Removing the burr when sharpening

[Maurice Metzger]

With my current method of sharpening, I work up through grit sizes on the front (bevel side) of the blade before finally flipping the blade over and removing the burr on the back. However, I used to do the front and back before moving on to the next higher grit. Both methods work for me, it's just easier to do the back at the end. So I was wondering - which method do others use?

With both methods I start out with the first 1/8th of an inch or so of the back polished.

(Not looking for new technology or to be convinced to change my ways, just wondering).

Cheers,
Maurice

[Brian Hale]

I remove the back burr with each grit. Once i notice a burr forming, i make several strokes in one direction away from me; like I'm trying to shave the surface off the sandpaper without drawing the blade back wards. Then a few strokes on the back, a few more on the bevel and finally a few more on the back before moving onto the next grit.

Brian :)

[Alan DuBoff]

Maurice,

I always flatten the back before anything else, and take it through the grits. Then I focus on the bevel, and I run it all the way up as well, not removing the burr.

Finally, after I have it about done, I do the back and bevel alternating to remove the burr.

I've been told not to remove the burr while honing the bevel, but if you hone it off by flipping the back and bevel, I don't see a problem.

Also, depending on what sharpening system you use, say waterstones only, the burr is not anywhere near pronounced as it is with some of the power systems.

[Gary Herrmann]

I agree with Alan. I flatten the back before moving on to the bevel, and remove the burr once I'm done honing the bevel. I start at 220 grit (I'll go lower if its an old iron) sandpaper, and go up to 2000. The result passes the thumbnail test even after being used a bit.

[Bob Smalser]

...I work up through grit sizes on the front (bevel side) of the blade before finally flipping the blade over and removing the burr on the back.

If you run thru all the grits before flipping, when you do take off the (now large) burr, you are in danger of it snapping off too deep and taking your edge with it.

Do each grit in sequence with the back first before flipping to the bevel.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=12747&highlight=basic+sharpening

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/5090019/69053997.jpg

The white stone allows you to monitor how perfect your pressure, and how flat your bevel is by watching the uniformity of the dark kerosene emitted from the bevel.

If you can see your wire edges coming off in anything larger than microscopic fragments, you are taking off too much at a time on one side.

[Alan DuBoff]

I agree with Alan. I flatten the back before moving on to the bevel, and remove the burr once I'm done honing the bevel. I start at 220 grit (I'll go lower if its an old iron) sandpaper, and go up to 2000. The result passes the thumbnail test even after being used a bit.Gary, the way it was explained to me was that you can't actually be sure that the back is flat until you've run it through the grits, and then you wouldn't want to do anything to it with a lesser grit. So the back is essentially done when you start the bevel, and until you get the bevel up to the highest of grits you use, you wouldn't want to flip it.

I believe there are many great sharpening system, waterstones, oilstones, etc...find a system that works for you and learn it.

Just because one person feels one method is the best doesn't mean it's right for everyone.

[Derek Cohen]

We all seen to have a slightly different strategy. Here is mine:

I aim to get the back of the blade flat and honed to the grit level that I will use for the final honing of the bevel. Once done I do not use a lower grit on it.

The important wire edge is the one for the primary bevel. Without this there cannot be a sharp edge (only a round edge). Keep in mind that one only needs to see - by the absence of a reflection of light, rather than feel - the faintest wire edge. You have ground too much if you can feel it clearly.

I learned something from my belt sander grinder, which creates quite a defined wire edge. In the beginning I wondered how I would get rid of it, worrying that successive (higher grit) belts , as I was then using, would add to the size of the wire edge. What transpired was that the wire edge would actually diminish as one honed with a successive higher grit. Eventually it was almost gone before I moved on to a polishing waterstone. These days I now only use the belt sander to grind a primary bevel, but the lesson remains.

I move from 800 through 1200 to 8000 waterstones. By the time I get to the last stone the wire edge is minute.

At this point I have a choice: either remove the wire edge by stropping on a leather strop using Veritas green rouge, or add a microbackbevel (ala David Charlesworth's "Ruler Trick"). Both take seconds to do. Both work equally well.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[tod evans]

maurice, all my edge tools get stropped. that`s how i kill the wire edge..02 tod