Is this a known thing? I haven't encountered it in anything I've read
to this point.

When the last surface honed is the trailing surface of the blade, for
example, the plane blade back on a bevel-up low-angle plane, and the
bevel on a conventional smoothing plane blade, acts noticeably sharper.

I'm using a 8000x stone as the final grit. Could be a final
"burnishment" of the edge, resulting in a slight upturn?

er
--
email not valid

Is this a known thing? I haven't encountered it in anything I've read
to this point.

When the last surface honed is the trailing surface of the blade, for
example, the plane blade back on a bevel-up low-angle plane, and the
bevel on a conventional smoothing plane blade, acts noticeably sharper.

I'm using a 8000x stone as the final grit. Could be a final
"burnishment" of the edge, resulting in a slight upturn?

er
--
email not valid


That's why the back flattening of bevel-up blades and chisels must be perfectly done.
I know I could be wrong about your problem, but look at the back with light reflecting
off it, do the light rays concentrate when moving toward the cutting edge? If so,
there's a micro-round-off there... and if so, you don't want that on either type of blade.
With a bevel down blade it's not as important.

Like I said, I know I could be wrong in my interpretation of what you wrote. Also, if it's
an A2 blade, simply harder to sharpen, and it can't get as sharp as HCS, of which by Hock
tools is quite superior. Very fine grained steel and RC 62.

Anyone is invited to correct me, if I am wrong.

--
Alex - "newbie_neander" woodworker
cravdraa_at-yahoo_dot-com
not my site: http://www.e-sword.net/

AAvK wrote:
Is this a known thing? I haven't encountered it in anything I've read
to this point.

When the last surface honed is the trailing surface of the blade, for
example, the plane blade back on a bevel-up low-angle plane, and the
bevel on a conventional smoothing plane blade, acts noticeably sharper.

I'm using a 8000x stone as the final grit. Could be a final
"burnishment" of the edge, resulting in a slight upturn?

er
--
email not valid



That's why the back flattening of bevel-up blades and chisels must be perfectly done.
I know I could be wrong about your problem, but look at the back with light reflecting
off it, do the light rays concentrate when moving toward the cutting edge? If so,
there's a micro-round-off there... and if so, you don't want that on either type of blade.
With a bevel down blade it's not as important.

The one I'm looking at is a new stanley blade. I touched it up (having
used it) to do your test, and I do see a little bending near the edge.
Odd, since I used a pristine side of the stone.

Okay, I checked my own blade (O-1 Starrett) and that doesn't do it at
all. It's also sharper--I haven't used it since I last sharpened it
(had to rub off some paste wax)--a lot sharper. It doesn't show any
difference in sharpness from one side to the other either (and I have
the bare patches to prove it.

Maybe The Stanley metal is just crap. Maybe I need to back up and redo
the back...

Like I said, I know I could be wrong in my interpretation of what you wrote. Also, if it's
an A2 blade, simply harder to sharpen, and it can't get as sharp as HCS, of which by Hock
tools is quite superior. Very fine grained steel and RC 62.

Anyone is invited to correct me, if I am wrong.

This should be fun. I ordered the A2 blades. I'll see how they compare
to Stanley's, and mine.

er
--
email not valid

The one I'm looking at is a new stanley blade. I touched it up (having
used it) to do your test, and I do see a little bending near the edge.
Odd, since I used a pristine side of the stone.

The Norton water stone? Possibly too soft. Best for back flattening must be as
hard as possible, glass and abrasive paper, Japanese kanaban and grit powder,
Norton india oil stone and Arkansas natural oil stones. The glass and abrasive
paper is the worst of all the above methods simply because of the softness of
the paper, or it takes a lot of 'concentrating on keeping it flat' just to get it right.
The Norton waterstone is a veritable PEZ candy compared to an oil stone, or a
steel Kanaban. http://japanwoodworker.com/

Okay, I checked my own blade (O-1 Starrett) and that doesn't do it at
all. It's also sharper--I haven't used it since I last sharpened it
(had to rub off some paste wax)--a lot sharper. It doesn't show any
difference in sharpness from one side to the other either (and I have
the bare patches to prove it.

