Some old timer at the sharpening shop told me I was grinding too hot, changed my whole approach to belt grinding.

Brought in a knife I ruined on my 1x30 belt sander. Dude just looked at it and said 'you're cooking the edge, let the belt do the work.' He was right. I was pushing way too hard trying to hog off material fast. Now I use lighter pressure and more passes, and my edges come out way cleaner. Anyone else had to unlearn bad habits from watching YouTube knife makers?

2 comments

2 Comments

miab1612d ago

Still can't believe a 1x30 actually taught someone something useful, thought those things were just for burning steel.

joseph52912d ago

@miab16, you said "just for burning steel" and that part cracked me up because honestly that's how most of us feel about those little belt grinders. But here's the thing, I think a lot of it depends on what you're trying to learn. If you're trying to hog off material on a big knife blank, yeah a 1x30 is gonna laugh at you. But for basic bevel setting on a small blade, or really getting a feel for how the belt moves and how to keep your angle steady, it's actually not bad. I mean, it's not like you're gonna be a master bladesmith after messing around with one for a weekend, but it can teach you some of the fundamentals without costing a ton. Feels like people get too wrapped up in gear and forget that sometimes you just need to learn the basics first.