Shave sharp with BK11?

D

Djrichone

Joined
Nov 2, 2013
Messages
34
Hello all!
Just got a BK11 & a BK2. The BK2 came very sharp from the factory. It will push cut and shave hairs off my arms. The BK2 however is not that sharp. I did extensive research on this forum and you tube but I haven't found info on how to get a bk11 shave sharp.
I did see Murray Carter's videos. After much considerations I picked up a spyderco sharpmaker locally. I did the sharpie trick and did see it hitting the edges. I spent a good hour messing with this but never got the blade sharp enough to cut arm hair or push cut. I realize this blade has a 15 degree angle and the sharpmaker has a 40 and 30.
So, does anyone have experience with this sharpening system with the bk11? What tips can be offered?
I'm now thinking I need the diamond rods to re-profile. I would be happy getting the blade sharp enough to push cut newspaper. I will make a strop next.
Thanks!
 
The sharpmaker generally only gets a working edge. If you want shaving sharp, you'll want both the diamond rods for reprofiling and the ultra fine rods.
 
The 30 degree setting on the Sharpmaker matches the 15 on the BK11. If you want to get the edge down to a shaving edge, you need to spend more time on step one (grey stones, corner) and profile it correctly. After that's done, move down through the flat side and two fine stone settings. It took a while, but my Sharpmaker was able to reprofile a BK24 for a 40 inclusive edge and it's popping hairs like a champ. This is just with the standard stones. I may be conviced to grab the diamonds, now. I don't need ultrafine stones, because I use a strop if I want to really refine what the Sharpmaker can get me.
 
I found my 11 and 2 to be the opposite.
My 11 is definitely razor sharp, while the thick blade of the 2 works better for me if I have a "toothier" unpolished edge on it.
 
I would suggest using a strop to put a final polish and remove any remaining burr that has formed. That said I have found the sharpmaker to be more of a pain to use then it's worth. I've always gotten better results freehand even when I first started out doing it freehand.

Not sure why you guys think he needs to reprofile the edge to get it sharp. Anyone care to elaborate?
 
I can get my to shaving sharp, but not newspaper cutting sharp...and the process usually invovles me making a wonky shiny edge on a stone....but it cuts, so it works.
 
Thanks for all the input. I was starting to loose hope on the sharpmaker. I guess I will hit the grey stones some more. @mrn8 so I should only use the 30 degree on the bk11 or should I then go to the 40. How long on the grey stones?
 
I can shave arm hair with my 11, but not facial hair. However I also reprofiled mine from 30° to 24° and I took it to a toothy mirror polish.
 
Until you work up a burr, pretty much. That's why I was suggesting the diamond stones. It's a lot faster. I use paper wheels mostly these days, that and my belt sander.
 
I don't know why people are down on the Sharpmaker. It's a great tool...but mostly for maintaining and edge. I should have not used the word reprofile. What I meant was actually forming the cutting edge. If your knife is dull, the edge is not meeting...in other words, there's a flat spot. If you watch Tooj's sharpening video, he uses a bright light to examine the edge. If you get a bright spot, that's a flat spot. Black line = good edge. With the Sharpmaker on the grey stones, you stick on the first setting until your edge is good. It will be toothy, but that's ok, since the rest of the process just refines that edge down to being smoother and thus perceived as more sharp. Once you get that edge where you want it, it's just a matter of maintenance of that edge and the work is really fast.

As for how long it will take, that's not an exact science. That fact that Sal's video states 20 (25?) strokes per side is maybe only true when maintaining the already sharp edge that Spyderco is known for. If your knife came no so sharp, you're looking at working it until you have no flat spots on the cutting edge. That could be 50-100-400...whatever it takes, really.

[video=youtube_share;ydQUl_mleOw]http://youtu.be/ydQUl_mleOw[/video]
 
You can reprofile pretty well with the diamond rods as well though. I have and like my Sharpmaker. I just don't have the time to use it to put on an edge. I need to work up some jigs for my belt grinder and paper wheels though...
 
Thanks mrn8. I haven't seen that video yet.
So should I sharpen on the. 30 or 40 or back bevel with the 30 then move to the 40?
 
I freehand on this stone and have no problems getting to shaving sharp on my 11.

72345B87-46D3-48D0-9948-71F060105FA2-5534-0000035675211B87_zpsa211259f.jpg
 
If you want BK-2 to become shaving sharp with Sharpmaker you need to do it gradually. First you need something like this:

Z5whCIe.jpg


I use Congress Tools Moldmaster stones,120, 240, and 400 grit. Angle 30 degrees. After that brown stones,white ones,and finally super fine ones. Even without strop you will have
shaving sharp blade.
30 degrees will not hold the edge as 40 degrees ,so it's up to you on angle. But even with 40 degrees ,knife will be shaving sharp and cut throug paper.

For me, the key thing is to start very low, with 120 grid,because if you start with brown stones on Sharpmaker you will need to spend eternity to profile correct edge.
Anyway this is my experience with that,maybe someone have different opinion.
 
Is that sandpaper or a stone attached to the rods woody Allen? Now that I think about it I read about attaching sandpaper to the stones at first to reprofile. Guess I will keep at it with the gray stones.
 
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