Seb get as sharp as Caly ZDP-189?

DaveH

DaveH

Joined
Dec 2, 1999
Messages
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Is it possible to get a sebenza in either BG-42 or s30v as sharp as a Caly in ZDP-189.

I'd love to get my seb sharper, but my skill is lacking. :(

Edit: I suppose the answer is yes, If I brought the angles of the bevels down quite a bit. ( shoot wrong subforum, sorry)
 
Depends on how fine the grain is in ZDP-189 compared to BG-42 or s30v. Maybe one of the steel experts can answer that. It seems the finer the grain, the finer the edge you can put on it.

My Caly ZDP was sharp out the box. A few passes on my strop block and it would catch my whispy arm hair well above skin level, catch it, and slice it off. That's something that my straight razors won't do readily unless they have been properly stropped.
 
Yes, mine gets just as sharp. After I recut it, it in fact sharpens up very high and very easily.

-Cliff
 
Yeah, the recutting probably wasn't necessary, I just spent so much time resharpening it, it became very familiar. Going back over my notes it consistently scored very high in terms of optimal sharpness.

-Cliff
 
I'm no sharpening expert but, like Wade, I play around with straight razors on occasion. I was able to get my BG42 sebenza, S30V Mnandi, and ZDP-189 calypso jr to pass the hanging hair test, a common test for straight razors. Hold a hair by its end and slowly bring it down over the knife edge about 1/2" away from where you are holding it. The sebenza has a 17 degree angle, the mnandi and calypso have 15 degree angles. All have 20 degree microbevels. I can't get them sharp enough to shave arm hairs above skin level, but I cant get my straight razor that sharp either. Maybe my arm hair is too fine.
 
I think my Mcusta (blade is VG10 sandwiched with Inox Damas) get sharper that my Caly ZDP189...
Probably i should "work" a bit on the caly...
Anyway, if you like really sharp knife, try it.. that's amazing also.:D
 
I have my own spin on this. I believe that the S30v steel on the Sebbie has a fine grain structure that can be honed to perfection on a very fine stone that matches it. I started touching up my Sebbie on an Arkansas Translucent stone and am extremely happy with the results. I don't let it get very dull and have no problems bringing it back to almost razor sharp with only this fantastic traditional stone. Try it. It is a real joy to use a translucent Arkie on this also fantastic steel. Gotta love it.
 
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