Sharpening Practice and Progress (Likely to be pic heavy)

[HeavyHanded]

Thanks, Martin. Those pictures are perfect. I was not lifting the blade as much as I came around from the main body of the edge to the tip. That does make sense as I think about the results - that curve was clearly not as sharp and since I could see a bit of light reflecting off the edge there, the apex must have been incomplete at that point. I was worried that too much lift would wreck the edge. I'll try to clean it up tonight with a steeper angle.

I may have been using my terms incorrectly. By saying "I used a somewhat more obtuse angle", I meant that I inclined the blade towards perpendicular to the stone as opposed to laying the stone flatter against the stone - a steeper or higher angle (like for putting an edge on a hard use knife) vs. a shallower or lower angle (like for putting an edge on a fine work blade like a sushi knife).

- Tim

I caught that part, but your observation that the edge was "thinner" where you were having trouble made me think the bevel region was thinner, making the edge more obtuse in that spot relative to the surrounding area. This is painfully common on factory edges and can take a bit of time to grind down so the angle matches the rest of the edge.

Stay on it, you're knocking on the door! Stop and observe often - IMHO it should be over 50% of your sharpening time. It actually saves time in the long run, and steel to boot.

 

[sinnyc]

I caught that part, but your observation that the edge was "thinner" where you were having trouble made me think the bevel region was thinner, making the edge more obtuse in that spot relative to the surrounding area. This is painfully common on factory edges and can take a bit of time to grind down so the angle matches the rest of the edge.

Stay on it, you're knocking on the door! Stop and observe often - IMHO it should be over 50% of your sharpening time. It actually saves time in the long run, and steel to boot.

Oh, gotcha. Most of the blade had a uniform edge bevel except in that trouble spot on the curve to the tip. In that area, the bevel (the distance from the apex of the edge to the bevel shoulder) was smaller; I'd say as much as 30+% smaller.

I will definitely stop and take a lot of looks tonight as I try and resolve the issue. I may have to look into a better loupe or other source of magnification. Any suggestions?

- Tim

 

[HeavyHanded]

Oh, gotcha. Most of the blade had a uniform edge bevel except in that trouble spot on the curve to the tip. In that area, the bevel (the distance from the apex of the edge to the bevel shoulder) was smaller; I'd say as much as 30+% smaller.

I will definitely stop and take a lot of looks tonight as I try and resolve the issue. I may have to look into a better loupe or other source of magnification. Any suggestions?

- Tim

That smaller bevel is a dead giveaway that the edge is much more obtuse than the surrounding - you'll have to change the angle of attack to match the factory, or grind that shoulder back for awhile.

Lot of folks like Peak, I got mine from Edmund optics, who also carry the Peak brand. A cheap hobby store one might hold you over. Generally, the higher the magnification the smaller and darker the view will be. 8-12x is a good range, and strong overhead lighting is a big plus whether you have a loupe or not. The lower the magnification the better it will be for seeing defects in your technique (6-8x macro view of the grind pattern developing) - higher the magnification, the better it will be for seeing defects along the apex (15x and up) - 10-12x is right in the middle.

 

[sinnyc]

I spent some time tonight reworking the edge. After working the shoulders for a while on the Washboard with some 320 grit sandpaper, I went back to the 500 Shapton GS. As I mentioned above, I used a slightly higher angle in general and elevated the blade more when I got to the "trouble area" leading to the tip. I spent a lot more time in that area as well. I moved on to the 1000 and then the 4000 just to see how it would go. I was actually surprised at how much metal the 4000 removed. It was nowhere near the 500, of course, but still...those stones don't fool around. I finished with some light passes on the washboard wrapped in 2 sheets of paper and HeavyHanded's compound.

The results are much better. I've got an even edge bevel and a sharp edge from tip to heel. I've attached a photo I took by holding my loupe (it's a 20x, Martin) to my cell phone which is th ebest I can do at the moment. If you look closely you can make out the scratch pattern and you can also see the uneven job I did while working on the shoulder of the edge bevel

I ain't pretty but it's progress and, all in all, I'm pleased. I think I may try one of the knives from the other set next just to see if there's much difference in the steel.

