what angle on Sharpmaker for GEC and Case slip joints?

[jc57]

Sharpmaker ceramic rods tend to easily cause burrs on Case's stainless when used with anything other than light pressure. It is somewhat ductile and so tends to smear more than abrade with the ceramics for some reason. Stropping helps out with the Tru-sharp for me.

You also don't want to spend too much time on that steel or you end up just flopping the burr back and forth, or removing and recreating constantly.

I used to spend a lot of time with a Sharpmaker myself on Case knives. Finally taught myself to freehand and I find that it works much better. Best result for me is from a Fine Norton India then soft/hard Arkansas then strop. Not much time on any stone. If I need to get the initial bevel set, then Coarse India. You can raise a full length burr on a coarse India on that steel in just a few passes.

I try to deburr on the coarsest stone in whatever progression I am using so that all I am doing on the finer stones is polishing/refining the already sharp edge. That's why I don't like to spend much time on the finer stones - I don't want to create a new burr, though I do watch for it and try to keep it to a minimum. No need for a fresh burr at each level - you already apexed it on the coarsest stone if you did it right.

Real world, I am MUCH lazier than what I just laid out. I have a Norton Economy SiC combo stone in my desk. If I have a knife where the edge is a little dull - a few light passes on the fine side (so about 320 grit) then straight to strop, and back in my pocket. I only do that whole shtick if it's a new knife that needs the initial edge set.

Case's CV steel is easier to sharpen because the burr is not as tenacious. The SS is not much harder to sharpen once you get used to it.

 

[TheChunk91]

The way I use a sharpmaker, and in my opinion the optimal way to use it, is for putting microbevels on an edge that has already been set to an even degree on both sides. The sharpmaker is ideal for touching up an edge until the apex gets too weakened to maintain itself well and needs to be de-stressed and redone from a coarse stone.

Factory edges on traditional knives are frequently too steep for the sharpmaker to work really well like it does on something like a spyderco with a 15 dps edge from the factory, unless you get the diamond or cbn rods that you can actually reprofile with.

 

[colubrid]

I don't see an apex any longer on the SS Peanut. I worked it for 3 hours now. I used the diamond rods and the course and fine.. back and forth. Light passes and hard passes. Now it looks like I took a bit of blade real estete off the brand new knife.

I think I am just going to give up cause the burr won't go away and get CV from now on. Thing won't cut worth a dang.

 

[colubrid]

I think the problem with my knife is that Case did an uneven sharpening job. The burr stays on one side- the same side each time. The opposite side looks like it is unsharpened...kinda like an emerson.

 

[r8shell]

I think the problem with my knife is that Case did an uneven sharpening job. The burr stays on one side- the same side each time. The opposite side looks like it is unsharpened...kinda like an emerson.

Yes, that's what I mean by having an asymmetrical edge. On one side, you are hitting the apex. You go to remove the burr on the other side, and you are just hitting the shoulder. Mark the edge with a sharpie, and keep sharpening that side until you actually are all the way to the apex. Only then will you be able to remove the burr.

 

[JD Bear]

I have the same issue with the clip blade on a medium stockman that has tru-sharp. I can get a great edge on the sheepsfoot and spey, but can't get a decent edge on the clip. I only use the sharpmaker and I've put a lot of time into that one blade with no results. I believe I read someone mentioning the heat treat having something to do with it. Kinda sucks because I don't carry it and it's a great looking olive green bone...

 

[Modoc ED]

There is one important tip/instruction that Sal gives on the CD Instructional Video and that is to "break the edges of the Sharpmaker rods". He shows the method to do this as one would do with touching up the edge of a knife using a steel (long, round, steel, rod).

Another good point someone gave above is the clean the sharpmaker rods frequently. I use powdered,, Comet Cleanser and a Scotch Brite pad with HOT WATER.

You might consider buying a set of Lansky 4-rod, turn box, ceramic rods. They are what I use now with great results.

Two hours is just toooooooooooooo long.

Frank's method above is perfect for getting a good edge.

 

[jc57]

I use powdered,, Comet Cleanser and a Scotch Brite pad with HOT WATER

I have used Comet myself, but I find Bar Keeper's Friend (the powder, not the liquid) works better.

I can't comprehend spending hours on Case SS. Minutes is more like it, and usually less than 5. (Exception - brand new knife and you are establishing "your" edge for the first time. That might take 15 minutes or so, 20 if it has 3 blades.)

I have a 6437 Stockman that I leave in the kitchen as a general purpose quick grab knife. I've been using it a lot to break down cardboard boxes and the clip had developed a shiny spot (i.e. dull area) in the belly of the blade near the tip. I ran it across a hard Arkansas, just dry, didn't feel like messing with oil, maybe 10 swipes per side.. Then I stropped on a home-made leather strop with some green buffing compound on it. Again, no more than 10 strokes per side, if that many. Light to moderate pressure.

Boom, sharp again. I have a shredded catalog cover and bare spot on the back of my hand to prove it. 5 minutes tops, and that includes walking from the kitchen to my office where I keep the strop.

I am not looking for photo-quality edges. I just want to cut up some cardboard now and then. Case Tru-Sharp seems to work well with a less refined edge. I wouldn't call it "toothy" but I don't see a need for a full progression. Their CV is a nice fine-grained steel and if you want to go up over 1000 grit that's a better steel for it. You certainly CAN, and I have, put a near mirror edge on the SS. Shaves better that way. But not needed for boxes.