What kind of sharpened edge is sharp

Bruce Evans

Bruce Evans

Joined
Sep 26, 1999
Messages
4,486
I had a guy stop by the shop yesterday and have me sharpen his knife.I slack belted it and then buffed to a nice smmoth cutting and shaving edge.It would slice the edge top to bottom off a piece of notebook paper,and slice newspaper reall well into ribbons,also it would shave a long path of hair off the srm in one clean stroke.
The problem comes in here.
He took the knife and set it on a calouse om his finger and let the weight of the knife hold the edge and drew it across the calouse,It did not bite in and agressively cut the skin.He then proclaimed that the knife was not sharp,so I showed him that It would slice stuff like a razor and he still said that that didn't matter he wanted it to cut the calouse.
Now to do this the edge has to be jagged and ruffer,thus no scary sharp edge in my opinion.is the kind of edge most people like to have a knife at ???
I sharpen all my knives the other way thus making them smooth and sharp and I have had others tell me that I didn't have them sharp enough.Should I start putting a little ruffer thus aggressive cutting edge on my knives or what ?I want them as sharp as possiable when someone buys one and not here that they are lacking when they are recieved.This is one reaso I figure that each person is different and should retouch the edges with there stones the way they want it,But some people can't do this and rely on someone else to re-sharpen the knives for them..
HELP!!!!!!!
Bruce
 
i sharpen my knives the scary sharp method there is nothing like slicing the blade through the air and hearing the molecules scream.
 
Keep doing it the way you've been doing it, Bruce. Since I never see anything but great reviews about your work, you must be doing it right!:)
 
Bruce,

The best edge I've found is the aggressive edge, and I'll check it by rope cutting, I use a strand out of a 1" manila rope. I just compared cutting rope with 2 production knives I have last week, against 1 I forged and getting ready to finish and put a handle on. I sharpened all 3 on a belt grinder using 400 and 600 grit belts, then ran them over a leather wheel on my bench grinder to polish. Those puppies would make the hair jump, but when it came to working the blades on the rope, they weren't very good. So I put a 280 grit belt on the grinder and made one pass down each side. That was all it took, they all did a better job, the forged knife was still cutting fairly easy when the 2 productions had given up and the forged knife didn't have a handle, and to top that off I used the same forged blade to dress and clean 6 squirrels the next day without being resharpened, and it did a fantastic job. Now on some knives, like a fillet, I like a smooth edge but for a hunter I'm going to stay with the aggressive edge, unless someone requests different.

Hope this helps
Bill
 
Bruce,
I was sharpening mine down to a A6 3M micron and then buffing off the burr.
Cut paper really well but little else.
I now start with a 240- A100 -A65 finish with a A16, 3M trizac and then just BARELY buff off the burr (Scratchless pink). Man what a difference.
Those dogs need teeth to bite:eek:
By the way your kydex will be in the mail monday.
 
Bruce, I think for EDC pocket knife the way
you do is just fine.
But I like the type of edge that Buxton is talking
about they seem to hold their edge better.
I guess it all depends if you want a cuting or
sliceing edge. Does that make sense?
 
Yesterday I recieved my "Ebony & Ivory Gentleman's Tactical" bowie from Beknives aka Bruce...
I've gotta say that this bad girl is SHARP! My usual test is a 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper held horizontally and sliced (closer to slashed) almost parallel to the floor. If it is sharp you end up with a long triangle with about 1/2" of the (vertical) end remaining. It was sharp enough to do that easily.
After the magic, dramatice edge goes away, I usually take Bob Dozier's advice and use a fine diamond stone to give it that toothy Dozier style edge.
Bruce and I had an interesting conversation about dressing deer in the cold. Basically on mirror polished edges, the micro teeth fill with congealed fat and dont cut as well...Maybe Bruce wants to elaborate on it :)
I guess, in the end, it is all about what you're gunna use that particlar blade for.
As it is, my new baby cuts.
 
