Spyderco Endela K390 - review and sharpening
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- This video is a review of the Spyderco Endela in K390 steel. The video has discussion on the design and build quality of the knife, and documents use and sharpening the knife.
Here is the link to the qualitative edge retention testing mentioned in the video.
• Front end sharpness ed...
Hope all is well Michael Christy. We miss your videos
I just wanted to send you a message and personally thank you for your channel, your knowledge, wisdom of sharpening, and showing me what a truly sharp knife looks like. You inspired me to be better at knife sharpening and today I achieved my goal of getting my knife as sharp as I wanted to get it. I have short hair but I can pull a piece of hair out of my head and just slowly move my blade across it like you do in some of your videos and it just cuts right through the hair. I’ve been able to get an edge to whittle hair but never just blow through it by touching it like yours so thank you for the inspiration, education, and instruction to help me reach this goal!! I really appreciate everything you’ve shared! God bless you sir!
Where have you been brother ? Hope all is well with you
I have several DULO knives in K390. I hand sharpen with Diamond DLT and finish with strops with 1 and .5 microns. I have a DULO laminated Pukko in K390. Completely butchered a hog 250 lbs hitting bone and blazing through ligaments. Still hair poppin sharp post event. The K390 is very good steel. I have knives in many other steels but, always gravitate towards the K390. I have several in Magnacut and am still testing that. Great video Sir.
I've received many negative comments from colleagues regarding my need to document, prove a theory, experiment, and deviate from an accepted norm. It never bothers me as I'm only gaining more knowledge of what's possible and besides that I enjoy this process. I very much appreciate your approach to not only knife sharpening but what also appears to be not getting trapped into a standard method and to be willing to try new things as you gain more experience be it technique or using a different tool for the same task. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with the rest of us.
The algorithm blessed me years ago by finding BBB and this channel.
Consider yourself part of the chosen ones.
Good to see you again. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Michael.
Having had k390 on a few models for a while now (including this one), I think it’s slowly becoming my favorite steel. That’s a really tough thing to say because it’d take a lot to actually dethrone Cruwear for me. Cruwear’s sharpenability is just too nice. But k390 is up there, too. It’s not particularly difficult to sharpen, the edges are aggressive, they maintain that aggression then they slowly settle into a long term working edge. That’s about as good as it gets for me. I don’t care about stainlessness. I almost prefer steels that are less stainless…so there’s that, too. K390 is really top of the heap, man.
FINALLY! Glad to have you back!
I also have not put this model down since getting it. It just hits that sweet spot. Excellent steel choice as well. I did measure mine and it was right around 15° at .021".
Didn’t find your channel until recently, have learned a ton about sharpening, knives and steels. Hope you continue to make videos. The knife world needs more!
Its nice being able to see how often your progression changes.
Just revisited both you and the bears channels today and behold a new post from each of you! My ability to accomplish an edge and understand small steps and how it affects the end results has come a long way. Thanks for your knowledge. I definitely prefer to hold my stones and swapping hands has grown far less difficult, always enjoy your stuff. K390 has definitely become a favorite of mine, was going to grab the police light weight but after seeing the blade of the endella, I may take it instead. Thanks.
Embrace the convexity :)
I need to visit some k390 now.
Wow i was surprised how easily you went through that piece of wood!! That K390 really is a beast! I just picked up the stretch 2 in that steel and i already have the Endela and Dragonfly 4, haven't really started to use the Stretch or endela yet as i was worried about rust. But ive seen more than a few vids now of people using in in coastal areas without much issue, gonna start really using these guys for work n see what happens for myself. Thanks for the video, keep on loving them knives :)
The dragonfly in k390 took a few sharpenings to come around but it's great now. Now that I know I like the steel I'm going to grab the endela. Been waiting for a review from someone that actually uses and sharpens the knives they review. Thanks for the vid!
The MASTER! Miss these vids......Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to You and Yours Sir. Greetings from Toronto......
I bought a couple Enduras in this steel. I love the K390 but the ZDP version still has my top spot for the Endura. Always enjoy watching and learning. Aloha!
Thanks again M.
I'm loving all three; K390, REX 45 and MAXAMET.
I'm really impressed all around with the Taichung maxamet Sage 1.
