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Sharpening my Busse
- Thread starter Thor1986
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For convex, I like sandpaper and mousepad. You can't make too many mistakes if you go slowly and use higher grits, though it takes much, much longer than a belt sander.
Follow by stropping on leather with compound and you can get hair popping edges. :thumbup:
Follow by stropping on leather with compound and you can get hair popping edges. :thumbup:
I've found nothing is easier than a 1" x 30" belt sander. $50 at my local hardware store; and except for the leather stroping finishing belt the belts are cheap.
Just have a pitcher of ice water and a towel nearby to dip the blades in as you sharpen them. After going through the grits I need depending on how dull the blade was, I finish with the leather stropping belt which has a little green polishing compound rubbed in. Scary sharp edge and hardly any effort expended.
Make sure you let the belt do the work. If you're reshaping an angle and you're impatient, use a courser grit belt rather than try to force the blade into the belt.
Using knives is easier if you know you'll need all of 5 minutes to re-sharpen them, rather then 5 hours by hand.
Just have a pitcher of ice water and a towel nearby to dip the blades in as you sharpen them. After going through the grits I need depending on how dull the blade was, I finish with the leather stropping belt which has a little green polishing compound rubbed in. Scary sharp edge and hardly any effort expended.
Make sure you let the belt do the work. If you're reshaping an angle and you're impatient, use a courser grit belt rather than try to force the blade into the belt.
Using knives is easier if you know you'll need all of 5 minutes to re-sharpen them, rather then 5 hours by hand.
It IS the easier way to go, but I touch up often so I'd probably be holding a nub instead of a SHBM if I used my belt every time. What I usually do is come close to the edge that I want on the belt, then finish shaping it and polishing it by hand on stones and varying grits of sand paper on the mousepad. Once you got the edge you want on there you can just strop or steel or ceramic stick it back to sharp rather than grinding on it if you want to minimize wear on your knife. I've been stropping with my belt sander (with the leather belt) admittedly though
it's a lot quicker, easier, and gets your knife WAY sharper than by hand. :thumbup:
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If you want to keep that V grind always nice and sharp, then just get the Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker. It's idiot proof.
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on a V edge, how do you know what the angle is on each side? I know the marker trick, but it's nice to have a starting point.
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- Dec 31, 2006
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I am going to buy a Coote grinder pretty soon so I can put convex edges on as well as sharpen "V" grind, and put satin finishes on knives, how easy is it to mess up? 
It IS the easier way to go, but I touch up often so I'd probably be holding a nub instead of a SHBM if I used my belt every time. What I usually do is come close to the edge that I want on the belt, then finish shaping it and polishing it by hand on stones and varying grits of sand paper on the mousepad. Once you got the edge you want on there you can just strop or steel or ceramic stick it back to sharp rather than grinding on it if you want to minimize wear on your knife. I've been stropping with my belt sander (with the leather belt) admittedly though
Because it's the belt doing the work, all you have to do is hold the top of the knife at the same distance from the belt as you slowly drag it across, lifting the handle towards the ceiling as you near the swooped tip so the sharpened edge is always 90 degrees to the belt.
I don't worry about sharpening my blades down to nubs because when I touch up it's with the leather belt/green compound or with the 1200 grit/leather belt. I only use the lower grits when re-shaping or grinding out chips.
If you rest a protractor on the belt you can see some common angles. I taped a stick jutting out of the front of the sander when I was learning the techniques, so when I rested the top of the unsharpened edge on the stick as I drew the knife across the belts, it was at the proper angle. After doing a few knives even a klutz like me didn't need the guide stick anymore, just visualize it and go slow, the belt is doing the hard work.
I don't worry about sharpening my blades down to nubs because when I touch up it's with the leather belt/green compound or with the 1200 grit/leather belt. I only use the lower grits when re-shaping or grinding out chips.
If you rest a protractor on the belt you can see some common angles. I taped a stick jutting out of the front of the sander when I was learning the techniques, so when I rested the top of the unsharpened edge on the stick as I drew the knife across the belts, it was at the proper angle. After doing a few knives even a klutz like me didn't need the guide stick anymore, just visualize it and go slow, the belt is doing the hard work.
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- Sep 9, 2006
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For V grind I use the ege pro to set the angle and I use the high grit tape (6000) to put a mirror polish on the edge. I like push cutting cigarette paper to test the edge. For maintaining the edge I use amy Sharpmaker and a loom strop they sell at classicshaving.com. For convex I use sandpaper and the strop
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