Good bunch of questions, Cliff. I will answer each question one-by-one.
Post by s***@physics.mun.caSteve for the v-sharp what is the maximum knife thickness which will fit
inthe sharpener.
The frame gap is the limiting factor, and it is 5 mm, less than 1/4 inch.
Did you notice and difference in the tendency to produce a
Post by s***@physics.mun.caburred or wire edge compared to similar srock sticks.
Since the burr, once produced, is immediately wiped off by the other
hone, it is hard to detect. However, once a blade is sharp, a small
burr is detectable.
In theory the v-sharp
Post by s***@physics.mun.cashould be superior as it hits both sides of the edge at the same time, but I
would wonder how significant of an advatnage this is in use.
Both sides at once is a crock, pardon the pun. The two hones strike the
edge about 1/4 in. apart, so it is always one then the other, and the
far hone can never reach the bolster. For that matter, the near hone
also misses the bolster by about 1/4 in., and the far hone leaves 1/2
in. unsharpened.
The stroke is only about 3 in., so it is not well suited to extremely
large knives.
Post by s***@physics.mun.caAlong those lines how much more functional would you rate this for a novice
than a simple set of crock sticks.
The V-Sharp is somewhat easier to use if you don't want to change the
angle or hone. Crock sticks are more versatile, especially if they have
two or more different grits, and the SharpMaker is even more versatile
with triangular rods and three grits available.
Did you try it with some very soft and
Post by s***@physics.mun.cahard steels (45-65 HRC), as I have noticed that you need to vary your
applied pressure quite a lot over this range to produce optimal results and
I would wonder how well the preset force on the v-sharp would function.
I tried a variety of knives and did not see any adverse effects, but
could not vouch that any of them were optimal.
Post by s***@physics.mun.caThe next group of sharpeners look very nice, it is hard to understand the
function from the picture but can you get an even edge angle along the blade
including the sweep of the tip?
The Hunter guide has one more degree of freedom than the Skarb guide, so
it controls the angle better. Also the geometries are larger, so the
relative change is less. The angle does become somewhat more acute
toward the tip of a straight blade, but an upsweep actually reduces this
effect.
How does the clamp work on hollow or convex
It is a fairly conventional clamp, similar to a Lansky, with a 3/4
throat and two notches to help locate small blades. Works about the
same, some care is needed.
Is there a weight limit, could you use it with a big bowie?
You might want to fasten it down for a really big knife, but basically
the weight of the knife rests on the stone.
Post by s***@physics.mun.caCan you just substitute in any bench stone you have?
It basic Hunter comes with a 6" stone, and any 6" stone would fit. The
longer diamond hones have a notch at the 6 in. mark of their wooden
bases, which allows them to be used.
Steve
--
Sharpening Made Easy: A Primer on Sharpening Knives and Other Edged
Tools by Steve Bottorff Copyright January 2002 Knife World Publications
www.sharpeningmadeeasy.com
E-mail: steve AT sharpeningmadeeasy DOT com
It is one thing to show a man that he is in error, and another to put
him in possession of truth. -- John Locke