Best "Rat tail" Tapered Sharpening Rod for Serrations?.

D

Dry-cell

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Jul 27, 2014
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I've been wanting to get a tapered sharpening rod for serrations. All my knives are plain edge except for the one on my Leatherman Rebar Multi-tool. I'd like to be able to sharpen it properly, when the times comes to do so. I've been looking at the Lansky Folding Diamond Tapered Rod, and would like to know if this is a good choice?. There are five wide scallops (3/16"), and ten small scallops (1/16") and the blade ends with a 7/16" strait edge, which would be sharpened like a strait edge blade.
 
I went and ordered the Lansky Folding Diamond Tapered Rod, I'm still looking for suggestions though. I have a Spyderco Sharpmaker, but that not a proper way to sharpen serrations.
 
You should never grind serrations, it's very easy to alter the front serration and once that has happened you might as well throw the knife away. Serrations should be sharpened in the following manor.

First, on the back flat side of the serrated blade using a stone or rod lightly grind what you consider a microbevel just until a burr forms on the face side of the serrations. Once this is seen, stop! (As for angle, a degree or two above touching the blade)

Step Two, using a sewn cotton wheel, leather wheel, or paper wheel, lightly polish both sides of the serrated edge until razor sharp.

This method is ideal for the longevity of the knife, time spent sharpening, and obtained sharpness.
 
Dry-cell said:
I suppose that would be ideal, but not everyone has access to a workshop.
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You don't need a workshop.

You have the stones you just need a way to polish. Most hardware stores carry a small 3-4 inch cotton polishing wheel that can be attached to a electric or cordless drill, most have or know someone that has a drill so it shouldn't be too troublesome, even better if you have a bench grinder. Don't forget the green polishing compound, usually found next to the polishing wheels.
 
I've used Jason's method with success several times BUT, I modify it slightly. Instead of using a buffing wheel, I use one half of the sharpmaker to take the burr off of the inside of the serrations. Just stroke the serrated side down the white sharpmaker rod until the burr is removed, and then make sure it hasn't flipped to the flat side. A little bit of back and forth may be required, just like with sharpening a plain edge.

I've gotten my best serrated edges using his technique. It seemed "wrong" to me for a long time, but then I tried it on a VERY damaged and dull serrated blade and it worked *great*! I am a believer.

Brian.
 
Dry-cell said:
I went and ordered the Lansky Folding Diamond Tapered Rod, I'm still looking for suggestions though. I have a Spyderco Sharpmaker, but that not a proper way to sharpen serrations.
Click to expand...

There's an acquired touch to it, but a Sharpmaker-style sharpener or V-crock with round rods actually works very well for serrations. It's becoming my favorite means to sharpen them, especially in time saved. The key is to keep the touch extremely light, using the corners of the rods; and, using a very slightly elevated angle on the 'flat side' of the serrated edge, lightly draw the blade from heel-to-tip, just as you'd do with a plain-edged blade. You'll feel the serrations very, very lightly 'zipping' over the rod as you make the stroke. If they 'bump' too harshly (trust me, you'll feel it), back off the angle somewhat, and ALWAYS keep the touch extremely light. The same can be done on the ground side of the serrations, mainly just to keep burrs honed down; you'll have to adjust your held angle to keep it just slightly wider than flush to the grind itself. Check for burrs on each side after each pass, as they'll arise quickly as the edge becomes apexed from either side. As soon as you detect a burr on one side, switch to even lighter honing on the side to which the burr's leaning, to gently hone it down.

With the tapered diamond rods, it would be easy to over-grind serrations as Jason has mentioned. If wanting to use the tapered rod sharpener, starting with a ceramic of the same type might be wiser for starting out, until you get a feel for it. Doesn't take much aggressive honing, normally, to get serrations back in good cutting shape.


David
 
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I have a couple of the Lansky Four Rod Sharpening Systems as well (with the round 5" rods). With the Lansky diamond tapered rod, I'd only have to do a couple passes in each scallop, I know diamond removes metal more efficiently than medium/fine/ultra fine ceramic. The tapered rod would fill in the small scallops nicely, but I not sure about the ones that are 3/16" wide. As I don't know the exact dimension's of the tapered rod from base to tip. The 5" round ceramic rods would probably work nicely for those wide ones.

