Messages

1/2 inch hot and cold potable water CPVC pipe fits perfectly on my T4 shaft.  The pipe has a 1/2 inch inside diameter.   Same size as the original spacer.   

Cut the pipe length to whatever the width of grinding wheel is.

Home Depot sells a 2 foot piece for $3.38 plus they offer a 10% discount to veterans.

I couldn't agree more.  I'm a big fan of cutting paper.  I restored a fixed blade hunting knife for a friend yesterday. The final BESS score was 135.  I try for 75-95.

As I hone a knife, I slice thermal paper to check sharpness before I ever check it with the BESS tester.  I just lay the knife in the palm of my hand. 

I thought the blade was slicing paper a little better than usual.  When I checked it, the BESS score was 135. I was disappointed that the score wasn't sub 100 but I left it at that.  I believe the thin paper over the BESS tester.  The tester is checking only one tiny place and it is so easy for me to mess up the test.

When slowly cutting thin paper with the blade lying on my palm, the blade will stop on every nick and will not slice paper to my satisfaction until it is crazy sharp.

So ... how sharp is sharp enough?

3D, I agree with you 100%.

I'm also a big fan of cutting thin paper.  When the blade will slice thin paper with  the knife lying in the palm of my hand, I know that I can expect a good BESS score.

Cutting thin paper slowly can also detect any nicks in the blade.

I would like to see 5 BESS owners test the same knife without knowing the others results until the test was over.

Concerning the leather wheel that I ordered from Germany: I loaded it down with olive oil. That is all I have put on it.  I have only used the jig with it and have had good results.  After I am confident honing with a jig, I want to compare honing with a jig to freehand honing. I prefer freehand honing and I get good results.  The problem I have with freehand honing is I don't know what angle I hold the knife.  I read where people post that they hone at the same angle they sharpen or one or two degrees different.  I get good results hand honing but would I get better results with control over the angle?  Maybe, now that I can control the angle by using a jig, I will find out.

I agree, the BESS tester results can be as good or as bad as a person wants to make it. The best technique, for me, is honestly.

The leather wheel that I ordered from Germany came yesterday. I'll let you know how I like it. 

I use the BESS tester and I also cut paper.  I cut thin paper.

I lay the knife in my open palm and cut horizontally not vertical.

I've cut paper like this enough that I can pretty much tell when a knife is sub 100 BESS.

Cutting paper is less hassle than using the BESS tester and if the blade has a nick, cutting thin paper will catch on the nick where the BESS tester could miss the nick.

I'm forgetful too.  🤭

Dan, thanks for the pictures.  The link went straight to them. 

I plan on swapping the leather wheel out with the grinding wheel.  I don't think it will too much trouble.

I sharpened two more CraftKitchen knives today.  I will share the numbers:

CraftKitchen (1st knife)
New 205
Sharpened 110
Honed 1st set 100
Honed 2nd set 70

It took 4 passes to get the first burr.
It took 5 passed to get the second burr.

CraftKitchen (2nd knife)
I sharpened this knife after using the TT-50 to level the wheel.

New 235
Sharpened 140
Honed 1st set 110
Honed 2nd set 100

I added compound before the 3rd set.

Honed 3rd set 95 
Honed 4th set 85
Honed 5th set 75

It took 1 pass to get the first burr.
It took 2 passes to get the  second burr.

After I get a burr on both sides, I remove as much of the burr as I can by making very  light and quick additional passes on the grinding wheel.

I made 8 of these passes on each side.  Alternating of course.

On the 5th pass the BESS score was 195.
On the 6th pass the BESS score was 255.
On the 8th pass the BESS score was 140.

I received a delivery date, just now, of June 27 for the 8 inch leather wheel.  I'll let everyone know how well it works.

Thanks Dutchman, I didn't know that.  Captions are usually too fast and the font too small.  I was able to change both to my liking.

I'm 78 and not and not nearly as quick as I once was.

Thanks again.  This is going to be a tremendous help.

I watched that video a while back. I don't get much out of videos since I have a serious hearing disorder.

I always have the sound muted. I cannot understand what they say.

I sharpened another new CraftKitchen knife today.  I will post the numbers tomorrow.

Tomorrow, I plan on using the TT-50 then sharpening another knife.

The sharpener that I was using before I bought the T4 was the Work Sharp Profesional Precision Adjust.   It had 6 plates plus a leather plate.  I tried going by the book and using all of them. Sharpening a knife on that machine took a lot of time and work. I never got good with that sharpener.

After I bought the T4 I tried grading the stone and sharpening with two grits.  I never liked grading the grinding wheel.  I thought about buying more wheels but never did.

Over time I developed my method of using just the course grit. 

You are right.  The bank was clueless.  They told me that my PayPal payment went through.

I'm anxious to try this honing wheel.  As you can see from my BESS scores, honing is a very important step in the sharpening process. 

The bank called me later.  I'm going to the in a few minutes.

I ordered the leather wheel.   $108.  I received a fraud alert within minutes of placing the order. So far the only confirmation has been from PayPal.

When I moved the honing wheel enough for everything to work, the end of the shaft was flush. 

I can remove the grinding wheel and move the shaft enough to get the nut on the honing wheel end but I think doing that is going to create another problem.  I'll get back on it tomorrow and let you know how I goes.