Wenger versus Vic bezel angle

[aefavant]

Quick question...sorry if already discussed, then just direct me to it please.



Is it true that every Vic bevel is 25º each side and the Wengers are 10º? At least on the looks side, the W blades have a "cleaner look" - by that understand it looks sharper, with a more acute angle.
My latest aquisition is a W Ranger 05 (W 120) from a collector and in the manual they state their bevel for sharpening should be 10º....
Vic vs W edges look different (at sight) and if the 25/10 bevel difference is true the Wengers should be razor sharp out of the box but retain less edge than the Vics.

Any comments on this?

Is that a Ranger W 120 thing only? My only other Wenger (Serrated Trophy Box, if I'm not wrong) never gave me the impression to be different from my dozen other Vics

Thanks a lot!

[nate j]

The link may be not work from outside the US, but for Vics (taken from http://www.victorinox.com/us/content/sak-faq)
Q. How do I sharpen my blade?
A. You can sharpen using a whetstone at an angle of 15° - 20°. This will result in a cutting angle of 30° - 40°.

[aefavant]

Thanks Nate.
It does work.

But nothing on Wenger angles, right.... Argh! The doubt!
10º seems so "razor-like" and not very useful for a work knife like a huge 'folding machete' Ranger.

cheers

[GigaHz]

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,38323.msg615982.html#msg615982

[Fattsgalore]

Two 15º bevel's to make a 30º  edge. That's the factory edge of their pocket knives. If I recall correctly. Pretty sure it was mentioned in vids from the Victorinox factory.

10º bevel's are for kitchen knives, not really work knives.

[aefavant]

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,38323.msg615982.html#msg615982

Perfect! Exactly what I was looking for. And just about what I had been thinking.
I guess no-one really knows then lol

cheers

[aefavant]

Two 15º bevel's to make a 30º  edge. That's the factory edge of their pocket knives. If I recall correctly. Pretty sure it was mentioned in vids from the Victorinox factory.

10º bevel's are for kitchen knives, not really work knives.

I believed it was 20 to 25º each side. maybe that's why my sharpening of old/;used vics isn't getting any close to the razor bevel from factory and isn't withstanding long either.
[]´s

[comis]

I recall it's about 15-20 deg each side, 25 each side is kinda dull and IIRC, often used for chopping tools(like an axe).

[Fattsgalore]

I can get a hair popping edges with 15º to 24º bevel's. It's not about the angle but the quality and consistency of the edge.

What is your method of sharpening? Free hand or a system? Do you finish off with a steel or strop? I use a system. Couldn't free hand with a stone if my life depended on it.
I've learned that how I finish the edge is more important then how I start. The final few passes really set the edge. If it's not hair popping when your done you may have not worked it enough or you may have a burr left on the edge.

[aefavant]

I can get a hair popping edges with 15º to 24º bevel's. It's not about the angle but the quality and consistency of the edge.

What is your method of sharpening? Free hand or a system? Do you finish off with a steel or strop? I use a system. Couldn't free hand with a stone if my life depended on it.
I've learned that how I finish the edge is more important then how I start. The final few passes really set the edge. If it's not hair popping when your done you may have not worked it enough or you may have a burr left on the edge.

as of today, I have two 'systems'. One is the little orange ceramic sharpening stick from Victorinox but I found using that very difficult to get the right angle. It sharpens, but far from hair-popping!
The second is Victorinox's SHARPY. It gets a nice eadge, but nothing hair-popping either!

Then I like to finish on cardboard! Sliding 'away from the edge' (=not cutting the cardboard, but rather polishing the edge) ou sometimes against a leather belt.

Ideas?

[Fattsgalore]

I'd consider both of those free hand sharpeners. You may need an actual fixed system like this...

Takes the guess work out and helps with consistency. Now even with a system like this it takes patience and technique to get a real hair popping edge.

I use the blade master sharpener system shown here.


If it weren't for systems like these all my blade would be dull as butter knives. Thanks to these systems all my pocket knives are hair popping sharp, and my kitchen knives slice through soft tomatoes with ease.

I simply can't free hand, I've tried for years and just don't have the consistency in my stokes to make headway towards a good sharp edge. I've learned by ruining enough blades.

For around $30 I think it's a good investment.

[jerseydevil]

+1 on the Lansky.  I have two, one at home and one in the back room at work.  They work great. 

[RT1969]

I hope I don't derail this too much:

Do you get your knives arm-hair shaving sharp with the Lansky alone? I feel like I do something wrong: I get my Opinel or Climber nearly there, can feel the pull on the hairs. But that's it, I don'T really get it sharper than that after the 1000grit stone.

And I found another problem today: If I clamp in my Classic's blade, the hones won't touch the edge on the 17, 20 or 25° hole, only from the 30° (and that's definetly too shallow an edge for the small blade). Any tips?

[SAK Guy]

The Wenger steel seems equal in quality to the Cellidor Vics.

I freehand mostly with Fallkniven combo stones and DMT Diafold sharpeners..I touch up with those and Smiths diamond stones and pocket rods. The 93mm SAKs actually do better for me on a medium grit stone/rod. Makes for a "toothier" edge.

I can get most of my carbon steel (and Moras/Opinels) shaving sharp. My SAKs almost get there and probably would if I really tried but if it will slice thin paper ribbons I'm happy.




Edited to add..

The Farmer I'm carrying today (not the one pictured above) will shave...just checked it. I touched it up on the DC-4 Combo stone this morning, sliced a little paper and stuck it in my pocket. Didn't think to try shaving with it.


It's my scuffed up EDC version of the top one in this pic.