Sharpening Record Page

Uncle Rukus, is this the kind of thing you're talking about? This is single ply (too cheap to buy double :rolleyes:),

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I find I can't get a perfectly straight line.

Here's a different one. The start of this one almost looks like a tear.

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Same one from farther back.

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Here's a 2-ply kleenex:

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i normally leave my edges with a semi aggressive polished finish. So i usually slice kleenex and toilet paper to test my edges. I used to polish them to the point that there was no slicing aggression whatsoever but for me thats not a very practical edge for edc. I usually start with a 120 grit, then i go to 320, then microbevel at 600 and finish with 1000.
 
I have opposite experience. My polished edges have more use then toothy edges. It depends on media of course - on some you will not see reaelly difference, but after I try EDC three knives with different polishes - highly polished is way ahead of all others - cuts better and stays sharp longer.

But I polished them to the point they can whittle hair.

Do you actually able to whittle hair? If not you may have polished but rounded up edge.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
I agree with Vassili.
Especially when (push) cutting all kinds of paper a polished edge works best, keeps it's edge longer..
Though my 'toothie' VG-10 Al Mar S2K grabs the hair, and shaves slices of it.
no pics yet, sorry
 
I was able to do with my EDC, a ZDP-189 Leek. I guess I can take credit since mine has been carried daily for close to 2 years and it was one of the first runs which came from Kershaw extremely dull. My EDC Vic Yeoman Mechanic was sharper, but no surprise there. I guess I keep them well since when I saw this thread I just pulled them out of my pocket to try. Haven't sharpened the Leek in a month, and I use it every day!:D
 
How do you guys whittle hair? You just let it hang between your fingers and run the edge against it? I cant get my knives to do this, the hair just moves, unless my technique for holding the hair is incorrect. I just started stropping and have obtained a new level of sharpness but cant whittle hair still.
 
(Honour System, No photos)

Knife: Benchmade 10402 PIKA II (Red Class). China-made with 9Cr13CoMoV
This is a $30 knife. I really like it. It was a gift from a fellow knife nut.
Sharpening tools:
Re-bevel: DMT XXC
Sharpen: Spyderco SharpMaker Medium, Fine, Ultrafine.
Strop: Naniwa 10K waterstone. CrO on paper mounted on glass.

I reworked and refined the bevels to 30 degrees inclusive with the DMT XXC leaned against the SharpMaker Rods. Then I went at it like a madman on the SharpMaker Medium Corners to remove the DMT carnage. Finished on the fine and ultrafine stones mostly using the corners. This blade seemed to like the corners best for some reason. I could feel very small burrs by stropping the edge against the flesh of my thumb. I concentrated on removing the burrs before moving to finer grits. I worked the burrs using light strokes on the corners and concentrating the strokes to the side on which the burr could be felt. I stropped on the Naniwa 10k to remove any last bit of burr. Then I stropped on PostIt Note paper dusted with CrO powder. The paper is stuck on a 4"x8" piece of glass cut from a polished-edge, semi-tempered glass strip from Home Depot. I stropped on the CrO with very light strokes as close to the bevel angle as possible by eye and feel.

The edges would not whittle hair before stropping although it would shave. After stropping it whittles hair and it catches and shaves arm hair above the skin level. This edge will push-cut printer paper about 4 inches from the grip point. My best edges will push cut out to about 6 inches from the grip point. Results for that test vary with humidity and paper stock.
 
Antihero17 said:
How do you guys whittle hair? You just let it hang between your fingers and run the edge against it? I cant get my knives to do this, the hair just moves, unless my technique for holding the hair is incorrect. I just started stropping and have obtained a new level of sharpness but cant whittle hair still.
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That's how I do it. If you cut into a curve it will be easier. According to Nozh if you cut from tip to root it will be easier as well, though I do it the opposite way.

Can your knife edge pop arm hairs? That's about the level of sharpness you want to be able to consistently sharp to before you try this IMO. Just put a good bevel on with your fine stones and strop, making sure you use excellent technique, and you will be able to do this.
 
Vivi said:
That's how I do it. If you cut into a curve it will be easier. According to Nozh if you cut from tip to root it will be easier as well, though I do it the opposite way.

