Failed at sharpening emerson

[ThisGuy918]

Long story short I failed at sharpening my new (to me) Emerson CQC-10. I gave it my best but decided before I screw it up it's time to let a professional do it. Dang chisel grind is now my cryptonite and makes me want to buy a wicked edge. Oh well.
Anyone know someone who can sharpen local to me?(St. Mary's County) Or should I just send it in to emerson and have them do it?

 

[I do not know]

http://emersonknives.com/about-us/our-guarantee/ Emerson will sharpen it for $19 plus shipping. Chisel Grinds are a pain in general and I'm not a fan of them unless it's on an actual chisel. Especially because Emerson does not make chisel ground blades for food prep it seems to negate any benefit the grind might have. Good luck in getting it sharpened.

 

[Bluemax]

It's not hard, sharpen the angeled side until you feel a burr on the flat side (keeping the same angle as the factory cut), then lay the blade flat on the stone on the flat side and make 1-2 passes. strop on cardboard and your done. I have done all my emerson's with no problem.

 

[ThisGuy918]

Yeah for some reason that hasn't worked for me bluemax. No idea why. I think emerson sharpens knives for free as long as they are unaltered.

 

[NickZac]

Are you using a SharpMaker? A chisel grind isn't hard to sharpen...it just takes slightly different technique and specific tools. On many sharpening systems it is a nightmare. But not all. The SharpMaker is the easiest and most versatile of sharpening systems to use (unless you want to pony up the cash for the EdgePro).

Emerson uses 154CM which is also pretty easy steel to sharpen with a SM with a little practice.

 

[ThisGuy918]

I normally use stones or a lansky system plus a strop. This is my first encounter with a chisel grind. I thought about getting a SM but was on the fence. After watching a few videos I think I will order one and give it a try.

 

[NickZac]

The SharpMaker is a HUGE upgrade over the Lansky Systems, IMHO. I dont personally think anything near its price range is comparable, and I don't think anything exists at all that is as good for sharpening serrations. You can do so much more with the SM and do it so much faster and generally get much better results. For 154, the included Medium and Fine stones are all you will need to get to a razor sharp edge...you can even reprofile 154 if need be using the Medium stones. If you are looking for that straight razor 'scary sharp' edge, the Ultra Fine stones + a 2 stage stropping in which stage 1 is used with a paste and stage 2 is with a bare strop will push the edge further. Short of polishing tapes on the EP, that is about as sharp as you can get and you will quickly get to a point in which factory knives then seem dull.

While chisel grinds generally perform poorly for heavier cutting, their geometry makes them capable of getting to a stupidly sharp edge than many other grinds just can't reach.

 

[ThisGuy918]

Yeah I'm pretty excited. Maybe next year some time I will upgrade, but with the holidays right around the corner I needed a cheaper, but still effective, solution.

 

[NickZac]

I think you will find with the SharpMaker you will be able to get the results you hoped for and probably results that greatly exceed your expectations...I own angled sharpeners, flat stones, water stones, mechanical, and guided-angle products from Smith's, Lansky, Edge, AccuSharp, Benchmade, and others. Nothing is close to the SharpMaker*, IMO. The Med and Fine stones included with the SM do more than the 7-stone Lansky system and the standard Fine rods on the SharpMaker will hone an edge sharper than the 1,000 grit on the Lansky systems...the UF rods go a step further than that. It's arguably the gold standard of sharpening.
http://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Tri-...KHE/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?showViewpoints=1


*intentionally not including the Wicked Edge and EdgePro because while they are probably as serious as sharpening gets, the $250-600 MSRP means that if one isn't a complete knife nut that these products are probably not what most buyers will consider.

 

[ThisGuy918]

Yeah I ordered one on amazon last week and then a day later saw one at the gun show. Kinda kicked myself. Oh well. I can't wait to give this thing a whirl.

 

[ThisGuy918]

Received my sharpmaker yesterday. I am seriously impressed with the results. I think I am going to order the diamond and ultrafine rods to go with it.

