New edge on my Umnumzaan

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Jun 23, 2012
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After reprofiling the edge on my Sebenza a few days ago, I figured I'd give it a go with the 'Zaan.Holy cow what a difference! This new edge is CRAZY SHARP!






 
Looks good I still need to sharpen mine. You do that with an Edge Pro?
 
Looks good I still need to sharpen mine. You do that with an Edge Pro?

With a Lansky. Seems like a lot of folks don't like the Lansky, but I've had one for over 3 years, and reprofiled a lot of blades with it, and it has worked fine for me. Someday I might invest in an Edge Pro.
 
Apologies for digging up an old thread but it is related to my Q and I didn't want to make a new thread every time that I need to ask consensus!:

I reprofiled my Zaan to less than 20 degrees using freehand but it doesn't hold an edge for long at all. I'm thinking about going back to 20 using a KME system. I have ordered the basic one and the lowest grit on their deluxe diamond stone is 140. Has anyone used KME to reprofile back to 20 degrees and do you recommend the lower grit stone, AKA the Beast rather than playing the KME violin for an hour?? I know that most people either use Sharpmaker or W.E. but I went KME because it's guided method will also improve my handsharpening techniques with muscle memory! My edge is no longer factory convex as it is Lord knows what!

I use my Zaan to cut a lot od boxes despite the fact that I do own better fixed blades for this purpose but I like the Zaan better for cool factor. Not that it makes any difference but mine is a Star-Tac with the 59-60 HRC.

Thank you.

P.S. Dammit Photosuckit! I would've like to see the OP's pics :mad:

P.P.S. I do raise a burr and I do shear off that burr. I just think that my edge angle is too shallow and it just does not want to hold an edge for any thing one could expect as a reasonable job! Say a couple of small single ply corrugated boxes and then becomes as dull as a butter knife.
 
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Lansky's diamond course hone is 120 grit, I've actually pulled carbides out of the steel using this stone. It happened on two occasions. I'll never use it again, the steel was Z-Ware and M390. I'll take more time to reprofile rather than run into taking a risk of tearing steel out. I guess I'm gun shy now. Depending on the reprofile, I'd be leery of using an aggressive course stone.
I've never used my KME to reprofile an edge of any significance, just a degree or two and it does the job.
What's your finish grit stone? For cutting stuff, I stop at 400 or 600 grit. I've found that a toothy edge helps keep the edge longer for a working knife.
 
The finish off stone is 1500 grit. Then on a sliding scale, 600, 300 and 120. If the 120 tends to tear off carbides out of the S35VN, I can always start with the 300 to reprofile the edge back to 20 degrees by making many more passes with the 300 stone and then onto 600.
 
The finish off stone is 1500 grit. Then on a sliding scale, 600, 300 and 120. If the 120 tends to tear off carbides out of the S35VN, I can always start with the 300 to reprofile the edge back to 20 degrees by making many more passes with the 300 stone and then onto 600.

I really don't know if 120 would tear carbides out of S35VN, but I'll never know either. You may want to try to use and stop at 600 with the current angle and see if that helps in keeping the edge sharp. If not to your liking, then do the reprofile.
 
Hard to know what the current angle is since I don't have an angle measurement gauge but I suppose the gold old sharpie method to the rescue!
 
I have my Zaan set to 15dps with a 20 micro. S35VN at 59-60 isn't expected to last long at 20dps against cardboard anyways (I break down nearly all boxes on the jobsite to reduce refuse volume as we are charged per volume load vs weight for non-concrete waste). Hence, my aversion to CRK S35VN on the job. Breaking down cardboard is what your KW Military CF/Ti S90V is for. Or your EDC in optimized D2 :)
 
Adam, I know that you use Wicked Edge hence the ability to go to 15 dps and then the 20 micro. I opted for KME which goes only as low as 17 dps.

My Carothers D2 is not even fair completion to anything else I own for eviscerating cardboard and yet just keeping its toothy edge. Well, I suppose that the Zaan will just have to be sharpened with a guided system to achieve better bevel and edge uniformity as opposed to my freehand "skills" and then set aside for other tasks. Quite honestly it has not been the same Zaan after I foolishly cut a rather heavy duty patio umbrella box!
 
Adam, I know that you use Wicked Edge hence the ability to go to 15 dps and then the 20 micro. I opted for KME which goes only as low as 17 dps.

My Carothers D2 is not even fair completion to anything else I own for eviscerating cardboard and yet just keeping its toothy edge. Well, I suppose that the Zaan will just have to be sharpened with a guided system to achieve better bevel and edge uniformity as opposed to my freehand "skills" and then set aside for other tasks. Quite honestly it has not been the same Zaan after I foolishly cut a rather heavy duty patio umbrella box!

KME can go below 17 dps. You can either put the clamp back further on the knife spine (thereby making the angle shallower) or you can turn the rod holder upside-down. Admittedly, an angle cube helps.
 
KME can go below 17 dps. You can either put the clamp back further on the knife spine (thereby making the angle shallower) or you can turn the rod holder upside-down. Admittedly, an angle cube helps.

Thank you for that tip. Incidentally when I was perusing through KME videos on YT, I came across one or two which were about the same topic of going shallower than 15 degrees. I wonder what the angle would be if I use the second line on the clamp lined up with the distinct primary bevel line on the Zaan? Hmm! Perhaps I ought to order an angle cube.

Regarding the Zaan I got: I honest think that it came really, really obtuse from factory. I'm talking about 25 degrees per side! I have an angle measuring app in my iPhone and where I was hitting the making pen's line looked definitely wider than 20 degrees.
 
Lansky's diamond course hone is 120 grit, I've actually pulled carbides out of the steel using this stone. It happened on two occasions. I'll never use it again, the steel was Z-Ware and M390. I'll take more time to reprofile rather than run into taking a risk of tearing steel out. I guess I'm gun shy now. Depending on the reprofile, I'd be leery of using an aggressive course stone.
I've never used my KME to reprofile an edge of any significance, just a degree or two and it does the job.
What's your finish grit stone? For cutting stuff, I stop at 400 or 600 grit. I've found that a toothy edge helps keep the edge longer for a working knife.

Sorry for thread jacking I don't have a pm feature. Your response intrigues me, and I like to know what you mean by pull steel out?? I'm not trolling here! I like learning as much as possible and even more about sharpening. Thanks for reading ajack60.
 
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