Actually I did not mean to be rude you could be removing the burr or wire edge. If the edge is not rolling back over did you grind it too steep which will take from shaving sharpness other than that it's weird. Great customer service though huh?
Without a doubt! I didn't intend to be rude either. A rolled or wire edge was my first thought also, which is why I was using the loupe in the first place.
So the Izula is NOT a convex edge from the factory? If this is the case, how should I sharpen it, since the KnivesShipFree video is for convex edges? Also, what would be the simplest, lightest way to maintain the Izula's edge in the field, as opposed to a well-equipped workshop?
I use a dual grit folding diamond stone in the field - can be found under $20. (DMT or EZ-Lap) fine/x-fine meets 90% of my needs. a lot of guys swear by the med/fine combo as well.
One thing that may be happening, is that you are sharpening the Izula at too steep of an angle - this will make a thinner "false" edge which will be quite sharp at first but not last nearly as long. You say that you have no problems with getting the ESEE-4 into good shape, so this is probably not the issue, but I thought it worth mentioning. Since the Izula has a thinner blade than the 4 (depth from the edge to spine, rather than the thickness of the blade metal) the spine of the blade will have to be closer to the stone when sharpening to maintain the 20 degree angle at the blade. If you use the height of the spine as a guide while sharpening (like I do) you'd have to compensate.
I use muscle memory to set the angle, the blade falls very close to a 20 degree angle every time. Took forever to be able to do that though. I stropped the Izula with just a plain belt again last night but did so for quite a bit longer than normal. It certainly is sharper than ever before, and shinier too . I'll see how it does at work this evening and report back. Usually all it gets used for is to cut through tape on a few boxes and maybe a small fuel hose or two. Is that really enough to make a significant difference to the edge? I know that the adhesive on the tape isn't good for it, but usually I just make a tiny cut to get it started and then tear it the rest of the way.
It sounds like a sharpening issue to me. Like someone else already mentioned, it's very unlikely to receive a bad heat treat from E.S.E.E. Just remember one thing about knife sharpening... 99% of sharpening is the skill of user, and 1% is the tools you use. It doesn't matter what sharpening medium you prefer, you should be able to get a knife razor sharp with most of them, you just need to hone your skill to get to that level. Those two knives have different edge geometry and will require a different approach on whatever sharpening medium you use. Play around with your angles and find something that works. Sometimes when I was sharpening survival knives in the past, I would use too low of an angle and would never actually touch the edge of the knife with the stone, I was just removing material from the shoulder of the bevel. Then I raised the spine of the knife up off the stone a little more, and whaddya know? The knife got hair popping sharp... If you're curious, I generally use japanese water stones for sharpening, but I can also sharpen with sand paper, diamond stones, and I'm learning the ropes on some mechanized equipment. All are capable methods, you just have to fail a few times, ask these questions, and then refine your technique.
if it's any consolation, when i got my first izula, it had been convexed by the previous owner and I couldn't get it to take a "happy" edge. it would cut, but not shave - you know the drill. Took it to the Ratfest in March and 1095drew had his tri-stone along. 3 minutes later it had been reprofiled to a good flat grind and has been biting sharp ever since.
Ok, I think I got it now. I stropped it for about 30 minutes last night on a plain leather belt and it was, of course, very sharp. I used it at work this evening like always and then, after a cleaning, used it to cut up my dinner on a ceramic plate. It still shaves!!! It's never done that before! All it needed was a really good strop. I looked and looked for a wire edge and couldn't see one, but the evidence is hard to ignore. Thanks for all the help everyone!
Nope. I only have a convex on a few of my blades. When I made the video cutting through the wood then shaving, the Izula was NOT convexed. However, the edge was not factory, either. I like 17 degrees on most of my knives - that's what the Izula had during the test - not the factory 20. But still a bevel edge. In several of my test vids I mention that I re-profile my edges to 17 degrees. I didn't mention it in that vid, but I was not trying to be deceptive. Blunt
Will stropping on a bark river leather strop be as effective with a factory profiled edge or does it need to be convexed? If one were to decide to convex their Izula with the sandpaper/mousepad technique, what grit would you recommend starting with? Thanks.
Ah I think I have just seen the bane of allmost ALL kinfe users here. Cutting dinner on a "CERAMIC plate" I tell everyone that buys one of my blades, to NOT cut with your kinves on a ceramic plate! Why? Its harder than the steel. Brittle yes, but close to as diamond hard. This had dulled more knives in the world than anything else I can think of. Its the same with dirt, if you pull your edge through dirt, you're gonna hit small stones that are, yep harder than steel. One story this reminds me of is, about 12 years ago I sold one of my customs to a good friend, he came back about a week later with the finish and edge very dulled. (None of my blades had ever had this problem before) I asked him what he was cutting. He said "About 300 rolls of sod, at the sod farm" Hum sod=dirt=stones=dull. So to keep a good edge, don't cut on a harder surface than your blade. Just a tip, so you can keep yours. enjoy edgy:thumbup:
I don't very often cut dinner with my EDC knife. I figured it would be a damn good test to see if the strop helped, and it worked great. I had a buddy that loved to stick his knife point first in the ground when he put it down for a second. I never could get him to understand how bad that was for the blade.
