Organic

Diamond lapping films on glass are the closest thing to a perfectly flat sharpening medium that I’m aware of. That is not to say that the WE diamond plates don’t work well and aren’t close to flat as well. People generally use very fine grit films that don’t remove a lot of material, so you won’t get nicely V-ground bevels with the films unless…[Read more]

I do not have the super fine ceramics, only the micro fine ceramics.

If you want a closeup view at the bevels that the ceramic stones produce, check out this old thread. It was a good one and has some very cool microscope images from Clay.

Unless it wasn’t clear from Clay’s comments, the 8,000 grit DMT diamond plates used to be sold by WE but were replaced in the lineup with the 1500 grit diamond stone. The 1500 grit stone actually produces scratches that are between 2.5-3.5 microns wide. See this old thread from when the stone was introduced.

I’ve had the micro-fine ceramics for about 9 months or so. I really like them as a long wearing alternative to the more rapidly consumable diamond lapping films. The films produce a shiny mirrored finish (with defined scratches visible in some lighting) with minimal effort because the diamonds cut very efficiently. The ceramics don’t work as…[Read more]

I sharpen my cheap kitchen knives with 100 , 200, 400, 600, and 800 diamonds and then strop with 4 / 2 micron progression on leather. The edge is a bit toothy. My EDC knives usually get a very similar treatment.

For my better knifes I have been giving them a full progression of diamond stones up to 1500, 1.4, 0.6 micron ceramics and 14, 10, 4, 2,…[Read more]

Strops work differently than the stones and films. Stones and lapping films remove a lot more material and will refine the apex much faster. Strops are more for smoothing out the bevels, improving polish, and removing any remaining burr. The choice of exactly what progression to use is a matter of personal preference and intended cutting…[Read more]

I use 14 / 10, 4 / 2, and 1 / 0.5 for my strop progression.

You’ll get a more polished look if you do a more substantial progression. The sharpness will improve as well.

That is good progress. Things will only get better as you get more consistent with your technique and your stones continue to even out. What was your strop progression after the 2,500 grit sandpaper?

I think you did exactly what needed to be done. New stones sometimes do have loosely adhered clumps of diamonds that fall off upon use. This is part of what happens during the break in process. The first few sharpening sessions with the stones produce a lot of diamond dust mixed in the the tiny metal shavings.

I think it is looking good. The scratches seem to be of equal depth and width. I’m not sure, but it looks like the section in the middle of the photo might not have gotten the 1000 grit scratches all the way to the apex. You can always check by putting on a layer of sharpie and doing a few passes. If you see any remaining sharpie on the bevels…[Read more]

Welcome Hasnen tool repair! It is always good to have new voices contributing to the discussions.

This knife looks thin and flexible. If so, it may be moving while you’re trying to sharpen it.

I’m in the same boat on boxes. I’ve been using a utility knife for opening most packages because that tape residue is a real pain to get off of a blade. It makes it more difficult when the blade is extra sharp too because there’s more risk of getting cut as well.

Looks good!

Paper has a grain to it, so it is usually easy to cut in one direction. If a blade is very sharp it will cut paper with and against the grain.

The best way to get rid of residual scratches is to go back a few grit levels. This is counter intuitive, but it works. Fine grits remove material slowly and won’t get deep scratches out without a lot of…[Read more]

I like to learn from videos. Its like getting to stare over someone’s shoulder while they sharpen. This is an old one, but there’s a lot of good information shared in it. He doesn’t do everything the way I would do it, but his results are nice.

Welcome Richard! Soon you won’t have a dull knife in the house and will be searching for more to sharpen.

Welcome Brian!

If you want a perfect mirrored finish then I would suggest some lapping films and some additional strops. Aside from that, all it takes is time, consistent technique, and attention to detail.