Sharpening Angles: Which is best

yoopernauts™

yoopernauts™

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When sharpenning a VG10 steel blade should I use 30 or 40 degrees angle?


When sharpenning a AUS8 steel blade should I use 30 or 40 degrees angle?

Spyderco's sharpener, which I have recommends 40 for all knives. AG Russel recommends 30 degrees.

Which is really better?

If I sharpen at forty and I decide to change to 30, do I need to first use the coarser diamond stones and then the ceramic stones? Or can I just use ceramic?

I know it's a lot to ask in one question, but I'd gratefully appreciate the advice. Thanks in advance...
 
Let’s see if we can find the right forum …
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yoopernauts™;5175552 said:
When sharpenning a VG10 steel blade should I use 30 or 40 degrees angle?


When sharpenning a AUS8 steel blade should I use 30 or 40 degrees angle?

Spyderco's sharpener, which I have recommends 40 for all knives. AG Russel recommends 30 degrees.

Which is really better?

If I sharpen at forty and I decide to change to 30, do I need to first use the coarser diamond stones and then the ceramic stones? Or can I just use ceramic?

I know it's a lot to ask in one question, but I'd gratefully appreciate the advice. Thanks in advance...
Click to expand...


I like the Spyderco 30° for both AUS8 and VG10. IMO Spyderco is talking to the average kitchen knife owner who does not use premium steel (Think your average kithen knife steel.) 40° is better for softer steels.

If you got the blade angle set at 40° and then switch to 30°, I recommend you use the diamond rods if you got them. Personally, I use a SiC stone to change the angle, then go to the sharpmaker coarse rods cause I don't got diamond rods. IF you just use the coarse rods to change the angle, make sure you set aside a couple of hours to make the change on VG10. It takes a lot of strokes on the coarse rods to change an angle. And make sure you got a full-up sharpie to check to see when you are ready to switch to the fine rods.

Sorry about the grammar. Too much Bowmore.
 
WTH is a yoopernaut and why are you trademarked?
 
In the Midwest, a Yooper is someone who lives in the U.P. or Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Sorry, not contributing to the topic on hand...
 
Like Smitty0331 said... 40 degrees is 20 dps and 30 degrees is 15 dps.

I use 40 degrees on my 2 work knives that I use in a warehouse to break down cardboard and to cut zip ties, nylon strapping, and computer wiring. I use 30 degrees on everything else including my EDCs and outdoor knives. Some of them are VG10, most are S30V, and the work knives are ZDP189.
 
In my remark (which got interrupted by a call) I said 20 degrees is best. By that I meant 10 degrees per side. In order to get that I lay one of the Sharpmaker ceramic rods crosswise under the center of the plastic sharpener base. Then I sharpen on the left and right rods while I tip the base the opposite direction (right and left). This subtracts 5 degrees per side from the fixtured honing angles. With the rods in the "30-degree" slots this transforms 15 degrees per side into 10 degrees per side.

When I am virtually finished with sharpening I remove the crosswise rod from under the base and do a few very light strokes at the basic 15 degree per side position ("30-degree"). This is more deburring than it is sharpening. I wouldn't sharpen an ax at 20 degree per side. I use these angles even on the cheapest kitchen knives that you could imagine. Usually I take a belt sander to rough sharpen those.
 
Isn't there also a 12 degree slot on the Sharpmaker? I'd probably use that one on both steels.
 
The scissor slot is 12° IIRC.
 
I have found true joy and contentment by no longer caring about the angle of the relief bevel. I all care about is if it is acute enough. Exactly how acute does not matter. Is the edge thin enough.... Look and see.

I just knock the edge way back and work it until a burr forms then go up the grit scale to refine the bevel some.

Then either elevate slightly to form a micro-bevel or apply a light convex with sandpaper. Measuring angles or trying to hold a particular angle never even crosses my mind.

My knives cut like lasers.
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On a new blade, I install 10 degree bevels as main bevels - with full intent to install a final less acute edge with micro-bevels for good edge stability (no chipping or rolling). The 10 degree main bevels are intended to reduce wedging when slicing, since slicing is the main function for my blades.

I test by pointing a hardwood rake handle (Ash, hickory - I don't know, but it's hard). I use high pressure (about 30 pounds) with slicing depths of about 1/8" for the pointings.

For most blades, I wind up with 15 degree micro-bevels for an included angle of 30 degrees. That includes S30V, BG-42, VG10 and ATS-34 blades. These blades survive two pointings with no loss in sharpness, no rolling and no chipping.

The only blade I have that holds up with less acute microbevels is a Spyderco 440V Military, that passes the rake handle test with a final included angle of about 25 degrees.

Hope this helps!
 
knarfeng said:
I like the Spyderco 30° for both AUS8 and VG10. IMO Spyderco is talking to the average kitchen knife owner who does not use premium steel (Think your average kithen knife steel.) 40° is better for softer steels.

If you got the blade angle set at 40° and then switch to 30°, I recommend you use the diamond rods if you got them. Personally, I use a SiC stone to change the angle, then go to the sharpmaker coarse rods cause I don't got diamond rods. IF you just use the coarse rods to change the angle, make sure you set aside a couple of hours to make the change on VG10. It takes a lot of strokes on the coarse rods to change an angle. And make sure you got a full-up sharpie to check to see when you are ready to switch to the fine rods.

Sorry about the grammar. Too much Bowmore.
Click to expand...
The spyderco sharpener has coarse ceramic & fine ceramic. Do I still need an hour on the coarse ceramic to change the edge from 40 to 30, before I switch to the fine grit rods???
 
yoopernauts™;5179763 said:
The spyderco sharpener has coarse ceramic & fine ceramic. Do I still need an hour on the coarse ceramic to change the edge from 40 to 30, before I switch to the fine grit rods???
Click to expand...

My suggestion is that you buy yourself an Edgepro. Not only will this let you sharpen, relatively accurately, at almost any angle but it has a range of stones that will enable you to quickly sharpen or reprofile any knife.

Generally what I do, is use the Edgepro to get the knife where I want it, either 30 or 40, then use the Sharpmaker to touch them up when required. I also use a leather strop. All of my knives are shaving sharp or better and, using this method, require very little time to keep in good shape.
 
The Spyderco darker-colored rods are not "coarse" rods, they are "medium" (actually more of a medium-fine) rods. I would rate their "fine" rods as "very-fine". The net result is that it takes a long time to remove substantial material from a blade. If you need to reprofile a blade I would clip some 120 to 220 grit Wet or Dry sandpaper onto your rods for quicker material removal.

Here is a test I ran several years ago on how long it can take to sharpen a really dull knife (equivalent to reprofiling a blade) using only a ceramic V-rod sharpening system. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=938749#post938749
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Pretty cool, Jeff!

I use the same technique.....but I use a DMT x-coarse that I lean against the rods....big difference :).
 
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