Sharpening Round Knife Alternatives Good Enough?

[Klara]

16 hours ago, Matt S said:

The bevels leading up to the edge are crucial too, especially with thicker and stiffer materials.

Thanks for pointing that out! It seems obvious now but I hadn't really seen that this is one of the reasons I like Claude's recent knives so much (they are thin and flexible and don't have a distinct edge bevel). I'll have a look at my less-favourite knives with that in mind.

[chuck123wapati]

7 hours ago, Klara said:

Thanks for pointing that out! It seems obvious now but I hadn't really seen that this is one of the reasons I like Claude's recent knives so much (they are thin and flexible and don't have a distinct edge bevel). I'll have a look at my less-favourite knives with that in mind.

and that is why leather is so much harder to cut when laying flat on a surface it applies drag through direct pressure on the side of the blade. Pick up a piece and cut it you will find the job much easier to do. 

[Currahee]

On 4/22/2022 at 2:52 PM, AlamoJoe2002 said:

The situation is something we all have to overcome one time or another. How to get the best edged on my Osborne Old-School Newark NJRound Knife. An no...I don't want to talk to a Chaplin at this time.

I tried the sandpaper idea where I increased the grit from 300 to 1500 in stages, stropped on a flesh side leather board covered with Harbor Freight Green Compound. Nogo...

I tried my DMT Diamond mini-hones from 300 to 600 to 1200 and stropped. Nogo...

I took the heathen to the mini lathe and used a cloth wheel covered in the same H.B. Green Compound. Much better....cutting 14oz shirting with a ton of pressure. Not good enough.

Was my knife in Hell before I got my hands on the god-less thing?

Joe

First of ESSAYONS BROTHER!

Joe knows what t means folks

So sharpening this is something that I learned from my grand father people will argue but here are my two cents you can leave it on the table or put it in your pocket.

My grandfather could sharpen a blade so sharp looking at it would cut you. Lol not really but you get the idea.

 

Heres what he taught me

First off angle of the blade...... it doesn't have to be exact. A blade wil cut  according to the way you cut with it. The angle i hold a blade may not be the same angle as you hold it so angle is all subjective to who is  cutting with the blade.

 

Second take the edge off every blade when you first get it. This is done by running the edge toward the stone as if you are  trying to slice a paper thin sliver off the stone. 

 

The reason because of  rule one you and i hold a blade slightly different because we are different people. HHe always said " You will know you are getting there because it will feel right" sounds crazy but it is true the blade feels different when you find YOUR angle gliding across the stone . It just literally feels right.

 

 

3rd once you have that bevel from taking the edge off go the opposite way with the blade to put your edge on it. Instead of taking the edge toward the stone now you take it away from the stone. This will sharpen it.

 

always start a new knife or blade with a medium stone then go to a finer stone like an arkansas stone.

 

after getting the edge so it will catch hair. now you strop it

 

three colors of rouge in this order on seperate strops

 

1green

2white

3red

 

Strop it just like you did when you sharpened it.

Use Light pressure not hard, like your trying to  romance the blade  " You sharpen a blade like you romance a girl boy light and easy. It's a love affair not a war. Treat it that way. " is what he used to say when i was learning to  sharpen.

things he said  to NEVER do.

Never use a wheel to sharpen a blade it creates  heat and you can untemper the blade. you use the wheel to  shape a blade not to sharpen it and when you shape it your constantly quenching it to hold that temper.

Never use sandpaper its not a block of wood its metal you want to polish it not scratch it.

that's me and Papwas  2 cents and what I learned from a man who could sharpen a blade so sharp it would cut you looking at it.

you know that scene in the movie body guard when he takes the silk sash from her neck throws it over the sword and it slices it as it falls. I did not believe that was possible. My grandfather showed me it was with his bowie knife. My grandmother was pissed beacuse he used her scarf to demonstrate. ( We got in alot of trouble together lol)

 

 

Hope it helps Sapper

 

 

 

Edited April 30, 2022 by Currahee

[AlamoJoe2002]

Great feed back everyone. I'm using my water stones...will stick with the 400 grit for a while.

I feel it is critical in any trade to properly have your tools in order. I'm going to learn to sharpen. Thanks, Joe

 

[AlamoJoe2002]

I worked the edge on a 400 grit water stone. This is the first time I made a wire edge that I could feel by running my thumb perpendicular across the edge.  I kept the wire edge moving on the 1000 and 3000 grit stones. Today I moved onto the 10K water stone. I lost the wire edge...one more session on the 10K stone and I'm moving onto the green compound on a homemade strop. I'll update after stropping.

Anyone have a sharpness test other than shaving hair or cutting Grandma's silk scarf?

Joe

[YinTx]

On 6/7/2022 at 8:23 PM, AlamoJoe2002 said:

Anyone have a sharpness test other than shaving hair or cutting Grandma's silk scarf?

I just use it to slice a piece of paper.  Hold up the paper and cut with the blade perpendicular to the edge.   I can feel if there is any drag where there might be a burr, or a nick still.  It should go through with a fairly quiet shhhhhhtttttt sound, and not leave any jagged edges in the cut.  If it hangs up at all, back to work.  Go straight, make curves as you pass it through the paper.

I know it's been a hot minute, but how did your edge come out?

[AlamoJoe2002]

YinTex,

Yep...been a while. I used a general set of Chinese water stones. Took hours working up to 8k. I learned a ton of lessons. I have two Old Osborne Round Knives and they are razor sharp after stropping with green past from Harbor Freight.

Thanks for asking.

Joe

 

[YinTx]

On 2/5/2023 at 1:52 PM, AlamoJoe2002 said:

two Old Osborne Round Knives and they are razor sharp after stropping

Awesome!  

[doubleh]

I bought an Osbourn round knife earlier this year. The factory edge was much too blunt to put a good edge on so I clamped it in a vise, using soft jaws of course, and went to work on it with a flat file. When I got it filed down to the bevel I wanted I used diamond hones followed by a ceramic one to put an edge on it and finishing up with stropping with red rouge. It will slice printer paper with ease now.