Do you have a personal preference for how thick the knife blade should be being the cutting edge ? In my experience my preference depends upon the intended use cause scenario for the knife. Meat knives thicker vegetable knives thinner.
Thanks for all the info! What is the vented table you have your sharpeners sitting on? I’m researching safe ventialtion for my shop before getting up and running. Thanks again!
Go watch this video I did and in the description I have links to everything including the down draft table your asking about. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rQK2OrsAO00.html
Are you still using the other Tormek composite honing wheel ? I currently only have the leather wheel and was thinking about getting the composite one. Which do you like better ?
I still have both and have switched back and forth a few times and for how I grind which is mostly with CBN I like the leather a little bit more as I feel like it has a little more grab at removing the burr and I can push pretty hard into the leather wheel if I need to but if using the regular Tormek stone I find the synthetic one is great and if mess is a concern the synthetic is the definite answer. I don’t care about the mess and even though I mostly stropp on my 1x30 anyway there are times that the Tormek paste and wheel seems to do a better job. So it may be just that I have sharpened far more knives with the leather and have grown accustomed to it’s feel but for me I like the leather a tiny bit more there are also a lot of guys using that wheel with Diamond paste. I have not tried it on the Tormek Leather wheel but have or regular leather strops and love 3 micron and 1 micron and have dedicated strops for each if you go to the synthetic wheel you really couldn’t try something like that as I wouldn’t put anything on the synthetic wheel. Hope that long rambling answer helps.
Awesome video! I've been using just the ken onion for a few months now and it's making me want to invest more into the gear you got. I haven't been wearing a respirator though and lately I've been seeing more knife enthusiasts like yourself wear one so it's making me worry lol problem is I have a massive melon of a head so personal protective equipment has always been challenging
We just have to accept that it best to be safe I don’t want to be in my 80s one day on Oxygen saying boy I wish I wore a mask when I was sharpening all those knives.
@Alexandria Knife Sharpening thanks for the reply, I agree better safe then sorry I'll watch your mask video! One last question in your experience can you maintain a convex edge with a honing steel?
@@ALXSHARPEN Thanks. Did you modify the motors or purchase them. I am interested in obtaining a similar setup. It would simplify and expedite several sharpening issues.
Very interesting and you are very generous in sharing your knowledge. I had know idea how complex sharpening knives could be it's fascinating! Question: what was the last machine you used sandpaper? Grit? Seemed harsh grade to use after the leather wheel or did I miss something? What ever you did it made it super sharp👍
The last Machine was a 1x30 sander it has been converted to run with a variable speed motor which allows me to run the belt in both directions. The last belt was not sand paper it's a leather belt often refered to as a strop. It's running away from the edge. Stropping is always done edge trailing or away from the edge Sharpening can be done in either direction when going into the knife edge it's called edge leading. I like that more as it's faster and leaves a stronger edge.....but there are many who like to sharpen edge trailing. For me I only do that when dealing with something I want to remove very little metal from. Usually antique knives.
Thanks for the detailed reply, I watched again and I can see it's not sandpaper now just didn't expect it to make a grinding noise which threw me off. Looks like there is a lot of skills and knowledge to acrew if you want to pursue this trade as a living. Thanks again M
@@matthewcalder4351 it's not that hard or expensive to start. I started mine with a book and around $1200 I have a link to the book I read posted on my website here is a link to it www.alexandriaknifesharpening.com/veteran-owned-about-us Another great option is the Guild Of Professional Sharpeners .I am a member I learned about the guild after I was already in business but I wish I had joined it fist .It would have saved me a lot of time and learning on my own. Here is a link to the Guild we have members who are at all levels from Pro to beginners just starting out. Mathew who runs it is really great. members.guildofsharpeners.org/share/aeqXqAOblvmmrqjI?
Did I see the leather strop operating in cutting edge forward mode? I was under the impression the leather could only be used cutting edge trailing. Learn something everyday! Nice video thanks for sharing!
Definitely not you're correct with only edge trailing. I think what you are seeing is just caused by the frame rate of the camera and it makes it difficult to see the direction it's traveling...Also my 1x30 are custom and the motor goes both directions so I can strop with the blade edge up because my belt can also go up or down
I agree with you depends on the intended use of each knife. I love Japanese knives so I’m drawn to thin crazy sharp blades but often I see people forget intended use. Just this week I had a young man who purchased a beautiful Bench made Infidel Auto knife but was really disappointed in its level of sharpness. I had to explain to him this knife is a stiletto and it’s purpose is to stab and not really to cut but penetration. so I made it a lot sharper for him and fixed-some damage he had done trying to free hand it but intended use is often forgot when someone grabs a knife but for sharpeners that’s one of the things that keeps me in business. So if someone carves a chicken with their favorite Japanese knife just means I get to see them back sooner for a tune up.
@@ALXSHARPEN Client perceptions often differ significantly when compared to reality. There is no one ideal knife design for humans. Every design is an accumulation of engineering compromises contrary to popular belief. I am focused on Kitchen Knives & my testing has yielded two blade profiles. Thin blade profiles for carving / butchering meat where you may run into bones. Knives are not an appropriate tool for cutting bones, that would be a saw. Kitchen shears work well fro small bones. Extremely thin knives for cutting high density fruits & vegetables. I am reluctant to sell extremely thin knives because people often use them as pry bars. From your experience, blade thickness below 0.0??" behind the cutting edge = a recipe for disaster ?
