proberly opening a big can of worms here but i would like to know your thoughts on angles for sharpening,for an every day use knife
from card board to skinning a rabbit to whittling a make shift tent peg day in day out.
sharpening angles
40 degrees inclusive is IMO the best balance of razor sharp and strong in an edge. It requires relatively little maintenance (depending on the steel type), yet when properly done can shave hair with ease.
Wise man say, forgiveness is divine. Remember that when your <img src="http://www.spyderco.com/forum/spyder.gif" border=0> bites you!
Wise man say, forgiveness is divine. Remember that when your <img src="http://www.spyderco.com/forum/spyder.gif" border=0> bites you!
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vampyrewolf
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40 is 'general use' edge...
30 is shaving...
20 is 'MoFo' sharp(just try it)...
I carry one of each, and find the 40 lasts longer for daily use... it's my beater...
<img src=http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/372fcedb ... 8A88UxWudf> 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... <img src=http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/372fcedb ... 8A88UxWudf>
30 is shaving...
20 is 'MoFo' sharp(just try it)...
I carry one of each, and find the 40 lasts longer for daily use... it's my beater...
<img src=http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/372fcedb ... 8A88UxWudf> 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... <img src=http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/372fcedb ... 8A88UxWudf>
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Joe Talmadge
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I tend to like to stay near the bleeding edge of performance. I love trying to get an edge that will cut with very little work, and I like it when I lend my knife to a friend and their eyes open wide at how fast my knife cuts through anything.
For a utility folder, I tend to go at or near 15 degrees per side (30 degrees total). Obviously, for harder use, I'll back off a bit on that. If it's a tougher steel, I'm aiming back down for 15 degrees.
Regarding the things you mentioned: skinning isn't that hard on a blade, though if you're actually dressing and popping apart joints etc., that could be. Cardboard can be hard on a blade, because cardboard itself also has hard foreign particles in it that can be rough on the edge, so you want some toughness. Whittling shouldn't be hard on the blade unless the steel is soft and weak.
For something like the Spyderco 204 sharpener, the methodology I use is:
1. Sharpen at the 15-degree angle, taking just one or two light strokes on the 20-degree stones at the edge to double-grind off the burr.
If I see chipping (blade not tough enough) or indenting (blade not strong enough), the next time I:
2. Sharpen at the 15-degree stones almost down to the very edge, but DO NOT raise a burr. Now switch to the 20-degree stones and do a full sharpening job. This will give you a conservative 20 degrees at the very edge, but backed by 15 degree "back bevels" that will keep the edge performing pretty good.
If I'm still having problems with chipping or indenting, in all honesty I put that knife away and use another one that has a steel and heat treatment more suitable to more needs. I don't see any reason to accept any less performance than a 15/20 edge gives me. But if you still want to persevere:
3. Just do a full sharpening job at 20-degrees. This should leave an edge that has strength to spare for everyday folder-type utility jobs.
Joe
For a utility folder, I tend to go at or near 15 degrees per side (30 degrees total). Obviously, for harder use, I'll back off a bit on that. If it's a tougher steel, I'm aiming back down for 15 degrees.
Regarding the things you mentioned: skinning isn't that hard on a blade, though if you're actually dressing and popping apart joints etc., that could be. Cardboard can be hard on a blade, because cardboard itself also has hard foreign particles in it that can be rough on the edge, so you want some toughness. Whittling shouldn't be hard on the blade unless the steel is soft and weak.
For something like the Spyderco 204 sharpener, the methodology I use is:
1. Sharpen at the 15-degree angle, taking just one or two light strokes on the 20-degree stones at the edge to double-grind off the burr.
If I see chipping (blade not tough enough) or indenting (blade not strong enough), the next time I:
2. Sharpen at the 15-degree stones almost down to the very edge, but DO NOT raise a burr. Now switch to the 20-degree stones and do a full sharpening job. This will give you a conservative 20 degrees at the very edge, but backed by 15 degree "back bevels" that will keep the edge performing pretty good.
If I'm still having problems with chipping or indenting, in all honesty I put that knife away and use another one that has a steel and heat treatment more suitable to more needs. I don't see any reason to accept any less performance than a 15/20 edge gives me. But if you still want to persevere:
3. Just do a full sharpening job at 20-degrees. This should leave an edge that has strength to spare for everyday folder-type utility jobs.
