I am new at sharpening with the WE. I have a Al Mar folder that has a very small edge. I’m looking to find the optimum angle for this blade and don’t know where to start. My intuition tells me a 20 degree edge would serve it well. Am I heading in the right direction?
I defer to those that sharpen more than I do. That said, 20 degrees per side sounds like a safe starting point. After looking thru a thread on cliff stamps forum, it looks like 20 degrees may be the angle the factory shoots for.
There’s a list of suggested angles by smith’s abrasives for various knives mid way or so through the thread.
Follow this guide:
I have a customer that says the aus 6 almar uses in their folders works amazingly well at low angles. I would probably set it to the lowest you can possibly get on your weps and see how it does, you can always add a microbevel if needed.
Some thoughts
be mindful of the tip. Looks very easy to round.
start at 20 degrees, don’t go for a full mirror edge, see if it performs to your liking. You can always drop your angle lower (17, 15, etc degrees) but you can’t put back removed metal.
practice on knives that you are less concerned about. . . Since you stated you are new to the WEPS, there is a learning curve, and mistakes will be made.
Using the guide from WE and the marker method I was able to determine a 20 degree edge was the best setting. The edge cleaned up quickly, the tip did not round over, and with working up to the 1000 grit it now has a perfect and sharp edge.
Thanks for all the feedback and advice.