Slight recurve at heel

[3D Anvil]

It seems that many new knives have a very slight recurve at the heel of the blade, which is problematic for sharpening that last 1". This is apparently an artifact of the factory belt sanding process rather than a design choice--at least in most cases.

How do y'all deal with it? Do you try to maintain the factory profile, using recurve sharpening techniques? Or just grind it out? My inclination is to grind it out, which is more work but avoids the issue in future sharpenings.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I just grind it out over time. And of the blades I use, most of which are folders, they usually won't have much of that recurve beyond maybe 1/8" - 1/4" of the plunge grind. Most anything forward of that is usually pretty accessible and correctable, most of the time. Within 1/8" or so of the plunge, I generally don't sweat it too much anyway.

I have at times, tried to straighten it out all the way back to the ricasso. But unless that's done very carefully and thoughtfully, it ends up looking pretty bad. The steel back there is usually thicker than in the forward portion of the blade, so the bevel widens noticeably if the same sharpening angle is maintained all the way back to the plunge. That never looks very good. So, the little bit of belt-induced recurve is at least a better-looking and more graceful transition to the ricasso, from the rear of the cutting edge. That's why I don't mess with it much, anymore.

 

[3D Anvil]

Yeah, that's a good idea to do it gradually.

 

[garry3]

A good argument for sharpening choils, notches, whatever you want to call them. I get rid of recurves whenever practical.

 

[kreisler]

i posted a thread on delica endura para2 recurve elimination

 

[TRfromMT]

It seems that many new knives have a very slight recurve at the heel of the blade, which is problematic for sharpening that last 1". This is apparently an artifact of the factory belt sanding process rather than a design choice--at least in most cases.

How do y'all deal with it? Do you try to maintain the factory profile, using recurve sharpening techniques? Or just grind it out? My inclination is to grind it out, which is more work but avoids the issue in future sharpenings.

I've used the coarse diamond rod from a sharp maker kit to make a small choil right in the end. Works perfectly to fix this problem.

 

[eveled]

This is my pet peeve. Not just on new knives but also on used ones.

I use a very thin cut off wheel on a 4 inch grinder. Make a cut very carefully at the Ricasso only as deep as the edge bevel.

Then I sharpen the blade on a diamond bench stone. Keeping the Ricasso pressed against the side of the stone for the entire stroke. I want a laser strait edge from the Ricasso to the beginning of the belly. I try to go heavier on the Heel to minimize loss of belly.

Then I sharpen the belly to tip separately.

I don’t understand how someone can add a recurve to a sheepsfoot? The first picture is after cut a choil on the sheepsfoot but before I cut the pen.

Same knife after both blades fixed. Note that you can’t see the sharpening choil now that they’ve been sharpened.

After a few sharpenings the choils will be gone.

 

[3D Anvil]

Nicely done! I feel your pain.

 

[kreisler]

After a few sharpenings the choils will be gone.

that's why i like my knives with finga choils (suru, riv). i still take off too much steel, so i try to sharpen less often these expensive folders and do all cutting with my utility blade instead.

 

[eveled]

Nothing to worry about. It takes about 15 years of daily use and sharpening to wear out a 110. Then a new blade is only ten dollars.