Sharpening Round Knife

[AODfan]

So, I got my first round knife. I purchased an Abetta from Amazon for about $10 shipped(see link below).

I got thinking it was $10 if it is crap, I can trash it. Well, it is not bad, I have seen worse blades on a knife. It is dull and was wondering if it would be worth putting an edge on this thing. I don't have any stones at the moment and wondering what would the cheapest way to go about to if this thing can get razor sharp.

http://www.amazon.co...rds=round knife

[Matt S]

Use the"scary sharp" method; wet & dry sandpaper in various grits. Not ideal but world's and about as cheap as you can get.

[Cyberthrasher]

You obviously don't have the stones for this, but it could work with some more effort by using the sand paper. Since you're working with leather, I must advise you to a good quality stone NOW. The Japanese water stones are great and I've used one for years. I was recently turned onto the diamond stones mentioned in the videos here. They're spendy, but SERIOUSLY worth it!!! Either way, this will show you how to sharpen the knife using whatever tool you can round up.

http://www.leatherwranglers.com/tips.html

[mikesmith648]

I was visiting a friend last week and he has an 8000 grit diamond hone........looked like a flat piece of steel................10 minutes on that and it will GLIDE through leather like butter!!!

[AODfan]

Use the"scary sharp" method; wet & dry sandpaper in various grits. Not ideal but world's and about as cheap as you can get.

Thanks found lots of info on that.

You obviously don't have the stones for this, but it could work with some more effort by using the sand paper. Since you're working with leather, I must advise you to a good quality stone NOW. The Japanese water stones are great and I've used one for years. I was recently turned onto the diamond stones mentioned in the videos here. They're spendy, but SERIOUSLY worth it!!! Either way, this will show you how to sharpen the knife using whatever tool you can round up.

http://www.leatherwr...s.com/tips.html

Yea, they do seem very pricey, I just don't know what grit to get?

I was visiting a friend last week and he has an 8000 grit diamond hone........looked like a flat piece of steel................10 minutes on that and it will GLIDE through leather like butter!!!

Would 8000 be all I need to get a blade that was dull to a razor's edge?

[Cyberthrasher]

8000 is what I have - got it from Leatherwranglers. You can get them other places, but they're the same price and I'd rather support Paul.

If the knife is super bad and needs to be shaped, it may need something else first. That's where I might pick up another cheap oil stone. But, once you get it the right shape, the 8000 diamond will keep you going beautifully. You van try the diamond first and see how it goes. It may be all you need.

Edited May 10, 2013 by Cyberthrasher

[Cheetah]

Find a amateur knifemaker near you. They use belts in all grit sizes and if you ask (they are a friendly bunch), I'm sure your blade will be as sharp as can be in no time. You might even get an order for a knife sheath!

[AODfan]

8000 is what I have - got it from Leatherwranglers. You can get them other places, but they're the same price and I'd rather support Paul.

If the knife is super bad and needs to be shaped, it may need something else first. That's where I might pick up another cheap oil stone. But, once you get it the right shape, the 8000 diamond will keep you going beautifully. You van try the diamond first and see how it goes. It may be all you need.

I see on his site that it is a DMT D8EE, from what I have read is that these have to broken in. Did you seem to have the same issue? I am really new to sharpening and heard there are ways to ruins the stone.

[Cyberthrasher]

He sends instructions on how to break it in. Its not really a big deal. Its more that it won't sharpen as well as it can for the first few times. Just grab a handful of dull blades and go at it before you use the one that counts. You can mess up a water stone by carving it out, but a diamond stone will take some serious abuse to ruin it. Since you're new to sharpening, I'd suggest studying as many YouTube videos as you can find of professionalssharpening. Pauls videos are among the best though.

[David8386]

I took mine to a knife guy, best 15 dollars I have spent in a long time. Took about 10 minutes to fix what I had done to it.

David

[billymac814]

I use the slack belt method, its far easier than other methods I've tried and didn't really cost that much for the whole setup, probably around 80 bucks including the 1" belt sander. It makes a convex edge which works well on round knives. This is the method Bruce Johnson uses and I'm sure anyone that has bought a knife from him can tell you it makes a seriously sharp edge. Maybe he will be by to post the link to everything you need.

After its sharp I just use the leather belt with some compound on it in the belt sander or on my toemek to keep the edge polished.