Can your knife edge pop arm hairs? That's about the level of sharpness you want to be able to consistently sharp to before you try this IMO. Just put a good bevel on with your fine stones and strop, making sure you use excellent technique, and you will be able to do this.
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When I shave hair I dont even feel it, it will shave a totally clean patch in one swipe. I am using my girlfriends hair to try and whittle and its very long fine hair, maybe that is the problem. I keep my hair very short so I cant really try to whittle my own hair.
 
Antihero17 said:
When I shave hair I dont even feel it, it will shave a totally clean patch in one swipe. I am using my girlfriends hair to try and whittle and its very long fine hair, maybe that is the problem. I keep my hair very short so I cant really try to whittle my own hair.
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I use body hair since it's longer than the hair on my head. It tends to be thicker though which can kind of skew results, so if you have thin hair to test with I'd try both. It sounds like your knives are at the level of sharpness they need to be, or close to it.
 
Dry shaving with a UKPK - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryfslOiA9eY

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Maybe we should go post in wilderness survival skills about our new "fuzzstick" techniques :rolleyes:

This was my first time seriously giving edge leading sharpening strokes a try. It does seem to produce less of a burr. Considering my technique is sloppier using this method because I'm not used to it I don't think the edge turned out too bad.
 
My best hair whittling edges come off my leather belt on the sander, especially after refreshing the white compound. I can usually get a hair whittling edge off the Sharpmaker fine stones as well. The record for me so far has been a hair whittling edge off my 800 grit waterstone. It was beard hair, with a slicing stroke, but it worked. It took several tries, and I have only been able to do it once.
 
Kaizen1 said:
Unfortunately, I don't have the ability to take and post pictures:o.

I've been able to split hair with:

Spyderco Endura Wave (VG-10)

I sharpen freehand with Spyderco Sharpmaker triangle sticks. All of the above knives were able to split hair at the level of the Fine rod, though I finished the ZDP with the Ultrafine rod. I currently strop on newspaper on glass, I haven't made the time to get a leather strop and try the green stuff.
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I'm a new purchaser of a Sharpmaker. With the above knife, e.g., Spyderco Endura Wave 4, and after sharpening, I can't get it to cut like a knife through butter with 20# copy paper-however, my new, unused SOG Flash II and Byrd 'Cara Cara' easily pass the paper test.

Would you describe your process in detail for me? This is kind of frustrating for me that an inexpensive knife like the Cara Cara can cut paper so easily new out of box but my lightly used Endura Wave 4 can't pass.

Also, do you believe that using the Sharpmaker or its stones alone can result in greater sharpness than the Endura when new out of box?

Anyone may kindly chime in. I don't want to buy any additional stones, and want to limit use to Sharpmaker and its stones.

My Endura doesn't have to split hairs-though that would be a bonus-I'd just like it to pass the paper test. I'm also wondering if using cheaper, 20# Office Depot copy paper is just not strong enough for testing purposes.

Thanks in advance. After participating on this site for a little while I decided it was well worth it to at least get a Basic Membership to support this valuable site.
 
Nozh2002-

I discovered you on YouTube a few days ago before noting your posts here. Good videos. 'Chirok whittling hair' a great one! I'm certainly impressed with that one.

But I'm not inclined to spend the time or money in sharpening to near-perfection as you so ably do, though I'd be happy to get my Endura to easily pass paper cutting test!
 
Vivi said:
I use body hair since it's longer than the hair on my head. It tends to be thicker though which can kind of skew results, so if you have thin hair to test with I'd try both. It sounds like your knives are at the level of sharpness they need to be, or close to it.
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Thanks. I just made my first strop 2 days ago and have been going at it like crazy. I have only been using green polishing compound that I found at lowes, should I finish with something else after green?
 
Green is what I finish with. I've played around with some other compounds I recently bought but haven't put them into daily use. I can usually get hair whittling results before stropping. What stone are you sharpening with before you strop?
 
Vivi said:
Green is what I finish with. I've played around with some other compounds I recently bought but haven't put them into daily use. I can usually get hair whittling results before stropping. What stone are you sharpening with before you strop?
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Spyderco fine stone.
 
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