Whats your edge secrete???

[Formerly Nervous]

Just for general chit chat... whats your lil "thing" that you do you your knives that gives them that razor edge?

Me, I use a peice of carboard like the back of a spiral notebook or the flap off a cardboard box.. and I strop the edge on the cardboard. This gives you a highly polished edge that you can litterly shave with (assuming you had a proper edge on it to begin with). Also, for small pocket knives (Spydies?!?) you can use a razor block and stropping paste.. many ppl dont look at barbers supplies for their pocket knives.. but trust me.. it works! The block is like the typicle razor strop, but as opposed to having the leather and cotton straps free hanging they are tightly attached to a block of wood... so youd use it to strop the edge just like you would use a bench stone. Just remember .. when your stropping a blade you use the angle of the bevel at teh edge not the grind (the same angle youd sharpen on a hone, stone etc..) and you move away from the edge.. not into the edge as you would with a stone.

this all may be common knowledge here.. but in my expierences ive found very very few ppl that ever thought to strop their pocket knives and even fixed blades. This process works incredibly well on chisel ground blades..you use your stone to sharpen and shape the grind.. then strop the flat side on the cardbord (and then on the razor strop with some stropping paste if you so choose) to achieve shaving sharp chisel grinds.

Any one else with some ideas??

Do you perfer Norton Water stones? Diamond hones? Arkansas? Ceramic??

[zatoichi]

I didn't know of this.... I guess I still have a lot to learn. Thanx for the advice.

[mundele]

I just recently (last week) got some of the green "veritas blade honing compound" from lee valley tools. This is a block of stuff that resembles modelling clay although it is harder. I rubbed this onto a piece of leather strop with it. It works GREAT! I mean super sharp. Very smooth polished edge. It didnt want to rub in evenly into the leather so I took a little dab of Crisco (it said to use tallow) and rubbed it in along with the honing compound. That fixed it up great.

The only problem I've found is that it tends to round out your edge and create a sort of "moran" or "appleseed" type edge. I guess I should try something besides leather, so that it won't compress down and create that rounded edge.

Anyway, I got a 6.5oz block for like $6 and I'm sure it will last me a VERY long time. It's great stuff. give it a try.

--Matt

[Clay Kesting]

I'm quite happy with the edge I get from very light strokes on the white stones of the Sharpmaker so I seldom strop. However I do use a smooth Razor Edge steel after sharpening and repeatedly between sharpenings.

Clay

"The trouble is that you think you have time."

[yog]

When I want a fine edge I use a hand held steel from Razor's Edge. I find I can get a much finer edge than with just the 204 alone.

Hey Clay, we must have been typing almost identical messages at the same time <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>

Edited by - yog on 11/26/2001 12:22:31 PM

[Formerly Nervous]

Mundele, There are alot of different rubbing compounds and stroping pastes out there .. you might try using one with a 1000 grit and lighten your blade pressure when you strop. Plus try putting the pastes on the cardboard and placing the cardboard on a hard surface (as opposed to leaving it attached to the notebook..the papper provides cushion) Ive never really had a problem with rounding the edge as long as you keep the stropping material (weather leather or nylon, or cardbord)on a flat hard surface. doing the traditional quick strop like a barber would a razor from a hanging strop will actually ware off the edge on thick bldes like our beloved knives.
And last.. lighten up your blade pressure, but make sure you dont "roll" the blade when changing directions.. keep it at the same very precise angle you would if you were honing on a stone, lift the blade completly before changing direction or angle.. hope this might have helped...maby youve tryed this allready.. but ya never know so thats my 2cents worth.

