Messages

Adding the grinder to the equation certainly introduces the risk of overheating, but I doubt he did any damage with those two quick passes on a leather wheel.  It's also a variable speed grinder he's using.

The only time I've encountered that it was because the drive wheel got wet.

I would remove the honing wheel if you have it on and check to see if the shaft that drives the rubber wheel is still turning at what appears to be the normal speed (maybe put a sharpie line on it).

I wouldn't imagine that water *inside* the wheel would do any damage, since it's made of aluminum.

Hey cb, could you clarify what 1st and 2nd stop is referring to?  Because as far as I'm concerned, the KJ-45 has THREE stops.  There's the traditional back stop, of course, but then you have that middle section which can either be used pushing forward on the USB (I'd call it the front stop) or pulling back on the USB (middle stop). 

If I'm using the KJ-45 in pivot mode, I generally use the middle stop, because it provides a bigger arc than the front stop.

I've had the same issue and I've tried various pressures.  I can get rid of the chatter by increasing pressure, but I find that makes the blade hotter than I'm comfortable with.  I rarely use the paper wheels these days.

Now you could get really fancy and mount it on the honing wheel side.  That way all you have to do is flip the USB around.

I went through a similar process.  When I started to get serious about knife sharpening I was using a fixed-angle system and I was really into mirror edges. 

I guess sushi chefs prefer a very refined edge because they want the cleanest cut possible, but for most other purposes I think a toothier edge is preferable.  Also, even when I use a 400 grit wheel as my final, the bevel eventually becomes polished through repeated stropping.

There are resin-bonded CBN wheels in grits up to 10k.  They will change diameter over time, but very slowly and by a very small amount.  And of course they are pricey.

https://www.amazon.com/Resin-Grinding-Tormek-Sharpening-System/dp/B0BS9GY6HJ?ref_=ast_sto_dp

Of course you can adjust your pricing based upon the results you're getting and how you feel about value of those results.

One sharpener on Youtube offers a low cost option which produces edges expected to be in the 200 BESS range, and he offers a higher cost "super sharp" option that seems to deliver sub-100 BESS scores.  He uses the Ken Onion blade grinder for the cheaper service and Tormek for the super sharp service.  His channel: https://www.youtube.com/@greatedgeltd

but don't want to spend more than $500.  I was looking at this one, as it gets in pretty close and has good resolution.  Is there one that gets closer with greater resolution and and gets even closer?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B7NKGH1C?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

I had one of those Tomlovs and ended up returning it because it had a decentered lens.  Only about 1/2 of the frame could be brought into focus.

I've also not had much luck with the felt wheel.  I rarely use it nowadays unless I have a particularly stubborn burr.  I'm wondering if it's because I use a 90 gcm felt instead of the lower density that Wootz recommended for common steels?

I also don't love the paper wheels as I think they heat the steel to quickly. 

My typical process for German-type kitchen knives is: 400 CBN --> 1 micron on leather belt @ +2°, PA-70 on leather belt at edge angle.

Sometimes I use .5 or .25 micron instead of 1 micron and it doesn't seem to make much difference. 

Result with this protocol is a BESS score in the 85-110 range.  Comes down 10-15 points if I go to the 1000 CBN wheel before hitting the belts.

Looks good if you have the space for it. 

The little rolling cart I have is perfect for me.  It tucks between my Husky work table and another table I use for various purposes, and I can roll it out into the middle of the room when I'm using the Tormek.  It doesn't seem to be in production anymore, but I think the general category of rolling end or side tables might be a good research area if you'd be interested in something like that.

Examples:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Rolling-Side-Table-and-End-Table-with-Wheels-and-Storage-Space-4-Tier-Small-Rolling-Cart-with-Magazine-Rack/428862470

https://www.oregonlive.com/hg/2014/02/three_rustic_wheeled_tables_th.html

https://www.amazon.com/Coaster-Home-Furnishings-Casters-Rustic/dp/B00O6N631M/ref=sr_1_108?crid=FD7MOXOUM4R5&keywords=rolling+end+table&qid=1683479097&s=home-garden&sprefix=rolling+end+table%2Cgarden%2C140&sr=1-108&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.f5122f16-c3e8-4386-bf32-63e904010ad0

I think getting double-digit BESS scores very much is a feel thing.  No matter how hard you try to take touch/skill out of the equation, it's always going to be a factor when you're talking about reducing the apex to a width of 0.2 microns or less.

I think that's why people, including me, struggle to get the same results that Vadim achieved, no matter how closely you try to follow his instructions.  At the end of the day, Vadim probably had tens of thousands of sharpenings under his belt, and that experience matters.

I totally relate to your experience of hitting and then breaking through plateaus -- often for no obvious reason.  I think it comes down to muscle memory.

I don't see why you couldn't use the USB as a rest for stone grading, provided the plate is stiff.  But I think 160 grit is way too course for the SJ stone.

There's a lot of great information in Vadim's book, but a lot of it is also very specific to the equipment he used, which may be hard to replicate.  Probably the biggest takeaway for me was that it's often beneficial to hone at a higher angle, before coming back to the exact sharpening angle.  As a general rule, the softer the steel, the higher the angle should be.