Up-leveling my sharpening game

R.Russell

R.Russell

Gold Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2009
Messages
625
Hey folks,

I've been freehand sharpening for many many years, have a nice set of diamond stones and Shapton glass stones up to 16k for finishing and strops and pastes... I've mostly worked on kitchen knives with this set.

Looking at getting a Worksharp Ken Onion or Hapstone Ultra for smaller knives and getting crisp lines. I will start making my own knives at some point... Leaning towards Hapstone.

Any guidance for me? Do any professional knife makers use the Hapstone system or just finish on a narrow grinder belt and strop it?

Would appreciate any thoughts on the matter.

Russell
 
For my small knife Sharpening, such as folders and small fixed blades I wanted more consistency in the edge, and nicer grind lines than a belt grinder can provide.

I sharpened a lot of folders by hand and while I prefer a coarser edge (600 grit) on my folders its not always the best looking and not something I would hand to a customer very often. The level of difficulty compared to a kitchen knife also makes the juice not worth the squeeze.

I ended up with a Tormek T8 and 600 grit diamond wheel. The edge is pretty amazing off this machine, I like it so much many of my personal blade sport it and customers ask for it by name. Its the kind of tool where you can have a bad day and still make a great edge, hard to say the same for hand or belt sharpening.
 
Jason B. said:
For my small knife Sharpening, such as folders and small fixed blades I wanted more consistency in the edge, and nicer grind lines than a belt grinder can provide.

I sharpened a lot of folders by hand and while I prefer a coarser edge (600 grit) on my folders its not always the best looking and not something I would hand to a customer very often. The level of difficulty compared to a kitchen knife also makes the juice not worth the squeeze.

I ended up with a Tormek T8 and 600 grit diamond wheel. The edge is pretty amazing off this machine, I like it so much many of my personal blade sport it and customers ask for it by name. Its the kind of tool where you can have a bad day and still make a great edge, hard to say the same for hand or belt sharpening.
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Thanks for your response. So with a recurve shape on the Tormek you would manipulate the blade and use the corner of the wheel to hit the inside curve? Do you use the guides or freehand with the Tormek, or both? Thanks a lot.
R
 
I pretty much only sharpen recurves on a belt sander. If you have the stone wheel its possible but I still think you would run into problems. Larger the curve and belly the more distortion you have in the bevel as it changes angle moving up and down the curvature of the wheel. I dont move the knife around like some do when using the tormek, so I guess you could compensate, but keeping that bevel on a single plane while adding a 3rd axis is going to be extremely difficult.

I only use it with the guides. I've tried freehand on the tormek but its not easy.
 
R.Russell said:
Thanks for your response. So with a recurve shape on the Tormek you would manipulate the blade and use the corner of the wheel to hit the inside curve? Do you use the guides or freehand with the Tormek, or both? Thanks a lot.
R
Click to expand...
I am not a knife maker, just sharpen with a small growing business and have been sharpening many years.
I also sharpen on a Tormek T8. (I am all-in on guided sharpening and honing for multiple reasons).
For recurve edges I use a CBN wheel with radiused corners. It does a perfect job. Recurve blades just flow across the curved corners. Probably easier than a straight edge.
I have done recurves, and still do when needed on belt machines but prefer the edge created by a 10” whetstone. Belts are ok on larger recurve knives and create a nice convex edge. On pocket or smaller recurve knives, using belt sanders/ KO, not so much (IMHO). They can straighten out the curve over multiple sharpenings if you’re not careful.
You mentioned that you are considering knife making in the future. I would lean towards a variable or low speed 1x30 over the KO. I have a couple 1x30’s and a KO (blade grinding attachment). The KO sits on the shelf pouting as it rarely gets any love. Not that it’s not effective, it is a great tool. That’s what I used a couple years along the road, I just find the 1x30’s faster and more versatile.
Honestly, I just find the bevels created by the Tormek to be very appealing visually and functionally. Other guided systems are fine and do as well and better in some situations. Depends on your preference and budget of course.
 
Gottagofishn said:
I am not a knife maker, just sharpen with a small growing business and have been sharpening many years.
I also sharpen on a Tormek T8. (I am all-in on guided sharpening and honing for multiple reasons).
For recurve edges I use a CBN wheel with radiused corners. It does a perfect job. Recurve blades just flow across the curved corners. Probably easier than a straight edge.
I have done recurves, and still do when needed on belt machines but prefer the edge created by a 10” whetstone. Belts are ok on larger recurve knives and create a nice convex edge. On pocket or smaller recurve knives, using belt sanders/ KO, not so much (IMHO). They can straighten out the curve over multiple sharpenings if you’re not careful.
You mentioned that you are considering knife making in the future. I would lean towards a variable or low speed 1x30 over the KO. I have a couple 1x30’s and a KO (blade grinding attachment). The KO sits on the shelf pouting as it rarely gets any love. Not that it’s not effective, it is a great tool. That’s what I used a couple years along the road, I just find the 1x30’s faster and more versatile.
Honestly, I just find the bevels created by the Tormek to be very appealing visually and functionally. Other guided systems are fine and do as well and better in some situations. Depends on your preference and budget of course.
Click to expand...
This is really helpful, and makes total sense.

Does anyone make a diamond Tormek style stone with radius corners? Seems like only CBN ones are available. Was thinking of going mostly or all diamond if I get the Tormek...

Thanks a lot
 
Gottagofishn said:
I don’t know of any, maybe someone else will chime in.
Just curious, why not CBN?
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I had read somewhere that CBN won't cut it with some of the super steels but I'm not sure that's such a big concern after studying more about it. Seems the shape of the boron nitride crystal keeps its shape better than the diamonds under higher wear like you'd see with wheels and belts // apparently diamonds do wear and produce graphite. but with the Tormek water cooling it shouldn't shouldn't be a factor. I guess potentially with care and a proper use a diamond wheel may last longer...
bla bla bla essentially CBN should be fine.

I think my setup will be a lower grit stone like 180 in diamond, a CBN stone with radius corners at 600 then move to the leather wheel with diamond compound to finish.

I have glass stones to take things finer freehand with kitchen knives if desired.
 
I don’t have any diamond wheels but have heard the finish is “softer” whatever that means. I’m happy with the CBN’s, they do everything I ask them to do. I do like the radius edges but there are times you need a wheel without them, like on small pocket knives.
Sharpening is a journey, at least it has been with me. I have far more equipment related to sharpening than I ever thought necessary. There are so many configurations of knives, sometimes what you want to sharpen won’t work with your equipment…
 
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Finish produced by an abrasive depends not only on grit size but also on grit protrusion and grit shape, among other factors. Diamond and CBN have somewhat different shapes, and also different methods of binding will lead to different feedback and grit protrusion, and thusly different finishes.
 
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