What have I done?!?

M

Mr .44 Spl

Joined
Jul 9, 2009
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111
:eek: So I've got an S30V Blur that I really like, but never could get quite the edge I was looking for on it. I decided maybe I needed to reprofile it. Obviously this blade has a slight recurve to it, so I broke out the Sharpmaker and diamond rods and went to work.

One side of the blade was actually pretty close to the 30° set-up on the Sharpmaker and it didn't take that long to get the bevel pretty well set. The other side however may be the end of me. I've been working on it for thousands of strokes and only about half of the bevel is being met. The remainder of the bevel is still way off and it's starting to seem like I'm never going to get there.
:(
Any suggestions for getting this done before I fall over or my arm falls off?
 
I experienced a similar feeling, when I reprofiled a ZT-0350 (S30V) with my Lansky kit. Really 'educated' me on the 'abrasion resistant' character of that steel. Especially as the bevel gets wider, you have to remove a LOT more metal as you approach the apex of the edge.

I haven't tried the Sharpmaker's diamond rods, but I hear they leave something to be desired, when it comes to heavy reprofiling jobs on tough steels. They're not quite coarse enough to make quick work of that task. With the Sharpmaker, I'd at least try wrapping some coarse (220 grit, maybe lower) wet/dry sandpaper around your existing rods, and use that to complete the bevel. When the edge is apexed, then go back to your diamond/standard rods to finish.
 
Unfortunately your eyes don't lie. I have more knives with uneven bevels (left side doesn't equal the right) than are even.
It's a beautiful thing when you nail it. If your equipment is what it is than that is what you have to work with.
If it makes you feel any better. It took me the better part of two days to make my buddies Acies perfect on the WEPS.
I didn't rush it and I just worked it methodically until it was right.
Sharpening can be a humbling experience. Teaches patience for sure.
 
Make sure the edge is actually centered.
I've re-profiled a few blades assuming the edge was centered in the middle of the blade, and ended up with a sort of chisel grind edge.

As far as I can tell you just have to eyeball it. Sometimes the side of the edge that seems "proper" is actually the side that needs the most grinding.
 
Oh yeah, and go get a $10, 80 grit (or lower) garden tool sharpener for re-profiling, save the Sharpmaker rods for actually sharpening things.
 
Joshua J. said:
Make sure the edge is actually centered.
I've re-profiled a few blades assuming the edge was centered in the middle of the blade, and ended up with a sort of chisel grind edge.

As far as I can tell you just have to eyeball it. Sometimes the side of the edge that seems "proper" is actually the side that needs the most grinding.
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I've always worried about this exact thing. What's the best solution if you run into this problem? Sharpen to the apex then as you said eyeball it and if need be take some more off the smaller bevel then go say halfway on the other side?
 
I use a Norton coarse SiC stone with a guide to rebevel as it makes much quicker work of this type problem. DM
 
If you are certain you are holding the knife perpendicular on both sides, then trust yourself and accept that the edge isn't centered. You will get there quicker by working on the smaller bevel side to move the edge closer to center. I would grind on the smaller side until it looks as wide as the other side, and then check the other side.

GIVE UP!!! on trying to do this with the sharpmaker stones... I still haven't figured out why Sal hasn't gotten the clue and come up with a reprofile option for the sharpmaker, but the sharpmaker diamond stone is only for light duty work. I reprofiled my s30v native to down around 25 degrees which made the bevel a little larger than an eighth inch wide, using a 120 mesh DMT stone for skis with their aligner kit. By the time I aproached the 1/8" width, the 120 mesh diamond was having trouble making a dent, and I was really grinding away. I didn't spend all day, but it was a tough job. I shutter to think how this would have been using the sharpmaker.

I have taped the stones David Martin mentioned to my sharpmaker stones, but gave up pretty soon as I found using my DMT aligner with their XXC ski repair hone a whole lot quicker and more accurate.
 
When doing a major change to an edge bevel on a knife, I use a DMT extra coarse stone. If you do it correctly, you can even set one against the Sharpmaker so that you have the same angle.

DMTcartoon.jpg
 
A couple rubber bands work well to secure a stone like that. I usually just eyeball it with an old Craftsman lawnmower hone- feels like about 80 grit.
 
I've been working on my para2 for 2 days now with the EC DMT stone. It's still not ready to move onto the coarse stone yet. Once it reaches a certian point it takes forever to progress. It sure is looking beautiful though. I tried to reprofile a blade with the coarse spyderco ceramics one time. I sold my sharpmaker because it made me so mad and it was a couple years before I bought another. Now I use it strictly for touchups.
 
ssblood said:
I've been working on my para2 for 2 days now with the EC DMT stone. It's still not ready to move onto the coarse stone yet. Once it reaches a certian point it takes forever to progress. It sure is looking beautiful though. I tried to reprofile a blade with the coarse spyderco ceramics one time. I sold my sharpmaker because it made me so mad and it was a couple years before I bought another. Now I use it strictly for touchups.
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2 days with an extra coarse DMT? really? i'd say you're having a prob with your technique. what edge angle are you trying to achieve?
 
I'd ask how many minutes or hours for each of the two days? Some folks don't have as much free time to sharpen so a day's worth of sharpening might be 15 minutes. Might be twelve hours too. Who knows.
 
Beanman13 said:
I'd ask how many minutes or hours for each of the two days? Some folks don't have as much free time to sharpen so a day's worth of sharpening might be 15 minutes. Might be twelve hours too. Who knows.
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even at 15 minutes a day for 2 days, that's a half hour with extra coarse diamond. i have both re-profiled and worked small chips out of the edge of my para 2 (s30v) in about 2-3 minutes using 200 grit diamond. ssblood is having a problem with his technique and he is over sharpening the steel IMO.
 
I'll take your word for it. I don't have an XC so it's something I don't have a feel for time-wise. That being the case it sounds like you've got to be absolutely right though.

I have every DMT grit aside from XXC and XC. That being the case would you recommend the XC next in line for moderate chip removal and reprofiling over the XXC? Seems like the XXC might be overkill and quite a grit jump to overcome.
 
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This is one reason why I love my Wicked Edge.....makes re profiling an edge cake. You can set each side and get repeatable results on each side.
 
if you want to sharpen or reprofile a v edge fast you can get a set of paper wheels and do it in a few minutes. just practice first on some old knives first before moving to your good knives. you can get set up with the wheels for around $100.
 
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