Spyderco Forums

So this is the 2nd time dulling my PM2 in S30V at work. And touching up with only diamond loaded leather paddles.

The factory bevel is at 15DPS, microbevel is at 20DPS.

After the knife dulls, I clamp it in my Wicked Edge and strop the edge at around 18-19 degrees and it becomes scary sharp in a matter of minutes heel to tip.

The knife cuts like a laser, and this method is excellent without grinding metal and edge longevity. The edge always feels finished.

I only use leather paddles. And it brings a wire edge that couldn’t shave, or even bite a nail to factory razor sharp.

I just think it is amazing how you can entirely leave out the stones. As you just do not need them.

What size diamond are you using? and what angle on the WE.

I too am a fan of keeping fit and trim on just strops, it's fun. And very helpful in gettin dat edge ultra fine lol.

Thin hard leather with diamond is excellent to maintain a working edge.
Use light pressure and do not let the apex get too dull.
i have used this technique for years.u

Regards,
FK

jpm2 wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 13, 2019 6:50 pm

What size diamond are you using? and what angle on the WE.

The 10/14 micron is excellent for this! That is what I use.

I strop the edge at 1 degree less than the micro bevel or bevel is set at.

So if the knife has a 20 degree touched up micro bevel from like a sharpmaker or something. 19 degrees will bring back a razor edge.

Or if the knife is new never touched up, stropping at 14 degrees will bring back a razor sharp edge.

This method even worked on S110V for me previously. It took some extra pressure, and about 10 minutes of sweat depending on how dull the knife was. But it would bring back a razor blade for sure!

S30V is a lot easier with stropping!

Obviously this is an excellent technique because you keep the factory geometry for a long time, including the nice looking tip right from Spyderco. I think 30 degrees inclusive is great on a PM2 in S30V. Unlike my S110V knives I previously owned they were much more aggressive. And they could handle that low dps pretty well.

tps3443 wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 14, 2019 12:21 pm

Obviously this is an excellent technique because you keep the factory geometry for a long time, including the nice looking tip right from Spyderco. I think 30 degrees inclusive is great on a PM2 in S30V. Unlike my S110V knives I previously owned they were much more aggressive. And they could handle that low dps pretty well.

Yeah I like that on a PM2 too

FK wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 14, 2019 7:15 am

Thin hard leather with diamond is excellent to maintain a working edge.
Use light pressure and do not let the apex get too dull.
i have used this technique for years.u

Regards,
FK

If it's very thin and very firm, you can get much more than just a working edge. The harder the medium and the more concentrated the abrasive, the more the strop becomes like a stone.

This topic of "Sharpening With Leather" is one I've thought about a lot. But "FK" makes a great point to where you must use it when the blade is at least relatively sharp. It would have a "Sharp-Maintainer" concept rather than to sharpen a super-steel blade from profiling all the way to fine tuning the apex. Which I don't think could be done efficiently with leather.

It is on the other hand quite intriguing when you consider that Barbers have been using leather strops to put the final touches on a dangerously sharp straight razor. It was always difficult for me to believe that a leather strop could do what it does.

I've also been thinking that using small micron diamond dust being impregnated into leather and it's potential of being a great sharpening tool.

I've been slowly getting away from using strops and perhaps I need to take a closer look at what people are using them for. I've even wondered what CBN abrasive might be capable of using it with a leather strop?

The effect on maintaining an edge with diamond vs CBN is identical.
I have also used CBN/leather for years on kitchen knives to maintain the final working sharpness with ease.
I also believe it removes the broken distorted apex rather than bending it back into alignment as with very hard ceramics or old fashioned "steeling" Let me clarify,, this is for micro correction not restorring the main bevel after heavy dulling.

Regards,
FK

I just stropped my PM2 with my leather paddles again on the wicked edge. Clamp in, and go! The edge is definitely sharper than factory. It is slowly becoming mirror finished. And while it is scary sharp, the mirror finish is causing the edge to lose that bite that a lower grit finished edge will provide.

Cutting rope, or cloth, or paper is fine. But I’ve noticed cardboard or paperboard cutting performance just doesn’t bite in like it should all the time.

So while the knife is strictly maintained sharp factory edge at 15DPS without a microbevel. I think I’m gonna create a microbevel finished at 600 grit 20DPS so the blade bites in much easier with cutting with that toothy edge.

I believe you just gave sal a new idea, the "Leather Sharp Maker". :)

FK wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 15, 2019 5:04 am

The effect on maintaining an edge with diamond vs CBN is identical.
I have also used CBN/leather for years on kitchen knives to maintain the final working sharpness with ease.
I also believe it removes the broken distorted apex rather than bending it back into alignment as with very hard ceramics or old fashioned "steeling" Let me clarify,, this is for micro correction not restorring the main bevel after heavy dulling.

OK let me ask you this?? What vendor do you get your diamond compound from? I've bought specialty items like that over the years from either "JapanWoodWorker" or Garrett Wade. But I would be up to trying out someone elses diamond compound if it is truly better quality.

I would think that companies that sell Straight Razor sharpening systems and supplies would have more ideal equipment and supplies than other tool vendors would??? Because the straight razor guys use leather far more that most of us do>> or is that changing?

JD Spydo wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 20, 2019 3:45 pm

FK wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 15, 2019 5:04 am

The effect on maintaining an edge with diamond vs CBN is identical.
I have also used CBN/leather for years on kitchen knives to maintain the final working sharpness with ease.
I also believe it removes the broken distorted apex rather than bending it back into alignment as with very hard ceramics or old fashioned "steeling" Let me clarify,, this is for micro correction not restorring the main bevel after heavy dulling.

