What do i need ?

J

jackdaniel

Joined
Mar 2, 2016
Messages
11
Hi ! first of all sorry if my english sucks but its not my primary language

my question is about sharpening,i'll already have 3 stone (DMT 6INCH COARSE,DMT FINE/EXTRA FINE) )

i can get my knives very sharp,i can shave with it but its not cutting hair like some people on youtube..

so i would like to know which stone i need for the ultimate shaving edge + mirror polish

found this on amazon...Woodstock D1130 Japanese Waterstone, 1000 Grit and 6000 Grit

is this enough for mirror polish and razor sharp edge ?


thanks ! :rolleyes:
 
I don't have to much experience here but I would get a in between stone like 3 to 4 k grit. And maybe a 2 k as well Also do u have a strop?
 
You already have everything you need to achieve a polished edge that will pop hair. A strop is not really necessary. The only other thing I would suggest is a simple angle guide that clamps to the back of the blade (there are several makes available, just Google "angle guide"). Don't rush, start with the coarsest hone until you have a burr, then proceed to the finer hones.
 
ya i have a 'strop' but its not a leather strop

just a piece of blue jeans with compound (can't find any good strop on amazon CANADA) for the moment the jeans do the jobs but in the future i would like to have a real leather strop

so the japanese d1130 1000/6000 is enough ? or if you have another good stone for mirror/shaving finish

maybe a ceramic stone ? idk...i'm new to sharpening and there a lot of stone out there ! share your experience with ceramic/water stone i really want to know :)
 
DMT 6, 3, and 1 micron paste on a strop, the pastes were designed to be used after the EF hone. Balsa is often recommended and I use it myself but tend to prefer a harder wood, Poplar is cheap and with a little sanding will give you a good smooth surface to apply to. Harder strop substrates will yield a more precise edge with less rounding that's often experienced with softer strop materials.

Check out "The first sharpening" in my sig line, it covers a lot of what we are talking about here.
 
You mention having course, fine/extra fine stones.
When you sharpen, are you going straight from the course stone to the fine stone?

I wonder if a medium stone to help bridge that gap may help, as you could possibly be jumping the gun and doing fine honing when the bad isn't quite ready yet.

Other than that, the only thing i can think is that you should keep working on your technique.
Shaving hair is a decent test and if you're already there, the real question is how much you think you'll gain by going sharper.
 
Jason B. said:
DMT 6, 3, and 1 micron paste on a strop, the pastes were designed to be used after the EF hone. Balsa is often recommended and I use it myself but tend to prefer a harder wood, Poplar is cheap and with a little sanding will give you a good smooth surface to apply to. Harder strop substrates will yield a more precise edge with less rounding that's often experienced with softer strop materials.

Check out "The first sharpening" in my sig line, it covers a lot of what we are talking about here.
Click to expand...

This.^

It's a very smooth, easy and relatively inexpensive transition coming off the DMT sequence of hones. Used on a smooth & firm wood as Jason mentions, you'll see the polish come up FAST with the 3 micron paste especially, and the edge can be refined further with the 1 micron. These will get it done, and you don't really need any additional stones to get a 'mirror polish and razor sharp edge', as described. Shaving sharpness can come much earlier in the sequence (with varying degrees of comfort for shaving ;)), but the high mirror polish will need something beyond the DMT EF, which won't quite produce a mirror if finishing there; it leaves a very fine 'satin' finish, though extremely sharp.


David
 
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jackdaniel said:
Hi ! first of all sorry if my english sucks but its not my primary language

my question is about sharpening,i'll already have 3 stone (DMT 6INCH COARSE,DMT FINE/EXTRA FINE) )

i can get my knives very sharp,i can shave with it but its not cutting hair like some people on youtube..

so i would like to know which stone i need for the ultimate shaving edge + mirror polish

found this on amazon...Woodstock D1130 Japanese Waterstone, 1000 Grit and 6000 Grit

is this enough for mirror polish and razor sharp edge ?


thanks ! :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
I can't help but be curious about your motivations.

If you are interested in getting your knives as sharp as humanly possible, I can certainly understand that. For many people, achieving the sharpest edge possible is one way that they enjoy knives, and they will spend a lot buying various sharpening supplies for that purpose. And I say more power to them.

But if these knives you are sharpening are "users", as in- to be used as cutting tools, then I would imagine that the edge you are already getting (shaving sharp) is well suited for several cutting chores, and that it's not necessary to invest in more sharpening equipment.

There are many "tricks" that people can perform with extremely sharp knives, and youtube might be a good place to watch such tricks. But the edges they are producing to perform those tricks might not be at all suitable for a knife that is going to be used as a cutting tool.
 
