CrimsonTideShooter wrote:


So to be clear, if you set both sides to 20 degrees and place the angle cube on the stone after zeroing it on the base, you get different readings even though you've verified that the knife itself is vertical? If that's the case, we have some troubleshooting to do...

wickededge wrote:


I haven't measured the angles on the stones yet. I honestly don't think it's the system, I think the way I hold the knife while tightening the clamp makes it cant to the left ever so slighty. I've measured it on the handle, and I'm always off about .5 degrees.

I'll try and make a YT vid to explain what I'm talking about, but I truly do think it's something that I'm doing.

By the way, I got my new angle arms in, and on the third knife I did I got a hair whittling edge. I LOVE it! So much less hectic than the EP. Oh yeah, somehow with the new arms my rounding of the tip issue is gone as well. My tips are like little needle points now.

Whenever I get a difference in the bevel it is on the left side looking towards the tip. I am right handed. When I have looked at my technique, I almost always ...make that always start to grind for a burr on the right side. When I was not paying attention and depending on how much I was changing the bevel angle.. I ended up grinding the heck out of the right side bevel to get a burr. Then I would switch to the left side and it would take many fewer strokes to get a goog burr.

Think about it, I was taking a bunch more metal off of the right side. Then I would go through my progression. Get a good edge, but the bevels are not equal.

Lately I have been grinding a bit on the right side, switching to the left, then back an even number of strokes, or close, until I get a good burr on both sides. I don't see the difference in the bevel width neraly as much, if at all now.

I would really love for somone to tell me how they get a good reading with the cube on Full flat ground or hollow ground blades with no good reference surface to put the cube on ???

The handle won't get it, there is not always a fixed relationship between the handle and the center line of the blade. How about rounde handles, those with a taper, what surface would I use to measure with the cube??
Just what I have seen.. I always love to be corrected if it helps me get better.

Phil

Maybe if you had machined carbon fiber that was perfectly aligned with the blade center...and if using a folder, there was perfect alignment with the frame and no slop in the pivot..
I think a perfect set of circumstances that does not often occur... I don't think that I can depend on it anyway!

Phil

CrimsonTideShooter wrote:

Clay,
I guess I am being a bit repetitious
But how do I know that the blade is really vertical in the clamp. I can eyeball it... but that is about it.

Phil

PhilipPasteur wrote:


You could use a square, one side placed on your base and the other against your blade (this will only work if your blade extends beyond the blue base.) You can also use the angle cube if you set each side the same and then put a stone against the blade with the angle cube on the other side of the stone. If the reading is the same on each side, you should be very close. The bevels of the blade might throw it off very slightly, in which case you could move the collars out to 30 degrees on each side so that the stones are resting on the very apex of the blade and not the bevels. There might be some kind of plumb to be fashioned as well which would tell you if the knife is true vertical, but that would only work of the base were absolutely level. I'll think on some other methods for determining if the knife is vertical.

Most of my knives are Spyderco full flat ground blades so I'm always having to eyeball if they are vertical or not.

I also just lay the stones up against the blade and measure the angles. I had bought an angle cube but it seemed grossly inaccurate so I'm just using my level app on my Iphone which I'm sure isn't very accurate either. Most times, the two sides read as much as 1-1.5 degrees different but I have just been attributing it to the Iphones accelerometer being less than perfect. The sloppy linkage in my arms doesn't help and my eyes play tricks on me when I try to eyeball if the blade is sitting perfectly vertical in there with the foam tape... The joys of knife OCD. I really wish there was a simpler way to always insure a vertical clamping of FFG or convex blades. My Fallkniven F1 acts the same as a FFG with it's convex shape.

I'm probably going to send my arms in to get modded for the linkage play Clay. I couldn't find washers thin enough and when I just used a machine screw and nut it was either too tight or still had some play. Do I just pop them in a courier envelope and mail it to your address on the website contact info? Do I need to include a letter or anything?

You can just send them in a flat rate box with your return address info and we'll take care of it. I'm guessing you've used the double sided foam tape to help center your blades. If you're filling the empty spaces equally on both sides of the knife, the blade should be vertical in the clamp.

Yeah, thanks clay. I'll send them in soon. I do use the foam tape, so I think I'm getting the knives vertical, it just sometimes takes a bit because the tape I'm using gets squished pretty flat every time so I put new stuff on every time. In any case, I am getting them blazing sharp so I can't complain.

Glad to hear it. I'll be testing out some o-ring material when it comes in this week and I'll be sure to post results.