Sharpening a thin blade

[mbkryan]

Hi all, I am asking for some tips for sharpening a thin blade. I have a Gareth Bull Shawmwari in M390, and it has a high, thin grind. I am using a sharpmaker and strop to maintain the blade. I can typically get a blade shaving sharp with these tools, but this blade is not getting very sharp at all. This is stumping me. I assumed a thin blade like this would be easy to get razor sharp. Any ideas or suggestions would be welcomed. I have used a sharpie to be sure I am hitting the stones at a proper angle.
Thanks

 

[miso2]

If the edge bevel is very narrow, it may be difficult to judge whether you are hitting the apex with the Sharpie method. I would try to sharpen one side until raising a burr.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Even if the blade's primary grind is thin, it may just be that the edge angle is a bit too wide and outside the Sharpmaker's limit (40° inclusive/20° per side). The only reason it wouldn't yet be sharp, is if the edge hasn't been cleanly apexed. That likely means the angle is too wide, AND/OR it just hasn't been taken far enough to full apex.

The Sharpie technique, of marking the bevels, will only indicate if you're holding the angle relatively close. IT WILL LIE, however, in terms of sometimes (falsely) indicating you've apexed the edge. The ink rubs off too easily; so, even one light, too-obtuse pass on the rods can remove the ink at the apex, which can mislead one into believing all the sufficient grinding has been done to get the apex. Often, it just leaves it short of that, if the ink's already been rubbed off prematurely.

The fail-safe alternative to using the Sharpie technique, is to make sure you raise a full-length burr from each side. That is what will guarantee you've ground all the way to the apex from each side; and therefore, it should also leave the edge much sharper as a result, pending only the cleaning up of the burr itself.


David

 

[mbkryan]

Will try. Thanks Yall!

 

[miso2]

Nice scores by the way!

 

[mbkryan]

Nice scores by the way!

Thanks!
The Sham is a real Grail for me. I carry it 3 or 4 days a week. The tanto 21 is up there too. Can't imagine I'd ever part with them, so I use them regularly.