Your Favorite Edge Angle for Sharpening?

[Bolster]

We all use different edge angles for different knives and purposes, of course, but what edge angle(s) do you find yourself using the MOST, when you sharpen a Spyderco? (The poll is set up so you can select more than one option if you want to).

I can't list all angles, but please choose the one (or ones) closest to your favorite. In all cases I'm talking DEGREES PER SIDE (not inclusive--for example, the Sharpmaker's 30 degree inclusive setting would be 15 degrees per side.)

In the survey, I'm asking about the actual edge (a.k.a. "microbevel" if you use one) that you most frequently grind. We're not talking about the back/relief bevel (or whatever you call it) if you sharpen more than one bevel.

[Bolster]

I should add why I'm asking this question. I got a message from Ben at Edge Pro that gave me these guidelines for sharpening. I'm pretty certain he's talking degrees per side, since that's the metric of the Edge Pro:

"Almost all pocket knives, custom or commercial are set at 21 degrees. This makes for a very strong edge, with a narrow bevel, that can easily be resharpened. Now I have some customers that will pull them down to 19 degrees and even smaller group that will go to 17. I consider myself at the lunatic fringe and I do my pocket knife at 15...most people would crush the edge the first time they use the knife at anything below 17."

Food for thought!

To me, from hanging out on this forum with all you radical KPs, these sound like very conservative (I don't mean political, I mean obtuse) angles. Yet I notice Lansky has similarly conservative figures. "20° [per side]: A commonly used angle for higher grade, quality blades. Provides an excellent edge for these types of knives. Ideal for kitchen knives. 25° [per side]: The recommended angle for most knives that need a durable, sharp edge. Ideal for hunting and outdoor knives. 30° [per side]: An outstanding angle for knives that see the heavy use of cutting cardboard or carpets." (I remember someone on this forum posting they cut carpet with a 10 dps knife with a 5 dps back bevel!!) Lansky reserves 17 dps only for things like razor blades!

In this context, Spyderco sounds "radical" and "extreme" with a sharpmaker that does 15 and 20 dps!! Whereas I bet most of us yawn at both those angles and see them as mainstream. But I could be wrong. I was wrong once before.

[huugh]

They are too faint-hearted.

This works for me:

I'm not sure about precise angle :) but it is sure lower than 15 per side :) (which is the microbevel - it's hard to see in the picture) and it can cut and chop wood without any damage to edge.
And that's not something one does with a folder, is it?

[Bolster]

Sorry to keep posting in a thread I started (bad etty-kett?) but I found this post from Joe Talmadge over at BF. Given his authority, I thought I'd quote him here: “I make heavy use of 15-degree bevels for my folders and performance-oriented fixed blades. Often, I'll take a few light swipes on the 20-degree bevels to remove the burr, and sometimes I'll take a few more swipes when I want the edge just a touch thicker. But generally speaking, I expect a knife to take reasonably hard use at 15-degrees, and if it chips, I'd rather replace the knife than compromise my performance standards by changing the edge bevels.”

(That edge looks good to me, too, Huugh)

[enduraguy]

I can't really say what 'angle' I use. I just 'eyeball' it. What I'm doing works though, I'm able to bring my knives back to near-factory sharp. I use the 701 profile stone set. I start with the brown stone, and finish with the white. I also have a Spyderco brand ultra fine, "razor hone" flat bench stone that I use when I really want to take it up a notch as Emirel Lagasse likes to say.

[John G.]

I generally use 10 to 12.5 per side for EDC duties, but use 15 to 17 per side for camping / tree limbing chopping tasks. 12.5 seems to hold up just as well as 15 degrees for my EDC tasks (which include light whittling, and scraping stickers off metal, etc), but 10 is just so much sharper that it's worth the more frequent touchups :)

[dialex]

Depending on the knife and steel, I use either 15 or 20°. Sometimes I even combine the angles - for instance, at the Adventura I sharpen the belly at 20° (so it will last longer) and the recurve part at 15°.

