Removing the burr

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poonchasta

Joined
Mar 18, 2007
Messages
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I've been reading up about sharpening, and the one recurring method I keep seeing is to sharpen one side until a burr is raised and then switch to sharpening the other side until a burr is formed there. Then, they say to remove the burr by alternating sides with each stroke and using less and less pressure, but they aren't entirely specific on how to do this. At which point do I switch to a finer grit stone? Or do I stay on the same grit until the burr is entirely gone?

Thanks in advance for any advice given.
 
Progess to your finer grit stones once you form a burr. Stropping the edge is a good way to remove any leftover burr.
 
Remove the burr with the course stone, then get another burr with a finer stone and remove it. Keep progressing like this until you get a burr with your finest stones and then slowly work the blade edge back and forth. Stroping works great, but once you remove a burr with fine stones like a Spyderco fine or DMT green all you really need is a piece of cardboard, belt or a pair of blue jeans as a strop to remove that final burr that sometimes is hard to detect. Later you may want to purchase a strop and some paste, but this will suffice for now.

Radio Shack sells a little microscope for 10 bucks that really helped me when I first started. I believe it magnifies an edge 100x.

I would work down to the point with the fine stones till I think there is no burr and then strop it on cardboard or an old leather belt. It only takes a few times.

My son somehow rolls his edge every couple of days with his Boker. I'll strop that side 100 times on my blue jeans and it will, to his surprise, shave again.

Good luck,

8 months ago I sharpened my first knife. With the help of folks on maintenance and tinkering I can now get an edge to whittle hair. It takes alot of practice, but stay with it.:thumbup:
 
k12s,

You're much better than me! I have been sharpening for like 20 years, and never achieved whittling hair .. only cutting free hanging hair :D, and that's after reading the sharpening kungfu master thread ..
 
Chris "Anagarika";6144505 said:
k12s,

You're much better than me! I have been sharpening for like 20 years, and never achieved whittling hair .. only cutting free hanging hair :D, and that's after reading the sharpening kungfu master thread ..
Click to expand...

I have a BM Dejavoo that's not 4 inches long any more or as thick as it once was because of all the practice sharpening I did on it the past 8 months.:o I'm wanting to be able to freehand really well, but all I have to do it on is the Spyderco Sharpmaker stones. I'm hoping to get a set on DMT's or Spyderco benchstones for Christmas if the wife ever gets the hint.

I couldn't whittle hair until I watched Vasilli's videos on youtube and made the same type strop that he has and even then it took a bunch of attempts.:D
 
A good leather strop will deburr knives.

If you don't have one of those around, a stout piece of brown cardboard will work just fine. A bit of canvass or jean denim will also deburr.
 
I remove the burr before I move onto a higher grit, with low grits, I do the strokes to get a burr, switch sides, do the same, and start alternating strokes decreasing with press, after I get to minimal pressure, I go up in grit and repeat(I don't check for the burr with very high grits, I just rely on number of strokes).
 
k12s,

Yeah, patience, and enough material available is necessary. Down here, you only got factory cheap carbide stone or some 'unknown' sediment stone (I guess something like arkansas without QC) .. haven't managed to track down any compound for stropping. I just use cardboard, jeans, and old leather belt ...
 
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