Whats the best angle for your knife?

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pinkfloyd101

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Sep 24, 2008
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I was wondering what is your favorite angle to sharpen your knives and why? I am getting a sharpmaker in a few days and was wondering what works better for an edc knife in s30v? 15 or 20 degrees? THANKS
 
30-degrees inclusive

Or the better answer: "it depends"

If you get chipping, go thicker. Otherwise take the edge as thin as you can.
 
I have a tendency to sharpen at ever decreasing angles until some form of edge failure starts occuring, e.g. chipping out in use or during the sharpening and "floppy edge".
 
I use 30 inclusive and it works just fine for all steels except one. I do not think it is big deal for good steel. 30 degree is universal angle it is good for knives and it is good for axes - as I learn from searchin the web, until you have bad steel - then it should be bigger or should have micro or macro serration, etc... but I just resolve this issue by using only good steels with proper HT.

Otherwise - cafeteria plastic knives with big angle and serration works too... at least to cut beef on my plate.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
There are two issues - application and steel hardness. If you make the angle too acute for those two things, the edge will fail under use. If you make it too obtuse, you will waste some cutting performance. The only way to get to the sweet spot is to experiment.

Here are some broad generalizations. Less then 15 degrees only works with very hard steel and applications in which you do not cut against something. Some butcher knives, as an example are very acute and stand up just fine. For a folder with hard steel - RC58 or more - 15 degrees should work just fine. For softer steels or fixed blade knives use 20 degrees and for striking knives like cleavers use 30 degrees. You can adjust from those points but you should be pretty close. For kitchen cutlery (excluding cleavers) use 15 degrees for Japanese knives and 20 for Western knives.
 
Knife Outlet said:
There are two issues - application and steel hardness. If you make the angle too acute for those two things, the edge will fail under use. If you make it too obtuse, you will waste some cutting performance. The only way to get to the sweet spot is to experiment.

Here are some broad generalizations. Less then 15 degrees only works with very hard steel and applications in which you do not cut against something. Some butcher knives, as an example are very acute and stand up just fine. For a folder with hard steel - RC58 or more - 15 degrees should work just fine. For softer steels or fixed blade knives use 20 degrees and for striking knives like cleavers use 30 degrees. You can adjust from those points but you should be pretty close. For kitchen cutlery (excluding cleavers) use 15 degrees for Japanese knives and 20 for Western knives.
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Note that he's using per side, so that's 30 degrees inclusive and 40 degrees inclusive for those last two numbers.
 
I've been very happy with my Bark River A2 and Rat Cutlery 1095 at about 8 degrees per side. I've cross-grain batoned with both and had no edge problems.
 
Thanks for the input so far. I think i''l first try 15 degrees on each side, and if i have any problems i'll bump it up to 20 degrees per side. The steel is s30v from CRK so i hope it is solid, :confused: for how my wallet looks. :D And for cutting tasks, pretty much anything that would arise for EDC. I don't think i'll be cutting anything that would chip or damage the edge, but then again, who knows.
 
Good choice in theory should be some balance between steel, application and angle. On practice - good steel hold just fine for most uses with 15 degree per side.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
15 degrees per side (30 degrees inclusive) is the angle that I use on almost everything but my Japanese kitchen knives. :thumbup: They're thinner. :p
 
I am guessing that if you are being so precise with angles that you are all using a specific sharpening tool like an Edgepro ??
 
I just sharpen and don't worry too much about the angle. As long as both edges are equal, and it's sharp, I'm set.
 
