Mirror Edge

[chuck_roxas45]

I like the way a polished bevel looks. If I want a coarser cutting edge without marring the polished bevel, I have a strop loaded with 14u diamond paste. This strop cuts almost like the UF rods of the sharpmaker but will not mar the mirror bevel. The edge from this strop will be quite noticeably coarser than those polished with 6u or finer.

[razorsharp]

http://sharpthings.net/blogs/Razorsharp-Travis FREEHAND

http://sharpthings.net/blogs/razorsharp ... -para-edge Guided :)

[Spook410]

I have finally gotten to where I can execute a very nice polished edge. I use hardwood blocks with diamond paste and I've learned to make nice strops to use with chromium oxide. And now, I learn this is counterproductive. Jeez.

[ColtCobra]

Not really from my testing of a lot of different steels, a coarser edge will hold that edge a lot longer, usually around 50% or more depending on the steel and edge finishes.

The lower alloy steels die quickly (Lose Bite) with a polished edge compared to a coarser edge from my testing.

Percentages get closer as the Carbide content increases (Alloy Content), but there is still a noticeable measurable difference.

Polished edges are better for push cutting like in razor blades, but if making draw cuts then a coarser edge will always work better.

But that's not to say that one can't push cut with a coarse edge.

Polished edges tend to slide or not bite when making draw cuts depending on the material being cut so one really should tailor their edge finishes to what the knife use will be for best performance.

A coarse edge wears more quickly and requires more maintenance. This is usually not an issue unless you like your edges very thin. Then a polished edge will last longer.

[hunterseeker5]

Not really from my testing of a lot of different steels, a coarser edge will hold that edge a lot longer, usually around 50% or more depending on the steel and edge finishes.

The lower alloy steels die quickly (Lose Bite) with a polished edge compared to a coarser edge from my testing.

Percentages get closer as the Carbide content increases (Alloy Content), but there is still a noticeable measurable difference.

Polished edges are better for push cutting like in razor blades, but if making draw cuts then a coarser edge will always work better.

But that's not to say that one can't push cut with a coarse edge.

Polished edges tend to slide or not bite when making draw cuts depending on the material being cut so one really should tailor their edge finishes to what the knife use will be for best performance.

Darn it Ankerson beat me to it. :P

Let me add my 2c which Ankerson can either ignore, add to, or discredit. I've found that a coarser (roughly 1200 grit polish) improves edge retention BUT I've found its best if done with a soft backing. What I mean by this is that a compound loaded strop thats creating a scratch pattern equivalent to that grit will result in better edge performance than a benchstone rated to that grit creating that same scratch patter. If thats because of convergence at the edge due to the soft backing or just removal of a microscopic plastic deformation (or both) I couldn't tell you. One very notable exception to this I've found is H1 where I find I get better edge retention if I scrub it with a hard ceramic to its final polish than if I strop it afterward even if its to a lower (or higher) final finish. Maybe its the placebo effect, but I'd swear it works. The obvious and cliché theory is work hardening, but I'll leave that to the experts.

[chuck_roxas45]

I do find that a coarse edge(600 grit) doesn't last as well as a polished edge when I primarily use the knife on wood. The coarser edge does last longer if I cut media like cardboard or for food prep.

[jackknifeh]

It seems to me that a coarse or toothy edge wouldn't last as long when cutting wood or harder material because the "teeth" might break off easier and get dull faster than a smoother edge. But for kitchen use or softer materials the teeth would pierce the material faster initially. The common example it a tomato. A toothy edge will pierce the skin quicker and start cutting faster than a smooth edge. I seem to have better luck with a smooth edge but I've never "tested" the two so I may have it all wrong. I don't ever use a knife that has been sharpened for a specific purpose, mostly just EDC knives.

Jack

[dbcad]

Whatever works best for you :) It is a great deal of fun putting a finely polished edge on, even though it might not look as good off camera or perform as well in some materials.

Getting a truly polished edge is a thing I am still working on. The fun comes from the effort you make and the things you learn along the way :)

Good tips all here :)

[dbcad]

Whatever works best for you :) It is a great deal of fun putting a finely polished edge on, even though it might not look as good off camera or perform as well in some materials.

Getting a truly polished edge is a thing I am still working on. The fun comes from the effort you make and the things you learn along the way :)

Good tips all :)

[Evil D]

I've been playing with polishing my bevels, and i'm getting better and better results but i guess the lazy side in me has no problem with polishing out the very edge/micro bevel and leaving the rest of the bevel at 1000 grit or whatever. It's still quite polished but not quite a perfect mirror and if you look close enough you can still see scratches. This is one of those things that i'd put more effort into for a gents knife that i carry on special occasions, but for a knife i'm going to use hard that's going to get a good deal of scratches on the blade anyway, it's a little excessive for me. In the long run my micro bevel gets bigger and bigger and eventually the whole bevel will be polished anyway until i profile the back bevel back down.