Organic

Marc’s advise is good, but I’ll offer an alternative option.

If you’re dead set on having a highly polished finish this time around I suggest going back a few grits perhaps to the 800 or so and then working your way back to where you are now. Work with extra care and attention to detail. This will get you the results you’re after and you don’t…[Read more]

That’s next level stuff there Marc! Bravo!

I agree with Airscapes. 100 strokes seems rather arbitrary. I don’t count strokes but use results to guide me. A microscope is a good investment and will be the best way to decide how to proceed. 100 may be too much effort or even possibly not enough. Unfortunately, it is simply the nature of things that the ceramic stones remove steel s…[Read more]

I don’t recall getting that note with my set of ceramic stones. That must be a recent addition to the packaging.

Man, my memory is poor. Marc already posted that exact article!

I also have the 8 inch Victorinox chef knife and I like the way a 15 degree angle feels on it. The lower the angle the better the edge retention. I find this is counter intuitive. Want some data to back up that claim? Obviously, there is a limit to this since a 5 degree per side bevel on one of these knives would probably chip and tear under re…[Read more]

I suspect that your progression with the diamond lapping films is going to be a faster way to get a mirror edge than the progression with the ceramic stones. I will be interested to hear whether or not my prediction matches your experience.

Welcome Clayton!

Diamond abrasives (including the diamond lapping films) are intended to be used dry. You can use them with water if you want to (can be useful to keep the metal dust out of the air you’re breathing), but there’s no need from a sharpening perspective. I use them dry.

Yep, Josh is a total pro.

I agree with Marc. The Tormek is the tool you should look at. Their primary market is woodworking tools and they have a great reputation. If you were asking about kitchen cutlery, pocket knives, or hunting blades the answer would be Wicked Edge.

You technically only need one grit to get your edge sharp. However, refining the edge with progressively finer grits will give you a sharper edge. Compare the edge you get off of the 100 grit stones to the edge after a progression to 1000.

There are other tools for serration sharpening (such as the DMT rat tail rods) which are available with…[Read more]

That’s pretty cool. Is the old clamp secured to the lab jack, or is it simply resting on it?

The 10/14 is the diamond paste and the others are emulsions. The paste or emulsion is just the vehicle to get the diamonds onto the leather. It don’t believe that it plays a role in the actual sharpening process. I prefer the emulsions as they spread more easily and it is easy to get a fairly uniform coating on the strop sruface.

I use the 14 /…[Read more]

If I had done A few more grits with the diamond films and strops on the first knife it probably would have been similarly sharp as the second knife. I used the full strop progression on the second knife to try and give it a comparable level of shine as the first knife had, but the extra strop effort undoubtedly had an impact on the sharpness. You…[Read more]

You are correct; I have previously stated that the ceramic stones are a great alternative to lapping films in the sense that they are likely a one time investment. I stand by that. The lapping films  / glass paddles require not only an initial investment but a recurring investment as the films wear out with use. The films will get you 8-20 g…[Read more]

There are many good answers when it comes to the question of grit progression. I do believe that the 1200 / 1600 ceramic stones are unnecessary if you already have the 1500 / glass. The 1500 diamond will produce a very similar level of refinement as the 1200 / 1600 combination and will do it with fewer strokes. This has been demonstrated by Clay…[Read more]

That sounds like a success to me. I always enjoy seeing knife restoration projects. Please take photos during the process if you end up doing that again. What tool did you use to buff the knife?

That looks like cheap junk. IP theft is despicable.

Flat is a good thing. Do you think it will be easy to remove when the time comes again?