Knife Sharpening Burr (Work Sharp Ken Onion)

[treillw]

I got a Work Sharp Ken Onion w/ blade ginder attachment. Set it up last night and in a few hours I have 5 knives that will shave hair. Pretty impressive, considering I don't think I ever sharpened a knife to shaving sharp in my life.

Sharpening 101 - you need to develop a burr on the entire length of the knife before you try to sharpen it. I'm having a little trouble figuring out when the burr is present. Obviously I'm doing something right if they shave and cut paper as well as they are, but I don't want to grind my blade down unnecessarily. I might be going past the burr point pretty well. I'm trying to look at the edge with a 10x, seemingly piece of junk, loupe and I can hardly see the burr forming. You can somewhat see it with the naked eye, somewhat feel it, but it's difficult and seems like it goes away once I start molesting it. I've tried other things like brushing the burr edge with a q-tip to see if it grabs the cotton fibers. No wonderful method for figuring things out. The guys in the work sharp video hang a fish hook off their burr; I'm no where near this. Not sharpening any super steel. Common knives - Victorinox boning knives, browning fillet knife, wusthoff kitchen knives.

The book says you should do 6-8 passes with the coarse belt to get a burr. I'm kind of assuming that means for knives that have already been sharpened with the work sharp and have the work sharp profile already established on the edge. It's taking me 15-25 passes on the same side to get a burr that I'm comfortable with. First knife took me 30 passes. Don't know if I'm going way too far.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[cudgee]

I'm having a little trouble figuring out when the burr is present.

I can help you there. I presume you have a rag with you when sharpening to wipe things down with. Go and get yourself some micro-fibre cloths. When checking to see if a burr has formed, strop the knife, the micro-fibre will catch on any burr. Then when you know the burr is there, try to feel it with your fingers, it takes practice, but you will eventually teach yourself to feel the burr. Another thing, when you strop the edge and it is catching indicating a burr forming, turn the blade over and do it on the other side, it will glide across the micro-fibre rag.

 

[Revival29]

I use a flashlight on a low mode. I feel for it too, but the flashlight quickly shows me exactly where I need to focus on…which is always the same spots…near the heel and tip.

 

[000Robert]

I use a piece of paper towel about 1" square. Then fold it in half and use the fold to rub up the edge to feel for a burr at small increments down the apex. If there's a burr you will feel it grab the paper towel. It's quick and easy.

 

[cudgee]

I use a piece of paper towel about 1" square. Then fold it in half and use the fold to rub up the edge to feel for a burr at small increments down the apex. If there's a burr you will feel it grab the paper towel. It's quick and easy.

Like that idea, that is the good thing about here, someone will ask for help or a question, and an answer like yours will appear, something i have never heard before or would not thought of. I just finished a sharpening session, might have to get another one going to try your method.

 

[000Robert]

Like that idea, that is the good thing about here, someone will ask for help or a question, and an answer like yours will appear, something i have never heard before or would not thought of. I just finished a sharpening session, might have to get another one going to try your method.

Yep, I love this forum. I'm disabled so I have to find simple and quick ways to do things. Depending on what I'm doing, I have about 5 to 30 minutes before I have to get into my recliner. And I have several hobbies. Two winters ago I was in the garage making some PCB's ( printed circuit boards). I didn't want to quit and take a break for my back and pushed on until the pain took me to the ground. There I was laying on freezing concrete and there was nothing I could do about it for about 5 minutes. I got some chest congestion and a cough from it.
So I learn to find good simple and quick ways to do things. Plus in the winter if I'm in the garage, I put down some cardboard, just in case.

 

[kreisler]

I'm disabled so I have to find simple and quick ways to do things.

I'm not disabled but i am lazy, looking for the simplest fastest method, any short-cut method, and still produce something to show for. all my picture-rich articles on this forum prove that all one needs is an internet connection and a browser to become a self-commended expert and I've become one of the best self-commenders as the reaction score confirms.

find my article on RRS.

godspeed

( I'm so full )

 

[toker]

I don't bother with creating a burr with the KOWS. I sharpen about 10 passes on each side with specific grits depending on how dull the knife is. I usually do the three finger test or push the blade against my finger nail to see if the blade "bites". When it's almost as sharp as I want, I just do a few more passes with the fine grit belt.

 

[000Robert]

I was going to sell my KOWSWBGA but decided to keep it for lawnmower blades and other crap. I'll never use it for good knives.

 

[bgentry]

Light is your friend for many things when sharpening. The reflected light technique is awesome for characterizing edges and seeing things that you can't normally detect with the naked eye. It's also quite good for burr detection. Here's a method to try out:

Get a bright light source. I like those inexpensive architect's lamps that clamp to a table top and have a spring loaded arm and swivel joints so you can move them all around. But any bright light will do. Set things up so that the light shines towards you and across the edge at a downward angle. So, blade between you and the light, light angled down a bit. Blade edge TOWARD you. Move the blade up and down slowly to vary the angle of the edge relative to the light. At some point you will see the edge light up. If you have a burr, the burr will also light up like magic: A bright line that is right at the blade edge. It's helpful to generate a really obvious burr and then try this so you know the difference between just the edge reflecting light and the burr being visible.

If you set this up correctly, you can sharpen a bit, pull the blade away and into the light, and relatively instantly check the burr. Guys who are really good set up the light overhead on their sharpening rig so that the burr is visible while grinding. On some setups, I've watched the burr appear in real time, right as it happens, which is pretty cool.

Good luck.

Brian.

 

[3D Anvil]

For me, touch is the most reliable way to detect a burr. For example, to check the show side of the blade, hold the knife in your right hand, blade side up, and lightly stroke the bevel with the pads of your fingers, going from low to high. Like this:



If it feels scratchy, you have a burr. If you're in doubt, flip the blade over and compare to the other side.

Side note: I got a leather strop belt for the KO grinder and it's fantastic. It's great for touching up any knife -- even ones I sharpened by hand or on the KME. Caveat is that the first one I got broke afer about 30 minutes, but it's amazon so it was dead simple to get a replacement, and the new one has been fine. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07VPRDYQ3?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details