Can someone show or tell me what a rolled edge looks like?

[ShawnKirkpatrick21]

This is really frustrating me that I sharpen my para2 and with little use the edge is shinny and I assume rolled? So could someone post a picture or tell how it looks? Thank you.

[Skaaphaas]

Run your fingernail across the edge, from the spine's side over the edge. Do this on both sides. If it has rolled, your nail should catch the rolled edge on the one side, and not slip off like on a normal edge.

[ShawnKirkpatrick21]

Run your fingernail across the edge, from the spine's side over the edge. Do this on both sides. If it has rolled, your nail should catch the rolled edge on the one side, and not slip off like on a normal edge.

So you can't just look at the blade and tell? I always thought it you looked straight on with the edge and it was shinny it was rolled.

[farnorthdan]

I would pick up a loupe or magnifier of some kind, I have a 10x jewelers loupe that I use sometimes to see what my edge is doing.

[VashHash]

Sometimes a shiny spot isn't a roll. It could be dulling from wear or a flat spot from hitting something. You can definitely feel it if you drag your nail from spine to edge and try to slide it off the edge.

[ShawnKirkpatrick21]

Sometimes a shiny spot isn't a roll. It could be dulling from wear or a flat spot from hitting something. You can definitely feel it if you drag your nail from spine to edge and try to slide it off the edge.

I tried the nail thing and bite my nails so they're really short so I can't tell much that way. I picked up a 16x last night to try and get a closer look but not really sure what I'm looking at.

[ShawnKirkpatrick21]

Sometimes a shiny spot isn't a roll. It could be dulling from wear or a flat spot from hitting something. You can definitely feel it if you drag your nail from spine to edge and try to slide it off the edge.

How fast would this kinda thing happen? I cut 2 pieces of rope this morning on the plastic part of a truck bed and looked and it's shinny. I'm so confused. It still cuts receipts paper but kinda drags

[VashHash]

Really hard to say how fast this would happen. Are you pressing very hard when cutting? Also what kind of rope?

[ShawnKirkpatrick21]

Really hard to say how fast this would happen. Are you pressing very hard when cutting? Also what kind of rope?

I was pressing kinda hard and it was just some kinda thin rope.

[VashHash]

That could be part of the issue. The angle you sharpen at could be part of it too. There are a lot of variables in this situation.

[ShawnKirkpatrick21]

That could be part of the issue. The angle you sharpen at could be part of it too. There are a lot of variables in this situation.

I sharpen 30° with 40° microbevel. I don't know what could be the problem. I'd like to be able to use the knife more than once before it rolls or dulls

[ShawnKirkpatrick21]

Sorry, that's a bit exaggerating. It isn't dull just loses its bite very fast.

[FK]

+1 on magnification,,, I have a 10x loop with built in light,,, excellent to examine sharpening progress and problems with edges.

Regards,
FK

[yablanowitz]

If you don't have fingernails, try using a toothpick. Alternately, shining a bright light across the flat of the blade from the spine side might show you the rolled edge. It will catch the light and reflect it back. I don't know if my photography skills are up to getting a good picture of it, but I'll see what I can do.

Edit to add: okay, not a very good picture, but you can see the bright line right at the edge where the edge is bent over (rolled). From the other side, you don't see that bright line.

[Jazz]

Just watch some YouTube vids of getting rid of the bur, don't expect to master sharpening overnight. I've had knives since I was 9, and I'm 51. I finally can sharpen very well. If it's rolling, it's a wire edge (bur) or you sharpened way too steep. Simple as that.

[ShawnKirkpatrick21]

Thanks for everybody's help. With my knife I never really seemed to able to feel the "rolled" edge or even see it with the light. I was reading last night a little about S30V, and what I read was that S30V will take a good edge but loses that initial biting sharp after use then just maintains a "working edge" for a long time. I hope I understood that correctly. My knife after I would use it and cut into something hard I would look at the blade straight on and it would be a bit shinny where I had cut. Was that just that biting shaving sharp that then went to the working edge? Sorry for all the questions. Thanks!

[bearfacedkiller]

If you are seeing light reflect off the edge after only a couple of easy cutting tasks then that is more than losing initial sharpness.

I check for a bur by dragging my nail off the edge like others have explained but I also check for a bur by dragging the edge across my nail in an edge trailing stroke liike you would do when stropping. If there is a buur you will feel it scrape your nail and it may even shave/scrape a little nail dust up. This may be easier since you bite your nails.

