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Can the Sandpaper Belt Knife Sharpeners Do This?

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  • Brains

    One of the idiots
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    The short and simple answer is "yes, you can get a mirror finish quite easily". I do every time I sharpen my blades on the Onion'omatic. It's not like the only belt you use is an 80 grit after all.
    DK Firearms
     

    Hoji

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    The short and simple answer is "yes, you can get a mirror finish quite easily". I do every time I sharpen my blades on the Onion'omatic. It's not like the only belt you use is an 80 grit after all.
    Pics of even, symmetrical mirror polished blades?
     

    Brains

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    Pics of even, symmetrical mirror polished blades?
    Next time I sharpen a blade, I'll take a pic. Here's a snap of my currently badly in need of sharpening Benchmade Mini-Grip that gets daily abuse and an absolutely ham-fisted sharpening job on the 'onion:
    6yzt3Sq.jpg


    I'd take a pic of more of the blade, but then you'd see all the really bad chips and nicks in it :)
     

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    Hoji

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    Next time I sharpen a blade, I'll take a pic. Here's a snap of my currently badly in need of sharpening Benchmade Mini-Grip that gets daily abuse and an absolutely ham-fisted sharpening job on the 'onion:
    View attachment 198212

    I'd take a pic of more of the blade, but then you'd see all the really bad chips and nicks in it :)
    That is not awful at all. I am surprised. What was the belt you used to get that, and how long does the edge last?
     

    oldag

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    But could you get a razor sharp edge that holds through heavy use, and would the polish be as seamlessly flawless and uniform as the one I have pictured?
    Just giving you a hard time.

    Nothing wrong with a good surgical Arkansas stone. I have put some razor edges on blades with one.
     

    oldag

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    I would add that how a good edge is put on a blade makes no difference to how long that edge lasts.

    How long it lasts depends upon use and the steel.
     

    Hoji

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    I would add that how a good edge is put on a blade makes no difference to how long that edge lasts.

    How long it lasts depends upon use and the steel.
    Yes and no. The steel plays a huge role but a smooth angle on a razors edge cuts down on a lot of resistance when cutting through sinew , fat and skin and will give a lot more time between tune ups on the edge.( with good steel)

    If you are using the cheap gun show Pakistani made pot metal knives......
     

    kenboyles72

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    I don't have any pics, but can get a pretty good polished edge on a knife, with something you have never used before. At the shop, I use a method to put a very sharp, polished edge on my chisels, that is with MDF. I have a wheel made out of two pieces of MDF that I have attached to a variable speed bench grinder. After doing the initial sharpening on a stone, I buff it out with the MDF wheel and it puts a super sharp edge on it, that holds very well.
     

    rexster314

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    Yes, I get a super polished edge with my WS Ken Onion with the sharpener attachment. Some of my kitchen knives don't get that, because I want them to grip the meat that I'm cutting
     

    Hoji

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    Yes, I get a super polished edge with my WS Ken Onion with the sharpener attachment. Some of my kitchen knives don't get that, because I want them to grip the meat that I'm cutting
    Gotta post pics to be credible. Brains posted a pic, and while not as polished as sharpening by hand, it is still better than I have seen from these machines.
     

    Brains

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    That is not awful at all. I am surprised. What was the belt you used to get that, and how long does the edge last?
    I have the 5 belt set it came with, starts at 65 grit and ends at like 2000 I think? It is capable of holding a fair edge, but the problem is how I treat this knife. The edge, hell the profile doesn't last long because I'm usually doing things I shouldn't. Mostly slicing cardboard and packing tape, but far too often I'm cutting wood, copper wire, using it as a screwdriver, opening tin cans, prying things open, you name it. It's even got a nice arc weld spot on it from when I was using it to cut through foam tape holding lead acid battery pack terminal caps. Crossed adjacent terminals, oops. Ever since Benchmade's position on gun owners became known, I've kinda made that knife pay for their sins :)

    Hoji said:
    Gotta post pics to be credible. Brains posted a pic, and while not as polished as sharpening by hand, it is still better than I have seen from these machines.
    It probably can do better than what I end up with. I really don't like sharpening, so I only go as far as it takes to slice paper and call it done.
     

