Question for Razor Edge Systems owners

M

MikeV

Joined
Jan 9, 2006
Messages
86
I just got my Razor Edge Systems kit yesterday with the 8" hones with both the over 4" guide and the less than 4" blade guide.
My question is how do you back bevel with this system as I see no way to change the angle?

Thanks
 
It is done freehand. The guides are just for sharpening not any shaping which needs to be performed.

-Cliff
 
Thanks Cliff.
By the way, how long will these guides last since they are ground on the stone along with the knife?
 
Drop Joe Talmadge an email, he has used them for a long time. Since they are just used to establish the micro-bevel there is very little actual honing time with them, especially if you follow JJ's advice of frequent steeling rather than honing to resharpen.

-Cliff
 
If you use the clamp to put your back bevel on you just move the clamp towards the edge and reclamp. Moving the clamp deeper on the blade increases the angle.
 
Thanks db.

If anyone has Joe Talmadge's email address I would appreciate it.
I tried sending him an email at the address I found on the web and it got kicked back to me.
 
Mike, if you read the instruction sheet, you'll see that they mention changing the position of the clamp. Start with it further away from the edge - this is for a smaller angle. Then move it 1/16" closer to the edge - this is for a slightly larger angle. Smaller angle followed by larger angle = back bevel with primary edge.
 
To prevent excessive wear on the guides, apply pressure to the blade, not the guides.

Let's assume the handle is in your right hand with the blade tip pointing left, and you're going to push the knife across the sotne directly away from you...

I hold the handle with a medium grip in my right hand.

I sort of let my left hand just lay across the clamp, with my fingertips resting on the blade.

I do not push down on the clamp, but instead push forward (direction of travel) with it, and let my fingertips apply the downward pressure (down at the blade's edge).

This put minimal pressure on the clamp and eliminates excessive wear on both it and your stones.

For the other side of the blade, instead of keeping the handle in my right hand and pulling towards me, I reverse it and put the handle in my left hand and rest my right hand on the clamp/blade, and push away again.

The R/E clamps are great for helping you get the feel of stroking the knife down the stone. They really help to train your muscles and your brain so that you can transition to free-handing it.
 
Ted's covered it nicely. I found that the clamps lasted a pretty long time, especially if you put a bit more pressure on the edge rather than pushing down on the clamp, as Ted suggests. I never terribly minded the bit of wear that happened, didn't mind the edge going down a bit. The advice about the double-grind is spot-on also: when you're done, move the clamp very slightly towards the edge and towards the point, that'll raise the angle slightly.

Joe
 
Thanks Joe.
How do you position the guide on something like a butcher knife with an 8" blade? Do you have to move it to do the front half of the blade after doing the heel?
 
Nope! You just follow the directions for clamping. The angle is held consistent for the entire straight part of the edge, so the challenge is also keeping the same consistent angle along the belly. For the belly, you'll essentially be lifting the clamp up onto its pointward side. So, as long as that part of the clamp is the same distance from the tip as the distance from the edge to the clamp, you'll roughly have the same angle through the straights and belly. I know that makes very little sense when reading, but if I remember right the system comes with pictures that show the proper positioning.
 
There are some sample video clips on the R/E website that demonstrate the technique that Joe is describing. Look on the right end of the black menu bar on their website for the "Video Samples" link.
 
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