Sharpening 40 year old knives?

[pjrocco]

Hey all,

I got a bunch of knives from a co-worker to sharpen for him. They are the dullest knives I have ever encountered in my life. They have no bevel! They look just like slabs of metal...I have been working them on the brown stones at 30 degrees for the last 20 - 30 minutes and seem not to be making any progress. I have gotten some very dull knives scary sharp again...but this is ridiculous...

Any help or tips would be appreciated.

[severedthumbs]

might want to pass them on a grinder.

[ront]

Rock, do you have any diamond stones? I find that for me they work real well for getting that bevel back.I have this one (http://www.knifesite.com/DMT-Dia-Sharp-6-x-2-x-25-in-Coarse-p/dmd6c.htm) and it works very well and is not overly expensive. The Sharpmaker is great, but does not remove material real fast. For me, that can be a blessing :(.

Ron

[StuntDouble]

I seem to have good luck with a dual sided Norton India Stone. It has a coarse surface on one side, and medium on the other. It works very well for removing large amounts of metal quickly. Just make sure to use oil with it, lest it become clogged with steel.

[ghostrider]

Hello Rock,
I can understand your frustration. When I first received my Crossbill’s, I had a dickens’s of a time getting them sharp. I pushed my PE down my Sharpmaker for 12 hours before I finally gave up, and that was with the diamond rods. Fact is, the Sharpmaker is not efficient at re-profiling a blade. Even the diamond rods don’t do a very good job of it. Like others said, diamond stones are needed. Forum member skcusla seems to have found a good source for some that are working well for him. vampyrewolf has on occasion recommended sandpaper. I took his advice and made some attachments for my Sharpmaker.

Here’s a link for my thread on how I did it.

http://spyderco.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16689

With my Crossbill, I found the paper wore down quick, but it did do a good job.

[vampyrewolf]

for a v-grind, just clamp sandpaper to your 204 rods... you'll go through a couple sheets to get a knife sharpenable...

For a convex(or even a zero bevel/scaninavian if you don't mind not having a perfectly flat bevel), toss a mousepad under the sandpaper and rub away. This is how I do my dragonfly, 400grit or 600grit SiC paper followed by 2000grit SiC.

If you have a steady hand and patience, grab your dremel, sanding drum and use the 2nd or 3rd lowest speed(just enough that contact doesn't make it stop). If you have a real steady & light hand, take it to a bench grinder for a few seconds. 2 passes on each side can take a kitchen knife to cutting ripe produce by weight alone.

Personally, I'd just take out the 200/300 combo as well as my usual 500/800 and take my time to get em done right.

Most of the older knives were a zero bevel or slight convex. Done properly it'll cut essentially forever with minor maintanence with a strop. About a month ago my niece wanted me to cut the tag out of her shirt, and my 'fly wouldn't bite. Ended up using my SAK to get it done for her so she'd quit complaining about it being itchy. Within about 10 strokes on my strop I had the 'fly biting no problem again.

[vampyrewolf]

You should have seen what 'deeker' sent me to work on. I now have a new "dull" rating, drag across the throat dull. Think the only thing that might have done damage would have been the tip. He tells me it now goes through packing material like butter, took me a while to get fixed, but that was because I wanted to use the 204 as much as possible and leave him an easily touched up edge.

If it was my choice I'd have used sandpaper and convexed it.

[Peter1960]

...I have been working them on the brown stones at 30 degrees for the last 20 - 30 minutes and seem not to be making any progress...That's the reason why I use for such purpose the Tormek (water cooled grinder) and for holding the edge sharp the Sharpmaker :D

[224477]

I would try diamond rods Rock...
First you actually need to make a completely new edge, I guess.

[deeker]

True, the knife VW mentioned was terribly embarassing. Now - it is terribly menacing. :eek:
Amazing what a bit of time and a skilled hand can accomplish.

Good luck with the sharpening project, Rock.