I'd strongly consider adding a DMT EEF and just apply a microbevel with it coming off of the coarse, fine, or ef. Adding that stone to your line-up will allow you to customize your edge along the entire spectrum for whatever task you want.

The stropping paste is also a good idea, but adding the EEF hone will allow you to perhaps get by with just one strop, a 3 or 1 micron would do it. Used carefully, you wouldn't even need a strop, or maybe just strop on paper for quality control of very small burrs.
 
jackdaniel said:
Hi ! first of all sorry if my english sucks but its not my primary language

my question is about sharpening,i'll already have 3 stone (DMT 6INCH COARSE,DMT FINE/EXTRA FINE) )

i can get my knives very sharp,i can shave with it but its not cutting hair like some people on youtube..

so i would like to know which stone i need for the ultimate shaving edge + mirror polish

found this on amazon...Woodstock D1130 Japanese Waterstone, 1000 Grit and 6000 Grit

is this enough for mirror polish and razor sharp edge ?


thanks ! :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Hi,
Can you explain in more detail the steps of how you sharpen?
(raise a burr on coarse stone? avoid raising a burr? cutt off damaged metal as step 1 of sharpening? how many strokes is typical ...)

and the kind of sharpness you can achieve?
(can you push cut newspaper, how far from point of hold)

and the kind of sharpness you'd like to achieve?
(like kilgar asks, hobby or use? cooking ? face shaving? why mirror finish for looks?)

The grits of your DMTs are 45 micron, 25 micron, and 9 micron, ...
you should be able to get shaving sharp off the first stone, as in no hair left on arms, whittle beard hair , shave face if you're brave :)...

maybe all you need is to adjust your technique
 
Exactly what the others have said, stropping through the grits is the biggest noticeable change for an edge for someone who is good at using stones. No stropping is like finishing with a medium stone, stropping is like finishing with a fine if you understand. Jeans and canvas work just fine for strops.

Connor
 
my 'motivation' mr killgar is simply,i want to learn how to sharpen correctly a knife for my knowledge...trying to learn different thing in my life ;) i'm young (21) its just a challenge for me (that why i wanted the most shiny edge/razor blade)

and of course i really likes knives so

i'm gonna try hard more Thx guys for all of your advice ! have a great day
 
jackdaniel said:
my 'motivation' mr killgar is simply,i want to learn how to sharpen correctly a knife for my knowledge...trying to learn different thing in my life ;) i'm young (21) its just a challenge for me (that why i wanted the most shiny edge/razor blade)

and of course i really likes knives so

i'm gonna try hard more Thx guys for all of your advice ! have a great day
Click to expand...
Wanting to learn is a good thing. And since you expressed an interest in learning, I'll pass on some knowledge.

People often believe that "sharper is always better". They believe that getting a knife as sharp as humanly possible will serve them best for whatever task that want to use their knife for. But the idea that sharper is always better is incorrect.

For example- A knife with an extremely fine, super-sharp edge, like one that can whittle hairs or split copy paper, would not last very long if a person were going to be doing a lot of cutting, or cutting tough material like plastic, or wood, or cardboard, etc. Super fine/sharp edges are good for surgical scalpels and for performing knife tricks, but they're not good for a knife that a person is going to be using a lot as a basic cutting tool.

But these are things you will learn from experience, and trial an error. If you discover your super-sharp edges "rolling", or chipping, or getting dull quickly, you may discover that a thicker edge might work better for your needs.

Also, depending on what you are cutting, you may find that a smooth, mirror-polished edge doesn't cut as well as a rough, micro-serrated edge, like the kind of edge that is produced by using only a coarse hone.

There is no one perfect type of edge for all knife tasks.

As for myself, I learned these things several decades ago. For the past 30 years I've been using knives to earn a living, from working in landscaping, to a shipping dock, to construction, not to mention all the camping and other personal knife chores. And I've learned from experience what types of edges work best for me and my particular cutting needs.

Welcome to Bladeforums. You came to a good place to learn. And welcome to the world of knife sharpening. Sometimes it can seem complicated, and everyone has their own preferences, but the more you learn, and the more you practice, the easier it gets. It's always nice to see someone wanting to learn how to sharpen their own knives and become self-reliant. :)
 
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killgar said:
There is no one perfect type of edge for all knife tasks.
Click to expand...

This cannot be repeated often enough. Probably the best reason to pursue the brighter finish is that it requires a bit more attention to do it well - a smaller margin of error mechanically - and this will improve all your edges.

Just as important, if you cannot craft a finer finish you cannot discover for yourself what they are and are not good for, following which you will never again feel as though you are settling by stopping at a less refined edge.
 
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