Looking close at mirror polish

[Rick]

You folks have proably looked at this a thousand times, but to me at least, I still find it intresting.
This is a CRKT Hissatsu folder with a AUS-8 blade.

This is the same blade with a closer view

I still have a lot of work to do before it is mirror polished, as well as refining the apex.
Oh, look, a rabbit hole.

[Josh]

That’s the thing about mirrored edges… it’s all about lighting. But if you really want a true mirror then you need to alternate grind directions with each consecutive grit to ensure you are removing prior scratches. When you are going for a true mirror i find that it really starts coming out in the 3um range. the strops are just icing on the cake from that point on 😉

[tcmeyer]

You know, I’ve never really been able to achieve a true mirror finish, even using the alternate direction method. I’ve come to believe that it’s because I am too careless in avoiding cross-contamination. Why? Because I seem to get scratches which are deeper than the lowest grit I’m using.

Yes, I produce some very impressive mirror edges, but like Kat’s photos, if you look a little closer, or adjust the lighting just so… Oops, maybe not so perfect.

[Victor]

Rockstead with their close to perfect mirror, even under magnification for their entire convex, leads all the way to the cutting edge is a thing of beauty.

[tcmeyer]

Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Rocksteads are incredible. This is the first photo I’ve seen of one of their folding knives. Love the spec sheet as a backdrop. ZDP-189 at HrC 67.2. Wow. Looks like it’s clad in VG-10. Surely, there’s a lamination line where the two meet. It’s polished and you still can’t see it? More wow.

Maybe in my next reincarnation… Nah, I’ll probably be a frog.

[Victor]

VG-10 cladding is on both side, sandwiching ZDP-189 in the middle.

There is a visible darker shade on the middle part of ricasso in the picture. Other than that, you can not see it on the polished blade.

[Josh]

Rockstead with their close to perfect mirror, even under magnification for their entire convex, leads all the way to the cutting edge is a thing of beauty.

i would so be afraid to use that thing for fear of scratching it up after all the work you put into it!! do you have to redo the entire mirrored primary grind every time you sharpen or do you apply a micro bevel?

[tcmeyer]

I don’t think anyone would dare to make a Rockstead dull in the first place. They are to be worshiped, not used. Unless you have a ton of money. No, make that several tons of money.

[Rick]

Rockstead… A work of art! I agree Im in the camp of I dont think I could bring myself to actully use that knife. I’d be to busy just stareing at it. lol.

[Leo Barr]

Good looking Rockstead I have a Beetle , Chou & a ZDP Un I use the Beetle & the Chou the Un I have more as an investment.

[Author]

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