Activity – Michael Blakley – Wicked Edge Precision Knife Sharpener

Michael Blakley started the topic Checking the sharpness in the forum Basic Techniques and Sharpening Strategies 5 years, 2 months ago

I am sure there are thousands of ways to check the sharpness of a blade and thousands of arguments about which is best.

I just have a simple question. If I am going to use paper cutting as my test. Should I be using a flimsy paper (like a newpaper or yellowpages paper OR should I be using a piece of copier paper which is thicker than the n…[Read more]

Michael Blakley replied to the topic Bitten by the Bug! in the forum Welcome Mat 5 years, 2 months ago

One thing I’ve learned is that getting the angle right, every time, is an absolute necessity. I highly recommend you buy the Angle Cube as part of your system. You use it to help you position the angle of the stones to say 20.00 degrees for a chef’s knife, or 15.00 for a high end Japanese kitchen knife for fish. Maybe there are new ways to get…[Read more]

Michael Blakley replied to the topic It's not you, it's me…. in the forum Basic Techniques and Sharpening Strategies 5 years, 2 months ago

I sincerely appreciate the education you all are providing.

What level of magnification will I need to do what you’re advising?

And once it’s under that magnification what tells me it’s time to switch from lapping to 14 micron to 10 to 5 ? Thanks

Michael Blakley replied to the topic It's not you, it's me…. in the forum Basic Techniques and Sharpening Strategies 5 years, 2 months ago

So I can see that I should stick with what I’m currently doing and just get better at it.

A couple of follow-up questions.

On the reverse side of my 1500 stone is the glass to which I attach the lapping material. it’s the kind that I peel off a sheet and stick on to the glass. How do I know when it’s time remove the existing and replace it…

[Read more]

Michael Blakley started the topic It's not you, it's me…. in the forum Basic Techniques and Sharpening Strategies 5 years, 2 months ago

I love the look of the mirror polish on the bevel of a knife when I finish it.

My finishing routine is in this order:

1500 grit

lapping

14 micron

10 micron

5 micron

3.5 micron

But here’s my problem… the leather. A) I’m never sure if I have the right amount of compound on the the strops, to much, to little, the right amount in some…[Read more]

Michael Blakley replied to the topic Using 50/80 stones in the forum Techniques and Sharpening Strategies 5 years, 4 months ago

What started this is that I was trying to sharpen a knife that was on need of major work and a few hours of work seemed to accomplish nothing.

So I got the 50-80 stones. Thanks to the advice from this forum, I used only the 80 grit. I rubbed the 80 grit sides together gently for 3 minutes washed them and repeated the process.

I started using t…[Read more]

Michael Blakley started the topic Using 50/80 stones in the forum Techniques and Sharpening Strategies 5 years, 4 months ago

I recently purchased the 50/80 grit stones.

They seem really, really coarse and look like they can remove a lot of metal quickly, which can be both good and bad.

Are there any tutorial videos out there that specifically address these coarse stones?

Also, if you have any advice to pass along, I’d be glad to read it.

Faithfully Yours,

FP

Michael Blakley replied to the topic Advice needed in the forum Basic Techniques and Sharpening Strategies 5 years, 4 months ago

Well here’s what I think is going on.

First I am trying to put a new profile on this knife. I want to change it from sharpening from 14 or 16 degrees on each side to 20 degrees on each side.

Putting a more blunt edge means removing a lot of metal. So I spent a couple of hours eating into the bevel. Actually, It started off as a looking li…[Read more]

Michael Blakley replied to the topic Advice needed in the forum Basic Techniques and Sharpening Strategies 5 years, 4 months ago

Hi Organic,

Thanks for the advice. Please allow me a follow up question. While I would agree an arbitrary number might not get the job done, but I would think that 100 passes on each side with the 100 grit stone would have produced a burr, or do you achieve a burr by just doing one side first and then the other?

Thanks again!

FP

Michael Blakley started the topic Advice needed in the forum Basic Techniques and Sharpening Strategies 5 years, 4 months ago

A friend asked me to fix his deer skinning knife. The fixed blade is 4 inches long, 8 1/4 inches in total length, spine of the knife is 10mm thick.

