Community Sharpening Journal

[TkoK83Spy]

Decided I wanted to really even out the bevels on my ZT 0470. I free hand sharpened it on my DMT Diasharp stone around 6 months ago and got them pretty close and pretty sharp, but knew I could do better.

I clamped it up to the Worksharp Precision Adjust sharpener and found I did accurately freehand both sides to 17dps, which I was pretty happy with, it just needed a little more refinement. Using the 600 grit diamond option I brought it to an even, very sharp finish.

I dont usually bother with microvevels, but decided to try a few passes at 20dps. It feels maybe slightly sharper, I'll leave it at that before I mess up my progress haha!






I'm feeling pretty good about my little sharpening system/setup these days. Nothing high end and crazy, but enough to get the job done for various sharpening tasks. SharpMaker including CBN and UF stones, DMT Diasharp Xcoarse/Coarse benchstone, Worksharp Precision Adust Sharpener and a simple leather strop.

[ThomC]

I had to give my two paring knives and my Millie a resharpen yesterday afternoon.
As usual, I went with the DMT extra coarse, and finally had an epiphany (I think) about burr chasing and removal.

While working on the first paring knife, I realised that the minuscule spikes forming on the edge and the lip I could feel on one side and not the other were, maybe, the burr.
It's one of those sharpening aspects I understand and have read about at length but wasn't sure how to deal with.

So I tried to get rid of it by alternating several passes on each side until it was gone, and to my surprise it worked. I finished with ±10 passes on each side, alternating still.

My edge is now better than it was last time, very toothy but somewhat crisper ?
It felt like I'd used the brown stone for finishing (which I rarely, if ever, do).
It cut much more smoothly and was very nearly shaving sharp.
Probably helps that I run both around 10 dps, the stock being barely over 1mm thick.

The Millie went through the same steps, and now has a finer edge that is still very aggressive : I almost cut myself checking the edge on my arm hair.
I think it stands slightly below 15 dps, and I might try to lower it in the coming months.

[MFlovejp]

Okay wow. I think I’m starting to figure out S110V. I’m really liking the edge it takes straight off of the diamond rods at 30 degrees. A very coarse and aggressive edge that’s no good for push cutting but slices like crazy. Gonna carry my Military more for a while, it cuts like crazy with this edge!

[TkoK83Spy]

Okay wow. I think I’m starting to figure out S110V. I’m really liking the edge it takes straight off of the diamond rods at 30 degrees. A very coarse and aggressive edge that’s no good for push cutting but slices like crazy. Gonna carry my Military more for a while, it cuts like crazy with this edge!

Nice! Coarse finishes are a lot of fun. I'm glad Vivi has started the revolution around here haha. It also saves quite a bit of time on sharpening as well! Interested in how long it holds up for you in S110V, a steel I've never dabbled with.

[MFlovejp]

Okay wow. I think I’m starting to figure out S110V. I’m really liking the edge it takes straight off of the diamond rods at 30 degrees. A very coarse and aggressive edge that’s no good for push cutting but slices like crazy. Gonna carry my Military more for a while, it cuts like crazy with this edge!

Nice! Coarse finishes are a lot of fun. I'm glad Vivi has started the revolution around here haha. It also saves quite a bit of time on sharpening as well! Interested in how long it holds up for you in S110V, a steel I've never dabbled with.

There's something so satisfying when the edge is coarse and it cuts through the paper with that deep-pitched schrrrrrrritch! I'll keep you posted on the "impossible to sharpen" high Vanadium super steel

[kobold]

After two months use, my S110V Military started to dull and I thought I will also knock off the bevel shoulders and convex it while I am at it (freehand).

The re-profile was easy. After watching an S110V video from BBB, I used DMT ExtraCoarse and Coarse and then moved straight to the Spyderco UF followed by one micron DiaPaste and half micron DiaSpray. The resulting edge sliced paper well, but shaved hair only so-so.

So then I took it back to the UF stone again, and raised and removed burrs on both sides. The improvement was amazing. The Millie was shaving hair effortlessly and cut curves into paper. Hair shaving was comparable to my brand new Spy27 Native with the factory edge. And I didn't even strop yet!