Joe
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Joe Talmadge
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Okay, I have a question, and it's not meant to be insulting, so please don't take it as such.
When you go to 20 degrees from 15 degrees, you are sacrificing a ton of performance, in order to get more durability. I know one person has said that he thinks his 20 degree edge lasts longer than his 15 degree edge -- I understand that, and in my personal case, I gladly exchange a little extra sharpening for a whole lot more performance, but this is a personal choice.
The question for liko and KBR is: you mention "strength" and "durable", respectively. Are you saying you've seen chipping or indenting with Spyderco's ATS-34/440V/8A/Gin-1/VG-10/whatever when it was sharpened at 15 degrees? If you saw chipping or bad rolling/indenting, I'd understand giving up all that performance and going to 20 degrees. But if not, I don't understand why you'd do it. If it's not edge strength/toughness but edge-holding that you're after by going to 20 degrees, that would be interesting to know.
I am emphasizing this because I do know a lot of people moved to 20 degrees just because that's the angle on the 203, or because they read it somewhere, and I think those people are missing out on some killer performance. I can tell you that both Spyderco's old Gin-1 and ATS-55, on the endura and delica, can take a 15/20 edge and handle very tough tasks with no sweat whatsoever, so moving to 20 degrees isn't indicated, at least in my experience. In fact, I've taken my endura down to a straight 15 degrees several times, with no problems.
Joe
When you go to 20 degrees from 15 degrees, you are sacrificing a ton of performance, in order to get more durability. I know one person has said that he thinks his 20 degree edge lasts longer than his 15 degree edge -- I understand that, and in my personal case, I gladly exchange a little extra sharpening for a whole lot more performance, but this is a personal choice.
The question for liko and KBR is: you mention "strength" and "durable", respectively. Are you saying you've seen chipping or indenting with Spyderco's ATS-34/440V/8A/Gin-1/VG-10/whatever when it was sharpened at 15 degrees? If you saw chipping or bad rolling/indenting, I'd understand giving up all that performance and going to 20 degrees. But if not, I don't understand why you'd do it. If it's not edge strength/toughness but edge-holding that you're after by going to 20 degrees, that would be interesting to know.
I am emphasizing this because I do know a lot of people moved to 20 degrees just because that's the angle on the 203, or because they read it somewhere, and I think those people are missing out on some killer performance. I can tell you that both Spyderco's old Gin-1 and ATS-55, on the endura and delica, can take a 15/20 edge and handle very tough tasks with no sweat whatsoever, so moving to 20 degrees isn't indicated, at least in my experience. In fact, I've taken my endura down to a straight 15 degrees several times, with no problems.
Joe
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Sword and Shield
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I'll chime in with the 20/20 crowd. Joe, here's why.
When I sharpen some of my "lesser" blades (Buck 450, esp.), 30 degrees is simply not as durable for the severe beating a work knife like mine experiences.
40 degrees is the only way I can get a work knife to have a long-lasting edge, so I will gladly sacrifice a bit of performance.
Now, on the other hand. I like my Mouse, or a knife used for only light tasks, at 30 degrees. This is because they are used for tasks which I want done with exceedingly quickly and inobtrusively. The 30 edge slices faster, but in my experience does not hold up as well.
Keepin' it real...real sharp, that is.
When I sharpen some of my "lesser" blades (Buck 450, esp.), 30 degrees is simply not as durable for the severe beating a work knife like mine experiences.
40 degrees is the only way I can get a work knife to have a long-lasting edge, so I will gladly sacrifice a bit of performance.
Now, on the other hand. I like my Mouse, or a knife used for only light tasks, at 30 degrees. This is because they are used for tasks which I want done with exceedingly quickly and inobtrusively. The 30 edge slices faster, but in my experience does not hold up as well.
Keepin' it real...real sharp, that is.
Well, 20 degrees (40 inclusive) is my choice for several reasons.
First, Spyderco knives come from the factory with a 30 degree bevel. This means that you can sharpen it very easily using the 40 degree bevel. Since the 30 degree factory bevel becomes a back bevel, only a fraction of the beveled area contacts the stone, which takes off more metal faster than if I try to sharpen keeping the factory bevel, which makes sharpening to a shaving edge an easy and fast thing to do.
