Photos Is it sharp?

Lorien said:
that's some sharp steel ya'll!
slicing through paper towels ain't so easy to achieve, but anyone have any luck slicing tp? (not that you should, that stuff is worth its weight in gold...). Tissues are pretty tough to cut clean as well, my sharpening skill tops out somewhat below that
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I tried the TP thing once. Used my KME to take me out of the equation and got the edge polished up pretty nice. I don't normally go for that but was playing around. If I was half-honest with myself I might be able to say it "sliced" the TP. Mostly just yanked and tore and certainy not free hanging. :oops: I only managed to whittle a hair one time and it might have been that blade and sharpening.

That stuff is next level but then you see guys like Shawn and Michael Christy carve wood and aluminum rods and such and then still whittle hair, well, that's like, a divine gift. :D
 
I want to add, I wish every member would explore sharpening! Whether you choose some kind of system or go free hand, sharpening opens up an entire new world. If nothing else, it is so much more satisfying to use a knife with a good edge than one that is dulling or dull.

Working edges are not hard to achieve and plenty good for most users. Also, as long as you follow some basics, there isn't a huge risk to screwing things up that can't usually be fairly easily remedied. You might have a crappy edge but generally aren't going to ruin anything.
 
Very nice edges, all. I am a somewhat novice sharpener, but have gotten better, and I am generally able to keep knives sharp if I don't let them get too dull. I am impressed by your skills. I wish I could do more.
 
Eli Chaps said:
When I first "arrived" in the Maintenance, Tinkering, & Embellishment forum I made some bold claims. The fellas politely but staunchly rebuked some of my assertions. They were right.

I thought I knew sharp until I started posting there and then had my world opened up.
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I do quick and dirty sharpening with DMT coarse, fine and extra fine stones, then a quick strop that I made. This feels pretty sharp to me, but I'm sure it is far from the sharpness that is possible with better stones and knowing how to use them. But what I get is still sharper than I normally need for my use.

I use newspaper for my testing, or the newspaper type paper that we get in our junk mail sometimes. The paper has a grain to it and it easy to cut in one direction but very difficult to cut the other direction. I go slow, lightly tough the edge of the paper and if the knife bites into the paper then I know it is sharp enough for me.
 
one reason I like sharpening is because you can get a real sense of the way the steel is probably going to perform in certain ways, before you even use it. I generally fiddle with the edge bevel of every knife I get that I'll use
 
bdmicarta said:
I do quick and dirty sharpening with DMT coarse, fine and extra fine stones, then a quick strop that I made. This feels pretty sharp to me, but I'm sure it is far from the sharpness that is possible with better stones and knowing how to use them. But what I get is still sharper than I normally need for my use.

I use newspaper for my testing, or the newspaper type paper that we get in our junk mail sometimes. The paper has a grain to it and it easy to cut in one direction but very difficult to cut the other direction. I go slow, lightly tough the edge of the paper and if the knife bites into the paper then I know it is sharp enough for me.
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Your method gets great returns in terms of sharpness per time spent. Twice a year we do a driving tour to visit several relatives. After being asked to carve turkey with dull knives, I now bring my DMT stone and base with me. At each stop I sharpen all the knives and they are always amazed. They are helpless until I return. None of them can even set the edge of softer blades on the "steel rod" that is in most kitchens. The DMT makes a dramatic difference in just a few minutes.
At home I have a Wicked Edge and can mirror the edge. My only issue with that is that one slip and you can scratch the bevel. That is why I have yet to sharpen my Thorburn and risk a scratch.
 
Eli Chaps said:
I want to add, I wish every member would explore sharpening! Whether you choose some kind of system or go free hand, sharpening opens up an entire new world. If nothing else, it is so much more satisfying to use a knife with a good edge than one that is dulling or dull.

Working edges are not hard to achieve and plenty good for most users. Also, as long as you follow some basics, there isn't a huge risk to screwing things up that can't usually be fairly easily remedied. You might have a crappy edge but generally aren't going to ruin anything.
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I agree completely. I also think that sharp is relative to what the user needs. I personally don't care about hair popping or whatever the latest term/test is. I can get my knives sharp enough to cut most things easily, and that's enough for me.
 
Lorien said:
Let's see how sharp your knife is. I'll go first
rikzYa9.jpg
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I Know a closeup is more artistic, but can we get a zoomed out shot to admire the whole knife design? :D
 
I do a few tests. Easily shaves arm hair, or hair popping. Slicing paper (either catalog, newspaper type, or legal pad). The true test is paper towel. If I can cleanly slice through paper towel my knife is definitely sharp enough for anything.

I started out with a lansky kit, and I learned about burr formation. Then I got a sharpmaker with all the rods. I whittled hair. Thick hair (facial) but I did it. Then I got fed up with the limitations of the guided systems. I got a Norton crystolon, but having to use mineral oil all the time got old so I got a diamond stone (coarse/extra fine).

I was using the sharpmaker medium rods to finish on, and got tired of the tiny surface so I got the bench stone. Then I got a fine. Sometimes I finish a blade on just the diamonds, some I've taken through the fine spyderco. I went from barely passable freehand edges to sharper than I ever thought possible. And I LOVE it!

Mostly I just keep the factory angle if it's good (like on my spydercos), but will reprofile if need be (my old Buck 110 had no edge when I got it).

OK that was long. Sorry!
 
Lorien said:
that's some sharp steel ya'll!
slicing through paper towels ain't so easy to achieve, but anyone have any luck slicing tp? (not that you should, that stuff is worth its weight in gold...). Tissues are pretty tough to cut clean as well, my sharpening skill tops out somewhat below that
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I can cleanly cut TP, if you're struggling to get to that point, but can cleanly cut regular paper into curls, you are almost there, literally the last step is easier than what you just did to debur and apex. The next step is apex work, which is anything you do once you have perfectly lined up the very apex at a low grit.
That is your hard prep work all done. Next you begin apex work a number of ways, there isn't just 1 technique.
Easiest method to tune up the apex for slicing TP cleanly is ceramic sticks. Take your apexed knife and now hit the apex at a slightly higher angle and give it a micro bevel, this should be done at light pressure almost 0. and do it with fine sticks. You can also do this on waterstones or whetstones, but that will take slightly more steady hand skill than the ceramic rod set up which is more forgiving.
Other type of apex work is with strops, compounds etc, the same basic principle applies but in more of a convexed way to the apex, instead of a micro bevel face appearing, which will show as a tiny glint of light running down the entire blade when you look closely.
Stropping the apex again hitting it at a slightly higher angle,.
I have heard people say TP cutting is based on carbides, toothy edge etc, but you can cut TP with toothy high carbide steel or fine grain super polished steel. It's just about getting that apex work done.
I actually use TP to test knives fine edge holding. I cut tons of the stuff every week.
 
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