# Not getting a burr while sharpening...



## SuperChef (Dec 23, 2013)

Hello all.
I am sharpening my knife on a king 1000\6000 stone..while im on 1000 sharpening im not getting any burr at all...what can be the problem???


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## Ruso (Dec 23, 2013)

You are not hitting the edge, try to raise the angle little bit; try using magic marker trick

Also you might not making enough passes aka more time on the stone....


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## brainsausage (Dec 23, 2013)

Could be a lot of things. What kind of knife are you sharpening? Any choil pics?


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## SuperChef (Dec 23, 2013)

yaxell ran 8" and im doing with a guide rail...


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## Pensacola Tiger (Dec 23, 2013)

SuperChef said:


> yaxell ran 8" and im doing with a guide rail...



The Yaxell Ran knives are VG-10 core damascus, on a par with Shun and Hattori HD knives, so there should be no problem sharpening it. Many report that the burr is tenacious, but I've not had that experience. 

"Guide rail"? Do you mean a guide that clips to the spine? That could be part of the problem, as the guide is a "one size, fits nothing well" device. The angle it provides depends on the width of the blade, so it's probable that you have not yet hit the edge, especially if you are sharpening the OOTB edge. If you are hitting the edge, you should be raising a burr. Use a magic marker to paint the edge and examine it with a loupe after you've taken a few strokes on the stones.


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## icanhaschzbrgr (Dec 23, 2013)

And make sure you apply enough pressure just behind the edge while sharpening.


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## SuperChef (Dec 23, 2013)

Pensacola Tiger said:


> The Yaxell Ran knives are VG-10 core damascus, on a par with Shun and Hattori HD knives, so there should be no problem sharpening it. Many report that the burr is tenacious, but I've not had that experience.
> 
> "Guide rail"? Do you mean a guide that clips to the spine? That could be part of the problem, as the guide is a "one size, fits nothing well" device. The angle it provides depends on the width of the blade, so it's probable that you have not yet hit the edge, especially if you are sharpening the OOTB edge. If you are hitting the edge, you should be raising a burr. Use a magic marker to paint the edge and examine it with a loupe after you've taken a few strokes on the stones.



The guide says its 15 degrees...i need to learn how to free hand sharp


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## zitangy (Dec 23, 2013)

My views...
1) the 2 planes/ angles have not met yet. Once they meet and have exceeded the meeting point.. a burr will form. I wld keep on abrading steel with a coarser stone 9 say 400 grit since it is taking too long; wch you shld have assessed before you start the steel removal process and started with the appropriate grit. As stated above, if your angle is too low it will take a longer time to have the edge meet.. Thus in this case, I wills tart on a higher angle adn when they meet, I will drop to lower angles on both sides.

a) IF teh edge feels "bitey" on the fingers ( like when you shave, you feel the edge digging into the skin gently) it means that teh edge is still there and not much steel removal wld be required.. just a maintenance work wld suffice... Remove the folded edge adn you shld be done.

b) IF teh edge has really gone adn is rounded.. you will feel no edge and serious steel removal wld be required adn hence a coarser stone wld be the starting stone.

c) The in between .. when it is still bitey but not that bitey... then more strokes wld be required.

When I run into problematic knives... I always fall back on this 2 thoughts...

a) When 2 angles / planes meet .. it will be sharp
b) how sharp it is.. depends on how thin the edge is..

Do what it takes , apply the relevant strokes, angles, pressure and choice of grit stones to reach this two objectives fast...

have fun and good luck....

Rgds
d


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## tk59 (Dec 23, 2013)

You're clearly not hitting the edge. If you want to stick with that angle, then just continue grinding away until you feel the edge just start to fold over on the opposite side from the one you're grinding, then switch sides and repeat. If you want to keep the stock angle, you're going to have to freehand it. To do that, use the magic marker trick and go slow and steady, making sure you hit the entire edge. You should feel the edge fold over after just a few strokes.


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## Benuser (Dec 23, 2013)

IIRC, the original edge has undergone a few months of sustained steeling. As far as anything is left of that original edge it is rounded. I would suggest building a relief bevel at a few degrees with a coarse stone or sandpaper before even thinking about the final edge. The good news though is that VG-10 is not particulary abrasion resistant.


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## Keith Sinclair (Dec 23, 2013)

I say chuck the angle guide,work on steady spine & finger pad pressure just behind the edge.If you have no burr your edges not meeting yet.Once you get the edges thinned they will meet,try to go for an even burr heel to tip.Practice makes perfect.

VG-10 steel is not that hard to sharpen.


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## cazhpfan (Dec 23, 2013)

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but how would you compare VG-10's ease of sharpening with, for example, blue steel?



keithsaltydog said:


> I say chuck the angle guide,work on steady spine & finger pad pressure just behind the edge.If you have no burr your edges not meeting yet.Once you get the edges thinned they will meet,try to go for an even burr heel to tip.Practice makes perfect.
> 
> VG-10 steel is not that hard to sharpen.


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## Keith Sinclair (Dec 23, 2013)

In my experience as a rule carbon white or blue is easier to sharpen than stainless.Some stainless like,VG-10,AEB-L,with a thin behind the edge geometry,you can get a burr rather quickly wt. good tech.Burr removal is a lite touch either carbon or stainless.

It may seem simplistic to say,creating a even burr heel to tip,and removing it without rounding your sharp edge are major.
With stone lite sweep across esp wt. carbons can take off the burr.For me most stainless stone burr removal is less effective.
Like to use newspaper or leather to deburr the stainless edge.Some use felt pads.

The Japanese have a # of tech for removing burr on carbon assem. and single bevel blades on polishing stones.

One difference between sharpening Carbon & a polished stainless VG-10 blade is I can sharpen the carbon much faster as the steel grabs the stone.With stainless movement is a little slower because your fingers can slip on the slick surface.

I have to sharpen alot of what I call junk stainless.VG-10 & AEB-L are much easier to raise a burr & achieve a sharp edge.


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## mikemac (Dec 25, 2013)

A lot of good suggestions, AND the first thing I'd suggest is to add the Magic Marker trick and see where you ARE hitting....also, FWIW, I've had 2 King combo stones, and for me, on both of them, the 6000 felt more like a 1k so make sure you're starting on the correct side (both of mine the 1k is brick red color)



SuperChef said:


> yaxell ran 8" and im doing with a guide rail...


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## cazhpfan (Dec 26, 2013)

Thank you, sir!



keithsaltydog said:


> In my experience as a rule carbon white or blue is easier to sharpen than stainless.Some stainless like,VG-10,AEB-L,with a thin behind the edge geometry,you can get a burr rather quickly wt. good tech.Burr removal is a lite touch either carbon or stainless.
> 
> It may seem simplistic to say,creating a even burr heel to tip,and removing it without rounding your sharp edge are major.
> With stone lite sweep across esp wt. carbons can take off the burr.For me most stainless stone burr removal is less effective.
> ...


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