shredding the blade?

[SharpSmith]

I have been very successful in learning the T-7 for mostly knife sharpening and ran into the weirdest result.  I had reduced a bolster on an older knife and started to work on the blade.  After the third pass on the second side the edge literally "shredded" to strands that I have never seen before.  I suspect that it is a metal characteristic, but wonder if it might be my doing?

Has anyone had this happen?

Thanks,

Skip Elliott

[Jeff Farris]

Skip.  For the vast majority of knife sharpening, the stone should be graded to its fine finish.  It sounds like you were using the grindstone in its coarse finish on a knife, which will leave a very heavy scratch pattern.

Don't forget that the fast cutting surface is the "normal" situation.  Jobs like reducing bolsters will expose the normal surface, even if you have recently used the fine side of the stone grader.  Listen to the cut and occasionally feel the surface of the stone to monitor its current condition.