Sharpening my LE FBM

Irezumi

Irezumi

Joined
Mar 1, 2006
Messages
1,357
Hey guys, just wondering if anyone has put a V grind on their LE FBM. I love the knife but the edge was very poor. The grind marks were so deep I don't believe a strop would have any effect at all. Even a super fine diamond stone barely touched it. I decided to go all out and started with the coarse diamond and went down to super fine. After about 2 hours it is starting to get polished. I will need to start again though to get the final grind marks out of the knife and form a sharp distinct separation between the polished edge and where the satin stops. In fact some of the grind marks even intrude on the satin part of the blade by just a fraction. I have to admit that I am pretty dissappointed to have such a rough finish on a knife costing $700USD. However, the knife itself is fantastic, and will look a heap better when I am finished.
 
Keep at it and good luck with it. It's funny how some come so sharp and others not so good. However the overall quality is exceptional and they can take a beating with a great warranty to stand behind. Let us see some cutting shots after you have finished. My FBM, the biggest of the Busse blades I have, is the one that came the sharpest. Go figure :confused:
 
Thanks mate..it did actually come very sharp..just very untidy looking. I believe it has the appearance of being sharp though because it has such a toothy edge on it on purpose.
 
Sandpaper, start stropping on it on lower grits, then work your way up to higher grades... you will get a very smooth edge which is great for chopping... use a leather strop to finish off with... within about 20 minutes, you'll have a zombie killer for sure :thumbup:

For grits, start as low as you like, I start around 180 or 240, then work your way up.. I stop at 1200 grit as thats the finest I can get round here... but its razor RAZOR sharp when I'm done :D
 
Do you find that it is still has a convex edge or is it getting to be more like a V edge now?
 
Stick with the v-grind. You will have to refine any edge as it comes out of the Busse shop. Start out with a dmt blue folder (course) and the finish off with a dmt duofold fine/xtrafine (red/green). Take your time and follow the existing edge bevels. You will end up with a razor sharp prybar that keeps it's edge. Ignore the convex edge snobs.
 
My last post sucked. :thumbdn: The convex edge is excellent but a bit difficult to attain and maintain in the field. INFI works very well with a v grind. My CGFBM has a nice, mirror polished convex edge I put on it using the sandpaper method. It is worth the effort but I think keeping it sharp on the hike might be a challenge.
 
If you are sharpening by hand then most likely the edge will be slightly convexed because of the human error. The softer the backing on the sharpening medium the more convex you will get. For instance sandpaper on top of soft mousepad would be very convexed. Sandpaper on top of leather would be less so. Sandpaper on top of glass would be flat if you can hold steady.

For large knives I think the best way to go is stropping it with sandpaper on top of some leather/wood backing. Start with the lower grits and work up as another member has suggested. I usually start with 150 if I need to remove a decent amount of metal then work up to 600. Then finally strop with Chromium Oxide on a leather strop. The edge will end up convexed and polished. I find it easier to sharpen this way than with flat stones.

The EdgePro is a superb sharpening system if you have access to one. So are the Tormek and Jet wet sharpening system. These system sharpen the edges with perfect edges. For super duper scary sharp show off edges these are the way to go.

A belt sander will be much faster than all of the above. But you may run the risk of removing too much metal or ruining the temper if not done properly.

I still prefer the sandpaper method for knives that I use alot because touching up is simple and fast.
 
Thanks guys..after some more time I now have a mirror polish on one side (i guess it is v grind but it looks almost the same as factory). The only thing still annoying me is the slight grind marks still intruding on the satin area. I am slowly getting them out. 10 inches is a lot to sharpen!
 
Maquahuitl,

I actually find that the convex edge is easier to attain that a flat V grind. This is especially true if sharpening freehand. Most mortal humans cannot hold the knife or sharpening stone at a perfect angle on every stroke.

I also like the V grind but it is harder for me to hold the angle perfectly still. If you are sharpening freehand I am willing to bet that there is slight convex on your V grinds. It is just a normal human factor.
 
Maquahuitl said:
Stick with the v-grind. You will have to refine any edge as it comes out of the Busse shop. Start out with a dmt blue folder (course) and the finish off with a dmt duofold fine/xtrafine (red/green). Take your time and follow the existing edge bevels. You will end up with a razor sharp prybar that keeps it's edge. Ignore the convex edge snobs.
Click to expand...

