I just got this Kiwi 4. Of course I had to touch up the edge. :) Not because it wasn't sharp, it was. Here is a picture of one side of the edge. Keep in mind while my angle accuracy is not completetly consistent, every stroke is the same in how it hits the edge along the entire edge. Not like the angle can change during a single stroke along the edge of any blade with any curve or belly. Anyway, the bevel width will normally change because of different angles or different blade thickness at the edge. Since the angle is the same along the entire edge throughout a single stroke at all times that leaves blade thickness as the reason for different bevel widths. Any other thoughts? Below is a picture of the edge bevel. I sharpened the knife free hand and I estimate the angle at 14-15 dps. I base this on blocks I made to estimate the angle when I free hand sharpen. Picture of the blocks below as well.
I made the blocks below then used an angle cube to determine the exact angle. Sometimes I use these to get the angle closer to what I want than I can just by naked eying it. :)
This is the other (back) side of the Kiwi 4. The bevel along the entire edge is much closer to the same width. This is closer to what you would expect I think.
Anyone else experience something like this with wharncliffe baldes?
Take a known straight edge like a ruler, and lay it on the side that's even and see how straight/flat that side of the blade grind is, and then see if the uneven side is the same. If it were unevenly ground, that could result in a funky bevel no matter what you used to sharpen it since the wavy grind would result in a different angle at the bevel. I have a kitchen knife that has this issue and no matter what I do I can't make the bevel even on one side.
Otherwise I would put the same knife on your Edge Pro and see what happens, that would at least rule out user error. The only other issues I've ever had when sharpening wharnies (on an EP or Lansky) is that you will inevitably develop a very slight belly over long periods of use and sharpening due to the arch that the stone travels in from left to right (hope that makes sense). The very tip of my Yojimbos is ever so slightly up swept but I don't really mind.
Evil D wrote:Take a known straight edge like a ruler, and lay it on the side that's even and see how straight/flat that side of the blade grind is, and then see if the uneven side is the same. If it were unevenly ground, that could result in a funky bevel no matter what you used to sharpen it since the wavy grind would result in a different angle at the bevel. I have a kitchen knife that has this issue and no matter what I do I can't make the bevel even on one side.
Otherwise I would put the same knife on your Edge Pro and see what happens, that would at least rule out user error. The only other issues I've ever had when sharpening wharnies (on an EP or Lansky) is that you will inevitably develop a very slight belly over long periods of use and sharpening due to the arch that the stone travels in from left to right (hope that makes sense). The very tip of my Yojimbos is ever so slightly up swept but I don't really mind.
The EP is a good idea to eliminate any inconsistency on my part.
One thing about wharncliffes I haven't thought would be good is to keep the edge straight and the fact that the tip might see more use and dull quicker is I'd need to remove steel from even the sharp areas to keep the edge perfectly straight. I could easily see touching up only the front half of the edge because it might be the only area that gets dull. I'm sure just a little upsweep at the tip end of the edge won't degrade performance at all. Just one of those things that might bug some edge junkies. :) Of course that's not me. :rolleyes: :)
I laid a metal ruler along the side of the blade and there is an great big giant huge gap between the blade and the ruler where the bevel is thinnest. I got my caliper and measured the thickness of the blade right above the bevel. In the center of the blade where the bevel is wider it is .0290". Where the bevel is thinner the blade is .0240" thick. Then at the tip the blade gets thicker again. Do you think I should return it for a warranty replacement? :) The numbers I got are from my calipers and they are not calibrated for work for the space program but they do indicate a very small difference in the thickness.
Obviously the QC department at Spyderco should jump on this issue. :D I'm kidding of course.
Mine is exactly the same, exactly. Even on the right side and thin in the exact same spot on the left side. It looked identical. Mine was a factory second so no warranty work for me. It was bugging me but I convexed and polished the edge and it is much less noticeable.
The similarity is intriguing. I wonder if this is a common problem.
I sharpened mine on a bench stone so I know my angle is consistent. I like to sharpen wharncliffe blades on a bench stone to keep the edge straight.
-Darby
sal wrote:Knife afi's are pretty far out, steel junky's more so, but "edge junky's" are just nuts. :p
SpyderEdgeForever wrote:
Also, do you think a kangaroo would eat a bowl of spagetti with sauce if someone offered it to them?
In Bearfacedkiller's signature he has this quote "Knife afi's are pretty far out, steel junky's more so, but "edge junky's" are just nuts". Sal said this he says. I can't think of anything more true. Of course this issue with the blade grind is of absolutely no importance whatsoever. I seem to have grown picky about certain things in the pocket knives I carry. Things or issues that in the past I never even knew about. I guess blade play (horizontal) is my biggest issue. I hate it. Some people freak out when they close a knife and the blade isn't dead center in the handle. Anyway, I look at the fact that the blade grind effects the width of the bevel along the edge from the viewpoint of the guy either making the knife or the guy setting up the machines that create the grind on a production knife blade. I'd like to see the factory where the knife was made and see how it all comes together. Why is one side of this blade flatter than the other? I don't know why but it's interesting. I think I like the fact that it's not EXACTLY the same as the other side. Imperfection gives it a "human" characteristic I think. Even though the "imperfection" is so slight that it took lowering the angle with stones I know are flat for the bevel to show the "imperfection" (for lack of a better word).
I mentioned Sal's comment because only an edge junkie would find this interesting or even notice it to begin with. :) I wonder if there are "grind junkies" out there who wouldn't care about the bevel but knowing the blade was approximately one half of one thousandth of an inch thinner at the edge in one place would drive them nuts? :D
sal wrote:
The edge is a woundrous thing. Ideally we would have a .00001 thick wire that would cut through anything, never break, never corrode and be adjustable for length. Unfortunately we have to "back up the thin wire" so we get caught up in "what will do that?"
Knife afi's are pretty far out, steel junky's more so, but "edge junky's" are just nuts. :p
sal
This was the original post and it was more of a reference to apex junkies I guess. Sharpening geeks which I am.
I will post a pick on here of my convex edge when I get a chance. I polished it and the blade up to 2500 with wet sandpaper to match so it just kind of blends together and the uneveness is less noticable.
-Darby
sal wrote:Knife afi's are pretty far out, steel junky's more so, but "edge junky's" are just nuts. :p
SpyderEdgeForever wrote:
Also, do you think a kangaroo would eat a bowl of spagetti with sauce if someone offered it to them?
The edge thickness of my Kiwi 4 is also slightly uneven, but is an even taper which doesn't really show. I had a suspicion, but it took a caliper to verify it.
ChrisinHove wrote:The edge thickness of my Kiwi 4 is also slightly uneven, but is an even taper which doesn't really show. I had a suspicion, but it took a caliper to verify it.
Yeah, the thickness difference is VERY small. The only reason it showed up so much on my knife to the naked eye is because I lowered the bevel angle. As the angle gets lower the difference in blade thickness is magnified making it LOOK worse than it actually is. I have no problem with any difference in the blade thickness on my knife. Believe it or not it still opens my mail. :D
