more on edges - newbie question

[spyken]

I have a sharpmaker and and Apex system. somehow, I still can't seem to get hair shaving edges on the low grit stones (on the Apex). On the sharpmaker, I can't seem to get uniformly sharp edges (for eg. one side of the blade will shave, the other won't, or some parts of the edge will shave, the other parts won't).

Am I doing it wrong? I don't have a strop, but could it be that the wire edge is still there - I can't sometimes see a thin shiny strip at the edge using a magnifying glass). Can someone help me? I just can't sharpen well!

Also, can a convex edge take a freestanding hair shaving edge? Has a convex edge ever won any cutting contest? like those done by Jerry Busse? not the concrete block chopping tests but those like - rope cutting, paper slicing, chopping 2x4s, and then still being able to shave free-standing hair?

help....I really, really need razor sharp and tuff knives....

spyken

 

[ZENGHOST]

Originally posted by spyken
I have a sharpmaker and and Apex system. somehow, I still can't seem to get hair shaving edges on the low grit stones (on the Apex). On the sharpmaker, I can't seem to get uniformly sharp edges (for eg. one side of the blade will shave, the other won't, or some parts of the edge will shave, the other parts won't).

Am I doing it wrong? I don't have a strop, but could it be that the wire edge is still there - I can't sometimes see a thin shiny strip at the edge using a magnifying glass). Can someone help me? I just can't sharpen well!

Also, can a convex edge take a freestanding hair shaving edge? Has a convex edge ever won any cutting contest? like those done by Jerry Busse? not the concrete block chopping tests but those like - rope cutting, paper slicing, chopping 2x4s, and then still being able to shave free-standing hair?

help....I really, really need razor sharp and tuff knives....

spyken

You might want to try the Sharpie technique to make sure that the edges are meeting properly. Take a Sharpie and color the edge of the blade, then put it to the stone. Keep going until all the black has been taken off the edge--if there is still black then you haven't gone long enough. This will help you tell if you're missing a spot.

 

[OwenM]

If it's shaving on one side, but not the other, you've got a burr. Give it a stroke on the side that is shaving. If the other side now shaves, but the other doesn't, you've got a wire edge that is flopping back and forth, and needs to be gotten rid of. Give it a gentle stroke or two on the sharpmaker rod at a steeper angle, which may get rid of it. Strop it on, or even cut a piece of cardboard. Or use a leather belt. Any of those things might work.

I use an Apex to reprofile and back bevel, but the Sharpmaker on the final edge, since that is what I use for touch ups. I fully sharpen the edge with the Apex at a slightly lower angle than I want to use on the Sharpmaker, and then go over it again with the Sharpmaker. I use the whole stone upgrade set, down to the polishing tapes for both the back bevel and the "initial" edge, and then use whatever Sharpmaker rods are appropiate for the final edge that I want. Basically a 3-stage edge. This way you can have an aggressive final edge that cuts well, with a thinner, polished cross section behind it to reduce friction. Huge increase in performance over any factory edge you will find. I took Joe Talmadge's sharpening advice for the BM 710 and adapted it over time to suit several different knives and their uses. I don't know if that is included, but here is a link to Joe's sharpening faq:
http://www.bladeforums.com/features/faqsharp.shtml

 

[spyken]

thanks - I'll try that....if it shaves with side A facing down, but not when side B is facing down - does it mean A has the burr or B?

my biggest problem with the Apex is that I'm a righthander so I can't do the left bevel well - the motion seems very unco-ordinated. The right bevel is fine....any helpful hints?

thanks,
spyken

 

[Crayola]

Hello!

I can't offer tips on the Edge Pro, as I don't have one. But I do want to recommend getting a strop. Or, do what I did and make one. I traded a forumite some of my buffing compound for some of his leather! You can go to any leather goods making place and pick up a scrap piece of leather. Mine is double sided, with the strips 2" wide and 8" long. Then you just need some compound. I hear that the compound sold by Lee Valley Tools (www.leevalley.com) is one of the best. If I didn't have buffing compound, I'd use the Lee Valley stuff.

The nice thing about the strop is you can do two types of edges on it! On my toothier edges, after sharpening on the stone I will strop them maybe 3 times on each side. This will get rid og any burr but not polish the edge, getting rid of some of the toothiness. Or, when I want a super push cutting, hair shaving edge, after taking my blade from my fine stones I'll strop it way more than 3 times per side. This will really polish the edge and makes it a super push cutter.

One thing when making a strop, I'd suggest making it with a handle off of each end. I glued my lkeather to a board 1" thick, 2" wide with a 4" handle section, and the strop part is 8" long (12" total length.) I wish I would have put a handle on the other ehnd too, because as you strop you'll use one side of the srop face more than the other. I flip the strop around still and hang onto it, but it would be easier if I would have thought ahead and made the strop 16" OAL, 2 4" handle sections and the strop in the middle.

Good luck!

 

[AlphalphaPB]

Just a quick check: are you shaving the same way (with/against the grain) when testing both the left and right sides? Make sure you're doing that, since with the grain is much easier for the first cut.