Sharpening Record Page

I can whittle hair with my BM 558(S30V), BM14210 (154 CM), Spyderco Caly3(VG-10) and D4 Wave (VG-10). I wish my cammera had a macro function....:jerkit:

My process:
Sharpmaker at 30/40. M/F/UF and finish off on a strop loaded with either CrO or 3-5 Micron Polish (white rouge).

I'll see if I can snag my GF's cammera and take a few pictures tomorrow.:p
 
I have been reading about hair whittling and thought, Wow that's sharp! How do those guys do it?

Last night I thought that I would give it a try. My Case stainless did it without a problem. My Kershaw chive did it without a problem. Both knives were touched up with a few light strokes on a pair of the grey ceramic Crock Sticks and a few swipes on a strop with a little Flitz on it. Judging by how they felt on my fingerprint, this is about the level that I usually get my EDC knives to.

So the lesson here is that if you can already get your knives pretty sharp, try this hair whittling. You may already be there.
 
I will try to polish some of my knives this week and get my camera back from my parents to take pictures, though thus far getting decent macro shots has been a challenge for me. I have been able to get hair whittling edges from most any knife I have sharpened, though my thinner, crisper steeled knives like my Caly Jr. ZDP really shine at this. My CPM D2 Military, my CPM M4 Krein Ultimate Caper, and my Mule Team knife take really nice edges as well. In fact, I think the Mule Team, very closely followed by the Ultimate Caper are probably the knives that I can get the sharpest. Actually, after a quick check, even after a bit of light EDC use since it's last sharpening my Caly Jr. can still whittle one of my head hairs. I usually whittle my wife's hair from her brush, as it is thinner than mine and more of a challenge.

Mike
 
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gunmike1 said:
...can still whittle one of my head hairs. I usually whittle my wife's hair from her brush, as it is thinner than mine and more of a challenge.

Mike
Click to expand...

Must...resist...making...silly...euphemism...joke...

That might explain why you didn't post pics, though :D
 
OK, I updated page with all new records:

http://playground.sun.com/~vasya/SharpeningRecords.html

It looks better with pictures - honestly, it is not a big deal to make picture of the heair - all new pocket digital cameras has small lens and so small focus distance. And we do not have here art contest (while some of this pictures very well done), and even cell phone can can do the job.

Thanks, Vassili.

P.S. And you may send picture to mew as an e-mail attachment if you do not have any hosting.
 
I would like to submit this video for your page. Let it load fully before viewing:
www.schottknives.com/chopper/papercut.mpg

The cut: Single piece of printer paper rolled into a 2" diameter tube. Roll placed freestanding (no tape holding it from falling over) on a countertop and severed, leaving the bottom of the paper tube standing.

The knife: A 15" competition cutter made of 1/4" O1 toolsteel.

Watch as the bottom half of the tube just slightly skitters to the right about 2 inches. This is a bitch of a cut to pull off since your arm swinging moves enough air to knock the tube over by itself, nevermind cutting the tube.
 
David Schott said:
I would like to submit this video for your page. Let it load fully before viewing:
www.schottknives.com/chopper/papercut.mpg

The cut: Single piece of printer paper rolled into a 2" diameter tube. Roll placed freestanding (no tape holding it from falling over) on a countertop and severed, leaving the bottom of the paper tube standing.

The knife: A 15" competition cutter made of 1/4" O1 toolsteel.

Watch as the bottom half of the tube just slightly skitters to the right about 2 inches. This is a bitch of a cut to pull off since your arm swinging moves enough air to knock the tube over by itself, nevermind cutting the tube.
Click to expand...

I am wondering if you can whittle hair with this edge? My point is does both tests shows same sharpness or this indicates even sharper edge? I need to try to do this myself, but it less convenient to do with 3" pocket knife...

Can you post it on YouTube (very easy) and then I can embed it in my page?

Thanks, Vassili.
 
I'll try to put it up on youtube tonight.

The knife would easilly whittle hair when this vid was taken, but I think this kind of cut has a lot more to do with technique and edge geometry, while hair whittling is purely a function of the sharpness at the apex of the cutting edge.

Hair whittling is also technique. If a knife is sharp enough, whitting hair is actually very difficult since the blade will pop through the hair with so little effort and the hair is so thin....I think it depends on the hair alot....
 
I'd say the cut is 90% technique, but the other 10% requires an absurdly sharp edge.

Most knives wont even cut the tube, some knives will cut the tube roughly, some will cut it cleanly and send both halves flying.....not many will leave the bottom on the table or leave it standing.

You can work up to this by rolling wider diameter tubes or doubling up on the sheets of paper. Its actually easier to cut thicker stuff once you get down to paper thinness since the paper would rather deform than be cut...
 
David Schott said:
You can work up to this by rolling wider diameter tubes or doubling up on the sheets of paper. Its actually easier to cut thicker stuff once you get down to paper thinness since the paper would rather deform than be cut...
Click to expand...

That make sense. Thanks.
 
Here are some pics. I did this with the Victorinox Soldier in my pocket. I sharpened it this morning on my sharpmaker and finished up with the UF rods, I even used it a couple times today before I whittled the hair. You have to hold your hands very steady to keep from cutting through the hair.
IMGP1909.jpg

IMGP1908.jpg
 
Thanks, I will correct your picture a bit and upload it tomorrow.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
I don`t have photos, but I`ve managed to whittle hairs with the following:

Chris Reeve Classic Sebenza: S30V
Spyderco Mini Persian: VG10
Byrd Robin FRN: 8CR13MoV
Benchmade 705 LE: D2
Spyderco Manix: S30V
Kershaw Blur: SG2

Probably some other ones other than those as well.

Normally I rebevel to somewhere around 25 degrees with a guided system (Gatco, Edgepro), then put on a microbevel at either 30 or 40 degrees with the Sharpmaker. I then strop, first with jeweler`s rouge, then with plain leather.

I`ve found a 40 degree microbevel works just fine for whittling hairs, and lasts a little longer than a thinner bevel.

Travis
 
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My first try at getting a blade hair whittling sharp. My hair is short and thin so it was annoying to hold onto it. I also didn't to cut too much into it because before i ended up cutting right through it.

Started with a DMT coarse, then spyderco medium, spyderco fine, and some white stropping stick on some cardboard. Knife is an Opinel #6.
 
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Spyderco Kopa, reprofiled down to slightly sub-30° with the Edge Pro, then microbevelled with the Sharpmaker up to UF. Had very little luck with hair from my scalp, but my beard is a bit coarser...:D
 
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