Hey Winton - V11 on a Washita Stone Only

[David Weaver]

Winton - have you used that iron yet where you used two stones?

I've been experimenting the last week or two with V11 and a washita, and i started by burnishing the wire edge (the wire edge is tough!!) off with a jasper. Washita to japser, and then ensure the wire edge is off with a bare strop.

Today, I figured I'd just work the wire edge back and forth for 20 or 30 seconds and skip the jasper, and then check and ensure the wire edge was off by running across the bare strop (if it's not, the wire edge will leave lines on the strop, not damage, but visible lines).

I have to grind every two times I hone (the washita is at it's absolute limit sharpening the stuff after there's already a bevel there), but.....

Here's what I ended up with.

P1040232.jpgP1040234.jpg

The camera makes the shaving look thicker than it does without the flash.

Are you ready to switch to freehand with the washita??

I can hook you up!

[george wilson]

WHAT are you trying to show,David????

[Tony Zaffuto]

I think he's been imbiding this afternoon and showing us how he is now using BLO as a honing oil?

On a serious note David, when you reach a wire edge, experiment with it to see if it crumbles off, instead of the entire edge peeling off as a traditionally wrought material would. I have four PMV-11 blades at this time and am finding excellent results. One had a bit of a chip on a corner, but it ground out fine, with no lingering problems. I'm curious how this material would compare with HSS regarding bluing while grinding (I haven't tried that yet), but my questions arise from the particle composition possibly acting to keep bluing more localized.

[David Weaver]

I'm not sure how it behaves when it's hot. I have a pink wheel on my grinder, and generally if I feel the need to cool something, I drag it across my palm - that gives an idea of the level of heat that I usually have when grinding. When I was using a brown aluminum oxide wheel (only a step up from the gray ones), things may have gotten slightly hotter, but not much. The only thing I've blued intentionally is the muji iron.

I recall rob mentioning to observe A-2-ish type temperature considerations when grinding it. It reminds me, when grinding and sharpening, of some of the japanese stainless knife steels.

When I first sharpened it, I just raised a wire edge off of a fresh grind, a fairly big one, and tried to alternate front and back of the bevel lightly, and the wire edge was like rake teeth on the leather strop, it was tough. The jasper removed it with no damage. Today's fiddling (while the youngest kid was taking a nap, thus the limitation to fiddling) was to flip it over something more like 10 or 12 times instead of 2 and then by the time I did that, there wasn't much of anything left to mark the strop.

In terms of getting an organized wire edge, I always work the bevel and back lightly alternating after rolling up a burr, so I never really have an organized wire edge by the time I get to the strop. In my pea sized brain, I figure that i'll end up with a better edge if the wire edge's strength has been taken away from it. (plus I don't like big pieces of wire edge on my strop).

I didn't use BLO as a honing oil!!

I was using WD 40. I had the BLO can out because I decided to add a bit more to the jointer in an effort to protect it from dirty hands. It doesn't seem to take me long to make a plane dirty.

[David Weaver]

WHAT are you trying to show,David????

I'm giving winton some friendly harassment. I know he likes to use only the modern stones, and partake in practically the entire product line while sharpening each time.

(plus, I remember something about "getting by" with compromised goods).

I think I can get him on bevel down planes and freehand by the end of the year

[Mel Fulks]

Winton,come back, we need you to pick up on those "advise" "advice" things that the computer spell check just can't get
right. And in a LUCID post those things are important!

[Brian Holcombe]

Please advise because I need some advice.

[Jim Matthews]

And in a LUCID post those things are important!

You mean impotent.
"This word you keep saying. I do not think it means what you think it means."

[David Weaver]

I think I need a vice.

[Kees Heiden]

On a more serious note (HA HA HA), yesterday I have sharpened for the first time a plane blade on my oilstones. I am into carving at the moment and oilstones work a lot better with carving tools then these vulnerable waterstones. So when my #4 was a bit too dull, I just used the Washita and a translucent Arkansas. Bit of stropping and the edge was razor sharp again. Works a treat!

[David Weaver]

It's all in what you get used to, I guess. There wouldn't be so many arguments about sharpening if they didn't all work!

I don't have any interest in trying to convince people that they should sharpen V11 or very hard A2 with oilstones, but I do have interest in seeing if I can do it well enough that I'm not enticed to pull waterstones out of my drawers. As I timed this, it takes an extra 45 seconds or so to sharpen the V11 vs. carbon steel, you have to grind twice as often, and you have to be pretty heavy handed on a settled in oilstone to do it.

Grinding twice as often isn't a big deal when the bevel is thin, the iron gets a bit less warm on a smaller grind, anyway. And 45 seconds extra I can tolerate. I couldn't get my stones in and out that fast.

[Jim Koepke]

I'm not enticed to pull waterstones out of my drawers.

I'm not enticed to put them there in the first place.

It sounds like it would be rather uncomfortable and could make it difficult to walk.

jtk

[ken hatch]

I agree with David, there isn't much need for the mess and hassle of waterstones for PM-V11. I have been grinding PM-V11 on diamond and then the Hard Black Arkansas makes a good set up stone before final polishing on the Spyderco.

Personal preference and of course YMMV but I try to avoid A2 when possible and prefer high carbon steel. The PM-V11 may change my preferences a little.

[Jim Belair]

A bit of an aside: I've been a waterstone guy and probably will remain so. But thanks to threads here on SMC, while clearing out the basement of my family's home I recently was able to recognize and retrieve a Lily White that I'd previously passed over. Maybe another slippery slope.....

[Matthew N. Masail]

David, aren't you worried about the v11 dulling the abrasive on your washita more than carbon steel would? I have avoiding sharpening my a2 on the oil stones for fear of burnishing the stones. That happened when I sharpened a stainless knife on the soft ark. Not that I can't wake em up but I'd rather not have to.