trouble raising a burr?

D

derblott

Joined
May 24, 2006
Messages
8
I am trying to sharpen my griptilian for the first time on my sharpmaker. I either can't raise a burr, or am not detecting it. Although I believe its the former because my knife isn't getting very sharp. How long should it take on the medium stones in the 40 degree slots? Maybe I'm
pushing too hard? Or not hard enough?
 
Welcome to the forums:).

If you're following the instructions from the Sharpmaker DVD, you won't raise a burr. The way you raise a burr is by sharpening one side until you feel or see the burr. On the sharpmaker, you switch sides with each swipe. Most of the time, the issue is that you haven't reached the edge yet.

The magic marker trick works well. Shade in the edges on your knife with a permanent marker. Give it several swipes on the sharpmaker. If you look on the edge after swiping a few times, you'll be able to tell if you've reached the edge or not. If you haven't reached the edge, there will still be a shaded area near the edge. If that's the case, that means that you've got more metal to take off and depending on how much is left, it might be a lot more swipes.

Make sure you're holding it perfectly vertical on each side. Also, if it's not too late, try to stop before you reach the tip of the knife with each swipe. If you you're not carfeul to do that, you'll round out the tip, which is really hard to bring back.
 
thanks for the reply. i'm not using the DVD sharpmaker directions, i'm trying to follow the directions posted on the egforums. i'm just sharpening one side until a burr forms. i use magic marker and the marker disappears after a few swipes, so i'm pretty sure i'm at the correct angle and hitting the edge...but there's no burr? maybe i'm not feeling it correctly? is it visible?
 
I feel it using my thumb nail. If you can't feel it, it's most likely not there. I remember when I was first using the sharpmaker, I couldn't raise a burr on one side. Turned out that I was holding it slightly angled, which was causing me to just take off more metal without actually getting to the edge. You can also see a burr in light or with a flashlight.
 
Practice, practice, practice. I have never had much luck with "sharpening systems". I have a whole drawer full of them to prove my try at experimentations. You name it, I have it.

The ones that work for me are: a big fat Arkansas hard in a wooden box, a can of Buck honing oil, a big fat extra fine diamond, and a length of leather with a stick of chalk.

Sometimes I use a piece of computer paper to strop the edge. The absolute best way to learn is to buy a straight razor. Shave your face untill one day it wont. Sharpen it untill you learn to make it cut. Its not only the angle, its the pressure on the stone.

Work on some cheap steak/kitchen knives before you go to work on your favorite blade. A good test is when you can cut a particularly funny Dilbert cartoon out of the morning paper to post at work on the bulletin board, your blade will make 4 cuts that allow you to lift the cartoon out of the background with no effort.

My three cents anyway (adjusted for inflation)
 
ok, well i actually have a straight razor. and i can raise a burr on the thing in the 30 degree slots. i can feel the burr. i can raise it at will, on either side. but i can't get a burr on my griptilian! arrrg! maybe i'm just not being patient enough.

thanks for the help.

btw, i cant get the straight razor that sharp either, really. i raise the burr on either side, then carefully go back and forth in the 30 degree slots...then strop on my leather belt. but it still hurts to shave with it. :grumpy:
 
Straight razors should be honed flat on their sides, not at 30-degrees-inclusive. If you were over at one of the straight razor forums, they'd tell you that's horribly obtuse, even more so than the sharpening knuts here :p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top