What is your favourite angle for sharpening?

I know there is no best angle so I'm not asking for it. I'm also aware that for different uses different angles are preferable.
From other posts I haven gotten the impression that a lot of people here use very narrow angles like 15 degrees. Personally I use 20 degree since I use a sharpmaker 204 (sometimes with a 15 degree backbevel). Before I got my sharpmaker I often even used shallower angles like 22 or 25 following the advise given on my Gatco set.

What are your preferences?

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Seek simplicity, and distrust it.
Whitehead, Alfred North (1861 - 1947)
 
Roadrunner

Roadrunner

Joined
Jun 9, 1999
Messages
4,729
I have a 15 deg angle on my 154 CM EDC. I had actually intended for it to be 18 deg, (I use an Edge Pro Apex) but when the way I had the blade in the system it was actually 15 deg. It works quite well though. I usually use 18 or 15 deg for light duty pocketknives, or those pocketknives with steel that can hold a thin edge. On big knives I'll go for something more like 20-23 deg. I don't have any edges thicker than that on anything but my khukris, and thick edges work on them since they're dedicated choppers.
 
I generally thin the edge at as low an angle as possible, 10-15 degrees for thinner blades and 15-20 degrees for thicker blades. Then I finish with a few strokes with my v-style ceramic rods set at 19 degrees. Anything less acute than this I finish with a coarser hone to allow for sawing action, I don't consider it a sharp instrument.
 
19.3175 degrees. I know that some people would argue for 19.3170 degrees, but I find that those five extra ten-thousandths of a degree make all the difference in edge retention without seriously compromising sharpness.



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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
 
I generally grind bevels to 15 degrees for kitchen cutlery, 20 degrees for sporting folders and 25 degrees for fixed blades. I then hone the final edge an additional 3 to 5 degrees to the obtuse. Just a preference. As you say, there is no right or wrong answer.



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Fred
Knife Outlet
http://www.knifeoutlet.com
 
I make heavy use of 15-degree bevels for my folders and performance-oriented fixed blades. Often, I'll take a few light swipes on the 20-degree bevels to remove the burr, and sometimes I'll take a few more swipes when I want the edge just a touch thicker. But generally speaking, I expect a knife to take reasonably hard use at 15-degrees, and if it chips, I'd rather replace the knife than compromise my performance standards by changing the edge bevels.

Joe
 
I generally use the 40 degree overall on my 204. I like a fairly strong edge.

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Dick
 
Gollnick, If you wasn't a moderator, I'd think you was making fun of me. I use 19 degrees because that's the angle my ceramic rods happen to have. Maybe they're supposed to be 20, but I measured them to be 19.
 
Has anyone tried sharpening a Spyderco Military in CPM440V at 15 degress? Is it possible to obtain along lasting edge at this angle? Joe? Jeff/1911.
 
I prefer 40 degrees for my quality folding and fixed blade knives, on the 204(30 for the thin stuff felet/steak knives etc.). I prefer 15 or 20 degrees on a benchstone. RKBA!
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Jeff/1911:
Has anyone tried sharpening a Spyderco Military in CPM440V at 15 degress? Is it possible to obtain along lasting edge at this angle? Joe? Jeff/1911.</font>
Click to expand...

Jeff, I think The General did it if I remember correctly. Ask him or search on the Spyderco forum.

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Seek simplicity, and distrust it.
Whitehead, Alfred North (1861 - 1947)
 
Chuck, I larfed.
smile.gif

Ask the General?
rolleyes.gif
 
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