sharpmaker’s brown, white and UF rods - phonebook test - back to square one

[Brunzenstein48]

*EDITED to add see post below with an update prior to responding* (TazKristi)

I ask anybody to falsifikat my findings on the un-bribable phonebook test. I cut for my test a whole city phonebook to flakes - and remain stunned.

Sharpening an el-cheapo Italian [Fox FOLDING KNIFE] (BF-434 G10 coming with a standard A440 steel) on the brown Sharpmaker rods and confronting the beast with loose phonebook pages after sharpening and careful de-burring resulted in satisfactory cutting results.
ok...

Going one step further and working the white fine rods on the blade provided an even better result - even thought a minor one.
fine...

But then:
Going over the blade with the Ultra-fine rods decreases the blade performance on the phonebook paper considerable and land me to where I started before unpacking the Sharpmaker.

I ask anybody (especially Cliff - the master of the sharping universe in the galaxy) to reproduce, comment and/or put my findings wrong.

[Surfingringo]

Hi Bruzenstein, I am unclear what you are trying to say. Are you proposing...
A. That using the UF rods will make a knife less sharp?
B. That you managed to make your knife less sharp with the UF rods (a completely different statement)

If you are proposing (A) then you are mistaken. If you are proposing (B) then you need to analyze your technique to discover why you are getting this outcome. What changed between the fine and the ultra fines?

[bearfacedkiller]

You shredded a whole phone book in one sitting? Very impressive, your city must be smaller than metro Denver. :) My phone book lasts a while and my wife says that cutting up paper is a hobby of mine. :D

I am inclined to say that there was some user error involved here. What that was is hard to say but you may have either applied too much pressure or been inconsistent in your angle. It sounds like you may have partaken in a marathon sharpening session since you shredded an entire phone book which is something I have certainly done before. I have spent hours sharpening knives before and my advice is to take periodic breaks. Especially early on before you can rely heavily on muscle memory sharpening requires quite a bit of focus and diligence. This can make it somewhat tedious and that can cause people to sometimes start to rush or lose focus. For this reason when I am doing a lot of sharpening I try to take breaks and this keeps me from either losing focus on my angles or rushing and applying too much pressure. It is important to use very light pressure when using the uf rods in my experience. Not sure if that was your problem but thought I would throw that out there. :)

I have certainly had very different results than you achieved. Coming off the brown rods I can begin to push cut phone book paper and easily sail through it on a draw cut. Coming off of the white fine stones I can easily push cut phone book paper and make feather sticks out of my beard hairs. Now coming off of the uf rods I can push cut phone book paper with very, very little effort and now whittle the finer hairs from my head. Coming off the uf rods I can tree tops my very fine arm hair while passing the knife over 1/4 inch above my arm. You should be able to achieve these same results.

[bearfacedkiller]

Maybe Cliff, our resident physicist and guardian of your sharpening galaxy :D , can explain how you fit a universe in a galaxy. Lol!!! String theory? Maybe some "sciency wiency transdimensional engineering"? (Doctor Who reference :) ) Sorry, it's early and I'm tired and feeling a little goofy.

[Brunzenstein48]

You should be able to achieve these same results.

ok - I see...
I shall go back to the bench e.g. the former edition of the phone book and try again.
If your right, I may only blame me or the steel quality ... :)

[Brunzenstein48]

I am inclined to say that there was some user error involved here.

UPDATE
@bearfacedkiller - You were right from the start — it was a „men made error“ e.g. it was entirely my fault.

I put to much force when de-burring. I’m a friend of the simple way as such is: Getting rid of the burr by very light striking the rods at the last two passes with a much higher / increased angle. Cutting so much phonebook pages gets one tired and lazy.

I accidentally have used to much force and it seems that I not only got rid of the burr but of the apex created as well…

Sorry for having taken your time folks — and thanks for the hint to @bearfacedkiller

[bearfacedkiller]

Glad you got it figured out. :)

[tvenuto]

I wouldn't say you should tell people to disregard this thread, it's still useful info even if you were initially incorrect about the cause. I'm sure you're not the first person to make this mistake, nor will you be the last.

It's not a waste of time if people learn.

[Cliff Stamp]

I accidentally have used to much force and it seems that I not only got rid of the burr but of the apex created as well…

Not sure what you mean by the last part?

[Bill1170]

It sounds like Brunzenstein rolled his apex by applying too much force with the UF rods, thereby rolling a hook at the edge.

[Brunzenstein48]

It sounds like Brunzenstein rolled his apex by applying too much force with the UF rods, thereby rolling a hook at the edge.

Exactly - most probably I also mistakenly flattened the edge

[Brunzenstein48]

Now I can cut phonebook paper as well as tomatoes perfect
Thanks for your help and assistance :)