Readheads

So just wondering MarcH, and I ask this out of respect and because I would like to try your technique and see if I can detect any differences:

When you are raising the burr at each grit are you doing alternate strokes per side or just a bunch on one side and then a bunch on the other side ?

Any rough idea of strokes or time that you spend at…[Read more]

So for me this works: I raise a full burr only once with whatever grit I start with (100 on a full up, 400 on a touch up). I remove the burr with a single very light edge leading pass on the burr side. I then go thru the grit progressions alternating at 25 passes per side (sometimes switching edge lead/trail). I use the 3 finger sharpness test as…[Read more]

Hmm, good thought, we could use a fishing pole tensioner as one part of the portable handheld BESS, now just have to figure out the sensor approach plus an easy reloader. Electronic readout of the sensor is the easier part.

Very interesting, it makes me think that a hand held one with a strain gauge in series with the filament plus a simple readout (and a little software on a chip plus battery) could suffice to to display the max strain before filament break. You could use it while the knife is still mounted in the vise.

Here is some great stuff to read while killing time, easy to find on the net, some of it is in the WEPS Knowledge Base, I think

Take one of your knives down to 16 DPS using the same technique. Run the BESS test. You can always easily put the 20 DPS back on. I also find that different steels get sharper.

I wonder if you could get longer rods and then put a bend in them down low so that you still have sufficient length for stone movement. Not sure if this would affect the angle geometry across the entire edge though.

TC,

Very interesting, have you put the WEPS to work on this knife. 6 DPS is razor blade land. It would be cool to see some before/after mag shots of the edge.

Oh I forgot, IMO there is no way any hand sharpener can replicate a less than 0.5 DPS variation over the full length of the edge across 10+ grits without using a jig like WEPS (or other similar jigs). They all make claims (even Josh I think) but unless you get into stuff like Verhoeven definitive proof is evasive. It still makes for a fun…[Read more]

Shun Premier is my favorite line. Bulbous handle, thin blade, beautiful peened finish, edge holds up really well. Not sure what you meant by your comment but I do not own any $400 knives. But if I were to splurge on what I would call a “knife to end up in my middle class will” for around $400, I would want to spend hours trying them out in person.…[Read more]

My view..

1. It’s all about the steel and especially the careful heat treatment …. check out what Jay Fisher does with 440C (great website, even though he comes across as an ass)

2. Shun is my goto but they are commercial which needs to sell to Willy Sonoma at $100 for resale at $200+. You get what you pay for. Sort of Sam Adam’s not willing…[Read more]

I agree that touch-ups are more easily done in the kitchen with ceramic rods. I use my WEPS to freshen up the primary bevel about every 6-9 months fulling trusting my AAG with reference to my log when I first put the knife on a WEPS. I like using a $25 white ceramic hone freehand style. With practice you develop natural indicators like visual…[Read more]

Personally, I do not lower the angle for stropping. I am pretty sure that folks do this to avoid rolling the edge due to too much pressure. However, a very light touch does not roll the edge. I like to think that I am stropping the entire primary bevel (magnified photos show an amazing amount of burnishing with pasted up strops) and if you reduce…[Read more]

Welcome, where are you in Jersey. I am in Caldwell.

Readheads says this was a full reprofile starting at 100 (prob 300+) scrub strokes per side until I got the full burr (seems like forever sometimes but it will happen) + single edge leading for burr removal with 200. It was a first time blade so I used a sharpie, but after the first full burr I went 25-50 edge trailing strokes per side thru full…[Read more]

Good thread – Maintenance vs. Reprofile)

To me, upon resharpening if there is “any” appreciable chipping then I go back to square one to establish a new profile. This assumes I want to remove the chip either all the way or most. I also may go to my treadmill grinder also (Airscapes).

Otherwise, when I resharpen I fully trust my Angle Align…[Read more]

What did the profile look like before ?

I do not think the screw is interfering as there are no marks on it. Did you get a perfect burr along the full edge ?

Wow, 7 hours on one knife !!

For me, I check the angle only once during the initial bevel/burr process (~50 hard scrubs per side = 10-30 mins depending on redo vs. new). Once that is done I go straight thru the progressions including film and leather (25 alternating single passes per side + 5 extra light with leather = 10 mins) and I am done.…[Read more]