Function vs Cosmetics
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As I understand, the primary bevel would be the cutting edge (apex). A micro bevel would be the primary bevel. The secondary bevel is the majority of the edge (everything less the micro bevel). Is this correct or am I backwards?
Different people have it different ways. It is like when you tell to driver “drop me on next intersection”. Some people mean first coming intersection, and other people mean pass coming intersection and drop on 2nd one.
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I have tried a micro bevel on my light use EDC. I have attacked a lot of Amazon boxes and it works much better than the original single bevel. I put a mirror polish on at first but found it seemed to slide over the tape. The original angle was 18 per side. I put it back on the WE and increased the angle to 20. Using 800 grit, I made about 3 delicate passes on the forward edge. It works much better battling the Amazon box, not sure about other uses. Looking at Clay’s video, he used 200 grit and I might try that next time.
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Rich, that’s why I asked you to clarify there are several different ways the terminology get used. Some consider the primary bevel the angle the knife was ground to. Others consider the primary bevel the bevel you actually do the cutting with. And others would consider the primary bevel the angle you sharpen at under the micro-bevel. I don’t consider any one as incorrect just needing clarification.
I like a little tooth to my microbevel but I use a finer grit stone than Clay does. Then I strop to refine it a little. I usually apply a microbevel when my sharpened edge gets worn. This lets me use longer by freshening up the edge. When the microbevel wears, I sharpen the knife and start over again without the microbevel. I sharpen my knives more often then necessary just because I enjoy doing it often sharpening a knife that’s still sharp to the less critical or less obsessive user.
Marc
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I sharpen my knives more often then necessary just because I enjoy doing it often sharpening a knife that’s still sharp to the less critical or less obsessive user.
I also do this. If I can find an excuse to sharpen something, you can bet it is going to end up on the wicked edge shortly.
Great stuff guys, for me the toothy edge is more durable, easier to maintain, and great for all purpose knives. With that being said “purpose sharpening ” demands that we know what the intended use for the knife is and who will be using the knife. For my personal taste a refined edge works great for delicate cutting, tomatoes soft veggies things of that nature. When you want a blade for tougher material, watermelon cantaloupe pineapple things of this nature a less refined, more tooth, works better. Potatoes for example will adhere to the knife and to the bevel if polished past a certain point, if the edge is less refined the bevel will “push” the potato away from the blade and won’t adhere to the knife as much.
So for me at least every knife has to be sharpened with it’s intended use in mind. Before I started using the WEPS I had 1 or 2 knives that I used 90% of the time. Now I have 5 or 6 knives in the kitchen that I use depending on what I will be cutting or chopping.
EDC’s… I have 2 that are sharpened at 15 deg, 17 micro and polished. They look great but need to be “touched up” constantly. The EDC’s that I use the most have good looking edges but not overly polished and sharpened at 18 deg with a 20 micro and don’t require near as much maintenance and I promise are very sharp.
I to have 6 or so “test knives” that I’ve sharpened 5-10 time each just to see not only what I could do but what the knife was capable of.
This is why I love this quest, it’s an art, more so than a science and completely subjective. My technique would not work for some while others would, but we all learn from each other by incorporating some of each others ideas and techniques.
Thanks for all your responses.
Good point. I must admit that I more often than necessary sharpen my knives for cosmetics, i.e. with a mirror edge and not toothy (and thus more often than necessary). Fortunately my girlfriend, who is quite a good cook, now (after a period of being quite scared of sharp knives
) now loves very sharp knives.Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge
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Rich, that’s why I asked you to clarify there are several different ways the terminology get used. Some consider the primary bevel the angle the knife was ground to. Others consider the primary bevel the bevel you actually do the cutting with. And others would consider the primary bevel the angle you sharpen at under the micro-bevel. I don’t consider any one as incorrect just needing clarification.
Great points. The terminology does get used in different ways. Many (especially relating to Western knives) consider the grind of the knife e.g. saber/ffg/scandi etc.., to be the primary bevel. In the example of a saber grind, the primary bevel would begin where the blade starts to taper toward the edge until it reaches the shoulder. The secondary bevel would be from the shoulder to the edge or to the smaller shoulder of a micro-bevel. For a ffg, the entire blade is the primary bevel and then the small, sharpened section is the secondary bevel. A zero grind knife just has a bevel. I like this system because it follows from steps in making a knife – create the blade stock, then grind toward one edge (primary grind/bevel) then sharpen (secondary bevel).
I like a little tooth to my microbevel but I use a finer grit stone than Clay does. Then I strop to refine it a little. I usually apply a microbevel when my sharpened edge gets worn. This lets me use longer by freshening up the edge. When the microbevel wears, I sharpen the knife and start over again without the microbevel. I sharpen my knives more often then necessary just because I enjoy doing it often sharpening a knife that’s still sharp to the less critical or less obsessive user.
I used 200# in that example but often do a finer micro-bevel as well and I like to do a little light stropping, again at the lower angle.
-Clay
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