Need help convexing BK-2

[davjau]

I tried last night for three hours to convex my BK-2. it has a slight edge but will not glide easily through paper and for sure won't shave hair. Not really sure what I am doing wrong. I started with 320, then 400, 600, 800, 1000, and strop with green compound.

I am wondering if I took off enough of the edge and went high enough. Maybe I should go higher...what do you guys think?

 

[dawsonbob]

I tried last night for three hours to convex my BK-2. it has a slight edge but will not glide easily through paper and for sure won't shave hair. Not really sure what I am doing wrong. I started with 320, then 400, 600, 800, 1000, and strop with green compound.

I am wondering if I took off enough of the edge and went high enough. Maybe I should go higher...what do you guys think?

Hi, davjau, and welcome to the Becker forum, and Blade Forums in general.

I assume you're using a mousepad under the (wet or dry) sandpaper. A couple of things you might want to try. First is the old marker trick to make sure that you're reaching the edge. What is that? Simply take a marker, such as a Sharpie, and use it to blacken the grind all the way — and I mean all the way — down to the edge. This allows you to have a visual reference of exactly where you're taking off steel.

If, after a few passes on the sandpaper, you have a nice shiny edge with no black showing, then you're probably doing it right. If, however, there is still black on the edge, then you're not reaching the edge, and you might have to change the angle so that you are reaching the edge.

Another thing to keep in mind is pressure. You can use a fair — but not excessive — amount of pressure with the coarser grits, but as you get down to the finer grits, you want to use a very light pressure — almost just the weight of the knife.

As far as the angle you're showing, it looks a little shallower than I use, but that can be a personal choice, depending on what you want to do.

If you pop over to the Maintenance and Tinkering forum here on Blade Forums, you'll find tutorials about convexing, and a lot of folks willing to help. There's no reason that, once you get the hang of it, you shouldn't be able to get your BK-2 hair popping sharp.

Good luck, and welcome to Beckerland!

 

[davjau]

Thanks for your reponse. it's a thin mouse pad that I am using and I first went through all the grits with moderate pressure and with no result I repeated with light pressure and it seemed a little better. I even did the marker trick to make sure I was hitting the edge. I think I need to just make it a little deeper. This is my first introduction to convexing so I new someone would be able to help. Thanks!

 

[dawsonbob]

Thanks for your reponse. it's a thin mouse pad that I am using and I first went through all the grits with moderate pressure and with no result I repeated with light pressure and it seemed a little better. I even did the marker trick to make sure I was hitting the edge. I think I need to just make it a little deeper. This is my first introduction to convexing so I new someone would be able to help. Thanks!

You're welcome. Convexing isn't difficult . . . once you get the hang of it. Just keep at it, and remember not to use too much pressure.

As I mentioned, you can get some great tips over on Maintenance and Tinkering.

 

[GingivitisKahn]

Keep at it. I'd never heard of using sandpaper / mouse pads to sharpen a knife before finding bladeforums. With a little time and very little effort my BK-2 is a hair popping maniac. Sitting there in it's sheath on my desk, it looks like it wants to leap out and denude my forearms. Frigger is sharp.

You'll get it.

 

[Bridgeman]

Sitting there in it's sheath on my desk, it looks like it wants to leap out and denude my forearms.

That brought a HI-larious visual!

davjau - I use a thick mouse pad. Allows the blade to sink a bit more into the pad. Might be worth a try.

Best of luck.

 

[Bigfattyt]

I have found that the biggest mistake is pressure. With bigger knives, I don't even use the entire weight og the knife .32 thick knives with 10 inch blade for example. If your edge is just not getting sharp, you are probably not getting the very apesx of the edge. That angle does look obtuse, but even at a high angle like that I can still make them jump hairs off.

The angle to hit the edge, is the same angle where the edge will just start teying to bite if moving edge first into the strop.

 

[mete]

I don't polish my edges .I use 600 wet/dry with water on a mousepad. Fairly small angle and fairly light pressure. It might be a good idea to learn with just one paper such as 600 till you get the hang of it.

 

[davjau]

Can you post a picture of your convexed BK-2? I am just curious how much of the black coating to take off to get the proper angle. 1/4 inch?