Sharpening to (very) high grits/fine microns while maintaining aggression/bite?

[Sergeua]

Once you put deep scratches on the blade with something coarse you move onto finner grits without overdoing it. Picture the saw like edge in 3D. You use finer abrasives and they get you to the apex, but they don't fully remove the deep grooves/scratches on metal left with previous higher in micron abrasive.
Its not whittling hairs, but it's pretty sharp.

I like paper towel for testing the changes to the edge as it gives a good feedback of edge coarsness with sound and feel.
As you up the grit, you can feel the change right away.
You polish the edge too much and it will stop biting in to slice the paper towel and instead you will notice your push cutting has improved.
I go for a coarse sharp edge, that is also comfortable on wood.
It's important to test what you are doing, otherwise you just don't know what your doing.

 

[Blues]

I usually strop my box cutter blades on cardboard after each use. If that doesn't bring it back sufficiently, (and it normally does), then I give it a few licks on a stone. I can't remember if I've ever used any of the replacement blades I purchased years ago. LOL!

(Does my heart good to know that I'm not the only knucklehead who doesn't just dispose of and replace the original when it starts to dull.)

 

[Sergeua]

You can strop you box cutter, but if you hit it up with a pocket stone, it will remove weak stressed metal.

 

[Mr.Wizard]

FortyTwoBlades Do you ever use the point of that knife? I used to sharpen my utility blade but realized most of my time was spent on forming a new point, as that's where I cause the most wear. I changed to a snap knife.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

FortyTwoBlades Do you ever use the point of that knife? I used to sharpen my utility blade but realized most of my time was spent on forming a new point, as that's where I cause the most wear. I changed to a snap knife.

I use the point on it, but when honing I put slightly more pressure on the tip end than the rest of the edge and that's enough to take care of it. The American Mutt stones cut fast so it doesn't take any extra time just leaning on the tip a little more.

 

[OhioApexing]

Paging @DeadboxHero and his expertise to the discussion.

 

[Wowbagger]

a job that affords you the time to custom sharpen box knife blades

They are my personal knives (three Gerber EABs actually . . . one with a carbide blade and one with a hook blade . . . well and there is that fourth Gerber with the textured handle, the name of it escapes me). They are always in the same bag I carry my lunch to work in. I sharpen them at home like any of my knives. I sharpen in the kitchen so they are within arms reach when ever I sharpen any other knife.

As far as the three foot strop that was actually a time saver, no blades being swapped out. No searching for new blades, no writing "buy blades" on lists, no shopping or ordering blades.

You sir are the lucky fellow finding time to put in a new blade

When I cut up a lot of cardboard boxes I usually first install a new blade in my box knife.

Only to be disappointed yet again

It is surprising how soon the factory grind edge dulls with normal use.

Repeating past behavior and hoping for different results and all that rot what.

 

[Wowbagger]

FortyTwoBlades Do you ever use the point of that knife? I used to sharpen my utility blade but realized most of my time was spent on forming a new point, as that's where I cause the most wear. I changed to a snap knife.

Makes sense pretty much 99% of my box knife use is back on the handle part of the edge cutting up cardboard. About the only thing I use the tip for is pulling splinters and thorns out of my fingers etc. Still it is true the tip tends to go off line with the rest of the edge. I compensate as described by FourtyTwo

 

[Wowbagger]

You can strop you box cutter, but if you hit it up with a pocket stone, it will remove weak stressed metal.

OH NO ! ! !
That's old school.
Haven't you heard the stressed steel is actually "Work Hardened" and so its harder.

Mostly I'm kidding. I'm thinking of all the discussion on the way they "Harden" H1 steel by work hardening it while grinding it. Apparently it only works on serrated edges. Non serrated H1 steel edges don't want to get hard(er) . . . thank you very much.

I've ceased to worry about it; especially on a box knife blade.

Case in point : my M4 which I almost always only touch up, practially "burnish" with the Spyderco Ultra Fine triangle rod, the edge should be "stressed" and work hardned all to hell and yet the edge(s) keep holding up for fantastic lengths of time when the same exact task will dull a Case or SAK in a day. I can not use the ceramic rod on those because of the tenacious bur so they always get the Edge Pro with stones.

 

[Wowbagger]

Here's a thought : Should we be stropping our Cold Steel fine serrated edges ?
Well I don't actually use mine . . . but if I (we) did . . . ?

 

[palmerdl]

This is just one method, but I reduce the angle of the final sharpening step, which for me is stropping. I drop the strop angle by approximately 2°/side. This prevents any chance of rounding the edge and keeps the edge "aggressive".

2⁰ by eye, while stropping? Damn you're good.

 

[WhitleyStu]

2⁰ by eye, while stropping? Damn you're good.

Why, thank you... but I do use a digital angle finder when setting up the knife sharpening attachment for sharpening and stropping the "V" edge done on a 2x72. Convex edges are just done with muscle memory.