What should be used for sharpening INFI at home?

[RussMo]

The bottom of a coffee mug was a trick shown to me by an older relative. The rough ceramic ring is used to touch up a decent existing edge needing a bit of sharpening and puts a little "bite" to it. It seems to work better with V grinds, Keep in mind that this is for light resharpening on users. It's isn't the cleanest looking method, but it will work. :thumbup:

For convex edges, especially on recurved ground knives, I just use the roll like a steel, but lightly like a strop and run the knife edge facing me down the roll 20-30 times in each hand (or as needed) to just touch up the edge. Any more than that and I go to the mousepad method. The cardboard rolls in a Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil package or plastic wrap package are stiffer, the Bounty paper towel rolls are more pliable (thinner) and kinda works like a mousepad with a really fine grit. When i finish a new roll, I keep it and toss the other of each type. Doing the tip can be a bit tricky. But after some patience & practice, to me it's quicker and harder to over do...which is usually my downfall. I tend to keep going past what's needed, and wind up defeating the purpose of a touch up.

In all my years I've not heard of the Mug Job, at least not regarding sharping knives!!! Good idea though for a quicky while sitting around the camp fire...

 

[scoobydo]

If you want to refresh the edge without reprofiling it I would use a 10" ceramic rod. They make a great job and you don't have to worry about the angle.

Thats why I was thinking of using the 1600 ceramic stone on the WE to just refresh the edge, but it still requires an angle.

 

[BlackDiamond]

Not my first Busse, but definitely my first everyday user. Which is why I have never sharpened any before.
For re-profiling, what is the stock angle that Busse uses on these convex edges?

Angle is about 20-22°. If you strop on a soft surface (like sandpaper on a mousepad) you don't need to know the exact angle.

 

[Jaxx]

I'll be darned.
I take it the edge is put on from the ring around the bottom where there's no glaze on the mug?

There's no compound or sandpaper on the cardboard roll at all?

Nope.
I just ordered a pair of nice strops from mr2blue, so after asking him about a decent abrasive compound, I'll be ordering some green Veritas. I'll probably try some of that on a roll to see if its better with or not, but cardboard is already slightly abrasive without it.

 

[FerFAL]

Just sharpened my new Boss Jack. Edge was ok but could be much better(sharpened by Alan?). It would cut some hair off my arm but nothing to brag about. You could see some fine scratches on the edge, needed a finer grit finish obviously.
I used a small wet stone (water) and stropped it with a nail foam pad afterwards. The nial pad give me that polished, mirror finish.
The result is a scary sharpness, the knife now shaves like a Gillette!
FerFAL

 

[Last Visible Canary]

I started using the bottom of coffee mugs when I saw a review on here where a guy used the edge of his car window

 

[Maniacal Pete]

I'll be darned.
I take it the edge is put on from the ring around the bottom where there's no glaze on the mug?

Yeah, it's unglazed ceramic, extremely hard, like the ceramic rods, only not so standardized in terms of grit #.
I've done it using plates with unglazed feet since I was a kid.
I think it is relevant to the OP to point out that Busse knives can most easily be sharpened at home with two main kinds of edges, some sort of flat bevel or convex.
It's worth his while to figure out what kind of edges he wants to apply and maintain before he gets into particular sharpening systems.
Otherwise it might be confusing to receive and decide between advice like "edgepro apex" and 'belt sander."
Some, like my SH-E even have an asymetric edge (convex on one side and bevel on the other), so require two methods if you want to keep it as it was originally configured.

pete