Haffner

Every knife I do is different. If it’s a knife I’ve done before, the bevels are already established, and if it’s pretty dull, I’ll start with my 400’s. But it all depends on the degree of damage that needs to be erased.  I scan the entire length of the edge with my USB scope, first looking straight down on the edge to see how wide the edge is,…[Read more]

Thanks Rodger!

I just ordered one.  I have the CATRA Hobbigoni and I use it all the time – before and after sharpening.  One drawback to this model is that it doesn’t accommodate larger (spine->bevel) knives.  This new one looks like it has more depth to handle larger kitchen knives.  I’ll also compare the accuracy between them and post again.

Ed K.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade…..a couple of tequila shots make it even better! Love the idea but like @MarcH pointed out, I’d be concerned by the change caused in the velcro compression. I guess that a very light tough would minimalize the compression and thusly the angle change. In any case, a very ingenious approach, congrats!

Rods that measure .253 ought to be snug enough in the handles to work well.  Some years ago, the rods were measured at about .246 and I thought that was too loose, so I modified my handles by installing bronze bushings a each end.  Eventually, I even made my own handles out of various materials, including G10, maple hardwood and ABS, but I w…[Read more]

Did you check to make sure that you have the right jaws installed?

Further proof that one shouldn’t be blathering in forums about things they’re not absolutely sure of.  And yes, I’m talking about myself. I disassembled my Gen 3 Pro last night for the first good cleaning in a couple of years. I was gobsmacked to see that my vise with the slits does indeed have the same design pads as the OP.  My apologies to C…[Read more]

I found these links interesting.

Ranking the Steel Ranking Articles (knifesteelnerds.com)

How to Pick the Best Steel for Every Knife

Read the article here (knifesteelnerds.com)

Ed K.

I did this one with the regular flat stones, using the same methods as with any other knife:

If you want to keep the tip sharp, you’ll need to “follow through” as you sweep through the entire length of the edge.  Do not let the stone rotate as you leave the edge, as that will round-over the tip.

Unless the concave radius of the edge nearly…[Read more]

To add a correction to my earlier post, I erred in saying that both of my Gen 3 vises had the vertical slit – in fact, one does and the other, being an earlier design, does not.  Both hold my collection of knives securely, except that the vise without the slit does not do well with the smallest, most steeply angled knife as shown in this…[Read more]

thank you for the great ideas. My solution- after talking to Clay (Wicked edge owner) and at his suggestion – was to apply strips of moleskin to the inside of the vise jaws. This is the stuff I bought and use…[Read more]

@Precept thank you for your excellent explanation of the problem along with the clear photos and videos. It’s very helpful to get such high quality information to help troubleshoot.

Thanks to everyone on this thread for the their input, it makes it much easier to track down the issue.

When we redesigned the jaws and added the center split and…[Read more]

From the photos by the OP, I can’t see any evidence that says the clamping pads are actually there – as though somebody might have screwed up in manufacturing.  This would produce results exactly like precept is describing.

The pads are rather small sections of the vise which are the parts that are supposed to actually touch the faces of the…[Read more]

I have a Jet double-ended buffer and I’ve learned that if I want to step up my routine sharpening, I’ll stone to 2200 or 3000, then hit the buffer with a 10″ cotton wheel and white polishing compound.  Pink scratchless compound also works great.  One or two passes is all it takes.  Maybe 5 seconds per side.

For the last 6 – 12 months, I’ve on…[Read more]

I’ll agree with Marc on the ease of sharpening hard steels.  I just hardened a batch of four D2 blades using my propane-fired forge.  I used a digital thermometer and quenched using two 1″-thick aluminum plates.  Even after tempering in a 450 F oven for two 1-hour cycles, they’re still hard enough to cause a file to skate without biting.  Sha…[Read more]

Exactly.  Well said TC.

The thing to keep in mind is that as your stones move along the edge, there is a change in the contact between the edge and the stone.  Where the edge is convex, the stones tend to make contact at only one point across the face of the stone, and it doesn’t really matter where on the stone face that contact is made.  Where the edge is concave, y…[Read more]

I kinda doubt that Chicago Cutlery would sharpen any of their knives at less than about 17 degrees.  At least not on purpose.  They use stainless which is probably 440C or 420C or something similar.  When sharpening these stainless steels, you get the impression that they’re really tough, as the stones feel like they’re bouncing right off.  At ver…[Read more]

In my experience, the difference between quality kitchen knives and their lower cost competition lies in the thickness of the blades and thin blades really need to be made of high cost steels.

Small (narrow) bevels, especially at low angles, are sure evidence of a blade that is very thin at the shoulders.  Very thin blades are a pleasure to use…[Read more]

Two of the kitchen knives were from the 3 knife Shun starter set I bought last year.  They have lifetime free sharpening and I already sent them back 6 months ago as a tiny tip on the mid sized one had broken off.  They sharpened all 3 and repaired the tip.  I’m not surprised that a tip broke as they use VG-Max steel and it seems very brittle as…[Read more]

I find that it takes very little angular error to make the difference between hitting the apex and not hitting it.  Maybe as little as 0.1 – 0.15 degrees.  Usually, you see the error as the scratch pattern of the current stone not quite reaching the apex (or the shoulder).  Scratch marks from the previous grits will be readily visible, provided th…[Read more]