Sharpening preferences

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L2bravo

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Jun 14, 2013
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How do you guys sharpen your knives? I find myself always using a micro bevel. Is it always needed? I realize the use of them, and like it, but how many of you don't use them?

I would love to hear opinions, on which steels you do or do not use them with, if that makes a difference.

Also, what angles do you use with these different variables.
 
I don't do microbevels.

Why?

Too lazy:D.

Not to mention that with my recent regrind mania, most of the knives I currently use are basically zero flat ground blades with a microbevel for an edge anyway.

As for angles, I just eye it on my belt sander and adjust based on how frequently I need to resharpen.
 
I sharpen all of my knives to be convex (belt sander originally, now a Worksharp), so they kind of have a micro bevel. I also just eye it on the belts, but tend to stick to somewhere between 20-30° inclusive. I like my edges really sharp and fragile. I doubt the paper that a massacre will chip an edge!
 
For my EDC knives, I'll set a thin freehand bevel and a SharpMaker micro bevel at 30. Touch up is very fast and easy.
 
L2bravo said:
How do you guys sharpen your knives? I find myself always using a micro bevel. Is it always needed? I realize the use of them, and like it, but how many of you don't use them?

I would love to hear opinions, on which steels you do or do not use them with, if that makes a difference.

Also, what angles do you use with these different variables.
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I do not use microbevels anymore except when making very hasty edges with a coarse stone. Otherwise I maintain all my edges on a Washboard, compound on paper over a hard stone, or backhoning on a waterstone or jointer stone. In my experience they were adding more time to reconditioning my edges when I did have to go back and re-establish the bevel. In situations where they failed to leave a clean edge I had to make a macro-micro-bevel, which didn't work as well and was harder to maintain. If I owned a Sharpmaker or similar, I'd have a different opinion maybe, but find its easier to manage edge geometry, maintenance, etc without one. I will burnish my edges on the WB at a slightly elevated angle, but the micro-effect is still shy of a microbevel - it really just helps concentrate the burnishing effect right at the apex.

I do most of my edges at 26-30 inclusive, depending on the individual tool. Even on my hatchets and machetes I don't go much broader than 30.
 
I wouldn't say that I have microbevels on purpose. It's more an artifact of my sharpening process. I deburr using a 1000 grit stone at a higher angle using really light pressure until the stone doesn't catch anymore before I start using the strop.

I have found that my edges are more refined and stay sharp under my use. I've yet to find a better sequence to produce a blade any sharper.
 
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