Advanced Search

F & S Pro

Recent Forums Main Forum F & S Pro

Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #34690
    Eric
    Participant
    • Topics: 3
    • Replies: 3

    Thanks to all the great information available, I was able to achieve great results right out of the box. I started with my EDC Kershaw knockout with <span class=”a-list-item”>14C28N</span> steel which didn’t take much work. I had a nearly polished edge on it already from the ultra fine ceramics of my Spyderco Sharpmaker. The 40 deg angle I put on with the Spyderco was very close to the 40 deg on the GEN III vise. I still started with the 100 grit to achieve a burr on both sides and then progressed through the fine ceramics that I added to my order. Then I found 2 cheap kitchen knives that have been bouncing around, unprotected in my silverware drawer and sharpened them up nice so I could keep them in my RV. They took considerably more work to get a burr since both edges had been peened over in the drawer for years. Once I developed a burr it was easy to progress through the stones.

     

    I just ordered the ultra fine ceramics and kangaroo strops with .25 spray so I can get a nice polish. I can’t wait to work with that.

    1 user thanked author for this post.
    #34698
    tcmeyer
    Participant
    • Topics: 38
    • Replies: 2095

    Glad to hear that your first experiences are good ones.  I would offer a few bits of advice.

    First, get an angle-cube if you don’t already have one.  The angle readings on the cross-bar are for reference only.  The actual angles will be dependent on the height of the edge above the vise.

    Second, get a loupe so you can inspect your edges visually.  Feeling for a burr is an excellent way to tell if you’re at the apex, but it won’t tell you if there are defects in the edge which still need to be removed.

    Third, I would recommend that you only use the 100/200 diamond stones when you need to remove a lot of steel.  You don’t want to touch the final apex with such coarse grits.  They will tear out bits of steel, creating defects in the edge which will take a very long time to remove with finer stones.  This is especially true during the breaking-in of your new stones.

    Fourth, I suggest that you not try to sharpen any really good knives (for me, that’s about a $30 value) until your stones are broken-in.  How long?  Depends on a number of variables, but look for uniform scratch patterns and feel and listen for smooth, consistent cutting.  If it feels like you’re driving on a plowed field, it ain’t broken-in.

    2 users thanked author for this post.
    #34700
    Eric
    Participant
    • Topics: 3
    • Replies: 3

    Glad to hear that your first experiences are good ones. I would offer a few bits of advice. First, get an angle-cube if you don’t already have one. The angle readings on the cross-bar are for reference only. The actual angles will be dependent on the height of the edge above the vise. Second, get a loupe so you can inspect your edges visually. Feeling for a burr is an excellent way to tell if you’re at the apex, but it won’t tell you if there are defects in the edge which still need to be removed. Third, I would recommend that you only use the 100/200 diamond stones when you need to remove a lot of steel. You don’t want to touch the final apex with such coarse grits. They will tear out bits of steel, creating defects in the edge which will take a very long time to remove with finer stones. This is especially true during the breaking-in of your new stones. Fourth, I suggest that you not try to sharpen any really good knives (for me, that’s about a $30 value) until your stones are broken-in. How long? Depends on a number of variables, but look for uniform scratch patterns and feel and listen for smooth, consistent cutting. If it feels like you’re driving on a plowed field, it ain’t broken-in.

    Thank you for the advise. I am very familiar with abrasives and polishing metals as well as machining them. I am an inspector by trade (among other responsibilities) and actually I misspoke. I forgot that with the Kershaw, I started with the 400 stones. The banged up cheap kitchen knives started with the 100. I have an angle cube but don’t actually intend to use it. The reason is, I would rather rely on the mechanical repeatability of the angle bar, than worry about fine tuning each blade to match what was done previously. With a little work initially to get the angles on the blade matching the preset angles of the angle bar, maintenance will be a breeze and I can guaranty repeating the angle with less set up time. I can appreciate peoples need to get it perfect but the more convenient I make it for myself, the more likely I am to keep up on my knives. I already have a 200x digital microscope as well as a 30x optical. I don’t personally need anything stronger than the 30x. If I get any more anal than that, I’ll be afraid to use the blade. My kitchen knives will never be perfect because they will always be subjected to the abuse of my wife and daughter lol. My EDC Kershaw is used almost daily to cut boxes open, and occasionally pull a staple or two. I have the same knife with the Elmax blade, which is the only knife I am very careful with and even that is used daily when I’m not working. It needs to be extra sharp mainly to cut my cigars. Sharpening has been a mild passion since I was a little kid so probably 40+ years, but I grow tired of it quickly, so I rarely have more than one sharp knife at a time. The WEPS system is the perfect fit for me because it is very efficient and little energy is wasted.

    1 user thanked author for this post.
    #34701
    tcmeyer
    Participant
    • Topics: 38
    • Replies: 2095

    Thanks for the response.  I’m currently working my way thru a batch of about twenty knives brought around by a half-relative.  One of them was pretty bad and I resorted to my 200’s, only to end up with some really nasty chips out of the edge.  Can’t seem to take my own advice.

    I try not to be anal about the angles, but since my modified stones have some slight differences in thickness, I use the Variable Stone Thickness Adapters with every grit change.  It only takes a few seconds, but puts me within 0.1 degree or less each time.  With my 50X USB microscope (yes, 30X is plenty good), I can see errors of less than that in the scratch patterns, so if my aim is to achieve a really fine, mirrored edge, I need to see it and to adjust for it.  The angle cube is mainly used to record the initial angle for later touch-ups, but every now and then it’s a great tool for finding what went wrong.  On several occasions where the ‘scope says something’s wrong, it’s shown me that my micro-adjusts have drifted off their initial settings.

    1 user thanked author for this post.
Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.