First pair of sandals underway

[Mablung]

1 minute ago, deboardp said:

Intuitively I want to clean the burr off by sliding the knife across the stone edge first, to pull the burr off. Is that how it's cleaned off?

Yep.  If you're sharpening Side A and thus raising a burr on Side B, you then just do the same thing to Side B that you did to Side A—except this time, you're reducing the burr back down to the bevel so that the bevel is even again on both sides.  In the process you have evened out the edge, making the steel uniform.  That's essentially all sharpening is.

That said, there is always a little bit of burr left on the very end of the edge, if you're doing your job properly.   You polish that down with the later stones (and there are some more advanced techniques meant specifically to get rid of as much burr as possible to produce the smoothest cutting edge—I haven't tried them because I just learned about them).

So if you sharpen Side A by sliding it along the stone as though you're trying to cut off a sliver of the stone, then you do the same thing to Side B until the burr has been removed.  Then do the same on the next stone up.

[deboardp]

3 minutes ago, Mablung said:

Yep.  If you're sharpening Side A and thus raising a burr on Side B, you then just do the same thing to Side B that you did to Side A—except this time, you're reducing the burr back down to the bevel so that the bevel is even again on both sides.  In the process you have evened out the edge, making the steel uniform.  That's essentially all sharpening is.

That said, there is always a little bit of burr left on the very end of the edge, if you're doing your job properly.   You polish that down with the later stones (and there are some more advanced techniques meant specifically to get rid of as much burr as possible to produce the smoothest cutting edge—I haven't tried them because I just learned about them).

So if you sharpen Side A by sliding it along the stone as though you're trying to cut off a sliver of the stone, then you do the same thing to Side B until the burr has been removed.  Then do the same on the next stone up.

I've been doing circles, not cutting into the stone. I did it with the round knife, removing the burr on both sides with circles, then moving to finer stone. I have no idea how I can do a round knife like that. It has infinite points to cut into the stone!

I have to retire. Tomorrow!

Edited January 20, 2024 by deboardp

[Mablung]

6 hours ago, deboardp said:

I've been doing circles, not cutting into the stone. I did it with the round knife, removing the burr on both sides with circles, then moving to finer stone. I have no idea how I can do a round knife like that. It has infinite points to cut into the stone!

I have to retire. Tomorrow!

I forgot, in writing my comments, that you mentioned you had been going in circles. That is a legitimate technique to use, although personally, I find it extremely difficult to keep the proper angle if I do that. So I don’t use the circular technique, but you can. I will say that I think Techniques big tip, especially difficult to keep the proper angle with round knives in particular. I have used it in working on setting the bevel on my round knife because I wanted to send it out from the factory, secondary bevel, but it is harder to get the edge right if one does that throughout.

[deboardp]

2 hours ago, Mablung said:

I forgot, in writing my comments, that you mentioned you had been going in circles. That is a legitimate technique to use, although personally, I find it extremely difficult to keep the proper angle if I do that. So I don’t use the circular technique, but you can. I will say that I think Techniques big tip, especially difficult to keep the proper angle with round knives in particular. I have used it in working on setting the bevel on my round knife because I wanted to send it out from the factory, secondary bevel, but it is harder to get the edge right if one does that throughout.

It wasn't difficult for me. I worked with hand tools as a high-end remodel/repair contractor for 30 years before the diseases associated with herbicide exposure disabled me 20 years ago. I have a sensitive touch with tools. I can push my round knife through 7/8 ounce leather easily. I'd like to get that trim knife to do the same.

Talk about frighteningly sharp. I learned how to sharpen a scythe back in 2014 when I rented a room on a farm. I was allowed a section of it to make a garden, but it had 3' of grass on it. There was an old scythe laying around. I got permission to sharpen it, and I watched some YouTube videos on the subject, bought the rounded scythe anvil to stretch the blade out. Simply making contact with the blade could cut through skin. After it was sharp, I cleared the grass, cutting it at ground level with the strokes I learned from the videos. It was quite satisfying!

