Thread: What angle do you sharpen your knives ?

Hey, So at what angles do yall sharpen which knives (i.e. Hunting, pocket, and the variety of different kitchen knives) and up to what grit. I love my knives crazy sharp but also like to have durable edges.

I'm just trying to learn a little bit more from those that are a little more knowledgeable than I.

I'm no more knowledgeable than you,,,,what angle I try to put on a blade, depends on what type of bevel I want on that blade. My EDC blade is a different bevel than my kitchen blade,,,

A good way to start I found is to match the factory bevel at first. I then usually go up to a 4000 grit but have went all the way to 12k. It really depends on personal preference. Once you get it to where you want it per factory bevel then you can play around. I like my pocket knives around 10-15 degrees which is very shallow. Most of my friends like there's up around 20 degrees with a second bevel around 30 degrees for better durability but I like to hone and only use my pocket knives for light work. You really have to play around with it a bit and see what works best. Different steel is going to behave slightly different too plus if you go to a big Bowie or heavy duty buck knife the angle and grit will be different too.

I tend to follow the factory bevel and go up in final grit. I finish at about 1500 diamond and then CBN on a strop. It's not the most refined edge but for what I need my knives for, it's more than enough.

I like all my kitchen knives about 10 degrees (or little lower).

I use a belt sander for my knives. I start off with a steep angle, the blade side is about one spine width away from the belt. I then move up to a finer grit and the blade side is about one and a half spine width away from the belt. I finish up with a leather belt with the blade side still just one and a half spine width away. This produces a spooky sharp edge while removing very little metal. My EDC for the last 12 years has always been sharpened this way, and the blade still looks factory fresh. If interested, check out Edgemasters.com. Oh, almost forgot, this entire process takes about 5 minutes, from setup to putting everything away. This blows away anything that can be done with a stone, no matter what your skill level is.

I have this one hunting knife I'm trying to sharpen for a friend. I got it honed to 4000 @ around 25 degrees (on each side for a total of 50°). My problem is that it the edge just feels smooth rather than sharp. I can feel it wanting to grab a little bit on a TPT butyou can run a finger like a skate on ice. So I think I either have two problems that I can think of. Either my edge is rounded just slightly. Or too fine at too steep of an angle. When looking at the edge under a loupe. I see a clearly set bevel and nothing that indicates rounding so I'm just a little stuck.

For a slicing knife I'd go about 12 to 15 degrees on each side so 24 to 30 degrees included .

My EDC knife I sharpen to about 20 and I take it to about 1200 grit. I use an old barbers hone to touch it up every once and awhile. The barber hone is alot higher grit than I take the knife initially, but it cuts fast and it keeps it arm hair shaving sharp with very little work. I use my EDC for cutting everything from food to plastic to wood on occasion. Kitchen knives depends on the knife. Cleavers I like at a higher angle like 25-30 degrees, chef knives and other simple cutting knives about 20 degrees. I might put a shallower angle on some paring or fillet knives. It all depends on the task the knife if going to be used for. If you are going to be cutting cardboard or something harder alot you might want a higher angle. For softer easier stuff a knife can handle of more acute angle since it doesn't need the added durability as much. Different steels also play a factor.

Originally Posted by rlmnshvstr8

I have this one hunting knife I'm trying to sharpen for a friend. I got it honed to 4000 @ around 25 degrees (on each side for a total of 50°). My problem is that it the edge just feels smooth rather than sharp. I can feel it wanting to grab a little bit on a TPT butyou can run a finger like a skate on ice. So I think I either have two problems that I can think of. Either my edge is rounded just slightly. Or too fine at too steep of an angle. When looking at the edge under a loupe. I see a clearly set bevel and nothing that indicates rounding so I'm just a little stuck.

How does it cut? Can it shave hair from your arm? Much like a straight razor you have to make sure your bevel is set before you move on. If you can move your fingers along the edge and there is no grab or stickiness I would go back to a lower grit and work some more there before going up. A higher grit may make a smoother bevel/edge but not duller. I wouldn't take my pocket knife and run my fingers along the edge or I would be going to the hospital. Another thought is the Lansky system is relatively cheap and good for starting out.