Sharpening Frosts blade

J

jfm

Joined
Sep 30, 2002
Messages
18
As a newcomer, thanks to all for the valuable information on this site.

Based on recommendations here, I recently picked up a few Frosts of Sweden knives in Sandvik stainless (the Opinels are not far behind! :)). So far I am impressed with them, especially at the price (under $10). I understand that, with a Scandinavian grind, to sharpen them you are supposed to lay the bevel right on the sharpening surface. Since the bevel goes so far up the blade, won't this severely scratch it? I know these are inexpensive blades, but they are nice and polished (before sharpening)right now.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks again.
 
Yes, it will scratch the blade. You can sharpen to any angle you wish, but the full bevel is the traditional way.

Paul
 
For the price you paid, go full bevel and enjoy! Your finer stones will polish the surface of the steel, so it won't look fugly. It will cut like no other knife you have though.
 
I've only got experience with the Laminated Stainless blades, and it would be a mistake to sharpen them as you have described.
 
I've only got experience with the Laminated Stainless blades, and it would be a mistake to sharpen them as you have described.
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:confused: why? If the bevel angle is is maintained, the knife won't get thinner, the distance from spine to edge will be imperceptably (at least for a few years) reduced.
 
I alternate between edge sharpening and flat bevel sharpening on my Frosts knives. For light touch up I just use a v-style ceramic hone and sharpen the edge. For more serious sharpening I work the flat bevel.

I use an extra-fine diamond bench hone which cuts relatively fast, but leaves only shallow surface scratches. Then I use 1000 and 1500 grit Wet-or-Dry (silicon carbide) paper on a flat surface to polish the bevel. Finally I strop on leather loaded with green chromium oxide buffing compound.
 
Originally posted by firkin
:confused: why? If the bevel angle is is maintained, the knife won't get thinner, the distance from spine to edge will be imperceptably (at least for a few years) reduced.
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and although you keep the angle the same, you will wear out the outside layers of the laminated blade very quickly... yes, it may take a few years, but if one sharpens often, then it may take as little as a few months...
 
MelancholyMutt :

although you keep the angle the same, you will wear out the outside layers of the laminated blade very quickly
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That is one of the primary reasons the blade is laminated, it decreases honing time. You don't get a shorter lifetime of the blade overall compared to a fully hardened blade as given the same amount of blunting you are still removing the same amount of material when honing, it just goes faster on the laminate as most of the material being removed is is soft. In fact the laminates generally have harder edges and can be sharpened less frequently with less metal needing to be removed as there will be less edge wear / deformation.


-Cliff
 
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