Agreed on using plates before Venev bonded 8 and 12. Makes getting a flatter bevel easier. Venev has excellent feedback imo but I think that's partly conducive to convex bevels. Especially with my skills. Less density makes it easier for my wrist to roll without noticing. I can feel the tip of the apex better but not the side of the edge...
Yeah...
Always useful and helpful is your stuff so thanx again.
I have liked the Endela since it was introduced. It wound up in my pocket as much as my PM2s, even with VG10. I now have an Endura and Endela in K390, and the Endela will be my carry knife 90% of the time.
The K390 is great. I don’t know what else to say about it. For me, it is everything I need in a knife steel and the edges are almost magic. I’m also using diamonds, then an extra fine ceramic stone, stropping at 4 micron then .5 micron CBN emulsions.
Hi Michael,
I’ve been binge watching your videos recently, and just picked up the Spyderco Sage 5 Rex 121 LW. I’d love to see a video on Spyderco’s version of this steel. I enjoyed your Creely Mako video, and your comparison with Maxamet... great insight!!
Take care, and I hope you are well.
Thank you for more content! Ive learned so much from your vids and maid many purchases based on info from you. Just got my pm2 k390.
Thanks again!
Been a minute ! This model hasn't left my hands/pocket for over a week
a hundred thirty bucks for 3.4" - 3.75" of K390 is a good deal to me
I received my Endela K390 today. This is the sharpest factory edge I have ever tested out of the box. It scored 140 BESS and after stropping it hit a score of 100. For comparison my Benchmade 945 was 240. No idea how it will hold up but everything I have read it will last a long time. This is not a fidget knife, as it is pure manual opening (a little stiff at first) and the lock back lends to careful closing of the knife. But that is what I bought, a knife, not an ADHD fidget toy. It looks like it is all business and fits the hand well. I will be moving the pocket clip to the front option as I don't like the feel of the clip in my hand in the rear position. Overall it looks and feels great. Can't wait to use it for the next few years.
I hope this channel is revived, it's one of the best resources online. I'm constantly recommending people here when I'm asked about advanced sharpening.
Yoda Speaks
Does that make you mace windu ? Or Darth Sideous?
@@6nosis I can see him spinning 4 rex-121 blades like General Grievous swings lightsabers, sharpening them at a 12°/side against Blade show's security's CBN shields 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
...and people listen!
@@ashmerch2558 He's obviously Chewy, or maybe an ewok
Come on Shawn Yoda for real. He’s marginal at best of sharpening. You know this and every other sharpener out their knows This.Really I think he’s talking out his ass most of the time.
Hey Michael. Where did you go? Love your videos!
Ji Michal
Veneev diamond or gritomatic silicone carbide what would be your preferred choice
Mike, any thoughts about zdp-189, especially as it compares to k390?
Definitely want to get either the flat spine stretch or the endela in k390 at some point. From pictures I prefer the design of the byrd equivalent (harrier 2) over the endela. Value wise I think it's off the charts to get k390 in the configurations we have available to us, esp the seki stuff. In my uses my k390 pm2 ALWAYS got the job done without any issues. 10V is operating the pm2 slot for this block of my carry testing anyways. I often wonder how these chipping issues I read about occur. Excessive lateral motions during cutting, or no self awareness of surrounding materials like staples, concrete or ceramic tile. To me new models I never held before test the basic ergos with the factory edge thru use. I've never held an endela but I have chosen to prioritize the cbn benchstone from spyderco first. Glad to see someone enjoying this model from both design and steel points of view.
Hes back ladies and gentlemen! Glad to see it.
Yo Michael
I hope you’re doing well. I miss hearing from you. I think the whole knife community misses your insight. Not influenced by any one. I recently realized where you live. Rock Creek and little lakes valley is my favorite place on earth. Gotten way more crowded from when I discovered it 25 years ago. But if you go as far as ruby lake and beyond im sure it’s still pretty wild. Just bought an endela in k390. Your review makes me happy i did so. I am a beginning sharpener and your videos are what i hope to be able to accomplish some day.
Need more of your content please!
Been a while since I’ve seen a video, or even talked to you lol. I’ve been waiting to do my k390 para3. I’m glad I watched this before I went at it. And it’s very comforting that you brought up the convexity of the edges. That’s something I’ve been chasing so hard as of late (removing convexity.) I actually just started running my old edges on the stone before a sharpening after talking to Jason and Jamesy. I immediately saw a major difference in the whole entire sharpening.
