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The Newbies Arena Are you new to knife making? Here is all the help you will need.

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  #1  
Old 10-30-2014, 09:39 AM
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BCROB BCROB is offline
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your cutting edge and grit to get there........

I'm sure this is on here somewhere......

so your knife is complete, your sheath is done and it's time to put a cutting edge on your blade...
(if you do it in that order)

what's your method ?

jig ? files ? free hand ? stones ? belts ? tormak ? other ?

what angle ? degree ?

curious how each differ from getting their cutting edge


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  #2  
Old 10-30-2014, 09:55 AM
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Hunter10139 Hunter10139 is offline
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I'm a newb but I always use a lansky 5 stone system. I usually use a 25 degree angle.


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  #3  
Old 10-30-2014, 10:17 AM
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NorCal Nate NorCal Nate is offline
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Freehand on the grizz with 220 followed by the lansky.. Angle depends on thickness of blade and its purpose.
~Nate
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  #4  
Old 10-30-2014, 10:40 AM
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Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
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My knife is finished but the blue tape is still on the blade. I angle my platen to whatever angle this knife needs (see Nate's comment) so that I can hold the blade straight up and still get the desired angle on the edge - its easier to guess where 'straight up' is than to try to hold, say, 20 degrees.

I use a 120 grit belt to establish the edge cutting through the tape as I go . When I have a wire edge the knife is taken to my Edge Pro (same as a Lansky, just bigger) and the edge is cleaned up and polished to the desired degree.

That's it ...


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  #5  
Old 10-30-2014, 01:52 PM
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Andrew Garrett Andrew Garrett is offline
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Interesting...

I use a 400 grit belt on my 2 x 48 Multitool II.
I have a piece of tooling leather cut to 22 degrees taped to the bottom end of the platten so that it stands up next to the belt. It is set so that it guides the edge to the slack part of the belt just below the platten but before the contact wheel.

I work each side of the edge evenly until I get wire edge (burr) along the length.

I then charge a folded piece of paper with green chrome rouge and lightly work the burr off with the paper folded over my finger.

A hard strope or two against the tightly pulled denim of my jeans gives me a razor sharp 44 degree utility edge with a smooth finish that will cut and curl paper thinner than it is thick.


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  #6  
Old 10-30-2014, 02:08 PM
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DanCom DanCom is offline
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Good topic. For my first few knives I really had a hard time getting them crazy sharp. I

I use an Edge Pro type setup with adjustable angle and wet stones from 120 to 1500. This process is slow and if I had more guts I'd use the belt grinder, but it's so close to the end I hate to ruin something at this late stage.

Then it's to the sharpening wheel with rouge for a mirror finish and shaving edge. Yes leave the tape on. I've scuffed two blades right near the end and vowed to keep them taped as long as possible.

I have arbitrarily chosen 20? for kitchen knives and 25 to 30? for hunters. So far no complaints.

Dan
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  #7  
Old 10-30-2014, 06:21 PM
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similar to yours Ray , 120 to burr then leather strop with green compound , I donated a 1 x 42 to the cause, made it horizontal, mounted an adjustable angle rest , a blade holder from Lee Valley , nice clean even edge, takes out the guess work which I like best..............I use to eyeball the hold to an angled platen asv well but these old eyes aren't 'sharp' enuf


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Old 10-30-2014, 10:36 PM
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GHEzell GHEzell is offline
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My method is a bit unconventional. I grind my blades to 220 grit, then hand-finish to 500-2000 grit, and the geometry is 'slightly convex'. When I am at the last grinding phase, I want a burr already formed on the edge. This means my blade will be nasty sharp while I'm hand-sanding it, and believe me I am careful during this phase... When the hand-sanding is done, the blade will be slightly sharp in an unrefined way. I then add a micro-bevel, using a Gatco sharpening system (similar to a Lansky) at 15-19 degrees (I might take a big chopper to 22 degrees) to refine the edge, finishing up with a white stone that I believe is ceramic and is approximately 3000 grit. The little knife I made and use for leatherwork has a 11 degree micro-bevel, and will cut you if you look at it wrong.


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  #9  
Old 10-31-2014, 06:06 AM
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Final edge is always relative to intended use and blade geometry, so it varies. I set the final bevel free-hand to burr on 400 - reverse slack belt on 15 Micron to refine burr until it begins to curl off - strop rest of burr off on fine leather strop rubbed with rouge compound. Just how I do it.....

Geez Andrew! Hope no one distracts you while your stropping. Could really mess up a pair of jeans!


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  #10  
Old 10-31-2014, 09:23 AM
argel55 argel55 is offline
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I set the burr with a 240 grit then finish with a 2000.
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  #11  
Old 10-31-2014, 04:47 PM
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BCROB BCROB is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Crex View Post
Final edge is always relative to intended use and blade geometry, so it varies. I set the final bevel free-hand to burr on 400 - reverse slack belt on 15 Micron to refine burr until it begins to curl off - strop rest of burr off on fine leather strop rubbed with rouge compound. Just how I do it.....

Geez Andrew! Hope no one distracts you while your stropping. Could really mess up a pair of jeans!

reverse being the key here Carl , good on ya for posting that !!!

I've listened to some try and justify sharpening the edge belt motion towrds you edge up !!

I've seen pics of a maker with the femoral artery severed........not a pretty sight


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Old 11-01-2014, 07:12 AM
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Yeah, lost a good hunting buddy right after college that accidently stabbed himself in the groin......not pretty at all. It is serious business being smart and safe.


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angle, belt, belts, blade, blades, edge, files, grinder, hand, hunting, kitchen, kitchen knives, knife, knives, leather, mirror, razor sharp, sharp, sharpening, sheath, stone, thickness


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