Knife sharpening

[Daffy]

I make knives, and sharpen them for folks. 2x72 belt grinder for the straight ones or outside curves (various grits down to strop depending on the steel being sharpened and necessary edge refinement needed.) 1x30 for the re-curve blades with a strop. of course not all steel is equal and some don't power strop well, another story entirely. Straight razors are all by hand and end on a 2500 water stone prior to stropping, where they start depends on how out of shape they are. most leather tools I have are all hand done on a specific sharpening jig of some sort, but blades are blades, the steel dictates the process for desirable results. I like High Carbon steel for it's edge retention properties but it comes with the necessity to maintain it more judiciously.. Steel aside love this wood.... Bocote.

 

[Frodo]

I  just made theses blades today.  they are sharp. will cut leather but are still dull in my opinion. 

I need some 2500 grit sand paper for the next step

 

while i was in the shop i made a belt hole jig

 

 

 

[Retswerb]

On 8/14/2020 at 3:51 AM, mike02130 said:

For carbon steel I use Arkansas stones with a mix of oil and kerosene and strop on MDF or a horse butt strop charged with Dialux green compound. 

Man I like sharp knives but not enough to sharpen them in kerosene. I’ve already been exposed to more than my share of Jet-A, no need to smell like fuel if I’m not getting paid for it.

[Rahere]

Someone once described it as pareto: beyond a certain point, leather doesn't care. Obviously, you've got to get to that point, or you might as well tear it with your teeth. But beyond, I've never yet found a use for human hair shavings, other than as poison.

[olddogTim]

I use a Wicked Edge knife sharpening system. I sharpened my blade for  my Cobra class 14 leather splitter and it came out better than new. I sharpen all my kitchen knives with it. Under a 50 power microscope I get edges better than a new single edge razor blade and sharper

Edited August 24, 2020 by olddogTim
added content

[Spyros]

17 hours ago, Rahere said:

Someone once described it as pareto: beyond a certain point, leather doesn't care. Obviously, you've got to get to that point, or you might as well tear it with your teeth. But beyond, I've never yet found a use for human hair shavings, other than as poison.

Leather is soft generally, grab something a little better than a butter knife and you will cut it.  For me the obsession with sharpness has more to do with the quality of the cut, a nice clean cut means less or ideally no sanding, and better/easier burnishing afterwards.  On thicker leathers it can also mean 1 versus 2 passes is enough to finish the cut.  I don't like that 2nd pass if I can avoid it, it can mess things up if you get it even slightly misaligned with the 1st one.   

Edited August 24, 2020 by Spyros

[Rahere]

It may be you need to examine the quality of your tool. Taking two cuts on anything under 5mm puts that in question, but that's rather a distraction. You can feel a clean cut. I can also feel way beyond there, I use an LDPE undersurface, I'm not into shredding that.

A tool suitable for African Blackwood has to be far more finely tuned than one cutting lumber. Leather's closer to the latter. What I'm looking at isn't simply the right tool for the right job, but the right tool set right.

[Spyros]

Τhe knife is fine.  I prefer light passes because I don't want to risk the leather shifting under the ruler.  It's a shifty material.  

Now don't tell me I need to question the quality of my ruler.  it's fine, it's a ruler, it has cork or rubber underneath.

[daddyeaux]

On 8/22/2020 at 7:00 PM, Frodo said:

I  just made theses blades today.  they are sharp. will cut leather but are still dull in my opinion. 

I need some 2500 grit sand paper for the next step

 

while i was in the shop i made a belt hole jig

 

 

 

That belt jig is a very good idea

[Frodo]

6 hours ago, daddyeaux said:

That belt jig is a very good idea

I got that idea from someone on here,  I saw it and copied it.