What am I doing wrong? Sharpening Question

OilMan

OilMan

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May 6, 2004
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OK, I've picked up 2 used Swamp Rats lately (Rat Mastiff and a Ratweiler) and when I re-profile them on my Edgepro I can get parts that are very sharp and then parts that have chips out of the edge and don't cut for crap. I then have to run my edge directly into the stone to get rid of the chipped part and start all over again. Originally I thought it might be because I was grinding in both directions so I did a cycle only grinding on the push stroke. Still pitted. Tried putting a micro bevel on it. It microbevels, and the sharp part stays sharp, but the pitted part stays pitted too. I'm about ready to sell these but I hate to give up cuz I really like the ergos of the handle.

I sent the Ratweiler in to Swamp Rat but haven't heard anything yet on it.

And before you dismiss me as a tard in general, I've never had these issues with any of my Busses, RATs, CRKs, or any other knives I've reprofiled. Just these two Swamp Rats. Does the steel just not like me?

TIA,

Greg
 
To avoid mowing my lawn i just did it again. Full burr down one side, full burr down the other side. One pass on the other side again to cut the burr off. Hold edge up to the light and the first 2 or 3 inches from the tip are perfectly smooth and the rest is pitted. Some areas worse than others. I ran it through some cardboard and it cuts that ok but like I said, the tip will shave beautifully and the rest saws it's way though the medium.

Just to make sure I wasn't losing it I reprofiled a damascus folder quick and it worked fine. I don't get it. And now I've got to go mow.:grumpy:
 
Steel flaw or something? Cause it sure sounds like you aren't doing anything wrong in the sharpening dept.
 
I would agree but then I must have the worst luck on the planet because the Ratweiler that I recently picked up was the exact same way.:(
 
I am unfamiliar with the EdgePro, though I understand it's a great tool. You sound like you've some experience at sharpening so I think you did the right thing in sending the knife back.

Maybe as you tried over and over to sharpen the pitted areas the edge just became too thick?
 
The Edgepro sets a constant angle for you so the edge should have stayed the same I'm thinking.
 
The Swamp Rats come from the factory with a convex edge. That might be causing what you're experiencing. I usually resharpen them with a piece of sandpaper wrapped around a foam sanding block. When they need reprofiling, I do it with a belt sander against the slack part of the belt (not against the platen). A $10 wooden paddle strop from Lee Valley loaded up with the green paste works great for touching up.
 
Oil man I was concerned so I sharpened up my Ratmandu on my edge pro apex today. I set the angle on the yellow dot.Took a while to reprofile the edge but I got it up to the 3000 tape with no chip outs. It is shaving sharp along the entire edge.If it wasn't for you having difficulties with both blades I would chalk it up to a bad heat treat but I am baffled.I do know it took me a lot more work to get the tip reprofiled the the rest of the edge. What dot did you have yours set at?
 
I've also got a RatManDu and reprofiled it with 0 problems on the Edgepro. It's the older SRT line I'm having issues with.:o I'm thinking they were differentially heat treated, no?:confused: Got to looking at other knives I've done on it and in the light the edges are all perfectly smooth. Except the Mastiff. (And the Ratweiler I sent to SR already.):confused::confused:
 
My mistake:o for some reason my brain interpreted Ratweiler as Ratmandu. Oh well hope you get it straitened out.
 
OilMan said:
I've also got a RatManDu and reprofiled it with 0 problems on the Edgepro. It's the older SRT line I'm having issues with.:o I'm thinking they were differentially heat treated, no?:confused: Got to looking at other knives I've done on it and in the light the edges are all perfectly smooth. Except the Mastiff. (And the Ratweiler I sent to SR already.):confused::confused:
Click to expand...


Can't help you with the edge-pro, but yes, they are differentially heat treated.
 
I wussed out and sold the two Ratweilers and the Rat Mastiff is still on the block. If I have to sharpen them a certain way for them to get sharp I'd rather move on to something that doesn't. And like I said, it's odd that I've never had any issues with any other knife other than these 2 seperate SRT Swamp Rats. And I've sharpened nonSRT SRs in the past with no issues too.?? I don't get it.:confused:

And I recieved the one I sent back to the shop and it looked like they just stropped it but there was no note or anything telling me what they found. It had a clean edge that would cut paper when I got it back though. I wish they would have V ground it and polished it like I did as the stropping didn't really prove anything. Either way they are on to a new home now.

thanks for everyones help though,

Greg McKean
OilMan
 
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