[lwm803]

Good equipment is never a bad thing. However extremely sharp edges have existed far longer than manufactured sharpening stones, diamond hones and sanding belts. As an example I have found that the anti-static mat on my workbench in the garage is very effective as an abrasive strop preceding a final stropping on my boot top. Once you get the hang of it, you can sharpen an edge on just about anything abrasive. Quality of the stone has much less to do with it than the skill of the user. Don't get me wrong, quality sharpening equipment makes it quicker and easier to achieve the desired result for anyone, but they will not make up for bad technique.

I generally use natural Arkansas stones, jeweler's rouge, and a leather strop for most of my sharpening. Sometimes wet or dry sanding sheets on my surface plate is useful, especially when a larger than normal stone would be better. The same sanding sheets on an old mouse pad will help you get that much touted and little understood convex edge, but only if done skillfully. I never use power tools on any of my knives unless my intention is to modify the geometry/shape of the blade. This is just my opinion, based on my own experience.

[Cyberthrasher]

Very true that experience is the number one necessity. But, with all the new technology out there, we might as well use it. I look at it like this. I can spend a bunch of time using all the traditional methods, or I can spend a little money on the diamond steel and therefore spend a lot less time sharpening and more time working. That, and the diamond steel is so much cleaner to use.

[Colt Hammerless]

AODfan, how are you liking that knife so far? Have you got it sharpened up yet? I'm going to start using my belt sander to sharpen my round/head knives, and was thinking of picking up one of the Abetta knives off of Ebay ($9 plus free shipping) to practice on before using it to sharpen the Osbornes, Harringtons, and Gomphs. After reading the reviews on Amazon, I'm wondering if I might actually have a fairly usable knife when I'm done practicing on it.

Paul

[St8LineGunsmith]

that albetta round knife didnt come very sharp but i now have it cutting thick leather like butter

I used 150 and 300 grit sticky back sand paper stuck to the edge of my granite slab to hone down the edge

then I used some 500 and 800 grit wet sanding paper on top of my granite slab sprayed down with soapy water

to hone and polish the edge then I stroped the blade on a piece of heavy tooling leather and white rouge for that super scary sharp edge.

these Albetta round knifes hold a sharper edge better than my osborne skiving knife.

[Colt Hammerless]

That's very interesting St8LineGunsmith. I'll definitely snag one, and give it a whirl.

Paul

[St8LineGunsmith]

Colt

for ten bucks shipped you cant beat it I am very pleased with the one I have.

[Colt Hammerless]

Just ordered it yesterday. Very interested to see how it works. It said June 14th at the earliest for delivery. Hope they're just padding the delivery time. I have my sharpening belts on the way, and would like to try them on this before using them on my antique knives.

Paul

[TomG]

I got one off of Amazon also. Pretty rough edge, but it does cut. I tried doing some stroppingon it that helped but a strop isn't going to get the rough out of it in any reasonable amount of time.

I picked up a 4-pack of fine W/D sandpaper at the auto parts store today. I started with a couple of strokes on the 220, but it was really too coarse, I think. Switched to the 400 for a few dozen strokes, then to the 800 and finally the 1000. Out store has this up to 2000 grit.

I probably should have wet it, but did this one dry. I'm not very experienced with sharpening this way and to this degree of sharpness. I don't know if using it wet will make it last longer or what the differences are. Anyone know?

But I finished up with the strop. Cuts pretty well, but I'd like it a tad sharper. It goes about 3/4 of the way through a piece of 12oz veg-tan pretty easily, on the first stroke.

For under $10, definitely worth a try.

[St8LineGunsmith]

the wet sanding hones and polishes the edge better than honing dry and keeps the metal from sticking to the paper.

just keep working the blade between the 800 and 1000grit then polish it off with the strop before using it and after you will eventually get it super sharp round knife that will son be slicing through leather like it was warm butter... Mine does anyway.

[FlHobbyist]

I also have an Abetta knife on order and am eagerly waiting for it to come in. I will be comparing it to the Tandy Damascus round knife which I picked up on sale last week. So far I like the Tandy knife, but I would like to practice my sharpening skills on a cheaper knife. I'll be sharpening it on a 1000/6000 water stone that I recently bought on Amazon, and I'm really looking forward to cutting leather like it was butter, my cutting technique still needs refinement.

[FlHobbyist]

The Abetta knife came in yesterdays mail.

I was pleased because it came in one day before the earliest expected arrival date. Their shipping address is in PA, but I'm speculating here that they importing from Canada, or more likely somewhere more distant. It looks like they only get their stock deliveries ever week or two, hence their long shipping and handling time.

