Sharpening Advice

Swizzle

Swizzle

Joined
Jul 11, 2006
Messages
315
alright folks, i'd like a little advice on sharpening my rats. i just ordered an edge pro after years of using stones and i know to practice on kitchen knives, etc. before hitting the big boys with it.

what i'm wondering about is sharpening angles. my knives are primarily used as trail/camping/backpacking knives but also see home action in the way of cutting cardboard, opening mail and so forth.

what kind of angle should i be looking to put on my howler? anyone with experience on the edge pro please feel free to give tips also.

thanks,

stew
 
I say put the thinnest angle on you think you can get away with. :)
 
Swizzle,
Check your email...
WhitleyStu
 
Here's a tip for the edge pro. Make sure that you rinse off the knife repeatedly while sharpening it. Especially with the coarse stone. The coarse stone tends to build up quite a bit of sludge. If you don't rinse this off it can get down between the side of the blade and the "shelf" that you rest it on. This can quickly wear off the blade coating (which it did :o ), or mess up a polished finish.
 
thanks for the tips guys... much appreciated.

anyone else have something to add? i'm totally new to sharpening rigs.
 
The Edge Pro looks like a great system, but I don't think you'll be able to sharpen convex edges with it. A $100 1X42 belt sander from Home Depot will do that nicely.
 
Mouse pad + several sheats of sand paper (400,1000,1500 and 2500) will also sharpen your knife, but it will cheap as dirt :p

P.S. Several tries with mouse pad and you will be sharpning like pro!!
 
Michael.D said:
Mouse pad + several sheats of sand paper (400,1000,1500 and 2500) will also sharpen your knife, but it will cheap as dirt :p

P.S. Several tries with mouse pad and you will be sharpning like pro!!
Click to expand...

i know it... i've sharpened several knives this way. i'm an exacting type person though and want something where i know the angle will be consistent throughout the blade. i have a lot of experience sharpening knives, just not with a machine. thanks for the tip though...
 
Michael.D said:
Mouse pad + several sheats of sand paper (400,1000,1500 and 2500) will also sharpen your knife, but it will cheap as dirt :p

P.S. Several tries with mouse pad and you will be sharpning like pro!!
Click to expand...

Where do you find 1000+ grit sandpaper? Only online?
 
I glue 400 grit to a hard surface (micarta) (on blades I have just finished and do not have an established angle) and use a 12 degree angle on each edge, once it seem pretty sharp and fine I go to 600 and then 1000 or 1500. You can get them at pep boys or any auto store. One or two strokes on each side and keep moving. I then go to a hard arkansas. The key is a 12 degree angle it will give you a fine edge for most use. For a more durable edge (cutting through bone, ) try 20 degrees.
 
The convex edges that these knives come with get ruined by Edge Pros, Spyderco Sharpmakers, and any other production "sharpening for dummies" system. The only method that works to maintain these convex edges is stropping.

www.swampshack.com has a tab at the top of the page called "Keeping it sharp" that features a bunch of links on properly sharpening the convex edges found on all these Rats.

Creating convex edges was becoming a lost art form, and Busse's/SRKW's are among the only production companies doing them. It's mostly a feature found on custom knives. Don't ruin your convex edge with a sharpener that's made for V ground edges.
 
In the US any decently stocked auto parts/large discount chain(walmart) should have it.
 
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