Have you guys seen this video by Schrade Knives?.
[video=youtube;9_61LLTtqAw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_61LLTtqAw[/video]
 
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Obsessed with Edges said:
There's an acquired touch to it, but a Sharpmaker-style sharpener or V-crock with round rods actually works very well for serrations. It's becoming my favorite means to sharpen them, especially in time saved. The key is to keep the touch extremely light, using the corners of the rods; and, using a very slightly elevated angle on the 'flat side' of the serrated edge, lightly draw the blade from heel-to-tip, just as you'd do with a plain-edged blade. You'll feel the serrations very, very lightly 'zipping' over the rod as you make the stroke. If they 'bump' too harshly (trust me, you'll feel it), back off the angle somewhat, and ALWAYS keep the touch extremely light. The same can be done on the ground side of the serrations, mainly just to keep burrs honed down; you'll have to adjust your held angle to keep it just slightly wider than flush to the grind itself. Check for burrs on each side after each pass, as they'll arise quickly as the edge becomes apexed from either side. As soon as you detect a burr on one side, switch to even lighter honing on the side to which the burr's leaning, to gently hone it down.

With the tapered diamond rods, it would be easy to over-grind serrations as Jason has mentioned. If wanting to use the tapered rod sharpener, starting with a ceramic of the same type might be wiser for starting out, until you get a feel for it. Doesn't take much aggressive honing, normally, to get serrations back in good cutting shape.


David
Click to expand...

Sal shows how to sharpen serrations in the DVD video, the instructions are also written in the manual.

I'd buy a tapered rod in ceramic by Lansky, but they only make them in 600 grit diamond.

I appreciate everyone's tips thus far and will definitely take them into consideration. :thumbup:
 
If really wanting to use the method advocated for the tapered rod, the corners of the SM's rods could be used for the smaller scallops (companies like Lansky make triangular ceramics for such a purpose), and your other round rods could be used for the wider ones, as you've mentioned.

That Schrade video has a couple things (at least) that bug me. If only moving the rod in the trailing direction away from the edge as advocated in the video, instead of into it, it's going to raise some big burrs very quickly (I tried the method with a diamond rod of my own and a serrated bread knife, just prior to posting this). They also illustrate 'twisting' the rod in the scallop during the stroke, and claim it helps remove burrs(???). This confounds me, in that burrs created in honing the scallops will fold to the opposite side, and twisting the rod in the scallop from the same side can't even touch the burrs after they've folded toward the back. They don't ever show or mention honing from the back side ('flat' side) in order to clean up burrs pushed in that direction.

And, they also strongly warn against exceeding the width of the particular scallop being sharpened, with the tapered rod. That seems an inherent risk in using the tapered rod in the first place. The very narrow scallops will be limited to the use of only a very short portion at the tip of the rod.

(I'm going to watch the vid again, just to see if I'm missing something... )


David
 
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I was going to use the tapered rod, then take it over to the Sharpmaker, using the two fine stones as a benchstone. Laying the backside of the serrated blade flat against the stones and knocking the bur off, with a pass or two of light stokes.
 
If needed I use the Veff Sharp from CRKT. Pretty effective. Not a perfect solution but it works.
 
Neat sharpener, a little pricey, seems like the Spyderco Sharpmaker of tapered rods. :D

[video=youtube;5ohLx1U6F3E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5ohLx1U6F3E[/video]
 
Its not tapered at all. Thats what I like about it. I use it a bunch and its held up quite well.
 
Its a good tool that doesn't get mentioned much that I've seen. Allot of BS out there in the internet nebula about what one should or shouldn't do concerning serrations. Ya just gotta go with what works best for you.
 
DMT diafold works well. I've sharpened and resharpened lot's of serrated knives multiple times with it, as long as light pressure is used and the knife is slid across the rod horizontally, it has never changed the shape of the serrations or their face, it just follows them. The trick is getting a perfect angle and holding it.
 
Got the Lansky Fine Diamond Sharpening Rod (600 grit) today. In the instructions pamplet, it says the opposite of the CRKT video. Pull the rod through the serrations, instead of push down through them. I got a nice little product catalog, and a mail order pamplet with it too.

Sharpening Serrations

Sharpen one serration at a time. Hold your knife firmly in one hand and bring the tapered rod to an individual serration, as shown in the photo. Match the serration’s angle with the tapered rod while pulling the sharpener against the serration. Repeat this motion until the serration is sharp, then move on to the next serration. When you have finished sharpening each serration, bring the tapered rod to the opposite side of the serrated section, hold the rod flat along the flat grind and remove any burs that may have been created by sharpening. Do not use lubrication of any kind while using diamond sharpeners.
 
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