To polish or not to polish...

J

Johan

Joined
Oct 12, 1999
Messages
631
Hello all! I was playing with some manilla rope yesterday and it got me thinking about polished edges.

For almost a year now I've been polishing my edges (3000 grit and then stropped) and I've been very happy with the results. But when I was cutting manilla rope teh other day it became very apparant that while the polished edges cut very well (pushed straight down) they required a certain amount of sawing to slice through the rope. A coarser edge sliced with greater ease.

Now this was not really surprising, it's well known that a polished edge won't slice as well as a coarser edge due to the difference in micro-serrations. So obviously, if you want to slice a lot, use a coarser grit.
However, I find that a polished edge is easier to maintain. To keep my polished edges sharp I just steel them and then strop. I haven't had to take some of my knives to the stones for months using this method. I can't do that with a coarse edge. If I strop it, I'm polishing the edge. I'd have to take it to a stone or ceramic steel. Also, for something like a Busse, you need to strop (words straight from Jerry's mouth) in order to keep it shaving sharp (there's a micro-burr that forms when sharpening and it has to be stropped to be removed).

So what's the answer, do I polish my edge or leave them coarse? I don't know. I freely admit the advantages of a coarse edge for slicing, but I prefer a polished edge for ease of maintanence (and it looks really neat too).

I guess it boils down to if you're going to be doing a lot of slicing, a coarser edge is better. Otherwise, I think a polished edge is (IMHO) overall better. Now if only I could get a knife that could be both coarse and polished.

So what about you, what are your opinions?

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"Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav'n"
John Milton
There are only two types of people; those who understand this, and those who think they do.
 
Johan,

I agree with you! A polished, in my experience, is easier to maintain, than a coarse edge. I like the polished edge for almost all my skinning jobs.
 
I sharpen my blades to a fine edge, often involving stropping with chromium oxide. I usually don't leave the edge that way. I finish with fine ceramic rods, to give a little tooth to the edge, then I strop with plain leather (no polishing compound). For maintaining this edge I usually just strop with leather. For a little heavier maintenance I use a couple light strokes with a grooved steel and a few more with a smooth steel (essentially removing no material) then I do a few strokes with a ceramic "steel" to put the tooth back in the edge (this does remove a slight amount of material). Depending on time available I do a few strokes on plain leather after that. Variations on this approach can easily maintain an edge with a better slicing edge than a plain smooth one.

For a one-tool aproach I just use an extra-fine diamond bench hone. It gives a toothy edge when you first use it and using a light stropping motion you can maintain that edge quickly. The disadvantage is much faster blade wear.

[This message has been edited by Jeff Clark (edited 06-30-2000).]
 
I usually put a polished edge on a good quality knife that can hold a thin edge for a good amount of time. On mediocre knives, I finish with a hard Arkansas stone, and that leaves a toothy, but sharp edge.

Stropping is usually done with leather and some Turtlewax mild abrasives rubbed into the leather. I'm probably going to start using white and red rouge though.

It is my opinion that you shouldn't leave too fine of an edge on a knife that can't hold an edge very long, because it will dull way too quick and you'll have wasted your time polishing it. On Benchmade's and Emerson's and stuff, I prefer to leave a polished edge.


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Chang and the Rebels of the East!
Southern Taiwan Will Rise Again!
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I haven't tried this, but how about ASYMMETRICAL SHARPENING?
(polish one side,leave the other side coarse!)

I just thought about it, as a joke in the first place, but, really, wouldn't it work?

(if this catches on, don't forget to give me credit!)

Costas
 
Costas-That's an interesting idea, but essentially I'd still have a coarse edge. I'd only need to sharpen one side to create micro-serrations. Too bad it wouldn't work though, it would solve all my problems.
smile.gif


------------------
"Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav'n"
John Milton
There are only two types of people; those who understand this, and those who think they do.
 
I do almost exactly what Jeff has described. However as of late I have been rising the polish because the blades I have been using have exceptional geometries and will retain a decetn bite even when the finish is high.

If you sharpened the sides with dissimlar grits, the last side you went to the edge with would give the retained finish. Joe Talmadges partial finish is more functional where you just leave a bit at the front (or wherever) coarse.

-Cliff
 
One tip I got Joe Talmage was to take the knife to a polished edge and go back over it a couple strokes on the coarse stone. At least I think that was what Joe was talking about. He may have been just doing bottom part of his edge that way trying to emulate a 50/50 serrated / plain edge. I think there is some logic in this and the results were good but I find that for myself, after initialy profiling the bevels one time, a fes strokes on the medium Spyderco 204 stones gives a good edge. I steel as needed between sharpening.

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Roger Blake
 
I do almost exactly as Jeff and Cliff.

Chrome polish is more easily available than jewellers rouge. Spydercpo's white fine ceramics. Big blades a DMT.
 
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