Go to my website at ALXsharpen.com and click the For Sharpener section scroll down I have it listed I have all my gear I use listed there. Here is the direct link www.alexandriaknifesharpening.com/sharpening
You could probably go directly from the 120 to the 400 its diamond it shouldnt have a Problem to remove the scratch pattern, i think if you make alternately Passes without pressure on the diamond wheel in the end the burr would be Weaker so you can deburr on the tormek leather wheel only and if you replace the tormek paste with a good 3-4 micron diamond Emulsion like stroppy Stuff it would be much quicker and you didnt have to go on the 1x30 again and there is less space for error. Greetings from germany
Thanks this was just to show my basic approach. What happens in reality is I look at a batch of knives that come in from a customer and I separate them into groups based on condition and knife type. Sometimes I do go from 400 to 1000 CBN sometimes I go 400- 600-1000 and sometimes just 600 on really dull ones like this one I go 1x30 to CBN on the Tormek. I agree the 200 isn't necessary at all I do it because the 120 tears up the sharpie tip to just a pass or two makes drawing on the bevel go smoother but I agree it could be totally eliminated. I do like the idea of 3-4 micron diamond paste on the Tormek Wheel because I have had great success with it on the 1x30 using leather. I have found that 1900 RPM's is a really nice speed for stropping and burr removal and the 1x30 doesn't have the Tormek issue of the wheel getting in the way on big knives. But that the great thing about sharpening so many way to approach it depending on what gear you have. I will check out stroppy stuff. Did you remove all your old Tormek paste when you use it or did you just put it on the wheel? Or did you get a new leather wheel to use for just the Stroppy stuff.
I have been messing with Mono Diamond Emulsion -that is making them I have a food scientist in my family who when I get a chance I am going to pick her brain about how to make a good emulsion - Unfortunate those who have figured out good ways to do it won't tell you for obvious monetary reasons, but diamond powder isn't expensive but making a great emulsion suspension can be some trial and error and requires a little bit of science.
@@ALXSHARPEN Stropping at 1900 RPM = how many surface feet per minute? - OR - If you can provide me wheel diameter I can easily calculate Surface feet per-minute. Again thanks for sharing.
@@ALXSHARPEN i would go for a new leather wheel, but what im thinking its a better Option is a rockhard feelt wheel from schleifjunkeys it has the same Diameter as the diamond or cbn wheels and it deburrs cery cleanly
@@sharpfactory3705 I haven’t looked in about a years and a half but back when I was looking I couldn’t find Rock hard felt wheels anyplace. And the guy in Australia had a waiting list and then passed away and I kind of just stopped looking.
@@sharpguyatx if you are only buying one and the Diamond 💎 wheel I’d get the 600 grit the middle wheel it will give you the most versatility and leave a beautiful sharp edge on knives.
Why don't you use water with the diamond wheel? This would keep the wheel clean and prevent any dust. I use water ( more exactly glass cleaner) on my diamond plates Thank you for the video and for the expected answer.
When I run Diamond Wheels I always use water with Tormek anti corrosion fluid. The wheels in this video are CBN not Diamond and the are made to run dry and require no water. CBN repels heat so the air cools the wheel. Diamond is carbon and attracts heat so that’s why its typically run in water to keep the metal from overheating.
I usually only use water on diamond wheels I don’t grind dry with Diamond only CBN. With CBN I often sharpen dry but recently have used Honerite Gold. CBN works great dry or wet. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to sharpen and not set up the water if a rush job comes it. I won’t bother with the water.
Was this the sharpening service you said you charge 10 bucks for? If so, 75 bucks an hour before taxes and expenses is pretty damn respectable. Worth every penny when someone knows their stuff like this though!
Sorry but I am going to respectfully disagree with you to call 160 BESS dull is silly IMO. You have to know what angle the knife is sharpened at because BESS Score alone means very little. If I sharpen a knife at 13 degrees and one at 18 they will have totally different potential max sharpness or BESS Scores.They will also have totally different edge retention. So making a knife have a super low BESS Score isn't hard or the be all end all of test. It's also not impressive to me because if the knife goes dull the second time you use it what good is it? My average home user gets about a full years use out of the knives I sharpen for them. In general most leave my shop around 150-165 BESS. BESS calls 150-200 the end of double edge razor into Utility and at around 17-18 degrees I find that to be excellent. I have sharpened thousands of knives over 3000 of them in 2022. Show me a video of how you're sharpening your knives and at what angle you use to get your low scores. My current process for stropping is just two passes on a leather wheel on a variable speed grinder this video is a little older than what I currently use but I have tested my process many times and it's not over stropped for the angle. In fact when I fist went to the Leather Flap Wheel Strop I even used an angle guild to do it to be sure the angle was correct for the 6" wheel.
@@ALXSHARPEN there is a video on my channel. I am by no means questioning your experience. 13 degrees per side, and the result is +-70. the same at 15 degrees. at 17.5 +-110. sometimes get knives less than 50 at 12.5 degrees per side. and I sharpen +-500 knives a month. We now have some problems with work and financial situation. sometimes bombs fall on the head. :) respect colleague
never it's the frame rate on the camera makes it hard to tell the direction not to mention it's not really possible to do that you would cut your wheel or strop
@@TdSharp also why you can go solely on video evidence in a trial it doesn’t capture everything and can be deceiving you will also notice in almost every video I say and so the direction I do it on the 1x30s also because it often looks the opposite of what it’s going and my gear goes both directions by design