Since I've had my shop, my pocket knives are razor sharp. My round knife is sharper than a razor (I think), definitely sharper than my pocket knives. I give it way more attention. It could be sharper, though, because I haven't used anything but the coarse stone and black rouge strop for a couple months. Time to get back to basics... use the other stones and strops... I do like a wicked sharp knife...

[Sheilajeanne]

For future reference: stay the heck away from Al Stohlman knives, unless they are really really old. The modern ones are made from poor low carbon steel! 

Quote

And the newer Osborne's and Tandy knives just don't hold an edge. And, are usually more than 40 dollars. I have owned 2 Stohlman knives and have given both of them away. You might as well keep using a box cutter than to spend money on a blade with Tandy.  

 

 

[Mablung]

2 hours ago, deboardp said:

It wasn't difficult for me. I worked with hand tools as a high-end remodel/repair contractor for 30 years before the diseases associated with herbicide exposure disabled me 20 years ago. I have a sensitive touch with tools. I can push my round knife through 7/8 ounce leather easily. I'd like to get that trim knife to do the same.

Talk about frighteningly sharp. I learned how to sharpen a scythe back in 2014 when I rented a room on a farm. I was allowed a section of it to make a garden, but it had 3' of grass on it. There was an old scythe laying around. I got permission to sharpen it, and I watched some YouTube videos on the subject, bought the rounded scythe anvil to stretch the blade out. Simply making contact with the blade could cut through skin. After it was sharp, I cleared the grass, cutting it at ground level with the strokes I learned from the videos. It was quite satisfying!

Since I've had my shop, my pocket knives are razor sharp. My round knife is sharper than a razor (I think), definitely sharper than my pocket knives. I give it way more attention. It could be sharper, though, because I haven't used anything but the coarse stone and black rouge strop for a couple months. Time to get back to basics... use the other stones and strops... I do like a wicked sharp knife...

Sounds like my tutorial on sharpening is entirely superfluous for you, then, lol. You’ve definitely got sharpening straight and have been doing it much, much longer than I have. And you have the right touch to sharpen it like that. If you can sharpen your round knife that well, then you’ll have no trouble With getting your trim knife that sharp, with a little bit of adjustment technique. My birthday is coming up, so I think I will get my wife to get me a better round knife. Was thinking of one of the CS Osborne ones that still seems decent. 

[Bawarrior]

Can't wait to see them finished

[Wepster]

@deboardp carving tools, there are a lot of companies, here is a start   https://www.flexcut.com/

they have profile charts   https://www.flexcut.com/tool-tips/tool-profile-charts/

those blades look like Warren cutlery. I get them from https://gregdorrance.com/product-category/carving-tools-supplies/wood-carving-hand-tools/knives-for-carving/

https://gregdorrance.com/?s=warren&post_type=product

Warren cutlery is not far from you (well, 1.5 hrs or so), Rhinebeck,   https://warrencutlery.com/

 

[WalterF]

Looks interesting, how you are assembling. A scalpel is useful for me in tight situations and the blades are cheap and can be changed when they loose an edge. Looking forward to seeing your progress.

[deboardp]

6 hours ago, Mablung said:

Sounds like my tutorial on sharpening is entirely superfluous for you, then, lol. You’ve definitely got sharpening straight and have been doing it much, much longer than I have.

Uh, sheesh, it looks like I've been doing it all wrong. I just watched a video by Kevin and Denny of Springfield Leather Company. Denny is an old saddle maker. The video is about how to sharpen a head knife, aka round knife. He says that a circular motion is alternating between making sharp and making dull, that the motion cannot be pushing the knife edge into the stone, because that dulls the knife. It has to be all pulling the edge away from the stone. He shows how. click here to see Kevin owns SLC, Denny works there.

My poor head knife! I'm headed to the stones and strops and see what I can do with these two knives of mine. (I have another round knife, from TAndy, soft steel,  I prefer the custom one, of better steel, and harder to sharpen. But then, I've been doing it wrong the whole time... Sheesh!