Sharpening Angle

[Guest Risky Ruger]

What is the best angle for EDC knive? I sharpening at 20 to 25 degrees on my smith system but could do something different on a stone. I just don't know the best angle. HELP!

[Oh Shoot]

I think most seem to agree that's a pretty good all around angle.

If you decrease angle, you can get a sharper slicer, but edge will dull quicker on hard stuff, and might even damage it so that you have to take off more metal than usual to get it back.

I do some free hand stoning, but generally give the SharpMaker a first shot, and use the 40° (20° each side) mostly. I do keep my "urban neckers" more toward the 15°, but they're really only for last ditch SD.

So it mostly depends on what you mostly do with the knife, but if it's everything from opening cartons to whittling, to slicing cord and rope and plastic and whatnot, I'd opine that the 20-25° range is probably good choice.

But also, if you really get down to it, even the type of steel matters as to what angle might be best all around too; some of these really hard super steels in use now can take a steeper angle and still perform well in general, but I'm far from knowledgeable about all of those either. To continue the disclaimer, , I'm also far from being a very good sharpener in general, seems that any given knife I have to use some different combination of stuff to get it as sharp as I can.

I'm sure some other knifers more knowing will chime in.

- OS

Edited August 21, 2011 by OhShoot

[Mike.357]

I'm also far from being a very good sharpener in general, seems that any given knife I have to use some different combination of stuff to get it as sharp as I can.

I will argue that point. You put an edge on a cheap Chinese folder that has lastest a month. My old EDW (everday worker) a Swiss would need a new edge a few times a week. That Chink knife is still gtg.

I think you can put a helluva edge on a blade. When I dull the Buck I am gonna get you to edge it for me. I can shave with it now. No kidding

[Oh Shoot]

....

I think you can put a helluva edge on a blade. When I dull the Buck I am gonna get you to edge it for me. I can shave with it now. No kidding

Cool, be happy to try anyway. Hard to match some of these great edges that often come from most of factories though.

Buck does a fine job. That little Vantage of yours is 420HC steel, same thing they use in the iconic 110 and 119 models; 420 is generally thought of as quite a bit lesser steel than 440c say, but blade aficionados all swear that Buck has had a magic hardening process for it for 50 years, really unmatched by anyone else, so they have stayed with that steel as one of their mainstays.

- OS

[Mike.357]

I am looking forward to abusing the Buck next week.

[Dolomite_supafly]

If anyone is a knife expert is is OhShoot.

With that being said I sharpen knives and have for at least 20 years. I have tried all the different contraptions to get a knife as sharp as possible. I have tried ceramic and diamond stones but I find myself coming back to doing it by hand on a soft Japanese water stone. Ceramics and diamond stones tend to be a little to aggressive for my personal liking. I now use the cermaic stones to flatten the Japanese stones as they get a dip in them during use.

They sell nice stones at Woodcraft on Kingston Pike. They will cost anywhere from $30-$80 depending on the stone. You can definitely tell the feel of a quality stone over a cheaper one. I generally use a 800/4000 stone for most of sharpening. If it is a knife that sees heavy use I just use the 800 side but on most of my knives I also use the 4000 to polish the edge some. Using only the 800 side leaves a rougher edge, like micro serrations, that makes cutting through materials easier. Believe it or not buy you can sharpen and polish a knife to such a sharp edge that it will not cut such things as rope. It is so smooth it just rides on the polished blade without cutting.

I almost always have a stone in my vehicle and find myself sharpening knives a few times a week for friends. I have a stone sitting next to the kitchen sink to touch up the edge on every kitchen knife before I use them. I know I have done hundreds and probably over a thousand knives in that 20 years. It is something I do to sit and relax.

As far as angle goes I honestly don't know. I know what seems to works the best and I have done it often enough that it is easy for me to maintain that angle.