Thanks for all the advice....
Yes the scary sharp type of edge is not good for a working edge.This type of edge will coat up with cold animal fat only a toothey edge will cut this and stay sharp.Not that the edge doesnt stay sharp with the fat build up as it does it just won't cut like it did before the fat builds up on it,after removing the fat the knife will go back to cutting,this makes you think that the knife is dull so you start sharpening it when it really doesn't need it.I know this from first hand experience years ago when I first started making knives.Now on my knife or anybody elses that I know when we go hunting I always leave aabout a medium stone grit on the edge and we have no problems..
What I really need to know is when sending out a knife to a customer and they say they want it sharp what is the best kind of edge to send them,like on Bowies.At the present I send them all out with a slack belt and a buff then a slide across a fine stone and razor strap.Like I said clean paper and shaving but not what allot of people call sharp as the edge doesn't feel sharp with out the teeth.
Could this edge be the reason that i haven't ben able to get through the 1 inch hanging rope test yet,the edge skates off more than digs in and cuts the rope????
Bruce
 
Bruce, you are right about people if it doesn`t feel sharp then
it`s not sharp. A buddy of mine tells me that I need to learn how
to sharpen knives & that because if it doesn`t shave hair than
it`s not sharp. No matter what I tell him he still fuss with me
about it. Believe it or not I have had people tell the knives are
to sharp:confused:
I put a aggressive edge on my knives because it just
holds up better. When it comes down to it you are the one that have to
decide which way to go. Good luck man
 
Bruce,
the edge that you normaly use is the best one for use on wood, I try to keep all of my chisels, plane irons, etc that sharp. on the other hand If I'm sharpening something to cut meat. I leave off the final polish. I think the edge on a knife is a function of it's intended purpose.

I shall have to experiment with Bill's grippy sharp on a multipurpose knife.

interesting thread.
 
I classify my final edges just like my knives and decide what edge to ship them with depending on my conversations with the customer. I have a 'presentation' edge (for my presentation knives) that's taken down to a fine polish on the buffing wheel and finished off on a razor strop. Then, I have a 'working' edge (for my working knives)that I touch up with a fine DMT stone just prior to shipment.

I personally like the 'working' edge for my personal carry knives. Because I use them to work with. The presentation edge is just as sharp but in a different way. It all depends on what the customer is going to do with the knife Bruce. I just try to give em what they want.
 
I have played around with this the last couple of weeks and what I have decided is that the owner of the blade must be able to sharpen their own knife. I do like the slack belt or Moran edge. I use either a 60 or 30 micron belt THEN finish sharpening on a stone. If I can sharpen it, they should be able to sharpen them.

I have no problem with folks sending their blades back to me for sharpening but my objective is for them to be able to sharpen them as well. Does that make sense??? I look at it in the instance where if they are in the field and need to hit it on a stone a couple of times, that's great! Usually that's all that's needed anyway.

C Wilkins
 
Nick,

Whats a matter you never et a squirrel, shoot you probably never et a frog either.Anyone thats done any squirrel huntin knows it takes a good sharp knife to split and cut their hide, point being that after all that rope cuttin my knife was still sharp enough to do the job on my supper, thats all. Come on over Nick and I'll fry you up some squirrel and taters with a little corn bread, shoot you'll think you died and went to heaven.Thats gooooood et'n.;)

Bill
 
Squirrel hmmmmmm good
1 squirrel- 1 large can green beans
potatos- 1small onion & one pressure
cooker GoooooooooooooooD
 
Man you guys are killing me!!!!
When is DINNER...:D
I just cooked up a White tail roast last week
1 roast-1 can cream of mushroom soup-1 small onion-1/2 cup butter and a little bit of vegetable oil and some flour,salt and pepper..
Put all ingredients in crock pot and cook overnight and the next day for supper
Make up a batch of fresh biscuits and servethe meat and gravy over the biscuits...
Almost as good as Squirrel....
Bruce
 
bruce, on my hunting & culinary knives i use a 22o grit slack belt and then clean off the burr with a ceramic rod. one customer has skinned four deer with it and says no need when i offer to touch it up for him. this is ats-34 also the steel than carbon steel lovers say won't hold a edge :D try it, you'll like it!
 
Rhino,You never hear me say that the stainless steel when heat treated properly wont hold an edge,Only that they are to darned hard to sharpen with out the proper steels ( stones)...
Bruce
 
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