Some questions regarding sharpening...

[Casinostocks]

I'm relatively new to CRKs as compared to some / most of you CRK subforum dwellers, so advance apologies for topics already discussed. Having said that, I also use the search feature somewhat extensively before I post threads in a willy nilly manner, although some fresh sharpening discussions can always be helpful as some folks may have found newer products or adopted new equipment and techniques.

I'm well aware that the Spyderco Sharpmaker is recommended by CRK and also many of you have that and use it. I have the Spyderco UF large ceramic plate which I have used for my Spyderco Millies plus stropping using Flexx strops green and then white (Flexx Strops uses Bark River products, green is for medium and white is for fine).

My understanding is that the secondary bevel on most CRKs from factory is convex and I wish to keep it that way till reprofiling is really necessary after longer / harder usage. In the meantime, I was thinking about acquiring the full array of Ken Schwartz formulated CBM emulsions from KME with their kangaroo leather strops. The cost factor being in the $135 range for a set including the 4 micron, 1.5, 0.5 and 0.1 plus 4 of those strop strips which are quite small. I understand this set up to be mainly intended for polishing an edge but I don't mind if the edges of my CRKs are not toothy, because I have plenty of toothy in my possession in other none CRK blades.

Now to the crux of the matter! What kind of experiences have you had with those CBN emulsions, if any? Overkill considering what I already have just to maintain an edge and making it a lot sharper than the factory sharpness out of the box?

Also as an aside, if / when I invest in a guided sharpening system, I was also thinking about a KME. Thoughts please?

 

[Ajack60]

There is certainly nothing wrong with having a mirror finish on your edge. Get what you like and don't worry what other folks may think.
I've got a KME and absolutely love it. I still use the Lansky at work for touch up work. KME also sells a rod for convex edges.
As far as the CBN emulsions go, I don't have them, but from what I read, they work well.
For me, a polished edge would be sweet to have, but it takes time to get it there and I'm just too lazy to put that much effort into it.
A toothy edge that shaves works best for my needs.

 

[Casinostocks]

Thank you again Ajack60. I must have missed that convex arm that KME offers separately. It'll be a handy module to add to the basic kit as I want to expand options

 

[Casinostocks]

As for the Flexx strops and their Bark River compound goes, I don't seem to get much success with them. I mainly use the green, but sometimes I chase that with the finer white depending on how much time I want to put into it. I get much better results out of this set up with my Military in CTS-204P as opposed to my CRKs S35VN. I do know that different metals react differently to different substances and surfaces but I have yet to determine as to whether the lack of similar successful results lies with me as the user, the strop set up, the compound(s) or partially all of the above!

 

[Ajack60]

CTS-204P/M390/20CV are all basically the same steel. They do not form a wire edge when they are sharpened. It may be that you're not working enough of the wire edge off the S35VN before you take it to a strop. I've found that with CRK's S35VN, it's not difficult to bring the edge back and I use the weight of the blade to hone once the edge is sharpened. Then I put it to the strop and have good results.

 

[Casinostocks]

Late yesterday evening in a spat of total boredom and some brazenness induced by one mere beer (light too!) I decided to just take my chances with some stropping at first. I'm afraid that my Flexx Strops don't have much compound left on them as they do not come generously loaded up anyway to start with! I have a very liberally loaded block of green from Knives Plus which seems to work really well with some so initially I had a crack with that one and my NIB Wilson Combat Star-Tac... Results were a miserable fail simply because the edge was not the proverbial "hair popping sharp" out of the box. Next, convincing myself that I would never sell this unit unless under duress in which case, I would then deserve the loss it would garner, I took it free hand to my Spyderco 3 x 8 UF306. then followed by the same strop... Better but nothing to write home about as I think that this set up is simply not taking off enough of that blade material.

Here is another question at the expense of coming across as extra needy again! Ha! Instead of the Sharpmaker, I was thinking about just getting the same material but in the larger Spyderco 2 x 8 plates of the Medium and then the same in Fine, before going to the UF plate and strop. Yes, I am fully aware of fudging up versus a guided system but that's how I roll, i.e, brazenly stupid with my $ plus developing a knack for freehand and the muscle memory is always preferential in the sharpening art, long term. I keep reading that the biggest issue with the larger plates versus rods is that they are not precisely flat and in most cases need to be lapped for an excruciatingly long amount of time which is not for me. However, since I'm not trying to sharpen some form of surgical equipment scalpel, does the +_ tolerances in those Spyderco plates make any difference in case of a knife blade albeit a fine one such as a CRK, specially considering that the user's inabilities may be much more hazardous than the precisest flat surfaces?!

 

[JB in SC]

I use a Sharpmaker. It takes some time to attain a 20 degree angle with the medium stones. Now it takes a few swipes on the stones to bring a shaving sharp edge back. Stropping requires a very light touch, otherwise the edge gets rounded.

 

[Casinostocks]

^ all duly noted. I understand the physics of potentially rolling the edge blade if forceful in stropping simply because of the dragging to / fro motion on the strop versus the push action when sharpening on stones. In any case, the local Walmart shows the Sharpmaker in stock so I'll just pick one up before I get my KME. Worst case, I can put that SM to use in the kitchen!