Very basic questions about sharpening

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StarryNight

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Aug 1, 2023
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Hi all, I'm new to sharpening. Been doing a bunch of reading on and off this forum and haven't been able to figure this out so maybe yall can help!

When I tip my Mora carving knife up to the light, I see a line of light reflecting off the edge of the knife. Is this the microbevel... or just what the edge of any blade looks like? If I want to sharpen this knife (and remove the supposed microbevel) do I need to keep sharpening until this line of reflecting light is gone?

Thanks so much for your help

 
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It's the edge, from the pictures I can't tell if the edge has any microbevel at all.
The rest of the blade is patina'd, so any removal of material will look shinier. More sharpening will lead to more shine.
But a true microbevel will be out with the next sharpening.
 
It looks like a micro bevel that has been touched up enough times to almost be a proper secondary bevel.

At this point you could continue to sharpen the micro/secondary bevel making it basically a sabre grind, or sharpen the scandi grind until you get a burr on both sides(so, yes until the reflection of that micro bevel is gone) and then leave it full scandi or reapply another micro bevel.

Most if not all Mora's come with a micro bevel from the factory, presumably for added edge strength. A full scandi will be slightly better for carving etc. but the edge will be more prone to rolling. A sabre grind is probably not quite as good as either for wood carving. I think most people would tend to micro bevel and deburr in one process, but you could deburr using the same sharpening angle as the full scandi if you want better finesse.
 
Thx for the responses. Is there a surefire way that you might suggest to tell the difference?

The knife that I've been trying sharpen is the one on the bottom. I'm just not getting a burr at all. The angle is of course an easy one and the sharpie confirms to me that I'm not off the mark. Maybe this indicates that I just need to keep going with it? But I'm using a DMT extra coarse stone. I would have thought that I would have made quick work of a microbevel and started to make a burr by now.
 
StarryNight said:
Thx for the responses. Is there a surefire way that you might suggest to tell the difference?

The knife that I've been trying sharpen is the one on the bottom. I'm just not getting a burr at all. The angle is of course an easy one and the sharpie confirms to me that I'm not off the mark. Maybe this indicates that I just need to keep going with it? But I'm using a DMT extra coarse stone. I would have thought that I would have made quick work of a microbevel and started to make a burr by now.
https://machance-casino-en-ligne.com/ find the review here
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Yes, you may just need to keep going. The micro bevel can be very thin and difficult to remove, especially if you are using a rough stone.
 
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StarryNight said:
Thx for the responses. Is there a surefire way that you might suggest to tell the difference?

The knife that I've been trying sharpen is the one on the bottom. I'm just not getting a burr at all. The angle is of course an easy one and the sharpie confirms to me that I'm not off the mark. Maybe this indicates that I just need to keep going with it? But I'm using a DMT extra coarse stone. I would have thought that I would have made quick work of a microbevel and started to make a burr by now.
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Tell the difference for what? If you are trying to sharpen the scandi grind, then there is a comparatively large amount of material to remove compared to a normal secondary bevel. It will take some time even with a coarse stone.

Once you start to get close enough to apexing that the micro bevel starts disappearing, just do a few passes at a time and feel for the burr. Some sort of loupe or magnifying system will probably help detecting when you are close to getting to the apex.
 
Welcome to the forum.
A ton of knowledge here, folks, threads, pics, comments.
 
The actual woodcarving-dedicated models from Mora typically do not have a microbevel from the factory. Their general utility models, however, do have one, and it is a good and true microbevel. A lot of confusion revolves around the word and it is often misused on standard edge bevels or secondary bevels, but a true microbevel is small enough that it should require deliberate scrutiny under good lighting conditions to see it.

It appears these knives have been sharpened repeatedly at a lifted angle to the point of the microbevel turning into a plain ol' secondary bevel.
 
If you are going to sharpen like a traditional scandi knife, then It could be helpful to mark the secondary bevel with a black sharpie or magic marker. This way you can see when you have begun to reach it with your stone.
 
If you try to remove that bevel -- whether you want to call it a micro-bevel or just an edge bevel -- it is going to take FOREVER unless you use a belt sander. I'd recommend maintaining that bevel, or possibly laying it back a little bit if you want a more acute edge.
 
I don’t see any evidence of sharpening marks on the primary bevel. If you continue the way you are the microbevel will get larger and larger.

I would lay the primary bevel flat and start on the stone and take a few strokes each time I sharpened the micro bevel.

I use sand paper on a smooth flat surface at the edge of my bench. Usually I use a worn out diamond bench stone for this. But any smooth surface will work.

Use a relatively coarse grit on the flats and fine on the edge bevel.

These pictures of a full flat grind I did might help you. It gets ugly before it gets better.

Originally
view


After a while You will see all the low spots the factory grind hid Also notice my lines are much finer than theirs are

view


still a work in progress polishing past this point gets really tedious So I will maintain this level

view


Notice my lines go length wise their lines go across the blade. The long lines help the knife slice better. That is the difference between hand done and done on a belt sander. Only you can decide if a knife is worth the effort or not.

In my opinion, this treatment is necessary on flat ground blades. Or the edge will keep getting thicker as you sharpen up the blade. This is the advantage to hollow ground blades.
 
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Sharpie is your friend. Color the bevel and lightly skim a 220 grit over the edge. If there's a micro bevel. You'll see it. Color the entire length of the edge. Especially the apex (The very tip of the blade).

And if you don't have a jewellers loupe. You'll really enjoy having one. For the best edge you can do, it's a required tool. 10x is all you need. Even if the Sharpie is rubbed off. Get down there and take a look. Make sure you're removing the previous scratches from the last grit.
 
Mora ( Morakniv ) does a micro bevel ..
Might want to get yourself one of those cheap jewellers magnifiers .. I have 3 sitting in front of me now !
Around 30x should let you see the edge .
 
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