- Tim

 

[HeavyHanded]

You're getting there, lots of practice. You're going to find most factory edges are uneven and obtuse - the first sharpening always takes a bunch of time. Elevating the spine to match the factory grind a bit better will keep saving you a lot of time and gives you more feedback from the get-go. As you get a better feel for it, you'll just start grinding your edges lower by instinct.

Don't be afraid to use a single sheet of paper and a bit more pressure when finishing on the WB, it makes a big difference.

 

[sinnyc]

Thanks, Martin. I'm going to look for another knife that has a similarly bad factory grind and try again using what I've learned so far. I'll see if I can achieve a more attractive finish this time, heheheh.

A question about the Washboard and compound. Probably a really dumb one When I'm stropping on paper with compound, I get a bit of build up on the blade. To remove it, I've just been wiping it against my jeans a few times. It occurred to me that I might actually be stropping it on my Levi's with those trailing strokes. Possible or newbie paranoia?

- Tim

 

[BluntCut MetalWorks]

Thanks, Martin. I'm going to look for another knife that has a similarly bad factory grind and try again using what I've learned so far. I'll see if I can achieve a more attractive finish this time, heheheh.

A question about the Washboard and compound. Probably a really dumb one When I'm stropping on paper with compound, I get a bit of build up on the blade. To remove it, I've just been wiping it against my jeans a few times. It occurred to me that I might actually be stropping it on my Levi's with those trailing strokes. Possible or newbie paranoia?

- Tim

Just a may be, otherwise disregard my 2cents... excess compound deposit on blade because the edge bevel shoulder was mostly in contact to WB, thus a flatten polished shoulder. Naturally compound curl/drag below & above contact point.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Thanks, Martin. I'm going to look for another knife that has a similarly bad factory grind and try again using what I've learned so far. I'll see if I can achieve a more attractive finish this time, heheheh.

A question about the Washboard and compound. Probably a really dumb one When I'm stropping on paper with compound, I get a bit of build up on the blade. To remove it, I've just been wiping it against my jeans a few times. It occurred to me that I might actually be stropping it on my Levi's with those trailing strokes. Possible or newbie paranoia?

- Tim

You certainly are stropping; not paranoid.

How much effect it's having on your edge basically depends on how refined the edge already is. I got into the habit of 'stropping' on my jeans as the final step, after doing essentially the same thing as you've done (wiping accumulated compound & other stropping debris from the blade). I'd noticed some extra 'pop' in my edges after doing so, especially in good basic carbon steel like 1095 and simpler stainless like 420HC. On more wear-resistant steels, it may not have as much effect in refining the edge.


David

 

[HeavyHanded]

Thanks, Martin. I'm going to look for another knife that has a similarly bad factory grind and try again using what I've learned so far. I'll see if I can achieve a more attractive finish this time, heheheh.

A question about the Washboard and compound. Probably a really dumb one When I'm stropping on paper with compound, I get a bit of build up on the blade. To remove it, I've just been wiping it against my jeans a few times. It occurred to me that I might actually be stropping it on my Levi's with those trailing strokes. Possible or newbie paranoia?

- Tim

Just a may be, otherwise disregard my 2cents... excess compound deposit on blade because the edge bevel shoulder was mostly in contact to WB, thus a flatten polished shoulder. Naturally compound curl/drag below & above contact point.

I would think its just building up as described by Bluntcut. Otherwise, just disregard and "clean" it off on a fresh, plain sheet of paper when you're done. You might be using a bit less pressure than you could, both applying the compound and when stropping. Buildup should be minimal or not at all, the compound is going to have much greater affinity for the paper than the steel of your edge. There is frequently a very small amount of paper dust that will appear as a burr when viewed from the opposite bevel side - it wipes right off with a trailing swipe of the palm.