Hope you had good holidays bro 🤙
Nice comprehensive review. Sold my K390 PM2 3 says ago intending to grab an Endela instead. Nice to see my thinking validated.
Fine I'll buy 1!! Haha had $40 off at dlt, so I grabbed it for $88. For that price I'm good. I have the dragonfly and may or may not cancel my pre order of the police 4 version. I like your assessment of the endela debut with vg10 then evolving with the better steel....thanks for the vids, keep it up and cheers!! Tonight is Jefferson bourbon
Thank you, Michael. Always stoked when you drop a new video.
Thanks for the video and your thoughts. I'm curious, because you didn't seem to really discuss it in the video, if you have any preference between the Endela and Endura now that you have them both in K390?
I never really looked at the endela. I just saw it as a small endura and a big delica. It actually took me until seeing it in video to notice the difference in blade shape. I can't wait till the police 4 lightweight in k390 is released love that blade.
I think a discussion of HRC is always useful, except when it becomes just about the HRC, as if that was enough to specify performance. It would be like choosing a basketball player only by height. It is obvious height matters, but silly to conclude that if you know the height alone
you can predict performance.
HRC focus and discussion can be fine, especially when something is wrong. However, when it’s negativity and arguing in an attempt to be controversial in the face great performance, it’s misleading and annoying.
I think convexity is the natural result of free-handing with time to establish bevel contributing. For example the coarse Venevs cut slowly so the sharpener has to make more passes and this contributes to more convexity. The DMT plates cut more quickly so the bevel gets done with fewer passes and thus the possibility of minimal convexity. The fine Venevs are working on an established bevel so they can maintain a flat bevel, at least that’s my take on it.
Nice knife. Great video. New subscriber here. I have an Endura, & Delica in ZDP189, and I like that steel. Never had an Endela but it looks like a perfect size between the Endura being kind of too big, & the Delica, sometimes too small. I took my Delica edge down to 17° and boy does it slice. Hasn't nicked or chipped, but I don't abuse it. I'm not a steel snob, but I do appreciate new steels, if they offer an advantage for the price.
Shipping has been crazy lately. Add at least a week to your normal times, if not more.
I like to sharpen my knives, just for the connection to the knife feeling, relaxation, and it's nice to know how to sharpen a knife if you use, or collect knives. I'm still working on hand sharpening. I use a Lansky Turnbox, and an old Lansky guided system. Does a good job, but I noticed no matter how well you set up the rods, when you change stones, the edges sometimes get another secondary bevel forming.
Try stopping and re angling your hand a LOT more... like every second pass, (yes it’s a lot but it makes much better MM) Mark the bevel after each set of passes with sharpie.
Haven’t forgotten about your channel, Mike
I’ve been holding off on the Endela, but it seems I no longer have any excuse now. Very good close-ups and color quality for this video. Are you using a new camera or new lighting?
All of videos have always been done on a phone. Before this video, I bought a $1200 phone with three different lenses so the video would be good. I also do ALL THE EDITING in 4K at 60FPS, which more then doubles the work, so I really appreciate you comment.
@@michaelchristy4982 Thank you for the quick response, Michael. The vid quality difference is apparent from the opening shot. Sound seems better too.
I keep looking forward to more of your input
Great video Michael, excellent information for the Endela K390... How do you think K390 stacks up against ZDP-189?
K390 is above ZDP-189.
@@michaelchristy4982 I edc Spyderco Stretch ZDP-189 but just ordered the Endela K390... can't wait to try it. Thanks!
@@michaelchristy4982 in the video you mention front end sharpness. How much do you think the .1um is improving the edge in terms of front end sharpness over .25um? Ive used K390 with .25um and didnt find the front end sharpness longevity impressive. I aimed for 30 included off 1200 Atoma and then progressed through 6u, 3u, 1u, .25u.
Hoping one day to get a Michael Christy video on Magnacut 😂
Can't wait for a stretch 2 XL in K390. Hope you pick one up so we can hear your commentary on the model.
I completely agree with the freehand sharpening theory. I am a novice when it comes to whetstone sharpening, and I noticed slight convex edges on my knife because I would be sharpening the knife at a shallow angle then realize my mistake and move to a more acute angle, this creates a 20 degree tertiary edge in front of a 15 degree secondary edge. I then swipe the knife horizontal across the stone (from base to tip) at 17 degrees to smoothen the transition between the 15 and 20 degree edges. When people ask me I lie and say it’s on purpose, but in reality it’s just because I can’t hold a constant angle.
