Beiträge von kwakster

These Rubber Wheels cost a little under 70,00 Euro a piece, possible shipping not included.
And they are well worth it in my opinion, especially when you consider how long they supposedly last (many years with regular use)

There is only heat build-up if you bear down on the blade during sharpening.
If you use a light touch and let the wheels do the work the edge gets about lukewarm at max, sometimes not even that.
I've also tested them using pressure, and then the edges can get hot (that's why i always keep a bucket of cold water nearby for dunking)
But i never had an edge discolour to brown, let alone blue.

I've used the Rubber Wheels already quite a few times on various Busse blades which really get a workout, and according to at least one owner the edges last a long time.

The Rubber Wheels use aluminium oxide or silicon carbide grit completely mixed through the rubber, not just a shallow coating on the surface which would need renewal from time to time.
Especially the silicon carbide cuts all kinds of carbides in hardwearing PM steels very cleanly, sharpening S30V for instance is quick & easy with the Wheels.

Since a few months i've been experimenting with a new way of knife sharpening (to me); natural rubber discs filled with loose grit, used on a simple benchgrinder.
The standard grit type used in the discs is aluminium oxide, but silicon carbide is also available and that was used in my discs, or Rubber Wheels as i call them.

Each Wheel is custom made so you can also specify diameter, width, and axle thickness plus you have a choice from 2 different grades of rubber: medium hard type R.O.K. (colored red) or the softer type P.O.L. (colored grey)
The difference lies in the amount of "give" the surface of the Wheel has, which normally translates into narrower or wider edge bevels (although with some practice it is possible do both with each).
Because the larger part of my sharpening jobs are kitchen knives & tactical folders which normally have more narrow edges i first chose the type R.O.K. discs to test.

Also: since my old fast 3000 t.p.m. benchgrinder had been slowly dying from wear, this was a good opportunity to buy a new machine, and this time i opted for the slower 1400/1700 t.p.m. Creusen type DS7500TS, as this would be the perfect partner for the 20 cm Wheels which i wanted to use.
The smaller diameter discs however can handle higher speeds:

Diameter 20 cm: max. 2400 tpm
Diameter 17,5 cm: max. 2800/3000 tpm
Diameter 15,0 cm: max. 3200 tpm

After some chatting with Dick (the man who makes & sells the Rubber Wheels) i opted for 2 Wheels in 20 cm diameter with a width of 2,0 cm each, one filled with grit 60 grains & one filled with grit 180 grains.
At first both sounded way too coarse for my uses, but Dick told me not to worry.
The SiC grains are completely embedded in the rubber and come only gradually to the surface during sharpening, and because that surface also has some "give" the sharpening results would be much more smooth and even than expected.
Also the heat build-up is kept within safe limits, provided you do not use too much pressure while sharpening.
The Wheels give the best results if you let them do the work while you only use a light touch, but to be on the safe side i still keep a bucket of cold water nearby.

These are a few pics of the workplace where i do my sharpening.
In the back you can see my Tormek T7 wetgrinder (which i mainly use for serious reprofiling), and to the right is my new Creusen benchgrinder (set up backwards) with the Rubber Wheels (right is grit 60, left is grit 180):

Pictured separately:

Here are some pictures of edges created by the Rubber Wheels, first a Zero Tolerance 302 in CPM-S30V from a Dutch forum member. (sadly my cheap camera doesn't show too much detail).
The factory edge was reprofiled and sharpened to between 30 & 35 degrees inclusive with just the grit 60 Wheel, after which the burr was removed with 3 micron diamond paste on the leather wheel of the Tormek:

A Zero Tolerance 0200 in 154CM steel from the same forum member, also reprofiled and sharpened to between 30 & 35 degrees inclusive with just the grit 60 Wheel, after which the burr was removed with 3 micron diamond paste on the leather wheel of the Tormek.
If you click 2 x on the second picture you can see the scratch pattern as well as a vague reflection of the camera housing.

A Spyderco Manix 2 in CTS-XHP steel, also from a forum member.
Reprofiled & thinned to about 30 degrees inclusive with just the grit 60 Wheel, after which the burr was removed with 3 micron diamond paste on the leather wheel of the Tormek.
If you click 2 x on the second picture you can see the scratch pattern, which in my opinion comes quite close to the original factory edge (be it a little convex)

This is one of my own knives (also a Spyderco Manix 2 with CTS-XHP steel), reprofiled & sharpened using only the 180 grit Rubber Wheel.
The resulting edge is about 25 degrees inclusive.

