Sharpening & Stropping!

cziv

cziv

Joined
Nov 24, 2005
Messages
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I have began sharpening my first knife that I've got more than $100 invested in. This was a big step for me after using cheaper knives and a Smith's Sharpener.

I got the whole Spyderco Sharpmaker get-up including diamond stones. The knife being sharpened is my beloved little BM940 Osborne.

I have sharpened and stropped it for 3 consecutive days and it seems to get better each time.

I used the black marker to check my angle and the 30 degree setting on the Sharpmaker took it off perfectly.

I used 5 strokes on each side of the diamond flat sides per day, followed by 10 passes on both the edges and flats of the course and fine ceramics.

I finished by five passes on each side of this strop which is very nice btw.

After 3 days, it is very sharp but not scary sharp. I've been very careful and haven't made any scratches or dings - hooray!

I want to continue until I get the scary sharp edge I'm looking for but I would like suggestions on whether to stop using the diamond rods at this point or to continue with them.

The blade has only had 15 passes on them per side and zero pressure - just the weight of the knife basically.

Thanks in advance for any advice!
 
The coarse diamond rods are for shaping and the rest of the stones are for refining that shaped edge. 5 passes across your strop is not enough, try 50 per side.

By the time you are finished with the UF rods your edge should be very sharp and polished, depending on the steel you might not be using each stone long enough.
 
I'm sorry knifenut1013,

The blade steel is S30V.

I only stropped 5 light passes per side for each of the 3 sessions because I saw it on a youtube video.
 
S30V takes a bit more effort to get that scary sharp edge than lesser steels, but it's darn well worth the effort! :p


Ben
 
I solved the riddle. It was in my stropping. I sharpened the 940 again - going through all of the Sharpmaker rods and this time stropped it longer than usual as knifenut1013 suggested.

I finished and tried a paper cutting test and it sliced nicely but wouldn't make those fine little curly-q's like we've all seen done in paper cutting.

Disgusted, I looked at the edge under a bright light and it had the sparkle look of having a toothy finish. Then it dawned on me that I had heard in stripping you want to hear a fine hissing sound.

I wasn't hitting my new edge. I raised my grip just a hair and stropped it until it made that sound about 6 - 7 times per side and looked the edge and it was like a mirror. I went back to the paper and it shaved the tiniest little slivers over an over again.

I've got it down cold now. I did a Beretta Airlight and thought it was to cheap of steel to hold a razor sharp edge. No problem - same thing and like a razor again.

Like I've heard some write here. It was real forum moment. It's all about technique! :D
 
S30V is one of the harder steels to sharpen, it can take a long time to grind, get PITA burrs, and be a bear to polish.

Glad to hear your getting the hang of it, remember it never hurts to strop more it will only make it sharper.
 
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