New book from Knife Grinders (our member, Wootz)

[Ken S]

My highest praise for a sharpening book is my statement, "This book should be part of the reference library of every serious sharpener." Knife Deburring: Science behind the lasting razor edge, by Dr. Vadim Kraichuk, certainly deserves that recognition. For the record, while my photography and woodworking library is extensive, I can count my sharpening library on my fingers, with some fingers left over for future growth. Vadim's book is one of only two knife specific books in this group.

I first became aware of Vadim in 2015 when he joined Tormek forum.  (Tormek Community Forum forum.tormek.com) Most of know him by his user name, "Wootz". From the start he has been very thorough and innovative. His book combines his innovative research with his practical working sharpener experience.

Mike Brubacher invented BESS, the Brubacher Edge Sharpness Scale. The scale, measured on Mike's Edge On Up testers, ranged from 50 (the gram weight needed to cut the test filament with a new double edge razor blade) to 2000 (the gram weight needed to cut the filament with the blunt edge of that razor blade when broken). To the great surprise of the members of the BESS exchange, Vadim not only reached "the sound barrier" of 50 BESS with knives, he obtained readings of half that number, literally sharper than a razor. He is the only one I am aware of who has broken this sound barrier. Vadim knows sharpness.

Vadim's book is a rare blending of scholarly research with high level workaday sharpening. Many of the illustrations involve an electron microscope. Yet, the innovative techniques he has developed can be applied in a typical home workshop with a Tormek. He has both risen the level of top level sharpening and made better sharpening available for the working sharpener and home sharpener.

This is a serious book for sharpeners with a genuine interest in sharpening beyond the common level. I do not believe that even Tormek AB ever dreamed that the Tormek was able to produce edges like Vadim produces with his Tormek. It is a book which will serve as a long term reference, absorbed slowly with repeated readings. Vadim has put much serious research into this book. It will not disappoint the reader. I first read the partial online version (knifegrinders.com.au). I have read through the printed book, and will read it at least a couple times more by this weekend. After that, I will keep it very handy to help absorb various parts. The effort will be well repaid.

Of special interest is the first part, which discusses various myths about sharpening. Vadim discusses methods to make edges very sharp and, just as important, methods to keep those edges sharp, based on real world testing.

The book is available through Vadim's website, http://knifegrinders.com.au/11Shop.htm for $60AUD for new customers and $40AUD for existing customers. It is also available on Amazon and at no cost to unlimited Kindle members. Shipping is expensive from Australia, however, anyone who has purchased an SJ wheel, diamond wheels, or a Magnum kit should not think the book expensive. (The conversion to US dollars translate to fewer dollars.)

LATER EDIT: I rarely use Kindle. I did not realize that the Amazon website has an option to download this book into the Kindle appfor $10US. As much as I like printed books, considering the cost of postage from Australia, I think the Kindle download is the lost logical choice.

As stated earlier, this book should be part of the reference library of every serious sharpener.

Ken

EDIT: I have been advised by a trusted forum member that my review failed to mention that although Vadim's technique is centered around the Tormek, he has added non Tormek accessories, including several grinding wheels, paper wheels, honing compounds, and a VFB (Vertical Front Base) of his own design. While the Tormek can produce very sharp edges using only Tormek equipment, users should not expect to equal Vadim's results without his experience and special equipment.
I would note that Vadim has shared a very usable path to success. My sharpening technique will benefit from his work, and so should yours.

[RichColvin]

Ken,

It is also available from Amazon in either paper-back or Kindle format.

Kind regards,
Rich

[Ken S]

Good point, Rich. I noticed that on Vadim's Knifegrinders.com.au website and should have mentioned it in my review.
Ken

[RichColvin]

I just finished reading this book today and I too found it quite great.  I've only found three other books which provide such evidence-based information on how to sharpen tools:

• Leo J. St. Clair's Design and Use of Cutting Tools,
• Steve Bottorff's Sharpening Made Easy, and
• Leonard Lee's, The Complete Guide to Sharpening.

This is now my fourth.

It is a short book which is packed with information, and I'm glad to have the information readily available in my library.

If you are wanting to get your tools really sharp, you should read this book ... and make it a part of your own library.  Here's a link to the book on Amazon :

https://www.amazon.com/Knife-Deburring-Science-behind-lasting-ebook/dp/B07NQ48WG7/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Kraichuk&qid=1552698781&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Kind regards,
Rich

[Ken S]

Rich,
The Leonard Lee and Steve Bottorff books are two of the staples in my sharpening library, Steve's book being the other knife specific reference book. Ron Hock's book, Thomas Lie-Nielsen's book and Torgny Jansson's Tormek Handbook (several editions) round out my present sharpening library.

(If I was doing machining, I'm sure the St. Clair book would also be included.)

I also have your Sharpening Handbook available on my ipad.

Ken

[wootz]

Appreciate your kind reference gentlemen.
The following YouTube video shows how we discriminate the burr type, "negative" from "positive" and those "in-between":
https://youtu.be/7BGOT3oJ51Y
Deburring the "positive burr" follows a sharpening protocol entirely different to "negative burr".
.

[kwakster]

@ Wootz: what i take away from this YouTube clip is your dedication in what you're doing.
And i think i'm not the only one.

[Ken S]

Wootz,

Your book left me with one question. How would I know whether a knife is made of steel producing a positive or negative burr?

Your latest video explains this very well. It was exactly what I needed to complement your book.