Hi my friend! Your videos are some of the best on internet! Congrats! I'm from Brazil and enjoy it very much. Why did you stop doing it? You and BBB should be the top 5 in this area. Hope you are doing great!
Phenomenal knives and review of K390. They really are amazing to me at this price point.
Godspeed bro. 🤙🏽
Interesting comment on some steels fatiguing from use possibly more than others. My theory would be steels with higher malleability would perhaps fatigue faster? In a similar way that wire edges cause fatigued metal from bending back and forth so much, perhaps at the very apex, steels with more malleability flex more than those do steels that have a higher strength/rigidity. Think CPM-3V vs 4V? Would make for some interesting testing.
I got a Spyderco Delica with K390 steel, love it.
GLAD TO SEE U BACK!
I agree! Awesome video! What steels have you found to have good front end sharpness? I like AEB-L at angles closer to zero.
I like steels that are high in carbide, like K390, S90V, M390, etc.
@@michaelchristy4982 About what angle are you sharpening at?
@@JDStone20 30ish.
@@michaelchristy4982 Nice. I just realized why I like polished edges for the cutting I do. Since my cutting is very light, I tend to favor a edge grit that will float through the material for the longest time. Coarser edges don't behave like that for that long.
I am glad you like the Endela. I hear people saying that it is redundant... just to fill the gap between the Endura and the Delica. Sal Glesser proved himself once more as a genius designer. I like the Endela way more than the Endura. The ergos, that belly, the drop point ... awesome folder.
I hope all is well. We miss the videos but hope you are well.
Hi Michael, did you get one of the BBB 15V PM2 sprints? If so, any plans for a video, man?
Hi Mike. Wade here! Still like the karambit, still serving me well. Have a great 2021!
Same to you, my friend. Glad to hear from you.
Michael, you've inspired me to take on free-hand sharpening - for that I thank you. I bought a Spyderco Chokwe recently second hand. The previous owner seems to have put put what looks like a 15-17 degree bevel on one side, and a 20 degree on the other, and I would like to properly apex this blade. Since its a relatively thin blade, it looks terrible but it still slices well. How would you approach this? Should I regrind the 20 side to match or vise versa?
Hey Michael, are you familiar with the Boker Oberland Arms EDW.1?
Its a great little heavy duty titanium liner lock but one of its curious features is causing me all kinds of sharpening problems.
The issue is the extremely thick blade tip. There is absolutely zero distal taper to the blade making a very stout, pry worthy tip but sharpening that progressively steepening edge is beyond my abilities.
Do you have any tips or suggestions to help me get the hang of it?
Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas!!!
Glad to see you back! Curious to hear - are there any retailers you’d recommend for stones?
Sharpening supplies.com
Amazon
Ken Schwartz
How about Gritomatic for venev.
@@michaelchristy4982 thanks!
From what I can tell from your videos, it appears you always switch the hand holding the blade when you switch the side of the bevel you’re sharpening. Is that the case or just how the video comes out? Do you get better results when you sharpen towards yourself?
Not that this will answer your question to the Boss, but I use the same hand and flip the blade. It seems ok for my purposes.
@@AlohaBlade me too
Yes he's switching hands, so he can look directly at the edge.
In this (and most) video, I’m switching hands se I can see the bevel connecting with the stone, but I can also flip the blade and sharpen away from myself using the right or left hand. I’m pretty sure there’s been one or two videos where I’ve really mixed it up using the different options just to see if people would notice.
@@michaelchristy4982 thanks for answering!
I think that we, as knife lovers are getting over critical of steels, we are always wanting more, there are some really great knives out there that are doing what they were made to do, perfectly, old knives made from steels like o1, 1095, 1075, 12c27, 440c and many others.
we are becoming obsessive about steel.
It is like HI-FI; at what point do you stop listening to the music and start listening to the equipment? but it's your money, you earned it spend as you will.
Regards from the UK
I love my endela, even in vg10(since I know I can take my belt and strop it back no matter where I am). I did want the k390 performance though, so I caved and stepped up to an endura.
Would love to see a sharpening training playlist from you. Even a blunt-to-sharp progression with no commentary would be great to see.
