Doeswhateveraspidercan wrote: ↑Sun Sep 15, 2019 12:26 pm
After reading this thread it looks like DMT is a pretty good way to go with free handing. It also seems Like ViVi has allot of experience with this so a couple of questions to ViVi.
ViVi which of the DMT stones do you use to husk off lots of steel for a low angle reprofile?
I started off with a
8" extra coarse, which if you shop around can be bought for $30-40. Wasn't a fan of the holes as tips can get hung up in them, and 8" is a bit smaller for larger knives like chef knives.
So I went with an 11" extra coarse and I find that size makes life easier. The 8" one is more worn down, and I'll sometimes finish edges with it when I want a really coarse edge with lots of tooth for aggressive slicing.
ViVi what is your grit procession using these stones? I like the results you show better than what I have gotten off the angle systems and yes I realize it will take a long time to come up to your level of free hand sharpening but am willing to buy the stones you recommend.
I usually don't progress grits. I'm of the philosophy that polishing bevels is a waste of time, so I only polished the apex. Back when I ran more polished bevels I'd just straight from a DMT X Coarse to a DMT Fine. I'd use the fine to polish the bevels up, then once my bevel was thinned out and polished I'd maintain on the sharpmaker fine rods at 15 degrees. If the 15 degree slots didn't do the job I knew I didn't take the bevel thin enough on the DMT's.
Most my knives, like my Manix, I will sharpen around 10dps on the coarse DMT, then microbevel at 15dps with the brown medium sharpmaker rods.
Lately I've been experimenting with no microbevel or sharpmaker, and using nothing but the extra coarse DMT for the entire sharpening process. The Manix XL I've carried the past week has worked really well for me with this type of edge, and even after a good bit of use its shaving.
I don't strop as a finishing step. I try to achieve the sharpness I'm shooting for straight off stones.
As for touch ups I will always use the Sharpmaker but I want to get my Spyderco’s down the way you do with the Manix XL.
Oh and one last thing I already have the large Spyderco medium (Brown) bench stone and the large Spyderco Fine (White) bench stone.
Going to get some angle adapters to help learn the feel for free handing.
Thanks.
The medium bench stone from Spyderco is a great finishing stone for the apex. It's a pretty refined, polished edge that's coarse enough to still have a good amount of tooth.
In general I shape and set bevels with diamonds, and refine the apex with ceramics.
If you get yourself one good sized diamond stone for reprofiling, that + the stones and sharpmaker you've got is all you need to reproduce any edges I've posted to the forum.
Note that there are a few different varieties of DMT's out there. Some of the stones, even within the same length, are wider than others. I think they make 2.5" wide and 4" wide. Some have holes on the surface, some don't (I'd recommend no holes). Some come with a case and a base to set the stone in, some don't. Some have smooth, slick bottoms that require you to use something to hold them in place, some have rubber feet attached that keep them in place. Make sure you take a good look around, and if you have any questions let me know.
I'd suggest picking up a couple of Byrds to practice with. They have blade shapes similar to Spydercos and they grind fast. They're good for learning.
Lastly, consider other brands as well. Next time I buy a bench stone, while I'm definitely looking at DMT, I'm also going to see what else has popped up over the years. It's been a long time since I've been shoppng for reprofiling stones. Maybe I'll pick up a new one next year to compare to my DMT's.