[spydutch]

Since I only use serrated knives 20 dg per side works best for me.

15 dg on serrations may be sharper but way more prone to rolling/chipping as well(even VG10 and H1 let alone CPM S30V)

[Simple Man]

I have found that for my daily uses, a thin back bevel of around 15-20° total (almost convexed) with an actual cutting edge of 40° on the 204 works best for me, this in on VG-10.

[Ed Schempp]

I usually sharpen until my edges fail, with the way I use a knife; then strengthen the angle until it gives good service...Take Care...Ed

[Native Justice]

I'll typically raise the edge bevel to near flat on XC diamonds. I'll then finish with the convex method on sandpaper backed with thick leather and take the edge from 220 thru 2000 grit wet dry sandpaper. This does two things for me: strengthens the already fine edge for lateral loads (twisting), and improves blade maintenance required to get the edge back since the edge no longer has bevel shoulders (touch up only requires a few swipes on 1500 -2000 grits to get back to screaming sharp). I did this recently to my S30V Milli and ZDP D4 and can't get these suckers to chip no matter what I do. And talk about slicers, man!

Just my $.02.

NJ

[i.v]

I use 20 degrees on the sharpmaker on both serrated and plain models, works just fine and I never needed anything else.

[Jazz]

I, too am a lunatic. I sharpen freehand and it's usually around 15 degrees. Some are around 20 degrees, but 15 cuts like there's no tomorrow. :)

- Jazz.

[Slatts]

My carry knives have either VG-10, S30V, ZDP189, or ATS34/154CM. I take them all to 30degrees inclusive on the Sharpmaker. However, I go with 40 degrees on my S30V sebenzas because they seemed to attain shaving sharpness with 40 while other S30V blades wouldn't. I don't understand why the S30V on the CRKs are that way, but have spent many sharpening sessions learning that lesson.

[Slick]

I too use an EdgePro and my angles vary with steel and application. As per Mr. Shemp... if the edge fails just steepen the angle or give up. I have NEVER given up a a Spyderco knife. They all sharpen to their intended design critreria. I assume (?)...

My Caly 3 gets 17 degrees plus a "burr wipe off" at 16 degrees. The edge sharpness is scary. The edge retention at that angle impresses me. The best of both worlds. My Gen 1 Delicas suffered extreme wear issuses to be kept that almost that SHARP.

My Caly 3 seems designed for low edges.

Stupid sharp. Got to love it and a bargin at the price.

More ZDP laminate for me. I wish I could afford more.

[vampyrewolf]

As low as I can get it

I've got my ss 'fly as low as it goes, as in the flats are lightly touching the stones. My millie is done to about 30deg inclusive, delica to 40deg inclusive (simply because I know it'll be abused).

I sharpen freehand as low as the grind on the knife will let me, put a micro bevel on some of them if I know it's just gonna roll if left thin... I can shave with every one of them before I'm happy.

If I'm doing one for someone else, I just match the existing bevel but polish the **** out of it and leave some teeth on that mirror edge :cool: :D

[SimpleIsGood229]

I'm still too much of a newbie to comment on angles, but is that a Busse in Huugh's picture?

[Wharnie]

Greetings forum.

I don't understand why 15 degrees per side would be considered "radical." In the world of woodworking, it's commonly recommended to grind a chisel at 20-30 degrees (inclusive). The 30 end of the spectrum is for hard use mortise chisels, where you're whacking them with a hammer into hard wood. These angles would be the equivalent of 10-15 dps since a chisel is ground on just one side. And these are the angles used even for old (antique) chisels...which are not made of particularly fancy steel. So I am at a loss regarding this idea that 15 degrees per side is radically steep and can leave most edges "crumbly."

[Bolster]

Bump, so we can get input from new forumites who may have joined recently.

[Monkeywrangler]

Is there a place to look up all the factory angles on the Spydies? Mostly for the Enduras and Tenacious knives.