micro-beveling - when to reprofile?

[sethwm]

So I've been using a Golden Stone for a couple months now and I love it. Prior to this, I'd always used the KME when it's time to resharpen. I practice freehanding (on an 800 grit naniwa) on a VG-10 wharncliffe dragonfly, but I'm not good enough at it yet to subject my other knives to that.

Anyway, when using the KME, I do like 17 degrees per side, and I think that's generally what I see the spyderco factory edge at. So the Golden stone is definitely a micro-bevel. As I do more and more micro-bevelling, I'm sure I'm eating into that primary bevel more and more such that I'm getting thicker and thicker behind the edge.

At what point does micro-bevelling at 20dps not do it anymore and I need to reprofile? Is this something I'll just feel as the cutting won't be as smooth? This something people do every N sharpenings regardless? Or is this something that'd take years to get to, even while sharpening twice a week with the golden stone?

Thanks and sorry if this is a rambling question.

[troutinCO]

I'm in on this one for the discussion, I have basically the same question.

[JRinFL]

I cannot answer for anyone else, but I'm going to guess that most do it when feels like it needs to be reprofiled/bevels reset. Those who strongly prefer the effortless glide through material will reset the bevels more often. I hate to throw away "good" steel and generally find sharpening to be tedious so I will leave it much longer. Yes, I know that makes the job harder.

[twinboysdad]

I just hit the Sharpmaker when my knives aren’t as sharp as I want them. Brown rods for VG10 and white for HAP40

[Fly Fishing Rick]

I typically reprofile most new blades to either 14 or 18-19dps depending on the intended use then keep them sharp with either the 15 or 20° setting on the Sharpmaker from then on unless I badly damage the edge somehow, then I set the edge on a fixed angle system again. For most common tasks I prefer 14dps then just continue to sharpen at 15° on the Sharpmaker and never worry about profiling again unless something happens.

[troutinCO]

I typically reprofile most new blades to either 14 or 18-19dps depending on the intended use then keep them sharp with either the 15 or 20° setting on the Sharpmaker from then on unless I badly damage the edge somehow, then I set the edge on a fixed angle system again. For most common tasks I prefer 14dps then just continue to sharpen at 15° on the Sharpmaker and never worry about profiling again unless something happens.

This describes my current protocol now. I do a degree or 2 under what the sharpmaker has depending on what use I imagine for the knife on my Hapstone sharpener then use the appropriate sharpmaker setting to touch up.

[WilliamMunny]

I typically reprofile most new blades to either 14 or 18-19dps depending on the intended use then keep them sharp with either the 15 or 20° setting on the Sharpmaker from then on unless I badly damage the edge somehow, then I set the edge on a fixed angle system again. For most common tasks I prefer 14dps then just continue to sharpen at 15° on the Sharpmaker and never worry about profiling again unless something happens.

Great advice and it makes sense since you will just hit the edge with the Sharpmaker.

[Fly Fishing Rick]

It works out well, unless you're a robot you end up with kind of a lightly convexed edge that way and it just kind of all blends together better than a really wide micro bevel.

[Evil D]

When the micro bevel is no longer micro, it becomes another edge bevel. That's when it's time. I only micro bevel to remove burrs anymore.

Cliff sums it up nicely.

https://youtu.be/OPGGo3W15HQ

[vivi]

when the microbevel is bigger than a burr it's time to reset the edge.

[sethwm]

when the microbevel is bigger than a burr it's time to reset the edge.

Maybe another way to say that is "when you can see it, it's time"?

[u.w.]

yes - what Cliff (RIP), David, and vivi said / typed.

u.w.

[Vaugith]

Each time you micro it will take longer to bring the edge back to the same level of sharpness since the micro is growing and more material will need to be removed to do so. When it takes too long (which is subjective) it's time to reprofile. For me, that works out to be about what others are saying: when you can see the micro. But that depends on the steel. Lc200n for example can take a ton of micro touch ups before it needs to be reprofiled.

Or when you get a chip or roll.

[Vaugith]

Double tap

[Robert Ptacek]

I just started what I call incremental reprofiling.Mostly on my steak knives because they get the most damage from plates.This is alluded to in the Sharpmaker instructions as back bevelling.Every other sharpening cycle I put the diamond rods in the 15 degree setting and knock the shoulders back or I do it on my coarse hone.If you do it regularly you may never have to do a full reprofile as you're doing it continuously.Just Don't wait real long between sessions.I can feel a marked difference when I do it.

[wrdwrght]

One kind of “when” has been conceptually answered above. Another “when” concerns how long it takes to get the edge you expect. “When” it takes longer and longer, you will know it’s time to reprofile, says this free-hander.

[bearfacedkiller]

Whenever you want. I am in the camp that mostly uses it to debur but will also use it for quick touch ups sometimes. If I have the time I try to always reset the bevel.

For peak performance you should reset your bevel often. For ease of maintenance you should run a microbevel until microbeveling it takes too long. Resetting the bevel makes microbevel touch ups quicker and easier.

It’s a balance between performance and ease.

[Surfingringo]

I microbevel all my edges. The main reason is ease of sharpening and edge maintenance. Once I have my primary bevel set, I can bring my edge back to hair popping sharp in about 10-20 seconds on the Sharpmaker. If you are hitting a true microbevel then it only takes 6-8 passes to bring a edge back to very high sharpness. When I find that it is taking more than 30 seconds and more than 20-30 passes to get back to shaving sharp then I reprofile. For my siren which gets by far the most use (including several days a week cleaning fish) I touch up the microbevel about once a week and reprofile about twice a year.

[WilliamMunny]

I microbevel all my edges. The main reason is ease of sharpening and edge maintenance. Once I have my primary bevel set, I can bring my edge back to hair popping sharp in about 10-20 seconds on the Sharpmaker. If you are hitting a true microbevel then it only takes 6-8 passes to bring a edge back to very high sharpness. When I find that it is taking more than 30 seconds and more than 20-30 passes to get back to shaving sharp then I reprofile. For my siren which gets by far the most use (including several days a week cleaning fish) I touch up the microbevel about once a week and reprofile about twice a year.

What do you use to reprofile your knife? CBN/Diamond rods on the Sharpmaker or a fixed angle system?

[Surfingringo]

I microbevel all my edges. The main reason is ease of sharpening and edge maintenance. Once I have my primary bevel set, I can bring my edge back to hair popping sharp in about 10-20 seconds on the Sharpmaker. If you are hitting a true microbevel then it only takes 6-8 passes to bring a edge back to very high sharpness. When I find that it is taking more than 30 seconds and more than 20-30 passes to get back to shaving sharp then I reprofile. For my siren which gets by far the most use (including several days a week cleaning fish) I touch up the microbevel about once a week and reprofile about twice a year.

What do you use to reprofile your knife? CBN/Diamond rods on the Sharpmaker or a fixed angle system?

It depends. If I am reprofiling a full on user (like my siren and waterway, I usually just freehand it on a Lansky 320 Diamond. If I am trying to achieve perfection I will use my KME. (If it is only a small job I will sometimes just use the SM + diamond rods.)