Low Angle Sharpening

me2

Well-Known Member
Has anyone tried sharpening angles less than 10 degrees on EDC type knives? I rebeveled a 2 blade trapper clip blade to about 7 dps (degrees per side) and then added a microbevel at just under 10 dps, using a 220/1000 King combo water stone. So far, it's held up pretty well. I like the 1k edge finish. I've cut cardboard, sharpened pencils, and a few other tasks. I did drop it and the edge took a ding, but I don't know what it hit. There was a metal bolt in the space where I dropped it, so it could have hit that. The steel is unknown stainless from Japan, so I have no idea about hardness, alloy, etc. I'm guessing around 56 HRc or so, but really, who knows. I'm currently working a Carbon V Cold Steel Scalper down to the same edge angle. It's a kitchen knife, and general utility. Currently it's at 12/15 dps/microbevel. It just keeps on cutting at that angle for the use it sees, so I'm taking it down to see how low I can go. I tested another Scalper and got a hardness of HRc 60.
 
Thats good news. I was wondering what angle to use on my kitchen knife. Its chisel ground A2 at 61 HRc. I'll start at 20 and work down from there.
 
I push the envelope as far as acute angles go. I also use my knives appropriately. Harder use knives get a bit more angle. Even my woods knives, that baton lots of wood, are about 15 degrees per side - sometimes less. These are good knives, from good makers, with proven heat treatment - most every one is carbon steel of some type, often forged.

Suggest you incorporate a 4000 or 6000 grit King stone to finish the work you've started with the 1000. It helps to pull the burr or micro-burr off by running the edge through a soft wood like pine. I find quite a difference when doing so. Stropping correctly can bring a bit more performance beyond this too.

I say push for acute as can be, then back it off if you find that the knife, in your hands is not holding up. A few degrees will make a big difference and you'll still find you blade about 1/2 to 2/3 of what the factory put there for an angle.

Kind regards - redleg
 
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I sharpen some Japanese style culinary knives to 11 degrees. That's about it as far as having a edge that will stand up to a cutting board.

Good luck!

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com

Laurence, do you find that the type of cutting board that your customers use can shorten the life of an edge? I have tried sanituf, poly boards, wooden boards (lateral grain) and finally end grain cutting boards. When I made the final switch the end-grain almost doubled the life of my edges.

I push the envelope as far as acute angles go. I also use my knives appropriately. Harder use knives get a bit more angle. Even my woods knives, that baton lots of wood, are about 15 degrees per side - sometimes less. These are good knives, from good makers, with proven heat treatment - most every one is carbon steel of some type, often forged.

Suggest you incorporate a 4000 or 6000 grit King stone to finish the work you've started with the 1000. It helps to pull the burr or micro-burr off by running the edge through a soft wood like pine. I find quite a difference when doing so. Stropping correctly can bring a bit more performance beyond this too.

I say push for acute as can be, then back it off if you find that the knife, in your hands is not holding up. A few degrees will make a big difference and you'll still find you blade about 1/2 to 2/3 of what the factory put there for an angle.

Kind regards - redleg

RedLeg, have you given rock-hard-felt a try for deburring? Though I use pine often when in a "rush," a block of felt works best in my shop. Good advice on the stones too. :)
 
Laurence, do you find that the type of cutting board that your customers use can shorten the life of an edge? I have tried sanituf, poly boards, wooden boards (lateral grain) and finally end grain cutting boards. When I made the final switch the end-grain almost doubled the life of my edges.
Poly plastic boards are the hardest next to those that cut on the countertop!:biggrin:

I also find end cut wooden board to be the kindest to knife edges but most have rip cut boards and those are still much easier on the edge than any of the poly/Plastics.

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
Mike928:

Yes. Hard felt is perfect for the job and, I agree, better than soft wood.

Great looking work on your blog! Very nice.

Kind regards - redleg
 
Thanks redleg, I need to update the darn thing. I've been working on so many projects and they have yielded an ungodly amount of photos. Vetting through photographs is almost more time consuming than the project of its documentation.
 
hi,
my latest cleaver's edge is around 18degrees, the steel is 1084 at Rc62. slices like a dream.
i have made an end grain cutting board and use it for fruit and veg. i try to only use the poly boards for meat and fish.
the paring knives i am finishing have a very fine edge, just haven't measured them.
I have been finishing the edges with 2000 grit SiC paper on mouse pad.
scott
 
Got a 4k stone and was not happy with it. I took it back to the store and the owner traded for a new one. There was something wrong with it. I'm still not able to match what my Sharpmaker can do, but it's close. 8k next I suppose.
 
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