I’ve done some full sharpening videos.
@@michaelchristy4982 Anything I should search for, or a link?
@@michaelchristy4982 Michael, do you sharpen other peoples knives?
I have a Manbug in K390 that I am testing. Very Impressive. No love for VG-10? I love the stuff with ceramics. My new carry is a Leafjumper in VG-10. It's what I wanted the Endela to be.
Where have you been, Michael? Haven't seen anything new from you lately. You okay?
Happy to see ya back and good video as always 😁
Michael, I wanted to ask you a question which I thought I could figure out on my own but cannot. First I want to thank you as you have been an inspiration for me to persist in learning how to sharpen by hand though not near to your level. I have a constant angle sharpening jig which I do use to re profile blades down to a lower angle and to centre blades which are badly centred and or have different angle primary grinds. All my day to day sharpening is free hand and muscle memory is my friend. (I had a stroke in July 2020 and sharpening my knives is a real zen activity for me).
Here is my question. When I am sharpening a blade I can get it up to decently sharp working edge, sharp enough that I get requests to sharpen dull blades for others so not too bad I guess and I am please with where my sharpening skill level is at so far. What I often find is that no natter how I try one side of the blade will have an edge that feels sharper than the other. I have to assume that in these cases I am simply feeling a burr on that side of the blade? Never the less I can't seem to figure out what side to give some extra strokes to to bring both sides of the blade up to an equally sharp and reasonably centred point? (I suspect a non centred blade is likely my real problem). I would have thought working on the side with the burr would make the most sense but when I add extra strokes to the burr side on the stone to I usually end up dulling the blade and then get frustrated and leave the knife for another day to try again. Can you tell me how to properly approach this (for me) dilemma?
Boss, I am a neophyte.It is nice to watch your video.Recently, I began to pay attention to the spyderco knife. I want to get some help and advice.So I want to ask you some question. That is: how do you rate the spider's K390 and rex45? If I want to do some rough cutting, such as cutting some very hard wood, well, in this case, there will inevitably be some twisting and jumping of my blade. So in this case, which blade should I choose from K390 or rex45 or M4 to finish my work?If you were asked to rate the retention and tenacity of K390 and rex45 out of 100, how much would you rate them respectively?
I have Rex 45 and k390, I prefer Rex 45 for cutting into wood, but k390 is more than capable.
What do you think of spyderco ceramic stones for high vanadium steels? Are they hard enough to provide that long lasting front end sharpness you’re talking about or will they contribute to carbide tear out? I love the edge from the medium- uf - strop progression to get a toothy but refined edge. But I wonder if I’d have better longevity with diamond.
Comparison thoughts on Pm2 vs stretch 2 vs Gayle bradley in regards to how it feels in the hand
Is there a reason to have a PM2 or Para 3 in K390 vs the Seki models? (Forgetting any hardness differences) - the Seki models are thinner, and therefore potentially better cutters, right?
I believe thinner, yes. Also different ergo’s. Different locks. Just a different option in many ways. I’ve seen a lot of people wondering if this is justified as a purchase... I don’t know about all you guys, but I’m still a knife nut who wants them all.
@@michaelchristy4982 thanks for the insight. I'd like them all too, but don't cut enough things to justify having so many! (There's only so much recycling I can process) So I try to get the most "ideal" model for each steel. Appreciate the actual user insight vs. all the instagram shiny collections
@@michaelchristy4982 Have you gotten any behind the edge thickness measurements on the Endela, and if so I’m curious what they were? Wondering if they are around the typical 0.020” of a lot of the Spyderco models or perhaps hopefully thinner in geometry. Thank you.
You say "for edge longevity" you need the polished edge, but everything I read says it depends on what type of cutting you're doing. If you're slicing cardboard, they say a toothy edge will last longer; but if you're push cutting rope, a mirrored edge lasts longer. What is your experience? Just bought the K390 SS Stretch, but struggled between it and this Endela. Loving the K390!
happy new year 2021 everybody.. Especially TripleB , Michael , RomanKase Knives
Yes! He’s alive! Alive!
Michael. Are you done with you tube videos? I miss your discussions. Rex 76 is a new steel m398 needs discussion and others. Just not the same on IG.