Dolomite

[willis68]

I use 40 degree, 20 per side as well with my Edge Pro most custom knife makers go this route as well it works for my knives, I am however thinking of getting a Wicked Edge sharpener after seeing the edge that a Dutch friend of mine put on his XM-18 Here is sharpening perfection in my opinion

Edited August 21, 2011 by willis68

[JimmyMac483]

I use 40 degree, 20 per side as well with my Edge Pro most custom knife makers go this route as well it works for my knives, I am however thinking of getting a Wicked Edge sharpener after seeing the edge that a Dutch friend of mine put on his XM-18 Here is sharpening perfection in my opinion

I honestly don't know if I'm more jealous of the ability to put that edge on a knife or the ability to take those pictures

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

[tnhawk]

I'm an amateur at sharpening knives, but 20 degrees seems to give the best results.

[Jonnin]

Good bucks use good steel, you can make them a bit sharper than some cheaper knives. Thickness of the blade is another factor to toss around with the steel quality and so on. I do not even know the angles I use, its sort of zenny on a per-knife basis, and I only use my stones, never any modern devices or so on. I have from grinding stone coarse to surgical fine but unless making a knife or starting on something that is badly damaged or worn out or something the top 3 stones are all that I need. I stop when I can shave my arm with it, regardless of what it is, that is good enough for a long time on a good piece of steel and will barely stand one small job on my soft swiss army knife blades (but I don't really carry those for the knife anyway).

[Major Kong]

I am however thinking of getting a Wicked Edge sharpener after seeing the edge that a Dutch friend of mine put on his XM-18

I've had a Wicked Edge pro kit on order for the last six weeks or so. They did an demo on my ZT350 at Blade and I was sold. I'll put up a review as soon as I've had a chance to try it out.

[willis68]

I've had a Wicked Edge pro kit on order for the last six weeks or so. They did an demo on my ZT350 at Blade and I was sold. I'll put up a review as soon as I've had a chance to try it out.

Fred,

Did it need anything besides what it came with, any adapter to sharpen a re curve blade, such as your 0350? if not I am sold and will sell my Edge Pro that several people have asked me about to help fund the Wicked Edge pro kit

[peejman]

I recently got a Smith system, any tips for a novice?

[willis68]

I recently got a Smith system, any tips for a novice?

Start out with very cheap knives that you do not care about, until you get the hang of it

[peejman]

Start out with very cheap knives that you do not care about, until you get the hang of it

I have a stash of crappy pocket knives that will work for that. Mostly I intend this for kitchen knives. I have several high quality knives but they've simply gotten dull with years of use.

[Kylev87]

[quote name='willis68' timestamp='1313939618' post='630112']
I use 40 degree, 20 per side as well with my Edge Pro most custom knife makers go this route as well it works for my knives, I am however thinking of getting a Wicked Edge sharpener after seeing the edge that a Dutch friend of mine put on his XM-18 Here is sharpening perfection in my opinion
[img]http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/rovmanwillis/GEDC1975.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/rovmanwillis/GEDC1976.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/rovmanwillis/GEDC1977.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/rovmanwillis/GEDC1978.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/rovmanwillis/GEDC1987.jpg[/img]
[/quote]


Wow I am jealous of that edge. Just look how smooth and shiny it is! I have a Lansky system which I like. The fine stone is a 600 do I need a finer stone to get sexy edges like this?

[Mark@Sea]

I believe the finest grit commercially available is 35,000 (Okay, straight razor nuts can go a little overboard).

[babelt]

[quote name='willis68' timestamp='1313939618' post='630112']
I use 40 degree, 20 per side as well with my Edge Pro most custom knife makers go this route as well it works for my knives, I am however thinking of getting a Wicked Edge sharpener after seeing the edge that a Dutch friend of mine put on his XM-18 Here is sharpening perfection in my opinion
[img]http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/rovmanwillis/GEDC1975.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/rovmanwillis/GEDC1976.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/rovmanwillis/GEDC1977.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/rovmanwillis/GEDC1978.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/rovmanwillis/GEDC1987.jpg[/img]
[/quote]

That is beautiful.

[DaveS]

I use 30 degree. Leaves a good edge on my field dressing and skinning knives.

Dave S