Show your sharpening skills ... what's the craziest blade you dared touching?

BBW · Feb 25, 2013

Cynic2701 said:
~10 degrees per side (20 inclusive). You'd be surprised at how well the edge has held up to general EDC without rolling or chipping.

That is insane! Man I have never gone
Less than 30 inclusive

masterserg · Feb 25, 2013

I was looking at my pictures and noticed something I did not like, at all ... My bevel widened towards the tip on this ladder. I like the way CRK does it, where the bevel actually thins down towards the tip. This was not good (the same way life with OCD isn't)...

masterserg · Feb 25, 2013

And ... since my kit was out on the table ... I stropped one of my user Mnandis back to shaving sharp (with 3.5 micron diamond paste). It is amazing how long you can go with S30V/S35VN before actually having to sharpen it.

jwolf90 · Feb 25, 2013

^Nice work, I agree with you on how long I can go without sharpening by just stropping with .5u HA diamond spray. It really works wonders, I love that it leaves a nice bitey edge too. Hard to beat en edge finished with little diamonds

.

BBQ BOY · Feb 25, 2013

wow, you have that blade resting in the WE waaaay froward. I'm guessing that is optimal? If you use the ABC measuring metal ruler they provided, which letter is that measuring?

liamstrain · Feb 25, 2013

BBQ BOY said:
wow, you have that blade resting in the WE waaaay froward. I'm guessing that is optimal? If you use the ABC measuring metal ruler they provided, which letter is that measuring?

I think that is to re-work the front curve without losing the same angle as the straights due to the change in distance.

masterserg · Feb 25, 2013

liamstrain said:
I think that is to re-work the front curve without losing the same angle as the straights due to the change in distance.

That is absolutely correct. It is set at A 1/4 on the top holes. If you notice that the bevel gets wider towards the front ... you need to move the blade back down the clamp (i.e. tip closer to the clamp iteself).

Somebody also commented via PM that I removed the blade from the frame ... I always do this (that OCD again) ... I don't want to scratch the frame by accident or get metal filings into the pivot area ... It feels easier to work with. Then I can clean, grease and put everything back together as good as new. It just seems like the neat thing to do ... and adds to the whole ritual / therapy thingy.

masterserg · Feb 25, 2013

C'mon dudes! I want to see more blades

Cynic2701 · Feb 25, 2013

BBW said:
That is insane! Man I have never gone
Less than 30 inclusive

If you have the patience to completely apex the edge, I think that it is worth your time. Throw on a microbevel if you start getting rolling/chipping issues.

Here's a left handed Sebenza at ~25 inclusive.

masterserg · Feb 25, 2013

^^ Me likes! Crazy as it is

As BBW mentioned, I never went that far!

masterserg · Feb 25, 2013

liamstrain said:
I think that is to re-work the front curve without losing the same angle as the straights due to the change in distance.

Though on the WE you do not need to reposition a blade this size. The trick is to find the right spot up or down the clamp to get an even bevel (or in my case one that thins out just the right amount towards the tip).

grybsh7 · Feb 25, 2013

!5 degrees per side on the EP.

masterserg · Feb 26, 2013

Beauty! Is that a Mayo'd scale?

crbauhs · Feb 28, 2013

You guys have some awesome edges! That edge pro is pretty sick. I myself am a free hand man. Waterstones and Spyderco ceramic bench stones and some stripping gives me great results. I nice low angle, prolly 10 per side, and I'm happy. I'll post pics when I get home. I'm carrying my Buck TNT 172 today since I just got it.

grybsh7 · Feb 28, 2013

masterserg said:
Beauty! Is that a Mayo'd scale?

Serg it is a Barry H scale.

crbauhs · Mar 1, 2013

Oops sorry. Mispost.

crbauhs · Mar 1, 2013

Ok I am doing this with my cell phone. I'll try other pics later.

This is free hand of course. No system for me. Easily shaves, my face that it. Stropping is your friend.

masterserg · Mar 1, 2013

The Wicked Edge is cheating I guess, but at my age, I'll take all the help I can get

The extreme angle (10!) above looks great!

nyefmaker · Mar 2, 2013

I use my sharpmaker for everything. Whether its a regular S30V blade, or damascus. I have been sharpening knives for 30 years using the old vintage croc sticks and the sharpmaker is just an improvement on that design. Just have to curve the blade slightly to follow the factory edge is all. otherwise you end up taking steel away from the point and weakening it. You also have to stop at the bottom of the stroke with the point still on the middle of the stone, or you will round the point.

And yes, I can put a mirror edge on my knives with the sharpmaker as well using the ultra fine stones.

masterserg · Mar 2, 2013

I can put a very sharp edge with the sharpmaker but I can't make it look pretty or perfectly even (that's just my lack of skill with it). I must admit, I never tried free hand sharpening.