[ShawnKirkpatrick21]

If you are seeing light reflect off the edge after only a couple of easy cutting tasks then that is more than losing initial sharpness.

I check for a bur by dragging my nail off the edge like others have explained but I also check for a bur by dragging the edge across my nail in an edge trailing stroke liike you would do when stropping. If there is a buur you will feel it scrape your nail and it may even shave/scrape a little nail dust up. This may be easier since you bite your nails.

Ok, what would you suggest if the edge keeps losing its initial sharpness so fast? I reprofiled the knife last night and did light alternating passes which was different from how I usually sharpened before. I reprofiled on a 260 grit diamond stone. I stayed with this stone for about an hour and continued on until I could shave with the knife at that grit. I then just went to the SM brown rod just to polish a little more. Then went to the 40° side and did about 15 light strokes with the SM brown rods (I found the toothy edge works a little better for my work). I would rub my thumb across the blade and it was really tacky feeling and I could run the entire length of the blade without it cutting into my thumb a little. I sure hope this resolved my problems

[bearfacedkiller]

A good reprofile is all you need. Hopefully you got it reset last night and are working with a good bevel now. I will echo what was already said, you can leave the bevel at 260 grit or whatever grit you reprofiled with and move right to alternating passes on your microbevel. I find it easy to raise a bur when refining a bevel and often leave my bevels at 400 grit which is what I usually use to reprofile. My most common edge is a bevel set with sharpmaker diamond rods followed by a microbevel with the sharpmaker brown rods. With just the diamonds set at 30 and the browns set at 40 i can make a knife whittle hairs. i don't put the diamonds in at 40 and I don't put the browns in at 30. That is not the only way i sharpen but it is my quick, easy and reliable way to get an edge up an running super sharp. Polishing the bevel up does in my opinion make a difference in performance as it offers less resistance but this difference is subtle and not worth pursueing until you are better at sharpening.

Just stick with it. I have been sharpening knives since I was a kid in scouts and i am 38 now and I am still learning and improving at it. It is a life long learning thing for sure. On one hand it is a simple thing and you are best not to overthink it and on the other hand the edge is a mysterious thing that requires that sharpening become an art form and you need to be able to read the knife and its edge and be able to adapt when it decides to have a mind of it's own.

Keep asking questions and we will continue to try to provide guidance. It can be a hard thing to coach someone on through a forum. When these threads pop up I always wish I could get some face time with the person. If I could see and hold your knife for just a minute I would know what you are working with and I could then show you a few things to help. Keep at it though and it will be very rewarding when you get it sorted out and you will be a more skilled sharpener afterwards.

[ShawnKirkpatrick21]

A good reprofile is all you need. Hopefully you got it reset last night and are working with a good bevel now. I will echo what was already said, you can leave the bevel at 260 grit or whatever grit you reprofiled with and move right to alternating passes on your microbevel. I find it easy to raise a bur when refining a bevel and often leave my bevels at 400 grit which is what I usually use to reprofile. My most common edge is a bevel set with sharpmaker diamond rods followed by a microbevel with the sharpmaker brown rods. With just the diamonds set at 30 and the browns set at 40 i can make a knife whittle hairs. i don't put the diamonds in at 40 and I don't put the browns in at 30. That is not the only way i sharpen but it is my quick, easy and reliable way to get an edge up an running super sharp. Polishing the bevel up does in my opinion make a difference in performance as it offers less resistance but this difference is subtle and not worth pursueing until you are better at sharpening.

Just stick with it. I have been sharpening knives since I was a kid in scouts and i am 38 now and I am still learning and improving at it. It is a life long learning thing for sure. On one hand it is a simple thing and you are best not to overthink it and on the other hand the edge is a mysterious thing that requires that sharpening become an art form and you need to be able to read the knife and its edge and be able to adapt when it decides to have a mind of it's own.

Keep asking questions and we will continue to try to provide guidance. It can be a hard thing to coach someone on through a forum. When these threads pop up I always wish I could get some face time with the person. If I could see and hold your knife for just a minute I would know what you are working with and I could then show you a few things to help. Keep at it though and it will be very rewarding when you get it sorted out and you will be a more skilled sharpener afterwards.

I guess I was thinking it was a rolled edge but it wasn't I guess. I did the edge trailing trick on my thumb nail and everything slid over easy with no problem. I compared to my Delica that I hit on a wire earlier that was rolled and my para 2 was way smoother. Must have just been in my head. Still don't know why it appears shinny though.