    Texasjack

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    Professional knife makers do indeed use belt grinders to make, sharpen, and polish knives. What they don't use are those little hobby sharpeners, which aren't worth a warm bucket of spit.

    As for a strop, that doesn't sharpen the knife, it's used to remove the wire edge that forms when the knife is sharpened.

    Power tools do the same jobs as hand tools, they just allow you to screw things up much, much faster.
     

    jrbfishn

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    I have a WS Ken Onion that I have yet to try out. I do have some blades with a convex edge that need work so I will here shortly.
    I also have a Wicked Edge that I love.
    How sharp you get a blade depends on several factors.
    Type and hardness of steel, bevel edge or convex, angle and how fine a grit you use. But one of the most important factors is consistancy. From start to almost finished, you have to keep the same angle thru all grits. Final polish with a strop needs to be slightly less angle due to the give in the softer leather. Convex is much harder to hand stop without a belt than beveled edges. Convex is slightly rounded and needs a belt that gives a little. Beveled works better with a strop on a flat surface.
    The type edge depends on the use. A convex edge is good for heavy camp work, but harder for most to put on and maintain. A beveled edge is what most knives have and is easier to put on and keep sharp for most people.
    Cheap low quality metals can be sharpened to a very sharp edge and even polished to a mirror finish. The just don't stay anywhere near as long.

    Consistent is the key and only comes with practice. Lots of it. A knife guy showed me many years ago. I practiced for weeks on a Puma folder I had to even get decent at it. He was better, but 30 years older than me too. I have gotten a little better over the years.

    Sent by an idjit coffeeholic from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
     

    just country

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    morning, knife sharpening takes practice. I have a new belt
    sharpener. purchased extra leather belt for the operation.
    I also have an Arkansas large stone I use for short
    blade knives and leather strop. my favorite lub for sharpening
    knives is use auto trans fluid and use motor oil. very slick, with lots of
    carbon. I have been sharpening knives for
    50yrs. SS knives r the worst for sharpening. Hoji
    is very knowledgeable on the art. justme gbot tum
     

    oldag

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    Really does not matter so much what tool is used, good sharpening requires good technique regardless. Without good technique, no tool will provide a good edge.
     

    Maverick44

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    Show your work.:what:

    This wasn't done with those cheap little stone sharpeners, but was done with an assortment of files, along with a lot of progressively finer sandpaper. :cool:

    It's not a perfect mirror shine, but I doubt it makes much difference. The first swing is going to ruin that fancy schmancy finish. There's not much point in putting in even more time to get it perfect (this thing was rough when I got it).

    57c66e1099a2be486fc9caa94ea7c148.jpg


    222e64413517f4f579515218b8762f69.jpg
     

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    Reinz

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    This wasn't done with those cheap little stone sharpeners, but was done with an assortment of files, along with a lot of progressively finer sandpaper. :cool:

    It's not a perfect mirror shine, but I doubt it makes much difference. The first swing is going to ruin that fancy schmancy finish. There's not much point in putting in even more time to get it perfect (this thing was rough when I got it).

    View attachment 198489

    View attachment 198490

    ‘Looks like a mighty fine ax job to me.
     

    Hoji

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    This wasn't done with those cheap little stone sharpeners, but was done with an assortment of files, along with a lot of progressively finer sandpaper. :cool:

    It's not a perfect mirror shine, but I doubt it makes much difference. The first swing is going to ruin that fancy schmancy finish. There's not much point in putting in even more time to get it perfect (this thing was rough when I got it).

    View attachment 198489

    View attachment 198490
    All I axed is to show your work. Well done.
     

    deemus

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    I did however foist off sharpening my katana to a professional. Not cheap, but worth the money.

    I do my machetes, lawn mower blades, axes ,etc with a bastard file


    I have a machete to sharpen, what is your process / techinique?
     
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