Here's a little something I fiddled around with tonight. 3M lapping film!! You don't hear it talked about too much, but I swear by the stuff. My bk14 there had previously been sharpened on arks, and was about due for a little touch up. The progression was 5 micron, 3 micron, and 1 micron to finish. The results were a nicely cleaned up edge. I really like recommending these to people on a budget. You can cover a huge range of grits for like 20 bucks. Then all you need is a piece of glass to slap them onto. I've also been using a couple of pieces, 3 and 1 micron, laid across a sharpening stone for stropping instead of dealing with pastes.
Would you say having a 25°(ish) edge holds retention better? I've always stuck with 20 on the 4 and smaller but usually went with 25 on the 5 and 6. However I went with a 20 on this esee 6 just to see if it'll perform differently. I know esee does it's best to come with a 20°, but it's usually closer to 30. I use the Lansky system as it works best for me (after trying and failing at most other ways). I start with the extra course diamond (for reprofiling) and then course, medium and fine stones, then the sapphire (ceramic) and last the leather strop. Lansky makes it pretty fool proof.
Here's one from yesterday. Blunted on a brick and sharpened on shaptons and film. I picked up a straight razor from an antique shop over the weekend. The scales are toast, but the blade looks pretty good. I'm supposed to get some replacement scales in the mail early this week and will post the restoration attempt.
My scales have arrived! So, hopefully tomorrow, I'll be taking this old sport and de-rusting, pinning, and honing. The J.R. Torrey markings put its age right around 1900, give or take a decade. It's a 5/8 half hollow grind, closer to 4/8 at the heel and toe. I was thinking about working out the smile in the blade, but I'd rather hang on to as much metal as I can. Its minor enough that it shouldn't effect shaving much.
Has any body used the Wicked Edge Sharpening System? Is it worth the money? If so what package is the best value/ most useful? I'm considering one but it's a lot of money if it's not all it's cracked up to be.
I didn’t like the clamp system on the WE. Made it very awkward, for me at least, to sharpen anything that was a full flat grind.
I haven't tried any of these systems, so take my opinion as worth what you're paying for it, but the price of admission on the wicked edge looks STEEP! It could also just be that I'm a cheap a$$. Can you give us some more info on what you'll be sharpening and the frequency of use? If you're dead set on a clamp system, @Drew RedBear can attest to the Lansky.
@Kevo i still do a lot by hand on my DMT diamond stones and finishing with strops. But the Edge Pro is RIDICULOUSLY precise and the finish it gives you is insane.
I've heard nothing but good stuff about the edge pro. It seems like it's the system that all other systems are measured by. I really dig the fact that there's no clamp on it too. much less restricting.
Yep, I sure can. For a fraction of the cost of a wicked edge, and even the edge pro, the lansky will get the job done and very well at that. I'm a cheap a$$ myself and only have about $60 into my Lansky system. Whatever gets the job done though.
Yep. I can do different parts of a blade differently if I choose. I like that I can make a tip a little bit beefier if I want without having to clamp anything differently too. Scissors, chisels, etc come out great from what I’ve seen.
@ManOfSteel I could have used something like that last week. I was sharpening a 14" guillotine paper cutter and it was a complete pain.
Shes really coming back to life now. A little more polishing and then it's time to get some fresh scales on it.
