Sharpening Experiment With a Sharpmaker and Spyderco Delica

[me2]

A while back I rebeveled my Delica to 12 degrees per side (dps) and then finished on the 15 dps slots on the Sharpmaker, creating a microbevel and removing the burr from the coarser bench stone used for rebeveling. Normally I’d go back to the coarse stone then the Sharpmaker.

Just once I tried just using the Sharpmaker to keep going without using the coarse stone first. I did 10 passes per side on the brown triangle corners followed by deburring on the brown flats. This worked like a charm. I’ve done it a few times since whenever my edge dulls a bit from cardboard or dinner or whatever.

I know the micro bevel will eventually just be the bevel, but I’m going to try and see how long this will work. I’ve even dropped down to 5 passes per side, then go to 10 if that isn’t enough. I’m up to 4 times now. Any bets on how long this will keep working before having to go back to the coarse stone?

 

[Wowbagger]

rebeveled my Delica to 12 degrees per side

bless you ! Now you're talking .

Yes that sounds GREAT !
The brown is significantly coarse (ish) . Should work well for quite a while.
Maybe avoid the ceramic dinner plates though . ( I have a dedicated knife I use for that .)

PS : I am a believer in the fewest passes possible ; always checking with my jeweller's visor on what is happening on the edge .

 

[me2]

Pocket blades 3” or less get the same bevel angle. Over that depends on the design. I have a Kershaw rescue knife and a Cold Steel Voyager at 17, while my Wharnecliffe Endura is also 12.

It’s just the knife I had at the time. I generally try to be sure the edge doesn’t hit the ceramic but there are always contacts.

I’m doing the same with the Voyager at 20 degrees but I don’t carry it nearly as often, so it’s only been sharpened like this once.

This is partly in response to Outdoor55 video on micro bevels. He thinks they’re a waste of effort while I think he’s been introduced to them from the wrong perspective.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I'm a strong believer in very, very minimal microbevels - such as done in 3 passes per side or less at a very light touch. The micro adds noticeable stability to the edge, I've found. Also handles deburring very well, in doing so. So long as the edge geometry starts out sufficiently acute at something less than 15° per side, I can rely on the corners of the Sharpmaker's brown rods to keep most of my daily-use knives tuned up for quite a long time without taking them back to the bench stone. I use a Fine India for most of them, when I do that. And more often than not, I use the India when my edges have been more severely dulled or damaged in use. It seldom has much to do with using the SM for too long to maintain the edge. The SM's brown rods maintain just enough bite to keep my edges aggressive in slicing. I've tried doing the same with the Fine (white) rods, but have found they diminish that bite I like a little too much.

There was a time when I did NOT favor a microbevel, as I preferred just the thinnest as possible edge for slicing. But when I first noticed the improvement in edge stability afforded by the micro as done on the SM, that changed my mind.

 

[me2]

I expanded this to my Byrd Tern. I keep it in my truck as a spare blade so I do t have to reach into my pocket while driving. It has a considerably thicker edge than my Delica, but I rebeveled it to 12 ish degrees with a home made guided system and Coarse DMT stone. It’s been riding in my truck for a couple of years now and has never had to go back to the coarse stone.

I sharpened it today with 5 passes per side on the brown corners at 15 dps. Then I refined the edge on the brown and white flats. This left an edge that would clip a hair from my daughter’s brush.