Paper wheel sharpening

[Clip]

I've just recently learned about paper wheel sharpening from the Wicked Edge vs Edge Pro thread, and I'd like to hear more about it from the people who use this equipment/technique.

Anyone have info, stories, pictures of their setup or edges done with paper wheels?

[bonesmalones]

Yeah me too. It sounds encouraging and looks to be less expensive than the other systems mentioned.

[tonydahose]

try the search, here is one thread i started awhile back. i love the wheels, it only takes 20-30 seconds to get a knife super sharp.

http://www.spyderco.com/forums/showt...t=paper+wheels


edit: there is a super long thread on these wheels over at BF as well.

[rodloos]

I've seen all kinds of reports of obtaining fantastic edges with paper wheels. For me at least, there is a bit of a learning curve. I don't think I'm steady enough with my hand or something to get consistent results -I think it does get the knives sharp, but my grind-lines are uneven. Might be possible to improve that with a jig or something.

That and the fact that I keep it on my workbench in the crowded garage, so I'm more likely to sit in front of the TV with the Sharpmaker on a footstool in front of me . I need to practice more with the paper wheels, since my knife collection is growing to the point it takes awhile to touch them all up .

[Evil D]

I've seen all kinds of reports of obtaining fantastic edges with paper wheels. For me at least, there is a bit of a learning curve. I don't think I'm steady enough with my hand or something to get consistent results -I think it does get the knives sharp, but my grind-lines are uneven. Might be possible to improve that with a jig or something.

That and the fact that I keep it on my workbench in the crowded garage, so I'm more likely to sit in front of the TV with the Sharpmaker on a footstool in front of me . I need to practice more with the paper wheels, since my knife collection is growing to the point it takes awhile to touch them all up .

This has always been my fear of them, and i have a lot of experience on a grinder so i think i have a pretty steady hand. I do wanna look into a small belt sander with a leather strap for stropping though.

[Switchback]

I've been using Paper Wheels exclusively for about three years or so. It took me longer than most people to get the hang of it and I'm still learning. My problem was/is much the same as rodloos's. I can get my knives sharp, no doubt about it, but I am striving for the perfect looking edge. I get lucky sometimes and produce an edge that I'm quite proud of but doing it consistently is tricky for me.

The thing I like the most about the wheels is the time they save me. I can go from dull to scary sharp in about the same time as an average commercial break on television. That far outweighs the fact that my edges don't always look perfect.

Here's a couple of pics of my very simple set up. I turned the base of the buffer around so that the on/off switch is at my fingertips and the wheels spin away from me.





They aren't for everybody but I like the wheels so much that I doubt if I will ever even try another sharpening device.

[Simple Man]

I've got the same setup as Switchback's, flipped around and everything. Awesome results, quickly. I did work my way up to it though over the years, (Freehand sharpening w/ stones > sandpaper and mousepad > stropping > 1X30 beltsander > paperwheels) so it came pretty naturally.

[Clip]

Thanks for the information! I'll probably pick up a buffer from HF, but where did everyone purchase their paper wheels/compounds?

[tonydahose]

i have that same buffer from harbor freight and the cheapest place to get the wheels is grizzly tools online.

[Switchback]

Thanks for the information! I'll probably pick up a buffer from HF, but where did everyone purchase their paper wheels/compounds?

I got mine from Grizzly. The buffer in my pics above was purchased from HF. Total cost with shipping for both products was $98 and some change.

Edit: Looks like Tony beat me to it.

[dsmegst]

I've been using paper wheels for a few years now. It took me several hours of practice on old hacksaw blades and cheap throw-away knives to get decent looking results. It's all about establishing consistent muscle memory and the process that works for you. My first few tries resulted in ugly and uneven edges. But I was warned about that and things got better quickly. I brace my upper arm against my body and lock the elbows/wrists and slowly make even passes. You'll quickly get the hang of it.

The kit comes with white compound that's good enough for everything. You can go super fine and get highly polished edges but the edge will lose bite. I just stick with the white compound now. I think the toughest part of the process is dealing with burrs but that's true in any sharpening system. It's probably the quickest way to get a good edge and a little extra care will give you great edges.