Secondly, I've had some problems with putting a 30 degree inclusive bevel on knives. I may not be doing it right, but I always get a wire-edge burr that doesn't want to come off, and ends up rolling the edge. Doing a substantial 30 degree back bevel with a few strokes on the 40 to produce the cutting edge (basically what's being done now when I sharpen the factory bevel at 40 degrees) may solve the problem, but this takes work. I take good overall care of my knives, but I'm by nature a lazy person, so I don't like doing more than I have to, especially if it has to be done over and over, like sharpening.
Lastly, a 40 degree bevel gives me more than enough of an edge for most every task I can throw at it. 40 degrees is shaving sharp if done right, and most of my knives can shave under just the pressure of the blade when held at the right angle. This is definitely sharp enough for my needs. Hair-popping sharp would be nice, but anything much sharper than that would be dangerous, and even a knife sharp enough to grab hairs without touching the skin could go right to the bone with one slip or mistake.
Wise man say, forgiveness is divine. Remember that when your <img src="http://www.spyderco.com/forum/spyder.gif" border=0> bites you!
First, Spyderco knives come from the factory with a 30 degree bevel. This means that you can sharpen it very easily using the 40 degree bevel. Since the 30 degree factory bevel becomes a back bevel, only a fraction of the beveled area contacts the stone, which takes off more metal faster than if I try to sharpen keeping the factory bevel, which makes sharpening to a shaving edge an easy and fast thing to do.
Secondly, I've had some problems with putting a 30 degree inclusive bevel on knives. I may not be doing it right, but I always get a wire-edge burr that doesn't want to come off, and ends up rolling the edge. Doing a substantial 30 degree back bevel with a few strokes on the 40 to produce the cutting edge (basically what's being done now when I sharpen the factory bevel at 40 degrees) may solve the problem, but this takes work. I take good overall care of my knives, but I'm by nature a lazy person, so I don't like doing more than I have to, especially if it has to be done over and over, like sharpening.
Lastly, a 40 degree bevel gives me more than enough of an edge for most every task I can throw at it. 40 degrees is shaving sharp if done right, and most of my knives can shave under just the pressure of the blade when held at the right angle. This is definitely sharp enough for my needs. Hair-popping sharp would be nice, but anything much sharper than that would be dangerous, and even a knife sharp enough to grab hairs without touching the skin could go right to the bone with one slip or mistake.
Wise man say, forgiveness is divine. Remember that when your <img src="http://www.spyderco.com/forum/spyder.gif" border=0> bites you!
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4 s ter
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I don't think we can actually say that all Spyderco knives come from the factory with a 30 degree bevel.
The following is an old (Sept 2000) quote from Sal. Admittedly it is regarding a Starmate and may not apply to all models
"Factory angle is usually between 30 degrees and 38 degrees inclusive. Earlier models were thinner than later models.
sal"
David
"Not all who wander are lost"
The following is an old (Sept 2000) quote from Sal. Admittedly it is regarding a Starmate and may not apply to all models
"Factory angle is usually between 30 degrees and 38 degrees inclusive. Earlier models were thinner than later models.
sal"
David
"Not all who wander are lost"
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Joe Talmadge
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loki and S&S: Good stuff, thanks! Maybe this will be fodder for an interesting line of discussion.
The reason I hone in on this is because changes in sharpening strategy can have such a huge impact on performance. My article on sharpening the BM Axis has been around the web for a while; the summary is, I got an 8x performance gain (!!!) just by sharpening it for performance. As a result, I only grudgingly add degrees to my sharpening angle, only when I see damage.
In addition, I always think of it as ironic that people make such a big deal about what kind of steel is in a knife, but apply the same sharpening angle to their blade no matter what. If I move from ATS-55 to (say) D-2, but keep the same sharpening angle, they're really not getting out of D-2 what they could be. If you sharpen your D-2 and ATS-55 blade both at 20 degrees, their cutting performance will be identical, although D-2 will hold its edge longer. But when you move to better steel, <i>the magic happens when you take advantage of it </i> in your sharpening plan. TAke advantage of D-2's better toughness and drop the edge angle, you'll have something just as strong as the ATS-55 blade but that outperforms it handily! If you don't adjust your sharpening plan to the steel you're using, you might as well save your money and stick with lower-end steels.
Okay! On to sharpening angles. I was not expecting anyone to tell me they'd seen damage to their Spyderco edge with a 15/20 edge -- and sure enough, no one did. I was maybe expecting to hear about damage at a straight 15 degree edge, for harder use.
