Hey guys, does anybody have a good way to get crazy sharp edges on Emerson knives? I’ve been working on quite a few lately and while I get them really sharp I can’t sharpen them to the same crazy wicked sharp level as a v-grind.
Some of them I re-profiled to 25 degrees on the right and 20 on the left while doing just a few strokes with the left stone to remove the burr.
Any tips are appreciated!
I’ve never sharpened an Emerson but what is it that makes it more difficult to sharp than an “average” knife?
The chisel grind makes it harder for me.
I end up doing tons of Emersons at the New York Custom Knife Show and the East Coast Custom Knife Show. Usually the beveled side is ground at 34-35 degrees. On some models there is a micro-bevel on the back side, on others there is not. I usually work the beveled side to the level of finish I’m after before knocking off the burr on the back side. I’ve found that the chisel ground blades seem to favor a pretty highly polished finish. To knock the burr off, I just take a fine stone and lay it against the flat side with no angle and rub it back and forth. After knocking the burr off, I lower the flat side arm to the narrowest angle possible while keeping the beveled side where it was and then strop both sides lightly.
Thanks for the reply, Clay. I ended up doing another one this morning just before you replied. The factory angle was at 30 on this one so I just cleaned up the edge using all stones, the non beveled side I set to 25 degrees and after removing the burr I stropped a little at those angles. I got it pretty sharp but still not as much as the v-grinds I do.
Next time I get an Emerson I will be sure to try your method.
Tried this method on an Emerson last night, and it worked great. Whittling hairs on a chisel grind is an impressive thing…
If anyone has any doubts regarding if the WEPS can get chisel grinds sharp, here’s a couple visual aids 
Knife is an Emerson CQC-7 tanto chisel grind (not mine). Main edge is 33 degrees and the tip is 35 degrees.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0UwJ8B9hFVDYVlLR3QxVDhZN3c/edit?usp=docslist_api
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0UwJ8B9hFVDWFJJNDZDZ1FYYU0/edit?usp=docslist_api
You’ve got a 55° included angle on the edge, probably even higher due to stropping. Even if it is very sharp it probably doesn’t behave as you would like due to this obtuse geometry.
Not a Emerson but a Strider SnG Performance with a asymmetrically sharpened edge and I used a assumed 21 degrees on one side up to 3.5 micron and just removed the burr of the back and it is crazy sharp.
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