What grit do you finish the edge at when profiling?

[Matt Rochester]

Im probably overthinking this but when you profile your knives do you leave the edge at 50 or so like the rest of the knife? I’ve never looked at my edges under magnification but I was thinking how leaving 36-50 grit scratches running the length of the edge would effect the final edge? I understand that when sharpening you take the edge as close to zero as the steel will allow but am still curious. Anyway, I’m just working on a few knives this afternoon and had some random questions pop in my head.

 

[AVigil]

50 grit to profile, then 220 grit to remove the 50 scratches

 

[Matt Rochester]

50 grit to profile, then 220 grit to remove the 50 scratches

Usually, at some point, I end up hitting the edge with something finer than my profiling belt. Just curious if leaving it was a disadvantage.

 

[AVigil]

50 grit at the edge could form stress risers and crack in heat treat

 

[Stromberg Knives]

I take my profiles to 120 grit before heat treating.

 

[GoldSkula]

I take my profiles to 120 grit before heat treating.

Same

 

[samuraistuart]

I used to go to 220 lengthwise prior to HT. Now I do 80 grit lengthwise. No issues at all. But that 80 grit edge prior to HT ends up as a 400 grit “flat” post HT after grinding and hand finish.

 

[Matt Rochester]

I used to go to 220 lengthwise prior to HT. Now I do 80 grit lengthwise. No issues at all. But that 80 grit edge prior to HT ends up as a 400 grit “flat” post HT after grinding and hand finish.

I’m not worried about it as far as stress risers or anything like that as I mostly use stainless steels. I was wondering about the effect on the final edge or more if there were any? It was just a thought.

 

[butcher_block]

i clean up with 220 but most of that is due to wanting a cleaner finish for scribing grind lines in the dyekem