sharpness...

thanks
 
What you want to do with each convex knife you have is understand how steep is the angle. It's easy to figure out, just push the edge along the strop (very gently so as not to cut into it) as as you travel up the strop raise the spine gradually. Once you feel the edge catch on the leather you're there. That's your cutting angle. To strop to that angle I typically back off a little (but not much) as the weight of the knife will sink into leather while stropping backwards more than when you gently move it forwards.

If you find you get a sharper edge at a steeper angle it's most likely because you lost quite a lot of sharpness before maintaining the edge. Some thing happened with my F1 in VG10 actually. If you stick with 35 degrees you'll get a sharper edge but a thicker one too, more robust but less of a slicer. The more you back off the angle the thinner the edge will be and the better it will be at slicing (but less robust). You can have it both ways too. Sometimes I get a really nice working edge using a low angle and then finish it off with a fairly steep 35 degree angle, BUT, with a REALLY light pressure. As in, barely touching the leather pressure.
 
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