03-07-2021, 05:08 PM
As MaxtheKnife mentions, SB belts work best when they are worn in. They get much softer. When new they are pretty gnarly and aggressive. The break in period can be hastened by grindind a bolt head or some other chunk of steel with a bit of pressure for 30 seconds to a minute. That will break the bigger chunks of abrasive embedded glue in the fibers of the belt. It helps a lot. Just be sure to hold the belt or whatever with pliers because it will get hot quickly.
Mr. danforth – Get a PT50B (or an “A” if you wish) edge tester! You’ll never look back. I learned more in the first month of having one than I had in years of sharpening before. Then you will actually know how sharp edges are and be able to put a number to it you can share with others. When you say and edge was 175, everybody knows exactly what that means. It’s like saying its 33º instead of saying it feels a bit chilly today. Multiple measurements can be taken along the edge and will show presence of probable burr. I think it’s a necessity for anyone serious about sharpening.
I much prefer a 1” belt over a wider one because it allows working on a smaller section of blade. For example the area right at the heel can be sharpened without having to grind in the center of the blade too. This becomes really obvious with a 3” or even 5” blade. A thinner belt gives more options. That’s just IMHO, of course.
Mr. danforth – Get a PT50B (or an “A” if you wish) edge tester! You’ll never look back. I learned more in the first month of having one than I had in years of sharpening before. Then you will actually know how sharp edges are and be able to put a number to it you can share with others. When you say and edge was 175, everybody knows exactly what that means. It’s like saying its 33º instead of saying it feels a bit chilly today. Multiple measurements can be taken along the edge and will show presence of probable burr. I think it’s a necessity for anyone serious about sharpening.
I much prefer a 1” belt over a wider one because it allows working on a smaller section of blade. For example the area right at the heel can be sharpened without having to grind in the center of the blade too. This becomes really obvious with a 3” or even 5” blade. A thinner belt gives more options. That’s just IMHO, of course.