The bevel is about 4mm long on both sides of the knife even though the two bevels are NOT equal

To get the right bevel, I used a sharpie marker and painted the bevel on one side and then adjusted…[Read more]

Michael Blakley replied to the topic Success! (I think) in the forum Pass Around 5 years, 6 months ago

I used a product called Alumicut, it’s kind of like a metal polish. I applied it with circular pad of a really really fine grit & steel wool to polish it. That was applied using my cordless drill.

I guess there are better ways to do this, but I used the tools I had on hand.

Michael

Michael Blakley started the topic Success! (I think) in the forum Pass Around 5 years, 6 months ago

I bought a Chef’s knife at a bargain price, fixed it, sharpened it and sold it.

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The knife was a Shun 8 inch Chef’s knife. It had a horrible warp to it, the sides of the blade were marred up and the knife’s tip was broken off and virtually no edge to be found.

First thing I did was beat the knife with…[Read more]

Michael Blakley started the topic This vs. That in the forum Advanced Techniques and Sharpening Strategies 5 years, 6 months ago

Currently, I finish a knife with this:

1500 grit

Diamond lapping

14m

10m

5m

3.5m

I do not have
<p class=”page-title “>Micro Fine Ceramic Stones Pack.</p>
If I were to add, the MicroFine stones, could I skip any of the above steps because they would not be necessary?

Thanks!

Michael Blakley started the topic Storing Strop question in the forum Stropping 5 years, 7 months ago

I store my stones in the box that my Wicked Edge came in. All my stone lie side by side so they don’t scrape against one another. That’s true for all the grit stones, but the leather strops, I treat them differently.

Each strop is in its own ziplock bag and it’s sealed.

Is that good, bad or unnecessary?

Michael

Michael Blakley replied to the topic Bent Blade in the forum Main Forum 5 years, 8 months ago

The photo is a metal ruler on the left and a Shun 8 inch Premier knife.

I do not know the steel, there are 4 possibilities acccording to Shun. It’s either VG10, VG Max, SG2 or High Carbon Blue Steel.

It’s Kasumi Style knife with a Tsuchime (hamered) finish.

I included the ruler because I think it’s straight and tried to give you a frame of…[Read more]

Michael Blakley started the topic Bent Blade in the forum Main Forum 5 years, 8 months ago

I bought a Shun Chef’s knife that is in rough shape. I bought it to restore, maybe sell, maybe keep.

The blade is slightly bent.

The blade is about 8 inches long. The bend is about 2 inches away from the point of the knife. It’s not a dramatic bend, but it is enough that you can see it.

Any tips on straightening a blade? Also, I do not hav…[Read more]

Michael Blakley started the topic Micro Fine Ceramic vs. Strops in the forum Stropping 5 years, 9 months ago

I just saw these stones at wicked edge. The reason I was on the website is because I recently gouged big chunks into the leather stops of my Wicked Edge System.
<p class=”page-title “>Micro Fine Ceramic Stones Pack Two grits 1.4 micron/.6 micron (2 each).</p>
I love finishing a knife with a mirrored finish. So I’ve got the normal stones, plus t…[Read more]

Michael Blakley started the topic knife with almost no edge from the manufacturer in the forum Basic Techniques and Sharpening Strategies 5 years, 10 months ago

A friend of mine is a bartender. He was given a knife, as a gift, that is a called a bartender’s knife. It’s meant for cutting lemons, limes and other items a bartender might need for garnish. It’s a short fixed blade.

I don’t think the manufacturer put an edge on the knife. It is definitely not ready for use right out of the box. So I’m…[Read more]

Michael Blakley started the topic Christmas gift suggestion from me for me in the forum Sharpener and Accessory Maintenance 6 years ago

My family asks “What do you want for Christmas?” So maybe an addition to my Wicked Edge system?

Here’s what I have, maybe you can add an idea or two. I have

Granite stone base.

The extender for thin blades

Electronic Angle measuring instrument

Stones:

100/200

400/600

800/1000

1500/lapping

.6micron lapping sheets

14/10 strop

5 / 3.…[Read more]

Michael Blakley started the topic sharpening a meat cleaver in the forum Tips for Specific Knife Grinds and Styles 6 years ago

I would really appreciate some advice on sharpening a meat cleaver.

The one I spent a couple of weeks “restoring” was just like this one: https://www.etsy.com/listing/204678094/french-meat-cleaver-vintage-meat-chopper?show_sold_out_detail=1

The first challenge was to remove all the rust (it was solid rust when I started). So I buffed off the…[Read more]

Michael Blakley

@faithfulpastor

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