 

[NickZac]

Glad to hear it is working well!

You may also find it useful for sharpening scissors, tweezers, lawnmower blades, blender/food processor blades, yard and garden tools, fishing hooks, scribers, letter openers, etc. The groove on the triangle rods make it really easy to do all sorts of things with it.

If you add the UltraFines, I think you will get to a point in which the factory edge from Emerson seems almost dull compared to what you can do with it...in many cases, the UF can replace a strop. Chisel grinds especially take a super, super, super sharp edge. Especially if you are doing the method of three stokes-one stroke-three strokes-one stroke (with 3 on angled side and 1 on flat side), the UF rods will work nicely to give the final hone which is where that 'screaming sharp' edge comes from (i.e. sharp enough that if you run it up your arm, the blade 'pops' hairs and they shoot up almost vertically).

To do the finishing honing, take one of the UF rods and stand it on a 90 degree angle. Then, on an angle slightly greater than what you are sharpening your edge on, take 10-15 super light passes in which only the outer portion of the edge only slightly touches one of the angled edges of the rod. Light is the most important part here...heavy passes will be counterproductive. This will remove any remaining burr (the burr is the top cause people do not get results they want and edges wear faster than they should), re-align the edge, and give it the full 'microserrations' so the edge now has a razor hone but with good 'bite'. You can strop from here but you likely will not feel a need to and you may find you prefer the 'bite' this type of finish provides. Doing this last step will result in much longer edge retention through the process of alignment, it will help prevent edge damage that comes from a 'false burr', and it should be the go-to for minor edge touchup. With kitchen knives this step has an even more dramatic outcome.

Now since you have the SM, you can also avoid ever having to use the diamond or medium stones if you periodically realign the edge with the strop or UF stones...this is a huge advantage because more coarse stones remove a lot of metal where as the UF removes almost none (and you will now always have a razor sharp cutting tool at all times ). If the edge is a good bit dulled, first start with the Fine rods to see if that is sufficient...if so, no reason to use more coarse rods and unnecessarily remove metal. The diamond rods for the SM are great at cutting and for reprofiling they make sharpening so much easier...with that said, they remove a lot of metal, tend to wear quick like most diamond products, and so its usage should be for the most damaged of edges or if you want to reset an edge at a different-than-factory-angle, IMHO. It is also worth noting the diamond rods are great for ceramic blades.

You may also find this thread helpful (although it applies more to Emersons with strong recurves)...the chisel grind can also be sharpened by placing both stones in the bottom grooves for guided free-hand. I've used STR's method and I think it works super well...but the method Sal shows in the video also works super well too. You may find one way you like the most.
http://www.spyderco.com/forums/showthread.php?33333-Sharpmaker-and-Chisel-Grind

Another sharpening cheat is to mark the edge with a Sharpie so you can ensure you are getting a sharpening angle that is making contact with the entire edge and avoiding the buildup of a false edge. You want to ensure your strokes remove the sharpie from the entire edge of the knife...and if it is not, adjust your angle of sharpening accordingly. If it helps, most knives are sharpened on the 40 degree angle as their edges are usually 18-22 degrees...but IIRC with the Emerson, some knives have thinner edges and they do vary. So the Sharpie test will help determine the best angle/methods.

Also, be sure not to use "honing oil" with the SM (or any sharpener)...why oil is so popular I do not know, but it ruins stones over time. Water with a small amount of dish soap is a much better choice if you want to do wet sharpening (note that the SM does NOT require this and unlike most other products, it works perfectly fine when dry). For heavier cleaning, I often use a wading cloth with a light abrasive like Nevr'Dull. Comet and Bar Keeper's Friend work well too and only a small amount is needed...but water and dish soap in and of themselves clean well. Silicone dioxide is probably the best tho for heavier cleaning and it can be used to 'reflatten' the stones. I won'd go into too many details on reflattening because you have to use the SM a TON before needing to do this...

Sorry for the long response...I could discuss knives and sharpening all day. Hope this helps!

 

[ThisGuy918]

Good post. Lots of good info.