Okay, so having the 15 or 15/20 edge lose its sharpness too quickly, or having trouble removing the burr, seems to be the real reason people move to a straight 20 degrees. A 15 degree edge will lose its sharpness faster than a 20 degree edge, but it won't be obnoxiously worse. If it is, there are two questions to ask:
1. Am I *sure* I'm removing the burr all the way? The burr can be harder to remove at 15 degrees, and if it's not removed, your blade will go dull quickly.
2. Is my edge rolling? A 15 degree edge will be weaker than a 20 degree edge. So sometimes my 15 degree edge gets dull quickly, but it's just rolled a bit. A quick steeling on a smooth steels brings it right back to screaming sharp -- and outperforming the 20 degree edge again. A 15 degree edge will hold up surprisingly well, and a 15/20 will hold up *very* well, to many jobs. If your 15/20 is not durable, give steeling a try!
S and S, you mentioned 15 and 20 degree edges, have you tried the 15/20 I described -- 15 degrees most of the way down to the edge, and 20 at the very edge?
Joe
The reason I hone in on this is because changes in sharpening strategy can have such a huge impact on performance. My article on sharpening the BM Axis has been around the web for a while; the summary is, I got an 8x performance gain (!!!) just by sharpening it for performance. As a result, I only grudgingly add degrees to my sharpening angle, only when I see damage.
In addition, I always think of it as ironic that people make such a big deal about what kind of steel is in a knife, but apply the same sharpening angle to their blade no matter what. If I move from ATS-55 to (say) D-2, but keep the same sharpening angle, they're really not getting out of D-2 what they could be. If you sharpen your D-2 and ATS-55 blade both at 20 degrees, their cutting performance will be identical, although D-2 will hold its edge longer. But when you move to better steel, <i>the magic happens when you take advantage of it </i> in your sharpening plan. TAke advantage of D-2's better toughness and drop the edge angle, you'll have something just as strong as the ATS-55 blade but that outperforms it handily! If you don't adjust your sharpening plan to the steel you're using, you might as well save your money and stick with lower-end steels.
Okay! On to sharpening angles. I was not expecting anyone to tell me they'd seen damage to their Spyderco edge with a 15/20 edge -- and sure enough, no one did. I was maybe expecting to hear about damage at a straight 15 degree edge, for harder use.
Okay, so having the 15 or 15/20 edge lose its sharpness too quickly, or having trouble removing the burr, seems to be the real reason people move to a straight 20 degrees. A 15 degree edge will lose its sharpness faster than a 20 degree edge, but it won't be obnoxiously worse. If it is, there are two questions to ask:
1. Am I *sure* I'm removing the burr all the way? The burr can be harder to remove at 15 degrees, and if it's not removed, your blade will go dull quickly.
2. Is my edge rolling? A 15 degree edge will be weaker than a 20 degree edge. So sometimes my 15 degree edge gets dull quickly, but it's just rolled a bit. A quick steeling on a smooth steels brings it right back to screaming sharp -- and outperforming the 20 degree edge again. A 15 degree edge will hold up surprisingly well, and a 15/20 will hold up *very* well, to many jobs. If your 15/20 is not durable, give steeling a try!
S and S, you mentioned 15 and 20 degree edges, have you tried the 15/20 I described -- 15 degrees most of the way down to the edge, and 20 at the very edge?
Joe
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Clay Kesting
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Joe,
A question. If you were doing a 15/20 edge on the 204 what finish would you use on the back bevels? Is it OK to do the 15 degree sharpening with the coarse stones and reserve the fine stones for the final strokes at 20 degrees, or does performance improve if both bevels a finished on the white stones?
Clay
Life's too short to waste on instant coffee.
A question. If you were doing a 15/20 edge on the 204 what finish would you use on the back bevels? Is it OK to do the 15 degree sharpening with the coarse stones and reserve the fine stones for the final strokes at 20 degrees, or does performance improve if both bevels a finished on the white stones?
Clay
Life's too short to waste on instant coffee.
Clay I was wondering the same thing <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>
My personal taste is the 30 degree angle. I've sharpened all (!) my knives this way. Why?
The answer is simple. I do not cut tree branches with my knives, I do not chop poles and I do not dig holes in my back yard with my knife.