:eek: You must be on crack! :p


The convex edge is best on a chopper... The convex edge holds up extremely well on choppers, thats why axes have the same shape... the convex edge is sometimes called an axe grind, and believe me, if you keep a V grind on your chopper, your chopping won't amount to anything near as good as a convex edge... also, in the field, all you need is a couple of strips of sandpaper and a piece of leather rolled up... they can be kept in a snap pocket or an old tobacco tin... takes less than 5 minutes to get back to razor :thumbup:


Keep the V grind if you like... but many favour the convex on choppers, but it is up to you...


PS - as you can probably tell now Irezumi, I have a convex edge... I will not be going back any time soon... I get around twice the chopping depth... but I do agree with Maquahuitl on one point.. you need to polish or smooth the edge.. the deep grind marks will make the chopping edge weak.

But either way, you can beat the cr@p outta your Busse, and it will laugh and want more
 
The grind marks on the satin finish means that you changed the angle a little bit more acute than the factory edge. No big deal. Just follow that angle and start over again. hahahaha....
 
thanks Hawk...I just looked at again and think it is still pretty convex..just nice and polished now (well on one side). If the diamonds took this long to do their thing (get the grind marks out), I dread to think how long it would take with sandpaper. Just to sharpen though sandpaper would be fine, but it will look very nicely finished when I am done :) ...
 
The Convexed edge is prefered on a chopper because it has more metal right behind the edge making it stronger.
 
hawkinsa21 said:
:eek: You must be on crack! :p


The convex edge is best on a chopper... The convex edge holds up extremely well on choppers, thats why axes have the same shape... the convex edge is sometimes called an axe grind, and believe me, if you keep a V grind on your chopper, your chopping won't amount to anything near as good as a convex edge... also, in the field, all you need is a couple of strips of sandpaper and a piece of leather rolled up... they can be kept in a snap pocket or an old tobacco tin... takes less than 5 minutes to get back to razor :thumbup:


Keep the V grind if you like... but many favour the convex on choppers, but it is up to you...


PS - as you can probably tell now Irezumi, I have a convex edge... I will not be going back any time soon... I get around twice the chopping depth... but I do agree with Maquahuitl on one point.. you need to polish or smooth the edge.. the deep grind marks will make the chopping edge weak.

But either way, you can beat the cr@p outta your Busse, and it will laugh and want more
Click to expand...

No crak or strawbeery qwick or peenut butter crank here; just 9% ABV IPA beers! :p I love the convex edge. I use sandpaper up to 2000 grit on leather backing. Buy some off the innernets if you have trouble finding it. Any auto parts store should carry it. Then strop a few times. It'll get scary sharp; I'm just used to a few passes with an xtrafine in the field for a good edge. I haven't tried sandpapering on the trail.
 
I think for a knife in this price range you should get a nice POLISHED edge put on it without any marks on the edge mate . I`m hesitant to get one myself if the edge is gonna be nasty like you described. Remember this for us Aussies is a $1K knife !
 
matthewb5016 said:
I think for a knife in this price range you should get a nice POLISHED edge put on it without any marks on the edge mate . I`m hesitant to get one myself if the edge is gonna be nasty like you described. Remember this for us Aussies is a $1K knife !
Click to expand...

I agree totally Matt...but I must say it is coming along very nicely and will soon have an edge like a $1k AUD knife should. I really think that a leaf should be taken out of the Chris Reeve book though who is a master at finishing a knife. I am yet to see a better finish on any other knife that is not 100% custom.
 
Well i think most of the Busse blades are finished rather well for my liking ( i only have 2 ) remember mate that these are HARD USE knives unlike CRKs ! All Busses are pretty much guaranteed against any damage unlike CRKs which maybe suitable to a different market .

CRKs are also considered Custom knives , i`m not sure why considering the number of knives they put out ?
 
Hey Matt..I think they are semi custom like Busse (someone here will no for sure though). Have to disagree on the hard use aspect though, while CRK are not infi, they are considered fairly hard use and have a rock solid reputation :) ....
 
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