To be, or NOT to be ... microbeveled?

Discussion in 'ESEE® Knives and Gear' started by Mono Loco, Jul 27, 2022.

  1. Mono Loco

    Mono Loco Member

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    Hi.
    Please forgive my lengthy posts ... I'm new here and in the Honeymoon Phase - over-excited!

    While no expert, I sharpen my friends' and family members' knives ... cuz' they can't!
    I use a simple double-sided cheapo Smith's DCS4 and finish with a few light passes on a ceramic stone and some stropping on a leather belt if I'm in the mood. Honestly, I've never given sharpening much attention - I have a good eye and a steady hand and decades of hand sharpening on Arkansas and Washita stones has developed a functional ability to get a pretty good edge on most knives.
    Growing up I read about the Moran edge, which seemed like some elusive esoteric Samurai secret at the time. It was just a few years ago that I discovered Moras and the Scandi Grind and that's when I first read about microbevels. I read that some Mora users use microbevels and some don't. Hmmm ... interesting.

    So, I received my first ESSE knife recently - a perty Purple Izula - and the edge surprised me. It had no bite when dragged across my fingernail. It just slid across the nail. That's not the feeling I expect from a sharp knife but it seems to be more and more common on factory edges. I guess there's a debate over a toothy edge vs a polished edge and, if I understand it correctly, a toothy edge is better at slicing cuts and a polished edge is better at push cuts. I have experienced difficulty with trying to slice through plastic zip ties with some polished edges ... the edge simply doesn't "cut" into the plastic but slides over it. However, when enough pressure is applied, with a twisting torque, the blade will quickly (and cleanly) jump right through the zip tie. The OEM edge on the Izula was far from polished (belt grinder lines present) but it behaves like a polished edge ... I'm thinking it was because of a microbevel.

    As adept as I am at sharpening (relatively, compared to the general populace) I never developed an eye for "degrees", per se. I understand them, and that more acute angles are better for super sharp light-duty work and that more obtuse angles are stronger and better suited for heavier duty, chopping-like work, but I can't intuitively measure angles in relation to the stone. Instead, I go by the height of the bevel as seen by the nice bright shiny line left on the blade I'm sharpening ... and this I adjust and vary depending upon the thickness of the blade and quality of the steel. I suppose the end result is the same, but I can't look at a blade's edge and say, with any confidence, what the angle is.

    My Izula (well Izulas, actually, as I bought a pair) came with an edge bevel that produced a shiny line of a width about .070". I will say it was even heel to toe and equal on both sides of the blade, making a nice equilateral triangle point when the spine is viewed from above (it seems that many knives come from the factory with uneven bevels ... so frustrating!). Anyway ... without a protractor, or any measuring device, I'm going to assume that my .070" shiny edge represents an edge bevel of the OEM target of about 20-degrees, but I have seen pics of others' Izulas with "bright shiny lines" of what appear to be anywhere from .060" - .100" (re-profiled, no doubt). In addition to the main bevel, there was a secondary shiny edge line at the very edge that was very, very thin ... maybe just .010 ... and I'm "assuming" this was a microbevel ... correct?
    I sharpened the blade and got rid of that thin line... keepin' the main shiny line the same width of about .070", so maintaining the OEM primary bevel ... although now without vertical lines from the belt sander. It feels more "natural" to me and bites immediately. Do you think it will dull too quickly now? Do you all recommend that I put a new microbevel on it? If so, how steep? To get the thin OEM line, I think I'd have to hold the blade at almost 45-degree to the stone! In my normal sharpening procedure, I do finish with a fine ceramic stone for just a few light passes and I raise the bevel ever-so-slightly. I consider this as insurance to clean up any potential burrs moreso than a microbevel, but ... perhaps it is, or can be considered, a microbevel ... a nano-bevel ???

    Thanks - newbie "Crazy Monkey"
     
  2. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    Sharpen, cut and see would be my best advice. How you use a knife will differ to everyone and as a result your experiences of the edge and your needs too will vary. If you are happy with the way it cuts now give it some use and see how it holds up for you. If it doesn't last or cut the way you want you can quickly revisit it.
     

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