OK let me ask you this?? What vendor do you get your diamond compound from? I've bought specialty items like that over the years from either "JapanWoodWorker" or Garrett Wade. But I would be up to trying out someone elses diamond compound if it is truly better quality.

I would think that companies that sell Straight Razor sharpening systems and supplies would have more ideal equipment and supplies than other tool vendors would??? Because the straight razor guys use leather far more that most of us do>> or is that changing?

I've used DMT Diapaste, which you can get in a 6, 3, and 1 micron sampler lack for pretty cheap. And also Michael Christy had a positive impression of Jende Industries diamond compounds which I believe are even cheaper!

The leather works until it doesn't, it can't replace a stone for making a crispy fresh edge. Overtime the leather will be less effective and one will have to return to the stone. The leather no matter how coarse the compound is not as efficient at producing a flat crisp edge as a stone. Just an enhancer or maintainer but overtime the effects stop and it's back to the stone.

JonLeBlanc wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 20, 2019 6:18 pm

JD Spydo wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 20, 2019 3:45 pm

FK wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 15, 2019 5:04 am

The effect on maintaining an edge with diamond vs CBN is identical.
I have also used CBN/leather for years on kitchen knives to maintain the final working sharpness with ease.
I also believe it removes the broken distorted apex rather than bending it back into alignment as with very hard ceramics or old fashioned "steeling" Let me clarify,, this is for micro correction not restorring the main bevel after heavy dulling.

OK let me ask you this?? What vendor do you get your diamond compound from? I've bought specialty items like that over the years from either "JapanWoodWorker" or Garrett Wade. But I would be up to trying out someone elses diamond compound if it is truly better quality.

I would think that companies that sell Straight Razor sharpening systems and supplies would have more ideal equipment and supplies than other tool vendors would??? Because the straight razor guys use leather far more that most of us do>> or is that changing?

I've used DMT Diapaste, which you can get in a 6, 3, and 1 micron sampler lack for pretty cheap. And also Michael Christy had a positive impression of Jende Industries diamond compounds which I believe are even cheaper!

Hey thanks for the tip on that JON :) I have heard of Jende Industries>> I've heard that they have a big line up of sharpening products too. Also I had forgotten that DMT also sells that stuff too. I've also heard that "SharpeningSupplies.com has a few items like that. But it does seem that many WoodWorkers are real sharpening fanatics like we are. I'm starting to see more specialty items like that in WoodWorking magazines like the two I mentioned i.e. JapanWoodWorker & Garrett Wade.
So if any of you know of any other really good WoodWorker vendors I would like to know about them as well. I'm also wondering if Barber supply houses might carry diamond compound? Probably not because most of the Barbers around here are getting away from using straight razors which is really a shame. Hey thanks again for the tip

Ken Schwartz, Jende, and several other companies make excellent compounds and sprays. I typically use cheaper options, but I also use diamond powder to increase the concentration of diamonds in the compound. The powder actually works incredibly well by itself (dry) as well. The market for knife sharpening abrasives is larger than ever, but there is also the jeweler's market, which has lots of diamond polishing compounds that work as well. While there are more affordable options, you just have to know that the concentration of these items may be low, and there could be slightly more variation in grain size (both from a standpoint of consistency as well as overall — cheap 0.5 micron compound can potentially be more similar to 1 micron from Ken Schwartz, for example). You just have to try it out and observe the finish it leaves as well as the cutting ability it yields.

JD Spydo wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 21, 2019 2:25 am

JonLeBlanc wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 20, 2019 6:18 pm

JD Spydo wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 20, 2019 3:45 pm

FK wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 15, 2019 5:04 am

The effect on maintaining an edge with diamond vs CBN is identical.
I have also used CBN/leather for years on kitchen knives to maintain the final working sharpness with ease.
I also believe it removes the broken distorted apex rather than bending it back into alignment as with very hard ceramics or old fashioned "steeling" Let me clarify,, this is for micro correction not restorring the main bevel after heavy dulling.

OK let me ask you this?? What vendor do you get your diamond compound from? I've bought specialty items like that over the years from either "JapanWoodWorker" or Garrett Wade. But I would be up to trying out someone elses diamond compound if it is truly better quality.

I would think that companies that sell Straight Razor sharpening systems and supplies would have more ideal equipment and supplies than other tool vendors would??? Because the straight razor guys use leather far more that most of us do>> or is that changing?

I've used DMT Diapaste, which you can get in a 6, 3, and 1 micron sampler lack for pretty cheap. And also Michael Christy had a positive impression of Jende Industries diamond compounds which I believe are even cheaper!

Hey thanks for the tip on that JON :) I have heard of Jende Industries>> I've heard that they have a big line up of sharpening products too. Also I had forgotten that DMT also sells that stuff too. I've also heard that "SharpeningSupplies.com has a few items like that. But it does seem that many WoodWorkers are real sharpening fanatics like we are. I'm starting to see more specialty items like that in WoodWorking magazines like the two I mentioned i.e. JapanWoodWorker & Garrett Wade.
So if any of you know of any other really good WoodWorker vendors I would like to know about them as well. I'm also wondering if Barber supply houses might carry diamond compound? Probably not because most of the Barbers around here are getting away from using straight razors which is really a shame. Hey thanks again for the tip

No worries, let us know what you find!

Their are many sources for diamond paste and spray. Be careful of "low price wins" the main item to observe: what is the weight or amount of diamond in the package? Higher concentrations will require much less application and last longer than the lowest priced product.

I like the knife sharpening supply sites for my purchases.
Many kitchen knife suppliers that carry good quality Japanese knives also offer diamond in both paste and spray.

Regards,
FK