[GlockDoc]

When I'm looking for a super edge I do use my razor strop. But for everyday use the white 204 stones are enough. The 30 degree angle keeps my straight razors shavin' sharp.:D

"I just thought of something. What if this thing can read minds?" "He's gonna be real mad when he gets to me." THE THING

[Defender]

Most of my knives are plain edge so I normally use an old butcher steel. Fast, efficient, effective. For most serrations like the Spyderedge I use my Lansky serrated stones but I don't bother with the clamp- just do it by hand. With really tiny serrations (like Cold Steel's for instance) I set aside an afternoon with a set of jeweller's files. A pain in the butt however they don't clog up as much when they're done right.
Def

[Clay Kesting]

<img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle><img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle><img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle> That's very spooky Yog. Two people on opposite sides of the world having the same thought at the same time. I wonder what Scully and Mulder would have made of it.

Clay

"The trouble is that you think you have time."

[mundele]

Hey nervous...

I took some thinner carboard and wrapped it around my sharpmaker stone and clipped it on with those metal "binder clips" and applied that stropping compound. I used stroked the blade backwards up the stone and it worked great. The stiffer cardboard keeps the blade from getting as rounded off. I'm very impressed with the results!

I do still need to get a smooth steel. That's one of those things I just keep putting off...

--Matt

[Sword and Shield]

My simple method, which has brought many a blade to razor status:
1.)Start with a Lansky, 20 degrees, 280 grit. I don't have a Sharpmaker, so I use what I have.
2.)About 20 strokes per side, repeat twice.
3.)Using a 600 grit stone, 30 degree angle, gently buff the edge to wear away the wire.
4.)Finally, using a piece of leather (I use an old, oil-soaked welder's glove) polish the edge a few more times. This will allow even a cheap knife to shave! <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>

Keepin' it real...real sharp, that is.

[yog]

Funny you should mention bringing cheep knives to a shaving edge Sword and Shield.
I actually find that cheeper steels like my SS Delica with it's AUS-6 are easier to get a shaving edge on. Although obviously that edge doesn't last anywhere near as long as it would on say VG-10 or CPM44V.

I find I have to be a lot more careful with the harder steels. Even with alternate strokes I find a slight bias in pressure on either stroke can very slowly build up a burr on one side, and once it appears I find I often have to drop back to a coarser stone to remove it.

Just spent 20mins getting a very nice edge on my VG-10 Howard Viele. A lot more work than it would have taken with my SS Delica, but the end result is well worth it <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>

"Walk softly, but carry a big stick."

[Formerly Nervous]

Sword and Shield brought up a good point and lead me to a new question..
The point in case is using an old welding glove .. look around and see what you can use before dropping 50$ on "fancy" Russian leather to strop your blades. If your going to use the stroping paste or a compound, however, use a clean supple leather.
The new Question is; I know the Sharpmaker system is going to be popular here.. it IS a Spyderco forum after all... But what other 'systems' do you have expierences with such as Lansky, Gatco, Razors Edge, DMT, EZ Lap ... personally almost all my expierence is with either a norton wet stone and or various arkansas stones. I am currently concidering the Razors Edge systems.. but im a tad leery of having just a corse stone and a fine stone...any one have opnions on which systems work best for them.. on their Spydies of course... but also on their large butcher knives, camp/feild knives and the such?

[wiley sharp]

the spyderco tri-angle sharp maker.... now thats pointy!!!

[vampyrewolf]

I spent 12yrs(age 5-17) using basic benchstones. Ranging from 300-1500, it took 2hrs to get a nice edge, but it stayed quite a while in actual use.

This summer I started playing with the 204 down at my supplier, and purchased my own(after the 1 month learning curve on theirs).

all I do for my edges:
heavy grit to shape(actally compared my handjob to the 204 edge, and ends up I did a 50ish angle)
medium grit to field use(camping knives)
1200 to skinning knives
1500 to kitchen knives

I did small circles on the heavy(300-400) stone, semi-circles on the rest...

touched up my skinning knife with the fine stone, and it is probably sharper than the calypso jr... but it took me 20 hrs to sharpen it the first time.

We all start with 10 fingers. Those with Spydies have 9 to spare, Still need a thumb. Good thing I still have 8 to spare...