Hi:
I am a newbie to Spyderco and just acquired my first -- a Military CF with S90V plain edge. I'm getting used to the size but love the looks of it.
I also have a good selection of high end kitchen knives -- Kikuichi, Misono UX-10, higher end Hattori knives, etc. The steels range from VG-10 and VG-1, to powdered steel to carbon steel ranging in RC from 57 to 63. I also have a decent selection of water stones -- Shapton Pros, Nortons, Kitiyama in grits varying from 220 to 8000. So, I am pretty comfortable sharpening my knives and getting the edge I want.
I prefer a mirror finish on the edge of the blade but non-mirror finish otherwise. Depending on the knife, I like somewhere between 12 and 18 degree angle. After playing with the Military for about 2 weeks, it was noticeably less sharp. Must have been the cardboard boxes, tape and numerous envelopes that I cut open. I started with the 220 and moved my way up. The first thing I noticed was the acute angle of the original spyderco sharpening. Trying to imitate that acuity demanded a little extra concentration. Then, I noticed that the S90V was sharpening much faster than I thought. For some reason, I was expecting a torture session with it but it sharpened just fine.
Now, my question is I can't seem to get that mirror finish on the edge of the blade like I'm used to. There are some advantages in that there is more "tooth" when I push or pull the blade but at the same time, it doesn't look right to my eye.
Any suggestions?
thank you
Roy