Burr problem

[LONE WOLF]

While sharpening my knives today I noticed I am constantly getting a burr. I will sharpen at a 30 degree angle on my sharpmaker till it feels seems polished at the edge and there is no glare. Then if a burr is present I would use the 40 degree setting. Well Even that hasent gotten rid of it. I wouldent feel it, but when I would go to cut something, after a few cuts, I could feel it. I would then resharpen (or, more aproprietly, relign :denial: ) it would straighten back. When it was stratened back I would look at the edge under a flashlight and it looked like a miror polished edge with a small (about the width of a human hair) wire laid on it. I have tried going to Alumina Ceramic higher angles, Arkansas stones freehanded at higher angles, stropping on leather (uncharged leather), slicing into softwood, slicing into hard wood, and running it through a "V" style ceramic sharpener. Nothing works.


Any ideas?

[Mike Stewart]

What Knife are you trying to sharpen?

Could it be too soft?

The leather should take it off.

How about a smooth brass rod--Like a Gun cleaning Rod.

Mike.......................

[LONE WOLF]

Buck 420HC. By using a brass rod, should I use it like a steel, or is there another way?

[Mike Stewart]

Pull the knife along the rod--away from the sharp edge. You should be at about a 30 degree angle. This should break off all trace of the burr.

Do it only once on each side and then check for the burr. Repeat if necessary but only one stroke on each side at a time.

Mike...........................

[LONE WOLF]

30 degrees on both sides, or 15 on both for a 30 included?

[Mike Stewart]

Try 15 and see what happens.

if it is not coming off--increase the angle.

Mike.......................

[TOB9595]

This is pretty interesting.
As you know, Robert, the burr is exactly what you want to get when sharpening.
I remove burrs by stropping on cardboard or leather, even jeans. Stropping by drawing the edge away or the spine leading. Oposite of sharpening with the edge leading the way.

I don't think I have any 420 steel. That I remember anyway.....
Did the brass rods work?
They should have or is the steel not hardened properly and is actually rolling after cutting? 420 is not a high end steel, I believe....Is this contributing to Robert's problem?
MIKE Stewart should have a thought on this.
Mike?
:)
Tom

[Matt Cucchiara]

I use my buffing wheel with white compound takes exactly two light swipes on each side. Try your leather strop with green compound.

[Mike Stewart]

I agree with Matt but robert said that his strop didn't take it off. I would lean toward the 420 being too soft OR too thin on the edge spine.

You can make a decent knife out of 420 BUT--Not a fine edged cutter. As you thin out the edge spine you lose any good qualities of that steel.

I have made razor sharp choppers out of 420 and they are fine performers for a low carbon steel. The trick is to have a heavy edge spine. As you thin the edge spine you will exceed the elastic deforamtion of the crystal structure and go right into plastic deformation--Edge crumbles with the slightest side pressure.

A perfect example is those really cheap knives that you actually can't sharpen. You just have them burr up--one side--then the other--The blade just gets smaller--never sharp--the burr just is one one side and the other.

I remember those coming in from pakistan in the early 80's. The price for a case of 144 was $50.00. They were a knock- off of the buck 110. They were a laugh--they just looked like a knife. You could not put an edge on them.

Mike..............................

[LONE WOLF]

I am going to try the brass rod on the bucks. I got back from camden at 6 logged on for a few minutes and went to bad. I have to clean the stones for use on my bucks (I have a sort of frankenstien edge from my previous attempts at burr removal) reprofile, and then try the brass rod trick. Before I left this morning, I tried it on my Endura (VG-10) and it worked very well within 4 passes. I guess it might take a few more passes for the 420 blades. The 420 is heat treated by Paul Bos. to around rc 57, at least according to the packaging. Hold on and I'll get a link. Both are post 02 made.

[Drivetech]

On my 420HC Bucks, I just make progressively lighter strokes with my stone, then give them a good stropping and that does the trick. The lighter strokes seem to make a big difference.

I do like the brass rod idea. Also, I've used a carbide punch from a progressive stamping die and that made a real nice burnisher.

[LONE WOLF]

Well, I used the brass rod to remove most of the burr, then I stropped it on the inside of my belt. It worked very well. Before I had just used a small honing stone case as a strop., this time I atached my belt to the arm of my computer chair, held the other end in my left hand and stropped it from heal to tip on it. This seemed to work for both the 110 and 119. The rod did most the work, but the belt did some, and polished the edge very well.

[TOB9595]

And how is it after cutting something?

I've been avoiding the Buck Strider 889? cause of the 420 steel.
Tom

[LONE WOLF]

havent cut much with the 119 but I have used the 110 for everday stuff (Whittling, opening mail/packages, killing sentrys. Well maybe not that last one;) ) And have found it holds up well. Obviosly not as good as VG-10 or even 440c, it is still 100% better than aus-6 and 420J2. What use did you plan to use the buck strider for?