Summary:

When you want to sharpen knives on a regular basis you can now do that fast & economically on a simple benchgrinder you probably already own.
Since the Rubber Wheels are custom made they can be ordered to fit practically any existing benchgrinder and from what i've found will probably give you many years of service per Wheel since they wear only very, very slowly.
The scratch pattern from both 60 and 180 grit Wheels maybe far away from a high polish (for that you really need Wheels with finer grits), but the resulting edges are without exception very sharp (easily shaving in both directions and sometimes even hairwhittling), have quite a lot of bite, and according to various forum members & Chefs for whom i sharpen the edges also stay sharp for quite some time in use.

Dick's website could use an update or two imo, but if you call or mail him he will see to it that you get what you need.

Rubber Industrie Emma Irene from owner/maker Dick Cornelissen de Beer
Website: http://www.shinox.nl
Phone number: +31575 - 570808 (the Netherlands)

Just for the heck of it: a photo comparison between the Strider SMF & the Spyderco Tuff, complete with measurements taken with a digital caliper.

Specs Strider SMF:

Length open: 22,7 cm
Length closed: 13,2 cm
Blade length: 9,8 cm
Actual edge length: 8,0 cm
Blade thickness: 4,79 mm
Steel: CPM-S30V stainless steel
Hardness: +/- 60 HRC
Handle material: Titanium & G-10 scale with integral backspacer
Locktype: titanium framelock without insert (titanium on hardened steel)
Stabilizer: Yes, a Hinderer lockbar stabilizer/over extender safety
Lockbar thickness: 4,0 mm
Length of the lockbar from lockface to cut-out: 6,0 cm
Thickness of the titanium lockbar at the cut-out: 0,99 mm
Weight: 177 grams

Specs Spyderco Tuff:

Length open: 22,5 cm
Length closed: 13,0 cm
Blade length: 9,5 cm
Actual edge length: 7,9 cm
Blade thickness: 3,99 mm
Steel: CPM-3V non-stainless tool steel
Hardness: +/- 60 HRC
Handle material: Titanium & G-10 scale on steel liner
Locktype: titanium framelock with hardened steel insert ( hardened steel on hardened steel)
Stabilizer: Yes, the hardened steel lockbar insert doubles as a stabilizer/over extender safety
Lockbar thickness: 3,45 mm
Length of the lockbar from lockface to cut-out: 3,4 cm
Thickness of the titanium lockbar at the cut-out: 1,35 mm
Weight: 178 grams

Zitat von meluvdablades

that wire-cut choil is nice 2, got the idea from ZT 121?

That cut-out sharpening choil was a necessity to be able to reprofile the edge all the way, otherwise there would have been an ugly groove just before the ricasso from where the grinding stone stopped.
Maybe later i will make that cut-out a bit deeper, don't know yet.

Recently i bought this basically new DB-L from a Dutch forum member, but when i got it i immediately felt the urge to pimp it a little.
In it's original shape this model is a compact prytool on which only the straight edge can cut a little; the slanted edge is left blunt on purpose.
It maybe a handy tool if you have work for it, but as a knife it's quite useless.

Well, not anymore.
Now this DB-L is capable of cutting with both edges, and it will still function as a prytool in an emergency.

List of mods:

- The straight edge was thinned out to a razorsharp 30 degrees inclusive edge angle on my watercooled Tormek T7 fitted with silicium carbide stone.
Just stropped off the burr on the leather wheel loaded with some 3 micron diamond compound for a toothy edge with lots of bite.
- the slanted "edge" was thinned out to a 40 degrees inclusive zero edge on the Wicked Edge sharpener, after which i polished it just a little (there are still visible scratches)
- The original tan grips were replaced by Monkey Edge Frag Grips in Battleship Gray
- The blade surface was made smoother with a little rubber sanding block, which reduces the friction while cutting and also lessens the chance of corrosion.
The surface is now also much less susceptible to scratching & wear marks, plus it produces something of a "ghost finish" which i happen to like.

