Ceramic or 1000 grit stone for convex bevels???

[Rocco Sanello]

Hi guys,
Got my pro pack 2 a few days ago and I freakin LOVE IT! Making my first attempt at a convex edge on a large kitchen knife. Already kinda blew it because I thought I had the “sweet spot” via sharpie test, but as I got further into the re-profiling, I took away more of the shoulder at the tip than down by the heel (my edge is uneven). I decided to just chalk it up to a learning experience and go on so I took the edge to 17 degrees all the way through the fine ceramic. Now that I’m at this point, I need to make my 20, 19 and 18 degree angles. After all this rambling my question is, which stones should I use to make my other angles? Should I use my 1.4 or .6 ceramics or the 1000 grit stone? Then after I have made all my micro bevels my understanding is strop with both the 1 and .5 strops? Any advice would be awesome, thanks for everything guys!

– Rocco

[Mark76]

If you go from 17 degrees to 20 degrees, you’re essentially reprofiling part of the edge and this involves a bit of stock removal. This is much easier using lower grit stones. So I prefer the 1000 grit diamonds over the 1.4 micron ceramics (or 1200 grit ceramics). It can probably be done using the ceramics only, but it will take a bit longer.

The disadvantage of using the diamond stones for this work is that it can go too fast and that you have to be careful not to wipe out the entire 17 degree edge. A loupe helps in checking how you are doing.

Then going down from 20 to 19 to 18 is probably possible using the ceramics only, but I usually do it using a few swipes of the 1000 grit diamonds, followed by some polishing with the ceramics.

For blending the resulting multi-beveled edge into a full convex edge, make sure you use a Wicked Edge paste on a leather strop and not a diamond spray: the Wicked Edge pastes have much more burnising power. I usually use the 3.5 micron paste. I don’t have the 1 micron paste, but my guess is it should work equally well.

I did a series of blog posts on convex edges with the WEPS. You can find it here[/url].

Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge

[Rocco Sanello]

That’s awesome Mark, thanks!

[Rocco Sanello]

Wow this is awesome reading! The amount of information here blows me away, I spent quite a while looking for convex info and people keep introducing me to more and more. Any advice on what magnification loupe to get? Thanks again!

[Blunt Cut]

Wow this is awesome reading! The amount of information here blows me away, I spent quite a while looking for convex info and people keep introducing me to more and more. Any advice on what magnification loupe to get? Thanks again!

Peak 15x or 22x achromatic lens (colors corrected). Pricy but worth the $

[Phil Pasteur]

For blending the resulting multi-beveled edge into a full convex edge, make sure you use a Wicked Edge paste on a leather strop and not a diamond spray: the Wicked Edge pastes have much more burnising power. I usually use the 3.5 micron paste. I don’t have the 1 micron paste, but my guess is it should work equally well.

I agree with Mark for the most part and follow his basic process if using the WEPS diamond stones. I do currently use some DMT diamond paste at 6 and 3 microns for the first part of the blending process, then diamond spray on leather at 1 and 0.5 to finish. I do like my results, but I haven’t found that there is any magic in the type of spray or paste that you use. I ran out of the WEPS paste and had some DMT paste around, so I use it (I will likely get some more WEPS paste next time I put together an order, as it seems a bit faster than the DMT pastes).
If you can get some of the 14/10 micron strops, and are careful, you can take some time off of the job… But I don’t believe that any of the pastes or sprays are capable of any level of useful burnishing when used on leather against hardened steel. So far we have no objective evidence of that.

Be patient and take your time. Play with different things. You may not hit it perfectly the first time, but you will get there Rocco!

Phil

[Mark76]

Any advice on what magnification loupe to get? Thanks again!

I use this one. Technically a microscope, but works exactly like a loop. 45x magnification and only $6.95

Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge

[Rocco Sanello]

I just finished my convex edge and I can shave the hair off my arm with ease! Extremely excited (as passing the “easy” shave test was my goal) thank you so much for all your help! Ontop of that I took BluntCuts advice and just purchased a Peak 22x achromatic lense from Amazon. One other hiccup in the process was, as I was picking up speed with the stropping I got careless in my motions and on my backstroke drew my thumb across the edge of the razor-sharp blade. Was able to clean it out quick and put the flap of skin back down into place. Another valuable lesson learned! Regardless of my stupid blunder, beyond satisfied with my first attempt at a convex edge!

[Phil Pasteur]

I like to say..”you can’t argue with success” 🙂
Congratulations on your first convex edge with the WEPS !!

Phil

[Rocco Sanello]

Thanks Phil! I can’t wait for my loupe to get here so I can actually check out what I did in detail. I’d imagine being able to visually track your progress would make the process a little easier. I got an email notification saying there was a post on this thread by somebody asking “why the convex edge?” but it seems to not be here. My understanding is that the “arch” instead of the “V” gives the cutting edge a stronger, more continuous backing and it requires less maintenance than a V edge. Either way, extremely pleased. I won’t know how great of a job I really did until tomorrow when my loupe gets here, but it performed pretty wicked without a doubt!

[Phil Pasteur]

Mark moved that message
http://wickededgeusa.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&func=view&catid=11&id=8549&Itemid=63

You may want to post what you wrote over there.

Phil

[Rocco Sanello]

Will do. Thanks again Phil.

[Leo James Mitchell]

Hey Mark
I loved your blogs on the convex edge, excellent work my friend!
I wonder if this isn’t good spot to pop in a little history of the convex edge.
It is probably the oldest method of sharpening around. Even in the early times of metal blades a la the bronze age, the easiest method of sharpening for the common fellow was to sit in his camp during the early evening passing his blade edge along a handy stone of suitable hardness creating or rebuilding the sharpest edge he could manage in the simplest way available. Another time stopping by a rocky stream tumbling down a mountain side for a drink, he might pause in his travels and again work on that edge. As Ken pointed out, a convex edge is a bit of a cheat since it is impossible to guarantee the angle when sharpening this way manually, but eventually the edge would obtain that wonderful bullet shape ogive that gives one a substantial edge for heavy duty tasks…for this bronze age fellow chopping wood, blazing a trail through those ancient tractless forests, killing and rendering after hunting down some animal or another and lets not forget self defense, for cleaving through bone and armour when the occasion arose.
For the guy who sharpens by hand , it is the natural product of sharpening and stropping manually daily, eventually the convex edge will appear.
Using the modern tools like the WEPS as Mark has described so beautifully in his blog, makes the building of this kind of well supported edge an easy task and it can be maintained easily and for a long time simply by stropping on something handy, be it a piece of leather with or without compound,on your jeans, a piece of sandpaper or even a piece of newsprint. Using any of these will keep that excellent round shoulder and ogive sharp and ready for cutting, slicing, chopping and whatever. Hopefully though, not for cleaving through armour and the bones of enemies! LOL!
So down through the ages the convex edge has been the useful companion of the ordinary man, simple and reliable…not always super sharp at first, but eventually through daily stropping, it becomes a strong and very sharp edge. An axe is an excellent tool that utilizes a convex edge and one can see in this useful tool a convex edge working at its strongest and finest.
Enough? I guess so, I do go on yes? :huh:

Leo

[Author]

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