worth it to micro bevel?

[SR_matt]

ok so not sure if i am referring to this right or not but you have the primary bevel being the shape of the knife then the secondary bevel (also heard it called micro bevel) that makes the cutting edge, but i know some people then add another bevel at the very edge.

but is it worth it to do so? such as having a 30 (inclusive) for the secondary bevel that usually makes the edge then getting a 40* (inclusive) right at the edge to help keep it strong?

if so how much do you do to make it (like on a sharpmaker, go back to the brown rods for a few passes or just the white rods or what?)

basically i am thinking about doing this for my leek that i use as a general daily knife, its not to much of a beater or hard user but i use it for random general stuff (im an art student so im cutting packages open or have to cut wax, plaster, plastic, light wood carving, getting glass shards out of my shoes, etc)

thanks
-matt

 

[Jason B.]

I have never found it to work any better, if anything it causes more resistance while cutting. Hand sharpening naturally creates a small convex edge, that will cut better if left that way.


IMO a micro-bevel edge dulls faster.

 

[shecky]

The effectiveness of a microbevel depends on the thinness and acuteness of the edge bevel. Simply adding one to a thick edge bevel that's perhaps already 30 degrees or more won't help as much as adding one to a zero edge of, say, 20 degrees. In the case of the latter, a micro bevel adds some durability and ease of sharpening to an already efficient grind. Also note that this is a micro bevel. In my book, if the micro bevel is wider than about a hair's thickness, it no longer is a micro bevel.

The micro bevel isn't more prone to faster dulling. A thick, less acute edge is.

 

[trimcut123]

I sharpen my knife at a 30 degree angle and then do about 10 strokes with just the weight of the blade gradually getting up to 40... on the whites.. This splits and whittle hairs.. So it does fine tune my 30 degree edge ...
And holds an edge great*

 

[grybsh7]

I sharpen my knife at a 30 degree angle and then do about 10 strokes with just the weight of the blade gradually getting up to 40... on the whites.. This splits and whittle hairs.. So it does fine tune my 30 degree edge ...
And holds an edge great*

:thumbup:Works for me also. I add one extra step and strop on leather with green rouge.

 

[sodak]

It works great if your grind is thin and easily damaged. The micro bevel can add a lot of strength to the edge, without diminishing the cutting ability too much. I'm referring to very thin edges, however. If you have an edge already ground to 30 deg or more, then a micro bevel isn't probably going to help you.

 

[matt321]

Forming a micro bevel can also be a strategy to get around not being able to hold a constant angle when sharpening without a guide.

You thin the edge with acute back-bevels without much regard for holding precise angles. Then apply the micro bevel at a steeper angle that is sufficently steep to insure intersection with the cutting edge.

 

[Mtn Hawk]

Hand sharpening naturally creates a small convex edge, that will cut better if left that way.

:thumbup:

After much trial and error this is the way I now sharpen all my knives (edge maintained with stropping), except for kitchen knives. For these I use the Sharpmaker and Razor Edge Mousetrap Steel.

 

[me2]

Whether a microbevel adds to edge life is dependent on the angle involved. What it does very well is cut sharpening time dramatically and save wear on fine stones/abrasives. I normally sharpen at 20 degrees or so, and have had times where everything was thinned or thickened depending on mood. Going from a 15 degree rough sharpening angle to a 18-20 degree final polished edge bevel lets me use about 10 strokes per side on the finest honing implements I have, and allows resharpening a couple of times before having to go back to the 15 degree setting. The issue is metal removal. I can sharpen even the hardest and most wear resistant steels very quickly with the Sharpmaker by increasing angles from 3-5 degrees. Occasionally, I have to go back to the coarsest stone, but its faster than polishing the entire 1/4" wide bevel on a Kiridashi hardened above 63 HRc. This process also worked well on a Kershaw Random Task in S60V (CPM 440V). Letting it get much wider than 1/2mm sort of defeats the purpose. Of course, if the knife cant handle a thin bevel, that may be the only answer, and eventually you wind up with a new thicker and stronger bevel entirely, though it may take a while.

 

[SR_matt]

Whether a microbevel adds to edge life is dependent on the angle involved. What it does very well is cut sharpening time dramatically and save wear on fine stones/abrasives. I normally sharpen at 20 degrees or so, and have had times where everything was thinned or thickened depending on mood. Going from a 15 degree rough sharpening angle to a 18-20 degree final polished edge bevel lets me use about 10 strokes per side on the finest honing implements I have, and allows resharpening a couple of times before having to go back to the 15 degree setting. The issue is metal removal. I can sharpen even the hardest and most wear resistant steels very quickly with the Sharpmaker by increasing angles from 3-5 degrees. Occasionally, I have to go back to the coarsest stone, but its faster than polishing the entire 1/4" wide bevel on a Kiridashi hardened above 63 HRc. This process also worked well on a Kershaw Random Task in S60V (CPM 440V). Letting it get much wider than 1/2mm sort of defeats the purpose. Of course, if the knife cant handle a thin bevel, that may be the only answer, and eventually you wind up with a new thicker and stronger bevel entirely, though it may take a while.

are you angles per side or inclusive?
-matt

 

[me2]

Those angles are per side, so 30 and 40 degrees inclusive. I generally try to match the Sharpmaker angles for the kitchen knives, which is what I sharpen most.