i just cant sharpen to save myself.

[Brett Holmes]

i've made a vew knives now but none of them are sharp, its quite embarasing to tell someone that you made the knife but cant sharpen it. my problem is holding the constant angle, i want a lansky but cant afford one, so i'm going to have to learn to use a bench stone. i have seen little jigs that clamp on the blade to hold the angle but i dont understand how it holds the angle around the curve neer the tip of the blade. will i have to resort to making only warncliffs just so that i can hold the angle!
any tips and tricks would be greatly apreciated because i want it sharp enough to shave with and at the moment none will even cut me.

Brett
p.s. i have already searched.

[Kbud]

Here's a link to a calculator and instructions that was posted by Steve Sando awhile back.
Bevel Calculator

Hope this helps......


Pj

[azmike]

I have some difficulty with this too, (its gettin better), but i find i like using stones over one of the "systems". The more i do it, the better i seem to get, (as long as the blade is HT/tempered
correct). It also seems that i do better when i don't try to force it, and there is a particular "sound"
i get when its right. BUT, what helped most was watching and listening when Tai was doing one at
a full moon forge this past summer. not much help-but your not alone, and help is out there--like the link above. mike

thanks Kbud.

[Greg obach]

there are many ways to go

you could get yourself a king waterstone from Lee Valley... only 30 bucks... say bout 1200 grit...... work the primary bevel at a nice low angle.... and be patient !! ... maintain that angle till you can no longer see a shiney edge...... the edge should almost be invisible... (do both sides the same)...... if you touch the edge to the back of your hand you maybe feel the burr...... now load up a piece of pine or a piece of paper with green buff compound...(cr oxide)....... now pull the blade backwards on it ..... do both sides and maintain the bevel angle..... be patient and make sure your not rolling your wrists and rounding the edge...

you should come out with a blade that'll cut standing paper tubes... and shave hair off your hand with one pass..

I believe that the hard arkansas stones will be more available to you......these are wonderful too...... check out what you can get locally and it should be no prob...

once you use a truely sharp knife.... you'll never go back to a dull one

GReg

[Ray Rogers]

If your problem is not being able to hold a consistant angle then one of those clamp on devices can help. I use the Razor's Edge clamp to set the initial bevel on some of my knives. It can be used on a stone (as it was intended to be used) or even against a sanding belt. Using it on a belt sander gets the job done quickly but you'll need a new clamp a couple of times a year! They cost about $15.

The clamps are sized according to the size of blade you will sharpen, either under 4" or 4" or more in length. To sharpen the curved tip of a blade just lift the knife handle and keep the edge of the blade in contact with the stone...

[Jason Cutter]

Holmsy, not sure if this applies to you, but quite a few people get frustrated because they don't realise how long it can sometimes take to develop the initial bevel. They get upset that the edge can't cut, but thats because the actual edge cannel hasn't even formed yet. Ie.- theres still a bit of flat on the edge.

I'm not sure if you are using a grinder at the moment, but that may be one way to save some time in getting the initial edge bevel. If you do decide to use the grinder, make sure you grind with the edge DOWN, ie.- in the direction of the belt run, NOT against the direction of the belt. Keep it cool, especially watching the tip. Use sweeping movements of the hand.

Regardless of whether you grind or use manual stones, sharpen till the burr forms, THEN, go for refining the edge with finer abrasives. Jason.

[Randy Kidd]

Here is a tip that I learned long ago..Instead of the conventional ceramic rods, I use the rod from the inside of a high pressure sodium vapor bulb. This thing puts a razors edge on very quickly, the edge is smooth as glass, and scary sharp, steel build up can be cleaned off the rod with just a few passes from a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. These bulbs are used for industrial lighting and in growing operations, you can get them at large garden centers and at the big box home improvement stores..I get mine occasionaly free from a friend who changes the burned out one's at a factory, I get the burned out one..They come in all sizes..They will shatter if dropped..The trick is getting it out of the bulb without breaking it..I wrap a towel around the entire bulb then... a light tap on the glass,

here is a pic of one, the tube inside of the bulb is what you are after, you won't be disapointed in the results.

[Kbud]

Heck yeah I have several of those ceramic rods.. those are the S$%^

[NuViking]

I like sharpening steels and ceramic rods for maintaining an edge. If used regularaly a ceramic rod will make your knife sharper than you could beleive. Just dont let it get dull. maintain the edge most folks wait till their knife is dull to resharpen but if maintained as you use it sharp it well offen get ugly sharp and take very little efforts. Just ask meatcutters why they steel their knives so much

[whv]

http://users.ameritech.net/knives/index.htm

probably more information than you would ever want to know about sharp knives.