A knife is to me a perfectly tuned instrument for minor slicing and cutting. If I were to use any tool to do some chopping, it would be my Gränsforsbruks hatchet.
I have discovered that a 40 degree angle is NOT significantly more durable than the 30 degree one. I believe it has to do with the amount of force I have to use in order to push the knife through the material. A steeper angle, like 30 degrees, will slice through with much lesser force and therefore lesser abrassion (dulling).
In conclusion. I use my knives to cut mostly in soft or semihard materials. Considering that, the statement of S&S <i>(When I sharpen some of my "lesser" blades (Buck 450, esp.), 30 degrees is simply not as durable for the severe beating a work knife like mine experiences) </i>
is not implemented on my usage.
Spyderco Collectors Club Member #57
My personal taste is the 30 degree angle. I've sharpened all (!) my knives this way. Why?
The answer is simple. I do not cut tree branches with my knives, I do not chop poles and I do not dig holes in my back yard with my knife.
A knife is to me a perfectly tuned instrument for minor slicing and cutting. If I were to use any tool to do some chopping, it would be my Gränsforsbruks hatchet.
I have discovered that a 40 degree angle is NOT significantly more durable than the 30 degree one. I believe it has to do with the amount of force I have to use in order to push the knife through the material. A steeper angle, like 30 degrees, will slice through with much lesser force and therefore lesser abrassion (dulling).
In conclusion. I use my knives to cut mostly in soft or semihard materials. Considering that, the statement of S&S <i>(When I sharpen some of my "lesser" blades (Buck 450, esp.), 30 degrees is simply not as durable for the severe beating a work knife like mine experiences) </i>
is not implemented on my usage.
Spyderco Collectors Club Member #57
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Sword and Shield
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Clay Kesting
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S&S, the 15 degrees is for the back bevel and the 20 degrees is the cutting edge. I posted a link to this article by <a href="http://www.ameritech.net/users/knives/J ... .htm">John Juranitch</a> in another thread but I've put it here again for anyone who might have missed it.
Clay
Life's too short to waste on instant coffee.
Clay
Life's too short to waste on instant coffee.
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Joe Talmadge
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Clay: The only problems with leaving the backbevel coarse are 1. Sometimes it looks weird, and 2. It rusts faster. #2 became especially significant when I left my M-2 AFCK's backbevel coarse. As a result, I tend to give the backbevel some swipes on the fine hone.
S and S: Yes, I'm talking about a 15-degree backbevel, when I say a 15/20 edge. The thing to note, though, is that I take the 15 degree backbevel all the way to the very edge, just before it's about to burr over. Then I'll put the 20-degree edge on top of that, grinding a burr, etc. So I do tend to keep as much of the edge as possible at 20 degrees.
[IMPORTANT EDIT: I obviously meant to say that I tend to keep as much of the edge as possible at 15 degrees (not 20!) -- Joe ]
Joe
Edited by - Joe Talmadge on 5/9/2002 2:23:09 PM
S and S: Yes, I'm talking about a 15-degree backbevel, when I say a 15/20 edge. The thing to note, though, is that I take the 15 degree backbevel all the way to the very edge, just before it's about to burr over. Then I'll put the 20-degree edge on top of that, grinding a burr, etc. So I do tend to keep as much of the edge as possible at 20 degrees.
[IMPORTANT EDIT: I obviously meant to say that I tend to keep as much of the edge as possible at 15 degrees (not 20!) -- Joe ]
Joe
Edited by - Joe Talmadge on 5/9/2002 2:23:09 PM
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Sword and Shield
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Clay, Joe- Thanks! <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>
That's my standard angle on a Case knife, or one of my fixed blades. I use 40 on a folder, but fixed is always 15/20.
Thanks for the clarification, gents! <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>
Keepin' it real...real sharp, that is.
That's my standard angle on a Case knife, or one of my fixed blades. I use 40 on a folder, but fixed is always 15/20.
Thanks for the clarification, gents! <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>
Keepin' it real...real sharp, that is.
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Clay Kesting
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For the most part, I'm kinda with Joe. I'm always pushing the steel envelope and the thinner the edge, the sharper the edge. But this concept is a little "tricky". (Joe has a great deal of experience in sharpening and his motives are more in the aquisition of knowledge about sharpening than many).
40 degres is, in my opinion, the "one size fits all" angle. But as soon as one tries to get more out of the steel, "which" angle for "which" steel, cutting "which" material, does affect the solutions.
