Angle testing ...

[old4570]

TwoSun TS09 D2 - Factory 100 / 180grit 200 / 800grit 150 / ground 250 @ 22 degrees ...

The TS09 D2 will be the first knife I explore the angle of the bevel with .
Yes , I know . The tighter the angle , the better the edge holding + cutting power ( slices better / easier )
But what are the numbers ?
I just finished my 60 grit testing .. And the results were positive !
So ....... Now I have to test the angle ..
For this I will use a known performance knife ...
And on the guided knife sharpener I put a 20 degree bevel / edge on the knife . We have some results @ 22 degrees to compare to .
Weather has been McNasty here , but the knife is ready hit the rope .
I will tighten the bevel till the edge rolls . Once the edge rolls , testing becomes pointless .


TwoSun TS09 D2 - Factory 100 / 180grit 200 / 800grit 150 / ground 250 @ 22 degrees ... Previous results @ 22 degrees ..

Edge was first hit with 320 grit diamond , then 600 grit diamond , then 1500 grit oxide and finally 5000 grit stone .
Edge was 20 degrees ..
I first detected a roll at 100 slices and at 150 slices the roll was bad enough call fail ! I guess we have a result ! And it's bad !
THis knife is truly disappointing ! ( For alleged D2 ) I guess this is where this story ends for this knife = Not !
Since I cant take it any further ... I guess there is only one thing to do ... A 60 grit grind !
But before that , the next knife is ready to hit the rope @ 20 degrees .

 

[old4570]

Sorry for being Tardy ! A graphics card has thrown me off my game - black screening on me !

Kershaw Highball XL D2 @ 20 degrees ...
Previously :
200 slices @ 22 degrees with a 220 grit wet stone ground edge
300 slices @ 22 degrees with a 60 grit wet ground edge

And now , with a 20 degree edge - started with 320 grit / 600 grit / 1500 grit / 5000 grit ......... 200 slices ...

Yeah , I just find it hard to be impressed with Kershaw .... ( This one )

 

[old4570]

Ok , Ka-Bar Dozier has just left the rope . And the edge did not roll .. As before . the edge just slowly faded away ( Which is what we like )
Previously @ 22 degrees ... The edge would fail at 150 slices .. Which is not so flash for D2 .
Now for this test the angle of the bevel was tightened to 20 degrees .
And this resulted in a two fifty fail . That's two hundred and fifty slices , or a one hundred slice increase for 2 degrees of angle .
Now that's a result with some meaning . This knife will now be given a 18 degree edge !
Video Soon .

 

[old4570]

TT @ 20 degrees
Tassie Tiger D2 at 20 degrees ..
Previously at 22 degrees , this knife did 450 slices .
Now at 20 degrees it has rolled the edge at 400 slices ..
A quick wood strop saw the edge slicing again .. So I guess there is some good and bad there .. But the edge rolled , could not sustain 20 degrees .
But the edge stropped back strong , so that's good ?
Video Soon .

 

[old4570]

Kershaw @ 18 degrees ...
Previously @ 20 degrees the Kershaw did 200 slices
Now at 18 degrees the Kershaw managed some 250 slices ..
That's a 50 slice increase for 2 degrees of angle tightening . Yes , disappointing blade steel !

Next up at 18 degrees is the Ka-Bar Dozier ...

 

[old4570]

Ka-Bar Dozier @ 18 degrees ,,

Alright , we started at 22 degrees for 150 slices
At 20 degrees we got 250 slices and at 18 degrees we have 300 slices .
These are not huge , massive increases like we got with the 60 grit edge .
Im ho humming going to 16 degrees . Just a matter of interest , there will be another round of 60 grit testing with disappointing knives .
And since we now have some data to play with for the Ka-Bar & Kershaw , I will 60 grit both knives for a comparison ..
So I might stop @ 18 degrees and just 60 grit both knives at 18 degrees for some comparison data . ( Which is better - Grit or angle ? or a Combo ? )
The angle has not made these disappointing knives amazing at all ..
I would hazard that a super steel might respond a lot better to angle variation ( ? ) , I guess .

 

[old4570]

Analyzing the Data ....
TwoSun TS09 D2 - Ok for some reason this knife was forming a False Edge .. Maybe because the steel is hard .. My 65HRC file skated over this blade ..
That's the only thing I can think of , the steel is so hard it forms a false edge ! ( ? ) The other TwoSun I was going to test is also hard .. Both knives are disappointing at edge retention .. Maybe because of a false edge ?
So both knives are a spanner in the works .. But both knives have been reground with the 60 grit wheel and will take part in a second round of 60 grit testing .

Kershaw Highball XL D2
A seriously disappointing knife for the money paid .
200 slices @ 22 degrees with a 220 grit wet stone ground edge
300 slices @ 22 degrees with a 60 grit wet ground edge
Whilst decent D2 knives are doing 400+ slices on the rope ... Yeah , 300 slices @ 22 degrees , ok that's a 50% increase over the 220 grit wet stone .
And using the guided knife sharpener , we got to 250 slices at 18 degrees . Not quite reaching the level of performance the 60 grit edge gave us .

Ka-Bar D2
Another seriously disappointing knife ..
This knife previously returned 150 slices at 22 degrees , not matter the method . ( @ 22 degrees ) No I did not try 60 grit !
At 20 degrees we got 250 slices and at 18 degrees we have 300 slices .
Going to 20 degrees gave us a very decent performance boost , but still short of decent D2 . And 18 degrees , whilst really nice at the rope ( slices well ) , we only saw a 50 slice increase to take us to 300 slices .

So I have two knives @ 18 degrees with some recorded performance data , so it might be time to put both knives to the 60 grit wheel and see what happens at the rope .

 

[old4570]

Where did we leave off !
Dozier D2 - 18 degrees - guided knife sharpener edge ! 300 slices ..
Now we have done 18 degrees & a 60 grit edge .... Can you guess ?
So , which is better ? Grit , or angle ? That is the 50c question ( It's a discounted question cos I'm asking it )
Five hundred and fifty slices with the 60 grit @ 18 degrees edge .
That is a 250 slice improvement on the guided knife sharpener edge .
On what I would call a disappointing knife . That 60 grit has really pulled the Dozier's proverbial out of the fire !

 

[old4570]

Kershaw Highball XL @ 18 degrees and 60 grit ..
Previously the edge rolled at 250 ( guided knife sharpener )
With the 18 degree / 60 grit edge it rolled again at 250 slices .. Well , at least it's consistent !
The Kershaw is in my own Humble opinion a OverPriced UnderPerforming Knife .. The one I own ! The one I have tested / over & over again .