I'm a sharpening Kung Fu Master!

Thanks for bringing this thread back up. I don't post much because I don't really have much to add, but I've learned a lot here. I've always loved knives, but I was always a little intimidated about using them because I didn't know how to sharpen. Thanks for sharing, everybody.
 
Guys, thombrogan is a humble kung-fu master. You don't know how many times he's emailed me privately with EXCELLENT sharpening tips that I've found very interesting. If you're following this thread, pay attention to his posts. He knows his stuff.:thumbup: :cool:

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fulloflead said:
Guys, thombrogan is a humble kung-fu master. You don't know how many times he's emailed me privately with EXCELLENT sharpening tips that I've found very interesting. If you're following this thread, pay attention to his posts. He knows his stuff.:thumbup: :cool:

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This has to be the best thread I've seen in a long time in the interwebs. I'm a little overwhelmed with knowing which strops to buy and compounds. I've been using sand paper as most recent to get my initial sharp and then a cheapo strop that came with a cheapo straight razor.(zeek or zeet or some crap but I can make it work).

I have one question, should I invest in a edgepro even if I can get a good shaving edge with sand paper? I know I need a new strop or 2 and some compound. I'm also confused about the conditioner. Does the conditioner go on before the compound?
 
JackBauer24 said:
I have one question, should I invest in a edgepro even if I can get a good shaving edge with sand paper?
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Can't answer your conditioner question nor really answer your EdgePro question. The EdgePro is sort of like training wheels, but instead of clamping to your bicycle so you don't fall down, it clamps to the road so you don't fall down. In some ways, it's no big thing; in others, it's the most amazing sharpening system ever devised. It's been worth it to me.
 
I couldn’t agree more Thom knows his sharpening very well. He also can explain it and how he has learned it since he has recently done so. I’ve learned and retried a few new things from reading his posts. I think as long as your strop is hard, smooth and even, without nicks, it will work just fine. What took me the longest to really learn to strop is to go very light, no pressure at all, and don’t use too many strokes. I think a lot of people will confuse a rounded edge with a very polished edge. I know I did for a long time. Until I read a polished edge will also have some bite to it and sink into a cut.
Side note I really hate those small edge imperfections that only show up after I’ve started polishing it. Last night I did get an edge almost perfect. In fact I have a bunch of cuts on my hands from the edge. I didn’t even know I was cut until I saw all the dried blood.
 
fulloflead said:
Guys, thombrogan is a humble kung-fu master. You don't know how many times he's emailed me privately with EXCELLENT sharpening tips that I've found very interesting. If you're following this thread, pay attention to his posts. He knows his stuff.:thumbup: :cool:

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Ditto this statement, Thom has knowledge to spare, and can put wicked edges on blades.

Mike
 
Woohoo! That's a great motivational post. I'm at the point now that I can shave arm hair but I know that I can get it sharper. Honestly I'm posting just to keep track of this post for later research. Thanks to all.:D
 
Shotgun said:
I'm posting just to keep track of this post for later research. Thanks to all.
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We'll be thanking you later when you take the sharpening game to a whole new level and help the rest of us improve that much more.

As fulloflead's sifu would say: "A candle does not lose its light when sharing its flame with others. We must all share and continue learning for it is the only way to be bright instead of flaming."
 
I just cut freely hanging hair (my own) with Kershaw ZDP Cyclone with edge from out of the box and it shows pretty average sharpness on thread test - 90. I do not think hanging hair cutting shows extreme sharpness. Or I miss something?

Thanks, Vassili.

And same with Kershaw JDII.
 
Wait until you discover Japanese finishing water stones. Strops have a tendency to round over the edge slightly because they "give" a little when the blade is applied to it. The waterstones stay rigid as a rock and produce an even cleaner edge with the same amount of polish.
 
EdgeOn said:
Wait until you discover Japanese finishing water stones. Strops have a tendency to round over the edge slightly because they "give" a little when the blade is applied to it. The waterstones stay rigid as a rock and produce an even cleaner edge with the same amount of polish.
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I'll get around to it. They're expensive!
I'm working on building back up my skills at freehand sharpening on a stone. Once I get good at that again, I may have to get some Japanese Water Stones.

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Instead of stropping or shelling out big bucks for the waterstones, try "stropping" on a piece of paper backed by plate glass, you can still use your stropping compound but you really don't have to worry about rounding the edge over...just something I heard about :)
 
So where does one get decent stropping leather from? Can you use a plain old every day belt?
 
z282z06 said:
So where does one get decent stropping leather from? Can you use a plain old every day belt?
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I highly recommend use MDf instead - Medium Density Fiberboard widely available and very cheap.

Best place for leather will be Tandy leather factory - they have long, wide belts for about $20. I found that Hand American Made in comparison with Tandy way overpriced.

Here Cow Hide Strip:
http://www.tandyleather.com/products.asp?number=4578-00

4578-00-L.JPG


They have many sizes you may chose from.

Thanks, Vassili.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
nozh2002 said:
I highly recommend use MDf instead - Medium Density Fiberboard widely available and very cheap.

Best place for leather will be Tandy leather factory - they have long, wide belts for about $20. I found that Hand American Made in comparison with Tandy way overpriced.

Here Cow Hide Strip:
http://www.tandyleather.com/products.asp?number=4578-00

4578-00-L.JPG


They have many sizes you may chose from.

Thanks, Vassili.

Thanks, Vassili.
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Are you saying to use mdf INSTEAD of leather? Or oglue the leathr TO the MDF?
 
Nozh2002 was saying to use MDF instead of leather (less chance of rounding the edge you worked so hard to perfect before stropping), but you can glue leather to MDF as well. My most-used strop is leather glued to MDF and my best-results strop is polishing cloth glue-sticked to a flat piece of glass.
 
I got a d2 minigrip in the mail today. I was really looking forward to this as it's my first benchmade. Well, out of the box it was dull. It wouldn't shave, it wouldn't cut newsprint. I could run my thumb along the blade. So, I sharpened with a med/fine aluminum oxide stone (i like a little tooth for slicing) and stropped with uncharged leather. When I was done stropping, I had some leather "dust" on the blade that I went to wipe off and I sliced my thumb wide open. I that, "darn, that's sharp... but is it Kung Fu sharp?" I got my wife to donate a couple of hairs, and it worked. I cut a hanging hair with a knife I sharpened.

A year ago, when I joined this forum, I had never sharpened anything. Now, I can cut a hanging hair. This place is awesome, it is such great place to learn.
 
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