The thinnest of edges, a razor at 7 degrees and the burr that is developed by stropping will certainly shave hair the best. But...the burr will break off if touched by a finger or anything "tougher" than a hair.
John Juranitch's techniques, IMO, were developed for meat cutting in commercial packing plants and work well for that type of cutting.
I believe that the steel plays more of a part that most are giving credit for. Given a very tough powdered metal at a thin angle and you will see sharpness and edge retention results that would surprize. A steel that Joe might use at 30 degrees (or even thinner) may hold that edge much better than 420J2 by two or three times.
Stropping on leather creates a burr that is useful for shaving and useless for anything else.
Taking that same leather strop, fastening it to a hard surface like wood, and stropping with an abrasive powder, permits the abrasive to cut off the burr leaving a very strong sharp edge.
Even wheel sharpening offers variation; a wheel will produce a "hollow ground" shape at the edge. Sharpening on a stone will produce a "flat" shape at the edge. Sharpening on a "slackabelt" will produce a "hamaguri" or "appleseed" shape at the edge. Each producing different results with different steels.
A steel with large secondary carbides like 440C cannot support as thin an edge as a more homogenous steeel, like AUS-8, because the secondary carbides are large enough to break out a very thin edge.
Apologies if confusion is created. "High Performance Matter Separation" is a very old science. What is doing the cutting and what is being cut both make a difference on angle.
Of couse we can add more confusion by adding serrations.
sal
40 degres is, in my opinion, the "one size fits all" angle. But as soon as one tries to get more out of the steel, "which" angle for "which" steel, cutting "which" material, does affect the solutions.
The thinnest of edges, a razor at 7 degrees and the burr that is developed by stropping will certainly shave hair the best. But...the burr will break off if touched by a finger or anything "tougher" than a hair.
John Juranitch's techniques, IMO, were developed for meat cutting in commercial packing plants and work well for that type of cutting.
I believe that the steel plays more of a part that most are giving credit for. Given a very tough powdered metal at a thin angle and you will see sharpness and edge retention results that would surprize. A steel that Joe might use at 30 degrees (or even thinner) may hold that edge much better than 420J2 by two or three times.
Stropping on leather creates a burr that is useful for shaving and useless for anything else.
Taking that same leather strop, fastening it to a hard surface like wood, and stropping with an abrasive powder, permits the abrasive to cut off the burr leaving a very strong sharp edge.
Even wheel sharpening offers variation; a wheel will produce a "hollow ground" shape at the edge. Sharpening on a stone will produce a "flat" shape at the edge. Sharpening on a "slackabelt" will produce a "hamaguri" or "appleseed" shape at the edge. Each producing different results with different steels.
A steel with large secondary carbides like 440C cannot support as thin an edge as a more homogenous steeel, like AUS-8, because the secondary carbides are large enough to break out a very thin edge.
Apologies if confusion is created. "High Performance Matter Separation" is a very old science. What is doing the cutting and what is being cut both make a difference on angle.
Of couse we can add more confusion by adding serrations.
sal
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4 s ter
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Sal
Thanks for the great information. Some of your comments certainly added to my sharpening knowledge.
I've read your comments before about stropping. Your distinction here regarding using a flexible razor strop versus using a rigid leather strop with an abrasive cleared things up for me. I've been using a Lee Valley Tools leather strop (which is attached to wood) with Veritas Blade Honing Compound and getting good results so I wasn't sure what your objection was to "stropping" - now I see.
Your comments regarding the size of the secondary carbides in 440C versus AUS-8 was also interesting.
Great to have you back on the Forum!
(p.s. You're certainly keeping busy answering post on a Sunday morning <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> )
"Not all who wander are lost"
Thanks for the great information. Some of your comments certainly added to my sharpening knowledge.
I've read your comments before about stropping. Your distinction here regarding using a flexible razor strop versus using a rigid leather strop with an abrasive cleared things up for me. I've been using a Lee Valley Tools leather strop (which is attached to wood) with Veritas Blade Honing Compound and getting good results so I wasn't sure what your objection was to "stropping" - now I see.
Your comments regarding the size of the secondary carbides in 440C versus AUS-8 was also interesting.
Great to have you back on the Forum!
(p.s. You're certainly keeping busy answering post on a Sunday morning <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> )
"Not all who wander are lost"