sharpening angle for RC-5

T

tomdogma

Joined
Nov 29, 2008
Messages
234
just got my RC-5 today it is a beast!! Like it!!
while walking my dog i did some trail maintenance and dropped it, put a little ding in the blade so I put it through the paces on my sharpmaker. Afterward it seemed much duller then before, i did use the 30 degree set up, any suggestions out there for me i need to take some hair off of my arms!!
 
tomdogma said:
just got my RC-5 today it is a beast!! Like it!!
while walking my dog i did some trail maintenance and dropped it, put a little ding in the blade so I put it through the paces on my sharpmaker. Afterward it seemed much duller then before, i did use the 30 degree set up, any suggestions out there for me i need to take some hair off of my arms!!
Click to expand...

With the 30 degree set up you may be only taking down the shoulders of the edge (i.e. creating a secondary bevel). Try the 40 degree set up.
 
thanks, i was thinking that was case and to go for a 30 degree i would probably have to re-profile first
 
I went with 20 degrees and it worked nicely but seemed slightly different than what was there. I was having a bit of trouble with the flaired return to the handle so I ground a small notch for the edge to end in. It worked nicely and only took about a minute. I dabbed a little cold blue on it when I blued the laser engraving.
3345261777_23b2610523.jpg

3345261779_be61688275.jpg
 
tomdogma said:
thanks, i was thinking that was case and to go for a 30 degree i would probably have to re-profile first
Click to expand...

I'm confused :confused: 30 degrees overall (15 per side) is too thin. If you meant 30 degrees per side obviously that is way too thick (more obtuse edge than factory 20 degrees, which you is too thick to begin with). I'm not saying too thick for a factory edge. I think that factory edges at 20 degrees are perfect. The buyer can than choose what they want to do with the edge from there.
 
NorCalMtn2 said:
I went with 20 degrees and it worked nicely but seemed slightly different than what was there. I was having a bit of trouble with the flaired return to the handle so I ground a small notch for the edge to end in. It worked nicely and only took about a minute. I dabbed a little cold blue on it when I blued the laser engraving.
3345261777_23b2610523.jpg

3345261779_be61688275.jpg
Click to expand...

Nor Cal
why does your blade look mint green?
BTW: Nice little customization there. It looks factory.
 
gottahaveit27 said:
I'm confused :confused: 30 degrees overall (15 per side) is too thin. If you meant 30 degrees per side obviously that is way too thick (more obtuse edge than factory 20 degrees, which you is too thick to begin with). I'm not saying too thick for a factory edge. I think that factory edges at 20 degrees are perfect. The buyer can than choose what they want to do with the edge from there.
Click to expand...

I'm not the OP but I assumed by 30 degrees he meant 30 total (15 per side), which I agree is a bit too thin for a beefy survival knife like the RC-5. That's why I suggested 40 degrees (20 per side) on the Sharpmaker. I have a sharpmaker and when I first got it I tired to use the 30 degree angle on one of my Busses. I was disappointed because when I was finished the knife wasn't sharp in the least. Then I realized the 30 degree angle was just creating a secondary bevel on the edge shoulder and the actual edge wasn't even being touched by the rods. I switched to 40 degrees and had a hair popping sharp blade in about two minutes. I may reprofile the edge at some point to the 30 degree angle, but that will be a lot more work.
 
gottahaveit27 said:
Nor Cal
why does your blade look mint green?
BTW: Nice little customization there. It looks factory.
Click to expand...
It looks mint green because of the artificial lighting.
To determine edge angle picture the center line of the blade as 0 degrees.
A twenty degree angle would be twenty degrees off center each direction.
3345402605_c06bdecfc1.jpg

Using a Lansky, or a flat abrasive surface with a protractor for a guide it would be twenty degrees.
Using a Spyderco Sharpmaker you would choose 40 degrees because they mean twenty each way, forty total.
When I use the Sharpmaker I don't do the the back bevel and separate edge, I just use the 40 degree setting for a single 20 degree edge.
The Knifes ship free web site has an excellent video sharpening tutorial.
http://www.knivesshipfree.com/p4/Sharpening-Videos/pages.html
 
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thanks guys! when i mentioned 30 it was 15 degrees for each side, i will do it at 40 included (20 each side)
 
JRB said:
I'm not the OP but I assumed by 30 degrees he meant 30 total (15 per side), which I agree is a bit too thin for a beefy survival knife like the RC-5. That's why I suggested 40 degrees (20 per side) on the Sharpmaker. I have a sharpmaker and when I first got it I tired to use the 30 degree angle on one of my Busses. I was disappointed because when I was finished the knife wasn't sharp in the least. Then I realized the 30 degree angle was just creating a secondary bevel on the edge shoulder and the actual edge wasn't even being touched by the rods. I switched to 40 degrees and had a hair popping sharp blade in about two minutes. I may reprofile the edge at some point to the 30 degree angle, but that will be a lot more work.
Click to expand...

Yeah I guess that that is the case. However I am of the opinion that 30 degrees is too acute for all but kitchen blades/thinner folders. A change of even a few degrees makes quite a difference on the edge of a knife. 30 degrees on a knife such as the rc-4 .187" let alone that of the rc-5 .25" seems to be asking for trouble, if you ask me.
BTW: thanks NorCal for that enlightening illustration. I do know how edge geometry works.
 
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NorCal, great idea to blue the laser etching:thumbup:. Did it have any effect of the blade coating? And because I am collecting as much input on blueing as possible, what blueing brand did you use?? Again great idea brother!!
 
I used Birchwood Casey Perma Blue.
1. Wipe the area to be blued with alcohol to remove any surface oil.
2. Apply the bluing with a cotton swap rubbing the bluing into all the laser etched areas re-dipping the swap occasionally to keep it wet. Re-apply until desired depth of blue is achieved.
3. Rinse with cold water and dry.
4. lightly oil.
The bluing has no effect on the paint but I apply it carefully because it will blue the knifes edge (looks messy) and possibly be absorbed by the micarta.
I hope this helps.:thumbup:
 
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That's the general problem with email & forums, the typed word is very one dimensional and is often left to interpretations.... and smiles don't always convey our meanings accurately...
 
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