What am I doing wrong?

Uncle Screwtape · May 7, 2000

I have recently purchaced a Desert Warfare Mean Street, (Thanks again Andy!) and must say that I am impressed with the knife. Although I have researched the edge fairly well, the process of sharpening it to a degree that coincides with those results posted here by Mr. Stamp eludes me.

I use it daily at work; cutting burlap from tree root balls, pruning small limbs from various shrubbery, cutting weed eater line, etc. The edge performs well, but I have yet to restore the edge to the degree of sharpness of some of my other knives. I use a Chris Reeve project II as a benchmark for this knife gets truely "scary sharp".

The restored edge of my Mean Street will shave, but only with the flat bevel pressed against my arm. Initially, a wire burr was created by my first sharpening efforts, and I was unable to remove it with ceramic rods; however, a diamond hone removed it after a few passes. Ceramics then restored the edge.

Are my expectations regarding the degree of sharpness misguided? I.e., since the edge is ground differently, is it not designed for the same sort of edge as the Reeve? Or, am I just doing it all wrong?

Wondering,

Screwtape

Strabs · May 7, 2000

Ahhh. A man after my own heart

Cutting burlap and sisal has been about the only action my DW Mean Street has seen so far ( besides occasional hacking on trees that will be culled). So far I've not needed to sharpen yet, though after each day I make about 6-12 passes (alternating sides) on a Raz. R. Steel and it tends to stay (so far) hair popping sharp on both sides.

Johan · May 7, 2000

I had problems getting my two Busses back to scarry sharp too (in the end I ground off the convex edge and that solved my problem). I talked with Jerry about my problems and he concluded that the problem was a micro-bevel or "feather edge" as he called it. So fine that it will just flip-flop from side to side. Jerry's advice was to strop the edge to remove the feather. He said that INFI requires little grinding, but a LOT of stropping. Try this, I hope it helps.

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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.

Uncle Screwtape · May 7, 2000

Thanks guys,
Strabs; do you find that the flat side has a very slight angle to it? In addition to the daily rigors, I dropped it on an aggregate driveway as well. It landed on the edge, about 1/2'' from the tip, bounced like a rubber ball for a bit. The only visable damage {to the naked eye, I do not have a scanning electron microscope Cliff

} was a small ding near the point of impact. I may try a butchers steel to see if I can shave with both sides. I take it you are in the Landscape business as well?

Johan; I have yet to purchace a strop, but am determined to keep the edge like it is. Initially I did create a small micro/feather/burr whatever, and it did flop back and forth until I removed it with the diamond hone. The edge of my Battle Mistress is now similar to that of the Reeve, it is still convex, just has a steeper angle to it.

There is a leather shop in my hometown that makes all sort of clothing, riding tackle, etc...is there a certain prerequisite pattern that must be adhered to in order to create a "proper strop"?

Still wondering,

Screwtape

Johan · May 8, 2000

Scretape, all you need for a strop is some smooth leather. I used some leather from an old tool pouch and glued it to a wooden strip so I could have a handle. Then I loaded up the leather with a polishing compound (availible from most woodworking stores) and that's all that's to it. For stropping the convex side you might want to use a thicker leather. Hope this helps.

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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.

Cliff Stamp · May 8, 2000

As for the Busse / Reeves question, I was using a Battle Mistress, Project I and #7 Basic yesterday limbing out and cutting up small pine and spruce trees, about 3-5 diameter at base. I think I did about 7 or so in total and did the limbing in a moronic way as to maximize blade wear (slam it through instead of angling to notch). When I sharpened them that night it took about 10 on canvas and between 10 and 30 strokes on a strop load with a CrO compound to get them shaving sharp. By this I mean that the edge should take hairs off with no pressure on the skin and not irritate it.

Initially, a wire burr was created by my first sharpening efforts

What exactly did you do to get this? What were you using and with what method?

-Cliff

Uncle Screwtape · May 8, 2000

Cliff,
I used a white ceramic rod; 8-10 strokes away from the edge on the flat side...a few more on the convex side. The edge on my Mean Street would not shave with "no" effort when new. This is why I was wondering if my expectations where misguided regarding the edge. The Reeve and Busse are two different animals. Anyway, this is how I created the wire burr.

The angle used on the flat side was not completely flat for I noticed that when I attempted this, the edge was not being touched at all by the rod. It was very nearly flat.

Did you purchace or manufacture your strop?

Screwtape

Strabs · May 8, 2000

Uncle, yes the flat side has an edge w/ a small pitch/angle ground (more noticable on a larger Busse) probably to increase the meat behind the edge for strength, in fact your question makes me wonder how the edge would perform if the convex edge didn't have the angle on yhe opposite side ( kind of like a convex grind to a chisel point/ flat on opposite side). Maybe Cliff could shed some light on this

p.s. no landscaping for me, managing a nursery is my kind of fun ( nice rain shortage were having up here in the good ol Land of Lincoln

Cliff Stamp · May 9, 2000

If there was only one side to the edge and the other side was the primary grind, the edge would be rather fragile in terms of impacts. It would cut very well though until it distorted as the profile would be very acute.

-Cliff