Just curious but do you have a knife sharpening business still. I'm really interested in seeing if you can fix a knife I recently bought and was hoping you could do some how should I put this "SUBSTANTIAL' repairs or in this case "ADJUSTMENTS".the knife itself is nice I like theft but the blade wasn't even finished I spent like 60 bucks on it and am kinda concerned I might have ruined the blade because they didn't sell me a finished product
The "screw" phenomenon with spyderco seems to be hitting all new k390 my lock bar screw fell out on my delica in k390
That’s pretty bad. I think for the time being, we’ll just have to get used to checking the screws when we receive the knife. It’s a simple thing that should be taken care of at the factory, but I’m not buying these models for perfect fit and finish, so I’m ok with a few screws needing to be tightened.
Mine did on my endura after a few flicks but a easy fix
How does the front end sharpness of Rex 45 compare to K390? Front end sharpness is king btw 🤘👍
I’ve seen Rex 45 hang around for a long time, but I would think that K390 is ahead.
Glad to see you back and sure I can resurface it if you like, I can dm you on IG my address. I get that leather directly from a tannery outside the U.S. and with everything going on it's been tough to get, hoping to get some more in the next couple weeks. As always killer edge man!
Thank you, brother. Sorry to hear about Covid challenging your supply.
Mister Christy, when will you return?
I'm curious if u do any sharpening as a business? I sharpen my own knives. I'm new at it and just curious how sharp your egde is compared to mine.
Random questions:
1. At what point is a steel considered one that has high Vanadium content?
2. Is it OK to sharpen with Silicon Carbide (ex. auto sandpaper) on a knife with high Vanadium content?
Thank you for your help!
Question. What do you think about using diamond plates to thin the primary grind?
i have a question for you. i am in an area in which the endura is too big so i am looking at the Endela. spyderco has the stretch 2 in k390 coming out this year as well as the endela. any opinion on the feel of the handle that pushes one over the edge. i am less concerned about pocket size and more how it feels in the hand. there blade shape looks very similar and to a person that does not cut a ton would not notice things like that. i am sure you would pick up the differences between blade shape and thickness etc.
Which steels will fatigue quicker by use? Theoreticly the grain structure, carbide volume and the sort of carbides would dictate the fatigueness over use, most factors depending on the heat treatment, and in humid conditions and on acid or salty materials corrosion resistance would pay a big role too. Sorry my english...
Hello Michael
What aobut your videos?
I miss your sharpening videos.
Hope you are OK.
Hey Michael, did you ever consider setting up a Patreon with instructional videos for people wanting to learn to free-hand sharpen? I bet you'd have a lot of interest. Nice to see you back!
I’d like to avoid monetizing any of this, short of the occasional sharpening job.
I respect that- it's awesome you're willing to share your vast knowledge with the community gratis. I know I've learned a ton from you over the years
Where you at Michael? Hope you’re doing well brother
He posts on IG pretty much every day lol
@@JeanClaudeVanDabs whats his IG?
is this your favourite steel to date michael ?
There are some that made their own convex jig with perfect angled convexing edges. Chipping in a lot of times comes down to how fine it was finished in terms of the size of carbides versus final grit of sharpening medium. The sharpening medium has to be smaller than the carbides by a considerable margin.
Nice talk on the steel though.
My stretch is roughly 1mm behind the edge. probably similar on endela
It sounds like what you’re saying is that if you finish with something like a 400 grit stone, you’ll get chipping... am I reading that correctly?
@@michaelchristy4982 Not specifically 400 but yes something like that, in my experience with zdp in particular if the finish isn't very fine it will chip out more easily and I have long since past the factory edge.
There may be another reason for it but I am just sharing my experiences.
Yeah!!! Welcome back, Michael!
Where you at bro ? Hope you're well 🙌🇨🇵
please make a video showcasing all your sharpening supplies
In these Spyderco Seki-City K390 with back lock there is a noticeable blade play up and down?
Are you still around? I have been trying to figure out how to message you about something you might be very interested in.
I can finally slice paper after doing the stone-hold technique. While not edge-perfect, it's a vast improvement for these cheap stainless kitchen knives for sure. I use a dollar tree two grit stone along with Arkansas soft and hard stones. I don't have a strop yet so I use newspaper which might do nothing but whatever. I subbed
What exactly is "front end sharpness?" Is that referring to the very high level you get right after sharpening?
Yes. The hair whittling edge.
Welcome back sir!