Sharpening Questions

M

monkeyxx

Joined
Jun 27, 2001
Messages
23
I just bought a large Sebenza and was wondering: Does anyone else have trouble getting the last inch or so of the blade closest to the tip where it curves as sharp as the rest of the blade? Is this maybe just a result of the blade being thicker near the tip? I sharpen it on my Sharpmaker, but this part of the blade always seems less effective at slicing through paper, for instance.

I love this knife by the way.

And I almost forgot: Is a leather strop necessary or worth the money? How about a good steel?

--Dan
 
It could be a simple matter of planar geometry. If you change the shape of the edge while maintaining the same angle with the spine, then the effective angle with respect to the edge is decreased.

This is why you lift up the handle of a knife when you get to the point of a knife with any belly in it if you are working on a stone.

Just a thought. Walt
 
Also, make sure not to let the tip of the blade slide off of the hone. Bring the blade down on the hone until the tip of the blade is close to edge of the hone. Then lift the whole blade off and begin another pass. This fact of the SharpMaker plagued me for some time.
 
A good way to see and evaluate your sharpening technique is to color the edge with a felt tipped marker. As you sharpen, check frequently to see if you are removing ink (and metal) from the edge or above the edge. In order to sharpen a blade effectively along the entire length, you have to ensure that the edge is actually engaging the stone during the entire stroke. And for this to happen you'll have to do as Walt says: elevate your elbow as you draw the curved part of the blade over the stone.

Note: When you're done sharpening, excess ink, even "permanent" Sharpie ink, can be wiped off with a paper towel and a bit of WD-40.

David Rock
 
For most knives, the edge is sharpend with the sharpening device perpendicular to it at a constant angle.
That means on a sharpmaker you would need to lift the handle higher than the tip to accomodate the curved part of the blade. If you sort of look from the side of the blade and keep the edge purpendicular then you should be able to sharpen the knife better.
I always use a sharpie permanent marker when I sharpen (I use a stone and do it freehand as well as with a sharpmaker-like device) and wipe off the sharpie with alcohol, it works better than WD-40.
 
What Walt said!

I also tend to tilt inwards toward a 'virtual' centerline between the sticks when I get just past the belly, (on the 30° side) effectively changing the angle from 30° to close to 40°. The tip seems sharper and more durable.

Hope this helps. :)


Steve-O
 
The curved part is often a little bit of a challenge. I concur with everyone else here. Use a magic marker to see how you're doing. And keep the edge parallel to the ground (and perpendicular to the stone) at all times. On the Sharpmaker, you'll be lifting the handle higher as you go through the curve, in orer to keep the edge perpendicular to the ground.
 
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