<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Dennis Wright:
Mine doesn't have a convex edge. It's flat and polished.
</font>
If you resharpened your Sebenza, this may be true.
Reeve's intention, and they are pretty consistent, is to end up with a bit of convexivity. Of course they hollow grind the primary blade grind. Blade thickness starts at 1/8", and they stop the hollow grind somewhere in the neighborhood of 0.030", thirty thousandths.
But their final edge does have a bit of convexivity to it. I spoke with Chris at a show couple years ago... I don't remember the exact numbers he used, but this is close to the spirit and very close to numbers:
The rough ground edge is left at something like 20 degrees. Then, the final edge is created when they take the rough edge to a buffer of some kind, which steepens the final edge and rounds the bevel a bit, they end up at 22 degrees with convexivity. Chris mentioned that the final angle they chose makes the Spyderco V-crock Sharpmaker the first sharpening system he suggests for his customers, as the angle matches the Spyderco apparently.
Some of you guys who are way into Sebenza's might be able to clarify or fine tune the above a bit (my 2-1/2 year old memory is, well, not getting better with time).
What I can say is that Reeves edges are among the very finest, most precision in the business. There are other very sharp knives outta the box (Cold Steel, Spyderco, Microtech, old Blackjack's), but Reeve's are deceptively sharp as they are so polished ... the edge doesn't have the grabby bite I put on my other knives with fine diamond stones and a flat edge. But the convexivity really is a superior cutting edge for all but maybe shaving your face (old straight razors are radically hollow and SUPER thin, my cheapo gauge says 0.007" thick on my straight razor). Convex edges are typically avoided by makers mostly because they are a bit harder to create (slack belt usually required) and harder for the average Joe to renew. Usually I see convex on big knives, or on forged, ABS knives.
I got a good piece of advice from Cliff Stamp on sharpening convex edges...find a firm but forgiving backing (e.g. leather, firm foam or rubber), and put fine sandpaper down on the backing. PULL the edge toward you on the sandpaper...the forgiving backing conforms to the existing convex edge and sort of automatically lines up correctly. I ended up glueing an old computer mouse pad on an 18" long 2"x4" (a very flat/true piece). I use sandpaper to renew convex edge on a couple of big, ABS Bowies (9-12" blades) this way.
