What is your favorite, and why? Coarse/polished

slimshaneee

slimshaneee

Joined
Jun 24, 2008
Messages
1,410
I can whittle hairs with knives I have sharpened. I have a strop and polish my edges normally.

However, I have been amazed twice by the way 2 different benchmades have cut through things so effortlessly. I look and they have coarse finishes on their edge.

Anyone noticed better performance from a toothier edge like that? What DMT stone do you think would match the benchmade toothiness?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts, experience, and time!
Shane
 
Toothy edges perform better on draw cuts and polished edges excel at push cuts.
I use both but prefer polished
 
a toothy edge will cut some things better than a polished edge, *at least until the polished edge gets to mirror finished*..

and the 'xtra fine, 1200 grit DMT is about optimum for 'toothy'. I've got a 1200 grit King that does it cheaper, but takes a fair bit of flattening maintenance.. dealers choice.. and that's before ANY natural stone I'll use .. the lowest grit real waterstone I have is about 1500-2000 grit, and the translucent arkansas burnishing stones, and the black surgical.. are both effectively between 1000-2000 grit.. once smoothed out a shade...

then blue aoto, which breaks down to about 2000-3000 grit, then blue belgian @ about 3000-4000 (but faster than you expect).. then a couple japanese that go about 6000-8000 grit, but softish.. not agressive.. then the belgian coticule, then the japanese karasu, and then the 12-15000 china (mirror)polishing stone..

given adequate steel, hairsplitting sharp, literally.

i'd suspect the guys who win cutting competitions have mirror polished edges, but i'm guessing.
 
I tend to like a "toothier" edge. I mostly use my knives as tools around the house and back yard when I'm doing fixits. A lot of the things I cut are hard plastic. Other times I cut cardboard. Maybe it's just my technique, but I find a coarser finish works good for me.
 
The coarse edge acts as if it has "micro" serrations, they sort of cut and tear at the same time.. i like both edge types very much
 
Anyone sharpen a knife both ways? Toothy at the top, fine at the bottom, or vice versa? Which would be the better combo? I've been thinking of doing it. Would you put toothy at the top of the blade, or bottom nearest the handle?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top