Sometimes an otherwise normal fellow might form a relationship with a knife, and over time and after a few adventures, the knife is given a name. The elegant and fashionable green-and-orange knife's name is The Shovel. It gets hard use, and that is all I will say about that.
The 20 degree per side edge was nicked and flattened, especially around the curve. Again, it is none of anybody's business how it got that way. This was not deliberate abuse. like when a YouTube person deliberately drags an edge across a brick twenty times. I'll settle for semi-deliberate.
I first tried a couple of soft Arkansas stones. 1095 on an Arkansas stone, who can argue with that? But the Arks were not up to this job. Twenty to forty edge leading strokes per side did not reach an apexor grind out the divots. That's too slow, for non-guided sharpening by someone at my skill level. Too many strokes lead to an ugly, unevenly convex bevel, and puts too much wear on a stone that is inadequate for the particular job. A touch-up or normal sharpening would be different, but this rose to the level of repair, so more serious measures were called for.
I broke out the 10x4" DMT Fine diamond stone pictured in the photographic photograph, below. Six hundred thingies, 25 micron per the manufacturer. I lubed it with soapy water, set it atop the same stone holder many guys use, and got religious. Blue plastic 16 degree angle guides help me establish a pretty flat, consistent 20 degree per side bevel. The DMT stone, which I consider a bargain at $100-115US shipped and taxed, leaves a smooth, even scratch pattern on even the hardest steel that is ready for another stage of sharpening or ready to cut hair and receipt paper straight off the stone.
I wasn't intending to further polish a knife named The Shovel, so I used a new favorite one-stone-one-strop formula: One 600 grit or mesh stone, and one strop at about twice that grit. I followed the 600 grit diamond stone with a DIY strop consisting of flattened balsa wood charged with 12 micron Jende diamond spray. I charged this strop with a light treatment of the Jende solution just one time, and I have been extremely pleased with it. You can feel and hear the coarseness as you gently drag the bevel over the firm surface, it feels like it is cutting rather than polishing. How many strops can you
hear grinding?!?!
I don't think I am raising a burr at the apex by using edge-leading strokes, so I don't think I am deburring anything, but no more than 5 strokes per side on the balsa strop noticeably improved hair-shaving and receipt paper cutting performance. Not that The Shovel will be used to shave or show off with Paper Tricks, but it is an almost-fancy-sharp 20 degree edge on 1095, which I consider reasonable. I originally sharpened this one to about 17 degrees per side, and a few minutes with cardboard dulled the edge way too much. I think 20 is more responsible and mature for this knife. Maybe try 25 somewhere down the road.
Here are all of the tools used. I am stripping down the process and getting good, efficient results using one stone and one strop for most sharpening.
I usually would include a felt-tipped pen in the process, but I didn't bother in this case. I don't remember why.
. I think I need a coarser stone to start out with. The set I ended up getting starts at 150. Feels like I need something a little coarser. Thanks for the recommendation by the way 
Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr
Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr
Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr
Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr
Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr
Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr
