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Flat grind sharpening -- How to?
- Thread starter Al Bain
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2002
- Messages
- 1,297
I'm not sure what you mean...sharpening a knife to a flat grind? A knife blade can be ground many ways...Flat grind being one of them. An EDGE can only be sharpened, not a grind. There are two types of edges, regular and convex. The regular edge can also be given a back bevel. So did you mean how do you sharpen a knife edge?
-Kevin
-Kevin
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2002
- Messages
- 1,297
Well I use a rig myself. A Spyderco Sharpmaker 204. I highly recommend it, and it's cheap, so you can't go wrong. If you want to learn how to do it on benchstones though I have no clue how. I know someone posted an excellent link not too long ago. I will try to find it for you.
-Kevin
-Kevin
I think he means a fully flat ground blade - without a bevel. I have no experience with this, but I guess it must be similar to sharpening a full convex ground blade. Very fine sandpaper would probably be the best way, but again, I have no experience. Try doing a search for sharpening flat ground or convex ground blades.
You should definitely read Joe Talmadge's Sharpening FAQ.
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2001
- Messages
- 1,308
Oh definitely read that FAQ. It's a blessing!
The only flat-ground blade I have is a Cold Steel "The Spike" and I have to admit that it doesn't look new after I sharpened it.
Part of the benefit of a flat grind is that it typically has no bevel, and can therefore have a nice acute edge angle. The plane of the flat of the blade on one side meets the plane of the other side at the edge. My Spike is this way. So what I quickly realized is that if I wanted to sharpen the blade at the same edge angle that it came with, I would have to lay the blade flat on my stone (I use a Spyderco Profile) and slide it along, scratching up the entire side of the blade. To raise the knife off the stone would be to increase the edge bevel angle, defeating the good of the flat grind!
I had to compromise: when I sharpen that knife, I lay it flat on the stone, raise the spine of the blade as little as I can, and stroke. The change in the edge bevel has been nearly imperceptible. The flat of the blade suffers a little and is not a perfect finish anymore. The knife is a regular razor, though.
---Jeffrey
The only flat-ground blade I have is a Cold Steel "The Spike" and I have to admit that it doesn't look new after I sharpened it.
Part of the benefit of a flat grind is that it typically has no bevel, and can therefore have a nice acute edge angle. The plane of the flat of the blade on one side meets the plane of the other side at the edge. My Spike is this way. So what I quickly realized is that if I wanted to sharpen the blade at the same edge angle that it came with, I would have to lay the blade flat on my stone (I use a Spyderco Profile) and slide it along, scratching up the entire side of the blade. To raise the knife off the stone would be to increase the edge bevel angle, defeating the good of the flat grind!
I had to compromise: when I sharpen that knife, I lay it flat on the stone, raise the spine of the blade as little as I can, and stroke. The change in the edge bevel has been nearly imperceptible. The flat of the blade suffers a little and is not a perfect finish anymore. The knife is a regular razor, though.
---Jeffrey
- Joined
- Sep 23, 1999
- Messages
- 3,831
Al,
That knife is flat ground without an "edge bevel". Actually, folks say that it has a "puuko grind" or is ground to a zero edge.
A sharpmaker is very very very very easy to use, but it will put a secondary edge bevel on the knife. It isn't that big of a deal if the knife has a secodnary edge bevel, and it actually has some advantages, such as faster edge touch-ups. The sharpmaker is definitely easier to use than a flat stone too.
Actually, I always recomend a sharpmaker and a large, coarse hone to sharpening beginners. After a while of using the sharpmaker, that knife's bevel would need to be re-established. To do that you go to the large coarse hone, lay the bevel on the stone and scrub away. With a large stone, this step takes but minutes to do. Then you go to the sharpmaker and set the edge bevel, which will take seconds. The sharpmaker even comes with a video!
I am not aware of any site on the net with several pictures or video to help you out. If you are new to sharpening, I'd suggest:
1) print off Joe Talmadge's sharpening FAQ and read it a dozen times
2) go to your local libraries and take out everything on sharpening
3) find someone in your area who is good at sharpening and ask them to show you how they do it
Also, it might be good to read all of the FAQs on this site. Notice that there was some confustion as to what knife you were wanting to sharpen! Your knife's primary grind is also the edge grind, it is called a zero grind or a puuko grind and sometimes by other names as well. Being a little more familiar with the jargon helps
Welcone to the forums and I hope you enjoy it here!
That knife is flat ground without an "edge bevel". Actually, folks say that it has a "puuko grind" or is ground to a zero edge.
A sharpmaker is very very very very easy to use, but it will put a secondary edge bevel on the knife. It isn't that big of a deal if the knife has a secodnary edge bevel, and it actually has some advantages, such as faster edge touch-ups. The sharpmaker is definitely easier to use than a flat stone too.
Actually, I always recomend a sharpmaker and a large, coarse hone to sharpening beginners. After a while of using the sharpmaker, that knife's bevel would need to be re-established. To do that you go to the large coarse hone, lay the bevel on the stone and scrub away. With a large stone, this step takes but minutes to do. Then you go to the sharpmaker and set the edge bevel, which will take seconds. The sharpmaker even comes with a video!
I am not aware of any site on the net with several pictures or video to help you out. If you are new to sharpening, I'd suggest:
1) print off Joe Talmadge's sharpening FAQ and read it a dozen times
2) go to your local libraries and take out everything on sharpening
3) find someone in your area who is good at sharpening and ask them to show you how they do it
Also, it might be good to read all of the FAQs on this site. Notice that there was some confustion as to what knife you were wanting to sharpen! Your knife's primary grind is also the edge grind, it is called a zero grind or a puuko grind and sometimes by other names as well. Being a little more familiar with the jargon helps
Welcone to the forums and I hope you enjoy it here!