Specs:

Overall length: 20,9 cm
Blade length: 9,7 cm
Blade thickness: 6,25 mm
Steel: S30V stainless
Hardness: +/- 60 HRC
Handle material: G10

Christian hat mich schon gefragt uber die Deutsche Bestellungen, und ich hatte bis jetzt keine Ahnung,

Zitat von Sharpix

Very nice, clean Edge!!! Can i make a polished Edge like this, with a Lansky Sharpener? The Construction is the same, right? Or is the Wicked Edge different?

sorry for my crappy English.

Maybe, i don't know.
Although personally i have never worked with a Lansky sharpener i know people who get quite good results with one, but i think the Wicked Edge sharpener is the better product that will also deliver better results.
Main problem is that it's much more expensive than a Lansky, especially if you want all the extra stones & strops (which i don't have)

This is my latest acquisition, a Vintage Puma 3588 Waidblatt made in 1982 (serial number: 27282) in unused mint condition.
Complete with wooden box & original booklets, even the Rockwell sticker is still on the blade.

Specs:

Overall length: 13.1 inch (33,2 cm)
Blade length: 8.5 inch (21,7 cm)
Blade thickness: 0.3 inch (7,5 mm)
Steel: Carbon steel
Handle material: Sambar Stag with inlayed real silver monogram shield
Handle length including nickelsilver guard & pommel: 4.5 inch (11,5 cm)
Weight without sheath: 582 grams
Sheath: Leather

Just put the knife back together again.
All screws now have a layer of white teflontape, and Nano-Oil was used for the lubrication of the pivot axle.

@ Kanif: the thinnest portion of the lock-cutout measures 1,1 mm

Zitat von Cabra

Just a question: before you start the project, did you think about a sabre grind and convex edge? Pure curiosity.

I'm not sure i understand what you mean; from itself the knife has a sabre-hollow grind, and i plan to keep the current V-edge sharp with a diamond paste loaded leather strop, which will create a small convex microbevel fairly quickly.
This will boost edge strength tremendously while at the same time keep the main bevel nice & thin as to cut fairly well for such a thick blade, better than a complete convex edge.
Personally i don't really like complete convex edges on folders and smaller blades, only on larger fixed blades meant for chopping.

Done with 3 micron (8000 grit) diamond polishing paste;

Currently busy with 3 micron diamond polishing paste (8000 grit) on the backside of the earlier used wet & dry paper; slowly but surely we're getting somewhere,

After 6 micron (3000 grit) diamond polishing paste on the backside of the earlier used wet & dry paper;

After the 2000 grit wet & dry paper taped to the stones;

After the 1500 grit wet & dry paper taped to the stones;

Here is my Wicked Edge set-up, screwed on to an old wooden cutting board with rubber feet instead of a granite slab.
Currently taped to the stones is cut to size 1500 grit Silicium Carbide (SiC) wet & dry paper.
I only use SiC paper because it cuts every kind of carbide in the steel cleanly, and when it's time for the diamond compounds i apply this to the backside of the used pieces of wet & dry paper, which are then taped to the stones again.
Useful stuff i tell you,

After the 1200 grit wet & dry paper taped to the stones;

After the 1000 grit wet & dry paper taped to the stones;

This is a shot of the actual edge angle this blade is going to get;

There is a small difference in bevel width between both sides of the blade, but i think that has got to do with these blades not being made with the use of CNC equipment.

These two pictures showcase the reason why i had to remove metal behind the actual edge.
The black lines show the beginning of the ramp from the hollow grind part to the full thickness of the blade , which as you can see is different on both sides of the blade.
Reprofiling to around 30 degrees inclusive with the Wicked Edge sharpener wouldn't have been possible without first removing quite a bit of metal in that region.
As soon as i have finished the edge i hope to get both sides more even with the help of a small diamond file.

Zitat von master747

Looks really nice and constant but why did you also sharpen the choil?

gruß

The hollow grinding on both sides of the blade already starts to thicken before the heel of the edge is reached, so i had to remove metal there to accomodate for the diamond paddles to be able to reprofile the actual edge to 30 degrees inclusive, and i had to remove more metal in the back to even things out.
Otherwise the would have been a big gap.
It's pure necessity and i don't like it any more than you do.