Maybe The Stanley metal is just crap. Maybe I need to back up and redo
the back...

Yes it is, but with my above mentioned methods it is still doable, then useable.
I have two Stanley #4 type 19 planes both with original cutters, these were last
made in 1961 (I was born in '64), these blades are definitely worse than Hock
HCS, the edge wears down sooner. But they work.

Like I said, I know I could be wrong in my interpretation of what you wrote. Also, if it's
an A2 blade, simply harder to sharpen, and it can't get as sharp as HCS, of which by Hock
tools is quite superior. Very fine grained steel and RC 62.

Anyone is invited to correct me, if I am wrong.

This should be fun. I ordered the A2 blades. I'll see how they compare
to Stanley's, and mine.

The A2 holds the same edge for a long time, longer than Hock's HCS, I still kinda
think it's a bit "bunky".

er
--
email not valid

an A2 blade, simply harder to sharpen, and it can't get as sharp as
HCS, of which by Hock
tools is quite superior. Very fine grained steel and RC 62.

You're absolutely right. And for the final edge, I use a leather strop
charged with Diamontine or Rouge. That's 'scary' sharp.
Bugs

AAvK wrote:
The one I'm looking at is a new stanley blade. I touched it up (having
used it) to do your test, and I do see a little bending near the edge.
Odd, since I used a pristine side of the stone.


The Norton water stone? Possibly too soft. Best for back flattening must be as
hard as possible, glass and abrasive paper, Japanese kanaban and grit powder,
Norton india oil stone and Arkansas natural oil stones. The glass and abrasive
paper is the worst of all the above methods simply because of the softness of
the paper, or it takes a lot of 'concentrating on keeping it flat' just to get it right.
The Norton waterstone is a veritable PEZ candy compared to an oil stone, or a
steel Kanaban. http://japanwoodworker.com/

I'm skeptical, if only because I've read the soft stones are suited to
very hard steel blades, and because with my own blade I'm able to reach
the glides-through-hair-without-resistance sharp using waterstones.

Also, since you say you are using green compound on a strop--I think
you'll get the same results following up a waterstone with chromium
oxide. I haven't been doing that, but I'm getting good results with a
hard blade (I didn't bother tempering since the blade is so very thick)
and water stones with no green compound.

Now, if I had oilstones, I could make a real test instead of mere
protest.

er
--
email not valid

I'm skeptical, if only because I've read the soft stones are suited to
very hard steel blades, and because with my own blade I'm able to reach
the glides-through-hair-without-resistance sharp using waterstones.

No, you're cutting a pathway into the soft stone, causing the micro-round on
the back of that Stanley blade as you push it. Too easy with that blade.

Also, since you say you are using green compound on a strop--I think
you'll get the same results following up a waterstone with chromium
oxide. I haven't been doing that, but I'm getting good results with a
hard blade (I didn't bother tempering since the blade is so very thick)
and water stones with no green compound.

The strop is mainly for touch ups. I mentioned, all one needs is a soft Arkansas
and leather for both jobs adding up to a complete job, but going lightly on the back
for light polishing and removing burs by 'dragging flat' on the leather. so to speak.

The thing about "gliding through hair" is possible this way.

That blade as un-tempered is still thin at the bevel and cutting edge where it can
crack, temper it back in your oven, like 300º F for an hour or less. Fully pre-heat
first, with your tray or rack along with it.

Now, if I had oilstones, I could make a real test instead of mere
protest.

Good deals:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...18&cat=1,43072
Just look at those grits!
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQ...QQsassZjpfarm4
A nice honest seller.

er
--
email not valid

--
Alex - "newbie_neander" woodworker
cravdraa_at-yahoo_dot-com
not my site: http://www.e-sword.net/