I agree with Kwakster; your dedication to excellent sharpening is obvious in both your book and in your videos. I would note that your dedication is also very explained and provides a usable, understandable path for aspiring sharpeners.

Keep up the outstanding work!

Ken

[Ledpipes]

Hi I've been going through this book which is great but I was roundly disabused when I got to the 'high end vs mainstream knives' section.
I realised that I can't get the lasting edge on my S30V and M390 pocket knives, which is a sad thing.
I have a standard t8 set up with FVB for guided honing on the leather wheel and my new understanding is this won't polish the carbides that exist just shy of the steel edge.
So, I don't want to buy a CBN or diamond wheel right now does anyone think I could just get a 2nd leather wheel and some kind of diamond honing compound? Or would that not really make a difference. Hmm.

[wootz]

Hi I've been going through this book which is great but I was roundly disabused when I got to the 'high end vs mainstream knives' section.
I realised that I can't get the lasting edge on my S30V and M390 pocket knives, which is a sad thing.
I have a standard t8 set up with FVB for guided honing on the leather wheel and my new understanding is this won't polish the carbides that exist just shy of the steel edge.
So, I don't want to buy a CBN or diamond wheel right now does anyone think I could just get a 2nd leather wheel and some kind of diamond honing compound? Or would that not really make a difference. Hmm.

I've just wrote about this to a knifemaker in Canada, and can copy here how we sharpen premium wear-resistant knives. In my book I could not go that detail because of limited pages.
You can adapt our sharpening protocol to the equipment you have.
I hone high-end knives on leather wheels on Tormek, on felt wheels and paper wheels - they are not equal but all work.

If you do not have a coarse CBN/diamond wheel, bevels can be ground on the black SB wheel, but the edge must be set (apexed) on # 1000-1200 CBN or diamond wheel.
It is important to use the CBN/diamond wheel of a diameter close to the diameter of the honing paper/felt/leather wheels that you'll be using in the next steps, for the edge profile to match the honing wheels.

High volume of wear-resistant carbides, >= 3%, requires a polishing progression, as explained in my Knife Deburring book.
We do it on paper wheels with diamond paste, the sequence is 10-micron - 5-micron - 2.5-micron.
As you can see on the photo, we have 2 half-speed grinders with PW supports, but you can use a single grinder/buffer and change the wheels as you go.
Polishing on the 10-micron diamonds is done at the edge angle, 2-4 passes alternating sides, till the burr is near gone.
Polishing on the 5-mircon and 2.5-micron diamonds is done at a little less angle to spare the very apex, we set the PW supports at 0.1 degree less than the edge angle, and give the blade 2 passes each side on each wheel.



Between the wheels the blade is cleaned with a low-odour turpentine to prevent cross-contamination.

Edge-trailing honing of M390, CPM M4, Vanadis-4 & 10 and some other knife steels does not produce a wire edge, but honing the S35V, S30V, CPM-154 etc does.

We remove the wire edge on a rock-hard felt wheel with 1-mircon diamonds, on Tormek, using the FVB, at + 0.4 degree higher than the edge angle, 3 slow passes each side of the blade.

While for paper wheels the diamond paste is the best, for felt the best is a diamond spray.

Then we do the last step of finishing cleanup on a paper wheel with a mix of chromium oxide and 0.25 micron diamonds at the exact edge angle, only 1 pass each side.

This sequence gets the CPM edge sharper than disposable shaving razors, and most importantly, the edge will stay very sharp for a long time thanks to finely polished carbides, as explained in my Knife Deburring book, the chapter on high-end knives.
Every step in our sharpening protocol is of necessity, not a whim, comes from edge stability testing and SEM studies.
In other words, you can skip some steps at the cost of less sharp or less stable edge.
...

[Ledpipes]

I think I will just just send my M390 steel to Knife Grinders! Lol. Thank you for your post, it will be a great reference along with the book. One can really appreciate the focus it takes to have a premium steel everyday-carry and be the master of its edge

[smurfs]

I received the book today and have just finished reading it cover to cover. There is a lot of information to take in so will need to read it a couple more times before the contents are hard-wired into my grey matter.

All I can say at this point is this is a recipe book to sharpening nirvana!

Thanks wootz for sharing your research, knowledge and experience so willingly.

[Roger M.]

I too just received Wootzs' book, and after reading it cover to cover twice, I shall be making the information and concepts contained within its pages the foundation of my sharpening set-up and process.

I'm sure there are plenty of freehand sharpeners working with flat water stones who get a nice (perhaps even excellent) edge ... but I've long suspected that only highly refined guided sharpening will give one the guaranteed accuracy, absolute repeatability, and a clear understanding of exactly what you'll wind up with upon completion of the sharpening of any given blade ... and all of this before you even start sharpening.

I find Wootzs' book, along with his software (and the Tormek of course) to give me the kind of rock solid foundation (which my OCD likes  ) with which to proceed.

[John_B]

What I like is that by following the steps outlined in the book you are able to produce an exceptionally sharp and lasting edge with a stock Tormek. It may take a little longer but it can be done.

[Hogdog6]

I just spent some time this weekend following the steps in Wootz book on my EDC Leatherman using my stock Tormek, it gets sharp but has never held its edge as I think it should. After following the steps there is no question it is sharper than I've ever had it. Time will tell if I did things right as far as edge retention.
I too appreciate Wootz shared knowledge!