Advice Needed on Sharpening ... Please

[Spyderknife]

I have always sharpened my :spyder: 's on my sharpmaker but of late I have been going free hand on bench stones (DMT and Norton). Been very successful with my FFG blades (Millie, Parra, etc) but for some reason I am just not getting it right with my Delica. Been hesitant to try it on my other hollow ground blades because I don't want to ruin the edge. So at present I have reverted back to my Sharpmaker when sharpening the hollow grounds. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

[razorback1595]

it's seems strange that the hollow grind or sabre grind would alter the sharpness a lot in comparison to the flat grind,
if you do everything the same the results should be similar ..

[ChapmanPreferred]

Spyderknife,

Did you try the Sharpie marker test to see if you had reached the edge while freehand sharpening? If not, because you will have to remove more material (saber grinds get into thicker material a little sooner than full flat grinds) and it may take longer to reach the edge, especially if you are also thinning the angle.

Let us know how it works out!

Doug

[Spyderknife]

Hi Doug, will do the Sharpie test with my next attempt and report back. Thanks

[mkd]

i use a lansky sharpening system with stones and diamond grits to sharpen my knives.i also have a straup with a course and fine compound for finishing.it does a nice job taking the sharpening marks off the grind also.

[Joe Talmadge]

The Sharpie is a great tool to see how well you're making progress. But it is very easy for a slightly errant stroke to grind off the sharpie, when the edge is not actually ready yet. So use the sharpie only as a tool to track your progress. The one way to be certain the edge is ready is if you have raised a burr along the entire length of the opposite edge. If that hasn't happened, that side is not done yet, even if the Sharpie claims otherwise. If that has happened, and if you sharpen the burr off properly, your edge will be incredibly sharp regardless of whether it's flat ground or hollow.

[THG]

There is no difference between sharpening FFGs and saber grinds. As long as you're getting the edge, you should be getting a sharp knife.