The knife was packed in bubble wrap and placed in a cardboard container, if the knife was sharp this would be a problem, but as it came to me there was very little danger the knife would cut the bubble wrap plastic. The knife blade is 4.5 x 1.75 inches, so no problem there. I don't have an exact weight for you, but estimate it weight at around 3 or 4 ounces which in my opinion is very light. The thickest metal on the blade is .125 inches, and it makes a distinct tinny sound when tapped by my fingers.

The blade was not sharpened at all when I removed it from the package. I don't know if there is a test for sharpness, but I think it would cut butter, but probably not sharp cheddar cheese. In my case this is a plus and a minus, on the one hand I bought this knife so I could have something to practice my sharpening skills on, on the other hand I would sure like to see how sharp a round knife is suppose to be.

Since it only costs around 8.00 (15.00 with shipping), I'm not disappointed. Do I sincerely believe this will become a real leather cutting knife? I doubt it, but I desperately need to learn how to sharpen a knife, before I get a real knife, and ruin it.

I see a LW knife in my future, but my skills as well as my wife's understanding need to grow before that day arrives.

The Tandy Knives I also bought:

I was in my Tandy place a few weeks ago, when I was ignorant about the types of steel. The manager made me a deal on the medium Damascus round knife and the small AS round knife. I got them both for 60.00. I don't feel ripped off, but I'm not nearly as happy as I was. The Damascus knife wasn't thoroughly sharpened when it came out of the box, It will cut leather, but I have to bear down on it pretty good. I haven't touched it with a whetstone yet, as I have this vision of this very knife being available on EBay in the near future, and I don't want to screw up the blade any more than it already is.

As for the small knife, I've been practicing my sharpening skills on it, and occasionally I get it pretty sharp, however I think my angle is too narrow and my technique is lacking so I get it sharp enough to glide through paper, and then a piece of leather ( less than a foot), and it needs another round of sharpening.

If anyone has any questions, comments or observations, I'll be glad to either answer or hear them.

That LW vision continues to grow in my mind, tick, tick, tick...

[Colt Hammerless]

I got mine off of Ebay. It also comes from "HorseloverZ" and was $8.95 with free shipping. The auction said expected delivery June 14th to June 21st I believe. I got it on the 10th. The blade has no markings, but the handle has a sticker on it that says "Made in Pakistan." The handle is kind of a pretty wood. If you tap the blade, it has a nice tuning fork ring to it. Like yours, it had a joke of an edge. I sharpened it up on my belt grinder with finer and finer grits, eventually finishing on a leather belt I made for the grinder, to use as a power strop. I loaded it with green compound. This is the first time I've sharpened on a belt grinder, which is why I got this knife to practice on. It seems like it takes a fine edge. It cuts fairly well, but not as well as my antique head and round knives. I wasn't really sure why, as the edge looked pretty good. I could understand if it cut well for a short bit, then needed stropping again, but it didn't cut as well even from the outset. I think I know why though. The blade is REALLY thick. Around .090 thick almost all the way to the bevel where it's down to around .085. In comparison my older knives are around .045 thick and go down to about .040 near the bevel. So this bugger is twice as thick. The edge goes into the leather just fine, but when pushing, you have to use a bit too much force. You're trying to push some thick steel through the leather, and it drags because of this. That's my theory. When I get a chance to play with it again, I'm going to thin the blade on the grinder (being slow and careful to not get it hot) and then redo the edge. I think that may turn it into a pretty nice knife. If not, I'm out 9 bucks and got to practice with it. But I think it has potential.

Paul

[St8LineGunsmith]

sounds like you need to do some more honing on that round knife

mine cuts through 12 oz leather like it was warm butter and requires very little pressure tocut through the leather.

it cuts clean through in one pass.

you will want to get the steepest angle on the blade as you can which means completely removing the factory beveled edge.

trust me if you work it long enough at the proper angle you will soon have it as sharp as any razor blade.

and holds its edge very well just make sure not to cut with it on hard surfaces and strop it before and after each use to keep it that way.

as far as other head/ round knifes like the Al Stholman "Damascus blades" and the CS Osborne knifes they are no sharper out of the box than the abetta. in fact I have never bought any knife that was sharp to my liking

I can even get utility knife blades to cut better by spending a few minutes honing and stropping them before trying to cut anything with them.

I wouldnt mind getting a piece of 16 gauge 440 stainless and cutting out my own blade kind of like the configuration as the LW round knife. those are some very nice looking blades and look like they are very efficient at cutting leather and I imagine they are very sharp right out of the box.

Edited June 14, 2013 by St8LineGunsmith

[TomG]

So, for the sharpest edge, what angle is considered the best angle for a head knife?

And -- What is the difference between a head knife and a round knife?