Why not angle the stone?

3D Anvil

3D Anvil

Joined
Oct 4, 2021
Messages
2,540
Let me preface this by saying that what I'm proposing may already exist and I just haven't seen it. If so, I'd love to see a link. That said....

The hardest part of hand sharpening is maintaining a consistent angle. I've seen rod and belt systems that work around this by angling the rods or belts, which then only requires the user to maintain a vertical or horizontal angle, which is generally easier to eyeball/maintain. Examples are the Spyderco Sharpmaker (vertical) and the Worksharp Ken Onion Grinder (horizontal).

So why not just take a bench stone and raise one edge up to your bevel angle of choice? Then you can just ride the blade up and down the stone dead level and Bob's your uncle? One downside that comes to mind immediately is that your slurry/swarf is going to run off the stone and it will be harder to keep whet stones, or even splash and go stones, wet. Maybe that's a deal breaker?

I'm going to experiment and will report back.
 
Several or many here have done just that, either with Sharpmaker-like jigs for bench stones, or by laying bench stones on a ramp on the bench, keeping the blade horizontal instead of vertical, in that use.

Stay tuned... you'll probably see others chiming in with photos of their jigs. :)
 
Check this out:
Blues said:
A while back I was having a phone conversation with my friend @NORTHWEST_KNIFE_GUY about sharpening, stropping, firearms, this and that. During the conversation I mentioned that I'd like to have a little portable jig that made matching the Sharpmaker angles of 15 and 20 degrees simple with bench stones. (I have discussed a similar concept with another forum craftsman / service provider, but for use in a different manner, with different hones, and that will be the subject of a different thread should it come to fruition.)

Don said he'd be willing to play around with the idea and try out a few iterations.

The image below is what he came up with and sent to me just yesterday. It is great. A simple base made of wood with non skid material applied to the ends...and an angle of 15 degrees on one side and 20 on the other. The bench stone support and base have been treated for moisture resistance, and the angled slot has been beveled to help keep the hone in place.

Gave it its maiden voyage just a little while ago on a Fallkniven H1 I had purchased on the forum some years ago that needed to have the bevels reset and the edge cleaned up.

Worked a treat...making a consistent angle simple, especially because I could move to either side of the jig without having to turn it on my counter top.

Don mentioned that if it worked out well in use he might consider producing them, perhaps in aluminum. (I have no financial interest in the matter...he deserves all the credit and any future compensation received.)

Thanks, Don. This little jig is just the thing and will always bring a smile when in use.

View attachment 1606756View attachment 1606757
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Thanks for the pics, fellas! Some clever suggestions, but what I'd really like is just an angle platform with a ledge for a stone holder, adjustable (some kind of screw drive) from something like 10° to 35°. Easy enough to make.

Here's my test set up. LOL



So far so good. My edge appears much less convex than I normally get, and even on this 120 grit profiling stone the knife will slice paper. Normally I couldn't achieve that without going up at least one more grit level. I've got a magnet glued to the bottom of the bullseye level. Why a level? Am I that spastic that I can't even hold the knife level? Yeah.
 
For serious sharpening, I use my Wicked Edge. But most of the time, I can just tune up my edge quickly with diamond stones on a 30 degree ramp. Most of my blades are 15 dps. I use the Sharpmaker for a 20 dps microlevel. I just hold the blade horizontal, rather than vertical like the Sharpmaker. Not fancy, but fast and effective.

It is this quick and easy. I can use the full DMT holder and it holds nicely on the ramp.

2v2a7ccVCxAWtWs.jpg

It just sits over a dowel.
2v2a7ccmSxAWtWs.jpg


Or, I can use the DMT stone alone. It will slip under the dowel and be held in place.
2v2a7ccShxAWtWs.jpg

2v2a7ccTVxAWtWs.jpg
 
Well you still have to keep your knife at the same angle each time you use the set up. If you can't read an angle, or keep it, how exactly are you keeping that knife consistently vertical (or horizontal)?
 
Ourorboros said:
Well you still have to keep your knife at the same angle each time you use the set up. If you can't read an angle, or keep it, how exactly are you keeping that knife consistently vertical (or horizontal)?
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I find it much easier to point the edge at the center of the earth than try to guess at some angle where the spine is elevated precisely above the stone. Even holding a knife parallel to the table while angling the stone is not very intuitive IMHO.
 
Ourorboros said:
Well you still have to keep your knife at the same angle each time you use the set up. If you can't read an angle, or keep it, how exactly are you keeping that knife consistently vertical (or horizontal)?
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The theory is that the human brain is better adapted to see/feel a 0 degree or 90 degree angle than random in-between angles. For example, most people can carry a platter level, or strike a nail with a hammer, without much trouble. But if someone asked you to carry a platter at a 17° angle, versus, say, a 16° angle ... most people would struggle with that.
 
bgentry said:
For what it's worth, here's my adjustable sharpening wedge. Richard and Steve at my old job (way back) knocked it out on our CNC router for me.


Brian.
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Yep, that's the ticket! That does exactly what I'm looking to achieve. A bit clunky, but it does the job.
 
The idea for my clunky wedge originally came from a BladeForums member. I think his youtube channel is now gone. He had two versions of his wedge there. But JDavis88 has one of them and he shows it on his channel:


That would be much easier to make and probably a lot less fiddly than mine.

Brian.
 
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