20 degrees is usually good enough for EDC for me.With very hard steels like ZDP-189 & CPMD2,I'll reprofile to 15 degrees,never any less than 15(although I'm seriously considering having Tom Krein do a zero grind on one of my ZDP's).
 
pinkfloyd101 said:
Thanks for the input so far. I think i''l first try 15 degrees on each side, and if i have any problems i'll bump it up to 20 degrees per side. The steel is s30v from CRK so i hope it is solid, :confused: for how my wallet looks. :D And for cutting tasks, pretty much anything that would arise for EDC. I don't think i'll be cutting anything that would chip or damage the edge, but then again, who knows.
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You may want to try 20 degrees first.CRK HT's their S30V a little soft IMO(RC 57-58)

[edited] This is in NO WAY a dig at CRK.I love Chris' knives.:)
 
I run all of my quality steels with a 10 per side or less back bevel and microbevel between 15 and 20 degrees per side depending on how the steel holds up. The thin backbevel increases cutting ability and ease of sharpening, while the microbevel makes resharpening very fast and will give your edge the durability of the wider angle that you are sharpening at. You can also convex your edge to get the same benefits I mentioned with the thin backbevel/wider microbevel set up. From experience a 20 degree microbevel would probably benefit your CRK S30V, while something like my Spyderco Stretch 2 ZDP or my Krein Ultimate Caper in M4 can cut fine with 7 per side edges and microbevels as thin as 10 per side. The good thing about microbevels however is that as long as you redo your backbevel every several sharpenings so it doesn't thicken up using a 20 per side microbevel as opposed to say a 15 per side microbevel will have minimal effect on cutting ability while have a pretty significant effect on durability. See Sodak's post in the Microbevel thread stickied at the top of this sub forum to see pics of what a difference a microbevel made on his Queen knife's durability.

Mike
 
gunmike1 said:
I run all of my quality steels with a 10 per side or less back bevel and microbevel between 15 and 20 degrees per side depending on how the steel holds up. The thin backbevel increases cutting ability and ease of sharpening, while the microbevel makes resharpening very fast and will give your edge the durability of the wider angle that you are sharpening at. You can also convex your edge to get the same benefits I mentioned with the thin backbevel/wider microbevel set up. From experience a 20 degree microbevel would probably benefit your CRK S30V, while something like my Spyderco Stretch 2 ZDP or my Krein Ultimate Caper in M4 can cut fine with 7 per side edges and microbevels as thin as 10 per side. The good thing about microbevels however is that as long as you redo your backbevel every several sharpenings so it doesn't thicken up using a 20 per side microbevel as opposed to say a 15 per side microbevel will have minimal effect on cutting ability while have a pretty significant effect on durability. See Sodak's post in the Microbevel thread stickied at the top of this sub forum to see pics of what a difference a microbevel made on his Queen knife's durability.

Mike
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There was a really good post / thread that I can't seem to find commenting on that.

The difference between 440C and S30V is that S30V can take a smaller sharpening angle and hold it. Sharpen them both at 40* inc and you're not going to notice the difference as much as 20* inc.

Even better steels (ZDP-189, S90V, M4) all can take ridiculously thin angles. You should use them as such. :thumbup:
 
gunmike1 said:
I run all of my quality steels with a 10 per side or less back bevel and microbevel between 15 and 20 degrees per side depending on how the steel holds up.
Click to expand...
Similar here ... most blades, when I first get them, I take down to 12 deg./side, whether it's something I would EDC, or a large chopper. I generally finish sharpen with a microbevel of 17 deg./side, sometimes 20 deg., depending. If the steel is at all decent and the heat treat reasonably well done, this is plenty robust unless you're doing very abusive work, or are careless or really unskilled using a blade.

Once I know the steel is decent, and if the work is going to be fairly light, I sometimes will take the primary/relief down to 10 deg./side, though I honestly can't say I notice any difference in slicing performance (at this point, it seems the thickness of the blade stock and spine are far greater factors.) Also, nearly every steel I've worked with and tested holds a fine, polished edge better using a 17 deg./side microbevel than at 15 deg. ... yet at the same time, I can detect no difference in cutting force required or slicing using a more obtuse 20 deg/side microbevel.
 
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Thanks for the info so far...Ill try 20 degrees for my CRK and see if that is sharp enough for me, and if not, i'll go down to 15. I have another question...What would be a good angle for a tool steel like 1095 at a 57 heat treat...say like on a RC-4 that i'm eyeing...:D It will be a hard used knife but at the same time my hunting knife so i'll want it to be sharp to gut deer and such... Should I still stick with 20 per side? THANKS
 
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