My favourite part of a knife is the edge and even if it comes OK from the factory I tend to mod mine.

I am working on my HairyCarry's edge because even though it was very straight and good looking it was very obtuse. When I measured it it was nearly 30 degrees <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />
so now I have got the Lansky and am grinding it down to a much more suitable 20 degrees. The HC is a thin EDC so it should have a razor edge.

(not my photo)


The edges on the Comp Busses are reportedly fantastic. INFI is especially suited to a very thin edge because it is both strong and tough enough to handle being run at a thinner angle than most other steels. I have my SS4 very thin and sharp and have not had any chips or even dents in over a year of hard abuse.

Here is one of Ted's photos of the comp JH's logo but it also shows some of the edge.



I just got a Busse with a very interesting edge. It is an SH-E with the old asymmetrical edge. The seller said it was pretty messed up but it did not take much work to bring it back(INFI!)and is now quite a sharp and tough edge.

SR101 can take an excellent thin edge as well although it is not quite as tough as INFI it resists deformation as well and holds it's edge.
S7 does not hold an edge as well as INFI or SR101 but any damage can be easily fixed so it is a great choice for really hard hard use like throwing or use as an entry tool.

I find most knives run their edges far to obtuse in order to prevent chipping.
I much prefer a sharper finer edge even at the risk of some damage. Since BusseKin knives are made of such good steel they should almost always be thinned out.

HornDog has a real knack for getting the edges on a Busse to live up to their potential.

I would love to hear everyone's views on edges?

The type of edge I put on a knife depends on how I intend to use it. I just got my HC a few days agoand I'm still trying to dull the factory edge. When I do I'll go with a less obtuse angle on my Lansky, maybe 20 degrees, probably less. Why? Because this knife is a cutter and definately intended for chopping.


My 5 to 8 inch knives get a 20 degree angle. I find that 20 degrees is a great all around angle. Anything intended for chopping gets more obtuse.

I found out yesterday, that I would like a sharper edge on the RMD and the DM. The Uncle Mini Mojo, chopped very well as is, but if it had a sharper edge which I know it can, would make this one very awesome blade for the size.

My HC is getting pretty close now to finished. I think it will cut like a dream with a 20 degree edge or if you really want a razor a 17 degree. I would like to know the hardness of the HC because it seems like it is not as hard as some other CPM154 or similar knives. I would guess about 57.

Cutting comp bowies have a very thin convex edge. I would love to see something like a comp finished Fattie FBM.

I have left the stock edge on my DFLE because it is so beautifully done even though it is a bit more obtuse than I would do myself. It certainly is not bad though at about 25. The one on my Rosarms baby is a wicked 20 and polished almost as well as the flats.

Besides the degree of the edge their is also the roughness. For push cutting wood you want as polished an edge as possible but for cutting vegetables or meat and fish some roughness is better. I often do a final polish with a coarse diamond stone rather than the polishing ones for s micro serrated edge.

I have no idea what the angle is. Never meassured an angle on a knife edge in my life. But I made it more acute on my HCLE. Now it slices well.

the angles kind of progress on a convex edge anyway.
although I guess you could still get just a basic angle.

I just do my edges by eye.
whatever looks like it will be the edge I want on a particular knife.

The Lansky is how I check my angles. You colour the edge with sharpie marker and if the marker is ground off the tip and not the back of the edge the angle is of a lower number than the hole you are using. My HC was closer to 30 than 25 which is very obtuse.

My HC is getting close to finished. I am pretty stoked about how I think it is going to cut.

nice tip unsub-- do you find that Lansky's are good for reprofiling?

I've heard they are, because the angle stays consistent, but it can take a long time.

I have a spyderco sharpmaker and sharpened up my DMCG to 20 degrees each side. I really like that profile for this sized knife. Recently I got a strop and some lee valley green compound, which is a great final step.

It took all day to reprofile my HairyCarry but it did a fabulous job. Nice and straight and very very sharp. A 5X loupe or magnifying glass is also invaluable to see how you start with one bevel then it turns to 2 beveled angles and then the new bevel gets bigger until it takes over the first. I also picked up a coarse diamond stone but have worn it down to a fine diamond. It is worth buying the diamond on it's own but the whole diamond kit is 100$

I would love an edge pro. My buddy has one for sale but it is expensive even used.

A belt sanded can get them just as sharp much faster but it is not quite as even looking. Also you cn screw up pretty fast with a powered belt

The edgepro is essentially a Lansky on steroids without the clamps. I truly love mine even though I hardly use it these days. I have had mine for nearly 10yrs and it still works like the day I first bought it. It will get passed down to my daughter as soon as she is old enough to handle knives. I recommend the edgepro to all my friends because it is gives consistent scary sharp results every single time.

There are purist out there that believe starting out freehand is the only way to go. I personally find that the Edgepro is a invaluable tool to learn how to sharpen properly.

To understand how to get a truly sharp edge you have to first appreciate what it is and the steps it took to get there. You can then apply those same principles to stones, sandpaper, and belt grinders to get the same results.

I am stoked you are checking out my edge thread ban. I love your mods and have just gotten started doing some of my own. I am losing the battle with not buying the edge pro. The Lansky really helped me understand edges. I was in my 50th hour of sharpening when I had an almost religious experience where I realized that
polishing and sharpening where the exact same thing but on different parts of the blade. It hot me that you remove just the tiniest amount of steel to make the knife's real potential visible just like Michelangelo did with marble.
Reading about hybrid polishing of katanas helped as well.

I bought an old SH-E user with the intent of giving it the best edge and finish I can over the winter. We have long boring winters in Saskatchewan so it helps to have a project.

Freehand or with a belt sander is great ,makes a sharp edge and is way quicker but I really like how nice and even the edges look with a clamp system. Now that I am finished my HC the edge looks just as straight as before but is about twice as wide as on my other untouched HC. It took a long bloody time though.