So yeah - it is definitely good practice to do more than one run with the UF finishing stone, I guess especially when used on a (micro)convex bevel, where it is easy to miss spots.

PS: I used soapy water on all plates and honing stones.

Many thanks to both Michael Christy and BBB for sharing their methods, really makes life easier. :)

https://youtu.be/6VrA5OFHXcA
https://youtu.be/XmvtbYtQYSo

[JD Spydo]

Just used my diamond sharp maker rods for the first time and found out they are an essential bit of kit.
They make taking out a wavey grind a breeze and reprofiling a breeze.
Used them with very light pressure, hardly need any pressure at all, very happy I got them.
There should be an option where they come included with the sharpmaker for a heftier price, they are a must have imo.

I have said over and over that in order to make that 204 Sharpmaker kit much more complete that a person needs to get all of the available stones for it. I've got two of the Sharpmakers and I got complete sets of stones for both units. I did wear out one set of the diamond stones for the first 204 Sharpmaker I bought >> but I got them all the way back in 2002 when they were first released and used them about 14 years so I'm not really complaining. Because I used them a lot and for a wide range of sharpening jobs over the years.
I've also had to replace two sets of medium/gray stones for each unit as well. But that didn't bother me either because those aren't very expensive like the diamond stones are. But when I got my first set of Ultra-Fine stones for my first Sharpmaker back in 2003 is when I started to get excellent results. The extra stones really make that kit complete.

[vivi]

No photos, but after deciding the Chief is my favorite folder at the moment, I re-organized my EDC rotation knife drawer with the Chief taking the center spot of the first row.

Touched up every knife that needed it.

The first one I did was an old old Pacific Salt 1 SE beater with a completely dull edge. Took me a little under five minutes to bring it back to a toothy shaving sharp edge on the corner of the diamond rods at twenty degrees. The serrations are so rounded off from years of sharpening its a lot less dangerous to test for shaving ability than it sounds :p

Next up was my Siren.

I had put my Siren back in the box in my backups drawer after having concerns with the lock. But after messing around with it I think I'll be ok using it. Any time I exert enough force on the edge to make the lock want to pop up, my thumb is pressing down right over the lock bar, keeping it in place.

Anyways, it had a thin bevel from reprofiling on diamonds stone, while the apex felt like it had been sharpened on medium rods then dulled to the point it completely lacked shaving ability.

I did about 10 strokes per side on the flats of my diamond rods and it felt really sharp off of them, so I followed up with 2 more strokes per side with extremely light pressure and left it at that.

I know LC has a reputation for sharpening easily, but dang, the edge cleanly shaves with ease straight off the diamonds. Normally I have to follow up with a minute of stropping to get such a clean shave off the diamond rods. I'm impressed!

I'm planning to spend some more pocket time with the Siren on days I think I'll need the extra corrosion resistance over my Chief.

[MFlovejp]

I did a full refresh on my ZDP Delica today using the DMT Duofold fine/extra fine folding sharpener. I really love these for precise sharpening on smaller blades, I wish they made a next-size up model for larger blades.

ZDP is nice because it will darken a little at the edge just by sitting and so when you’re ready to refresh you just make strokes until it’s shiny again, no sharpie required. I had set this bevel at 13 dps previously on the KME so it was easy to find and match the angle.

Worked up a burr on the red 600 grit hone then ground roughly equal on the other side to match the bevel. Lots of alternating strokes at the end of a grit really help with this steel to ensure a crisp apex and eliminate burr. I find this to be an easy-grinding steel on diamonds. I did basically the same thing on the green ~1200 grit side and ended up with a fine keen edge that scares the hairs right off of my wrist.

Lots of people have said that they dislike sharpening ZDP-189, but it’s really one of my favorites. Not sure if mine is of the lower Rockwell hardness vs the early super hard heat treats that I’ve read about.

[TkoK83Spy]

ZDP is nice because it will darken a little at the edge just by sitting and so when you’re ready to refresh you just make strokes until it’s shiny again, no sharpie required.

Ok, I'm glad you said this because I've noticed it myself with some of my M4, 4V and 52100 blades. I've never seen or heard anybody talk about that before and it was making me wonder if I was doing something wrong with storage, sharpening or whatever else.

