Justin
@flaboy
active 4 years, 8 months agoForum Replies Created
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I haven’t yet broken-in my 2200/3000-grit stones, so I can’t testify that my progression is correct, but if it works out, here’s my plan: I have my stones rearranged to make things a little more regular. I have put my 100-grit stones on the practice squad, so my first pair are 200/400. Next is 600/800, then 1000/1500. I have replaced my 6-micron film with the 2200/3000-grit stones. I’m expecting (hoping) that the 3000-grit scratch pattern will more or less match the 6-micron film when it’s fully broken-in. If I wish to go higher in the degree of polish, I’ll resume with the 3/1.5 micron films. Next would be the 1.0/0.5 micron film or the same grits in strop compounds. Matching the scratch patterns between the 3000-grit diamond and the 6-micron diamond film is more expected than hoped-for. The width of the scratches seems to be about the same under the microscope, but the overall appearance is much rougher – largely because it’s not yet broken-in. At these grits, the differences between broken-in and not broken-in are huge. I get a decent polish with my 1500-grit stones, but the 3000s are nowhere near that level of polish. At some point not too long after WE started selling glass stones and diamond film, Clay observed that he could jump from 1000 directly to the 6 micron film. Or was it from the 1500s? I have always held that a step up in grit should be 1.5 to 2.0 times the previous grit. Such transitions would require only a nominal amount of effort for each step. If the 6-micron film is in fact the equivalent of 3000 grit stones, then Clay’s jump from 1500 to 6-micron was a 2.0-to-one transition, and by my standards, apparently reasonable. A higher jump (from 1000 to 6-micron) would just require a bit more effort. The 2200/3000-grit stones fill in perfectly for users who have a new set going up to 1000-grit. No ceramics, no film/glass to deal with. An all-diamond team on steel plates also benefit in the use of magnetic angle cubes. What’s really nice about film is that there is absolutely no break-in period. What’s not so nice is that they are far more susceptible to contamination. Unfortunately, I’m not doing much work at the knife sharpener this year. I’m bogged down in several other household, shop and cabinetmaking projects I have promised for a long time. Alas, this means I won’t get my new stones completely broken-in for several months.
What do you mean by 1.5- 2.0 times the previous grit? The reason I want to get the 2200/3000 diamonds is to replace the 2000 and 3000 sandpaper Im using since it doesnt last long and takes time swap out and replace. I would like to just grab stones and go. I also like the fact I would be able to continue with the diamond family before I hit the softer mediums. When I hit the 1200/1600 ceramics is when I start to see the effect of polishing and then work with lapping films and strops. I would say half the time Im after a mirror polish and the other half I stop at 1000 diamonds for a toothy working edge. Is it even worth it to add the 2200/3000 diamonds into my progression or should I stick to the progression I have?
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A $12 lighted loop is really all you need to check your progress between grits (much better than a naked eye). I have a USB microscope, but I mostly just use my 10x loop. The higher the magnification the smaller the viewing field (I have a 20x but rarely use it). It works great when you see a few verticle scratches on different areas of the blade (usually around the heel and the tip). When I see these through the loop I just drop back to my previous grit and do a few side to side scrubs until they disappear and then continue on with the next grit. Buy some extra battery’s off Amazon too for those times you left the light on and placed it down on your table (ask me how I know this). These cheap lighted loops are also great to have at home for getting a splinter out! Search: SE MJ3622L-10X Professional 10x 18 mm Illuminated Metal Loupe On the strops . . . Did you buy them new? How do you store them? My first thought was somehow they are contaminated because they don’t cloud a finished edge. Did you use a diamond spray or the stropping compund to pre-treat the strops? Either of those could be contaminated too? I prefer the .5 and the .25 Diamond spray to pre-treat my leather or Nano strops. Bottles look small, but they last a long time.
Ive been looking at loupes and USB microscopes but there’s so many to choose from. I did buy them new with the diamond pastes. I was very careful to make sure I was applying the right paste to the right side of the strops. I have kept them separate in the plastic that they came in to be cautious about not cross contaminating them. Ive come to the realization it will just take time to get the hang of the stropping technique.
Hi Justin! I am only about 4 weeks head of you with WE experience. And just got the strops about 5 knives ago. First thing Marc taught me was you don’t count stroke or rush, you switch grits when you have successfully removed the scratches from the previous grit and all your new scratches are going the exact same direction. The only way to know is to get yourself a USB microscope to monitor your work. Not saying you did not do that but you didn’t mention how you examined the surface of the bevel before changing grits. I don’t have quite the selection of stones you do as I bought the 120 and added the 800/1000 1500 and strops a week or so later. The problem I have had with the strops is pushing too hard even at 2 degrees less and damaging my edge, especially on the right side (right handed). It take some practice that is for sure. I made my own alignment gauge that allow for 3 points of reference, not sure which gauge comes with the 130 but the single line of letters you get with the 120 is not very helpful. The other item that you really need is the angle cube, the bar at the bottom with the number on it designed to be correct with a bevel of the knife 5/8 ” over the vice (I think i am recalling that distance correctly). It changes a lot as the knife get higher or lower, and without the gauge you really don’t know what angle you are sharpening to. The other thing I was doing was trying to make one long sweeping pass down a kitchen knife.. I now do over lapping 3-4″ sweeps so the scratches do not go sideways or on a different angle as the sweep is stretched way out. I know none of this is answering your question about shine but hopefully will help you in the way it helped me. I have a long way to go to get really good at this but can see improvement with every knife. Thank you Marc for all of you assistance! A good inexpensive microscope Here are a couple of videos Marc suggested I watch and they were very helpful! The 3 WE sharpening strokes What happens when stropping Couple of scope pics before and after.. not stropped (Steak knife)
I don’t have a microscope or loupe yet but they are on my list so at this point the only way of telling to move on is by feel and sound. I do have an angle cube and check my angle each time I go to the next grit. Thats a good looking edge!
Stropping is usually a great way to shine up (and improve sharpness) to a well formed edge. I think you’re the first person I’ve encountered who said that stropping was regressing their edge polish. How are you measuring the 2 degrees? If you’re going by the angle readings on the Wicked Edge itself then it is possible that you are dropping the angle by way more than 2 degrees per side. As a result, you might not be getting much of the bevel with the strops. You’ll want to measure the angle with an angle cube. I’m not totally sure why that would decrease the edge polish you already had. I’m going to give it some more thought and see if an explanation comes to me.
Since the day I started with the W.E. I haven’t relied on the angle markings on the bars since the angle will constantly change with each knife you clamp. I do have an angle cube I use on each grit to make sure my angle is staying consistent.
Justin, I didn’t mean to imply you had positioned the knife incorrectly. I was just suggesting it as something to consider. From what you are sharring it sounds like you’re confident in your ability and well on your way. I’m sure your outcomes will continue to improve as your stones get more broken in and you continue to become more consistent with your sharpening technique. A digital angle cube and a lighted visual magnifying device, like a USB microscope, are two invaluable, helpful, tools.
I felt pretty confident going into it with all the info I’ve read and the videos I’ve watched and then I got to stropping on my confidence went down a little bit. I would like to be skilled enough to put different types of edge finishes on blades for different applications.
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I have recorded all the knives Ive sharpened so far in the booklet that came with the W.E. so I was able to clamp the knife in the same position I sharpened it before. My stone progression is this; Scrubbing motion with lowest grit needed till burr is formed then 50 alternating strokes per side x 3 per grit. I did that same progression with the strops and it seemed like the appearance regressed.
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