Nice job! I've never had ZDP but it seems like one of the most controversial steels out there.

[MFlovejp]

Ok, I'm glad you said this because I've noticed it myself with some of my M4, 4V and 52100 blades. I've never seen or heard anybody talk about that before and it was making me wonder if I was doing something wrong with storage, sharpening or whatever else.

Nice job! I've never had ZDP but it seems like one of the most controversial steels out there.

Thanks :D

Yeah I’ve noticed with certain steels (tool steels I suppose) that they will oxidize a bit at the edge. Perhaps that means they’re dulling a bit as well I don’t know. I think I wiped this one down with silicon cloth but can’t remember. Anyway, it makes it handy for sharpening.

I’ve used this knife in wet conditions and to clean game birds with never an issue with outright corrosion.

ZDP is probably underrated, especially now that it’s been replaced by newer tool steels. I’m very curious about M4, and especially 52100, look forward to locating some of that someday.

[The Meat man]

Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I'm not...ZDP-189 at 10 dps, anyone? :rolleyes: :D



Sharpened with 240 and 400 grit diamond, stropped with 14 micron diamond on basswood, then very lightly on 4 and 1.5 micron CBN on kangaroo leather.

It's definitely hair popping and even (mildly) hair-whittling sharp. And I love the way a thin edge glides through phonebook paper. :cool:

The very tip area isn't perfect, but it's just as sharp.

[TkoK83Spy]

Yowza!!! 10dps!! Bet that took a bit. Looks like fun, don't see much on ZDP-189 these days, especially to that degree!!

[MFlovejp]

It’s beautiful. Great job!

[ThomC]

Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I'm not...ZDP-189 at 10 dps, anyone? :rolleyes: :D



Sharpened with 240 and 400 grit diamond, stropped with 14 micron diamond on basswood, then very lightly on 4 and 1.5 micron CBN on kangaroo leather.

It's definitely hair popping and even (mildly) hair-whittling sharp. And I love the way a thin edge glides through phonebook paper. :cool:

The very tip area isn't perfect, but it's just as sharp.

That's a really nice edge. I prefer wider bevel at the tip too, though mine aren't as clean.
I understand people wanting very pointy tips but the trade-off in stability and ease of mind in use isn't worth it to me.

[The Meat man]

Thanks guys!

So far, the only thing I've cut with it is a bagel this morning. I'm happy to report no chipping or edge rolling whatsoever. :p

[TkoK83Spy]

Took my 4V Manix down to 15dps. It was surprisingly pretty easy to work with, I expected it to be more of a chore. Even more of a reason to love this steel! Left it at 600 grit finish, a couple passes on the brown rods and my basic Knives Plus strop. Sticky sharp and coarse, I'm digging it!

[The Meat man]

Took my 4V Manix down to 15dps. It was surprisingly pretty easy to work with, I expected it to be more of a chore. Even more of a reason to love this steel! Left it at 600 grit finish, a couple passes on the brown rods and my basic Knives Plus strop. Sticky sharp and coarse, I'm digging it!

Man I need some more CPM 4V! Love that stuff. Nice work, Rick!

[RustyIron]

I can never be happy if I have metal that is supposed to be sharp but it's not. Whether it's knives, drills, end mills, or scribers, it's gotta have the intended edge. Before pruning bushes today, I disassembled my favorite clippers, and redid the edge with a half-round bastard file and a Carborundum stone used for lathe tools. After reassembly, these clippers weren't shaving sharp. They weren't hair-whittling sharp. And you wouldn't want to use them to prepare your sushi. But they're sharper than they were when they left the factory, and they slice through small branches and twigs with ease.

[JakeXman]

My diamond sharpmaker rods came from Dack yesterday—24 day shipping gives me empathy for the overseas members of the forum :o I spent the last two evenings reprofiling my KnifeJoy Endura. One side was about 25 degrees and the other was spot on at 15, so it was an interesting job taking it down to 15 DPS. Once I apexed on the diamonds I worked the edge up to the fine rods. How much pressure are you guys using on the diamond/CBN rods? I shied to the side of hardly-any-pressure-at-all and it took quite a bit longer than I anticipated.

Side note: I love how easy it is to get VG-10 sticky-sharp once you hit the apex.