Sharp people with their insane sharp knives

Nathan, Australia
"It's bloody addictive and quite a leveller on what you think is sharp. I'm chewing through the cord pretty quickly!"

Travis, New Zealand:
"Got the PT50B. And have already learned so much about my sharpening in this short time. Really opens your eyes on technique and stuff."

40 BESS is sharper than a standard razor.


SHARPCO professional knife sharpening company (Korea)
"I get 50 BESS on Tormek with the FVB. The FVB is great. Thank you Vadim."

Kent (Sweden):
"My first measurement with my long-awaited PT50A. I am very pleased and fully attribute the result to the methodology I've learned from you."

Sharper than a razor with asymmetric grind

Peter (UK):
"Wow….shaving sharp in such a short time. Hats off to you Vadim, without doubt the biggest leap in improvement, speed and control in the 9 or so years I have been making knives…..Just wish other could be converted rather than using slow and unreliable methods.”


Al from New Zealand sharpens knives by means of Tormek, the stock SG wheel (aluminium oxide) and leather wheel with the Tormek honing paste.
The knife on the photo has been sharpened at 10 dps on the SG wheel, and considering that the steel it is made of produces a burr "in-between" positive and negative, honed on the leather wheel at 11.5 dps, as per our deburring recommendations.
Near razor sharp (Gillette razors score 50 on this sharpness tester), and the apex is cleanly deburred of any wire edge.

Nathan (Australia) Grimsmo Norseman folding knife of challenging blade profile

Marc (knifemaker, Japan)
"Hi Vad. Wow I was really able to sort out my grinding with your advice. Thank you."

http://knifegrinders.com.au/Video/Marc_BlackWolf.MOV

Michael from Denmark is a professional sharpener, employing our software for Tormek and methods in his business.
Michael sent a photo of his notebook with BESS sharpness numbers for his workload. Impressive, considering that <= 50 BESS is the shaving razors sharpness.

"I've done a full workflow of sharpening 14 straight knives for a client using 4 Tormek wheels, and 2 paper wheels with 5,0 and 0,5 diamond paste on them and supports. For the fun of it and to see how well the sharpening went I measured all 14 knives. The more I measured the merrier I got. Have a look at the attached.
I just needed to share this with you to tell that following all your sharpening guidelines really pays of to follow! Thank you again for all the efforts you have used to improve the sharpening..."

Professional sharpeners from Denmark emailed me:
"Kangaroo tail & BESS
Every time I test a knife after I've honed it on the paper wheels and it is above the 100 BESS I use your Kangaroo tail strop as a last treatment. It is just great and brings down the BESS value considerably. Our internal rule me and my grinding buddy have agreed on is that an acceptable BESS value on a newly sharpened knife is to have the BESS value below 100 - for both straight and serrated knives. As you can see on the Kslib-Official-Photos gallery."

Al, New Zealand woodworker & sharpener - twice as sharp as the Gillette razor.
Sharpened on Tormek using our CBN wheels, and honed on paper wheels, using our software

Wiley, Bermuda Islands :
“Thank you Vadim for your commitment to excellence and the willingness to share your knowledge. I have read your book and watched your video numerous times. Now for me, any knife above 100 BESS is dull.
Today I hit 32 BESS which is my first time to break 50.
The kangaroo strop has been a huge help both in speed of sharpening and lower BESS. I took one Buck knife today down from 97 BESS to 57 BESS only by stropping 12 times on the roo strop. Awesome!

Thank you,
Wiley”

Klaus, Germany

Claus from Denmark uses our Frontal Vertical Base with his Tormek for honing on rock-hard felt wheels, and has set up paper wheels using his self-made supports for controlled-angle honing.
"Hi Vadim... It's Claus from Denmark!
I just have to show you, because ALL the CREDIT goes to YOU! I would never have reach results like this without you being my mentor!"

Knives:
BESS start: 708 (at the best spot)
BESS end: 39 (in average)


Chisels, polished with the FVB:


A little cute video of his paper wheel setup. Claus mounted his paper wheels and supports on a platform so that he can move them in his car:
http://knifegrinders.com.au/Video/PW_video_Claus.mp4

Brad from the United Kingdom
"I got my first sub-50 BESS result... Very happy about that."
Brad sharpens exclusively on Tormek, deburring with our rock-hard felt wheel. (No paper wheels or buffers.)

This knife has edge sharp as a new shaving razor, but unlike the razor is very strong.

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BeSharp sharpening business, Canada:
"Computer software has taken Tormeks into the 21st Century. I use Australian software, all three (Grinding, Frontal Vertical Base, and Paper Wheel)."



At BeSharp they sharpen on our CBN and felt wheels, by our protocols.

Giuseppe from Switzerland broke 50 BESS barrier today by following our sharpening protocol for Japanese high carbon knives.
Masamoto KS gyuto scored 47 BESS - the edge is as sharp as a shaving razor, but of course much stronger.

Roger, USA
"Hello again Vadim. I am so very grateful for all your help. Following your direction to the best of my current ability I have been finding some good success.
Attached is a picture of a hair I split a few moments ago using a Wayne Clay ATS-34 drop point I sharpened to 60 BESS.
This blade was such a mess and so abused I had to start with your #80 CBN. I set the angle @ 12 degrees on 1000 grit CBN, then 5 micron paste on PW @ set angle x2, FW 1 micron +0.8 x3, PW +0.4 x1 with 0.25 micron + CR2O3. Final finish was dry hanging strop."

Scott, USA
"I am proud of my hand-held sharpening! Five (5) knives this last 30 days with under 40 BESS score!
I think I am quite close to understanding what my problem was with the sharpening... and it lies in the STROPPING phase, which obviously has less science and more margin for error...
I'm back in the game! The proof - straight off the PT50a @ 32g"

Scott, USA
"Hello Vadim,
I know you probably have plenty of testimonials as to the efficacy of your product, but please feel free to use these photos in any publications you like. Each measurement during sharpening was taken at the center of the seventh notch in from the heel of the blade. The reading of 67 is after use of the felt wheel and the final reading is after stropping on the kangaroo tail strop.
Being able to repeat results even remotely close to this, I know I'll be running a sharpening business I can be proud of. So thank you for all your help."

Toby, Australia
"Another great success here, I was actually very surprised to get a result like this on the cheap Coles Mastechef knives, especially as the three before this all came out around 75-85. The only thing I think can explain it is practise and just following the instructions. So again, all the great material is thoroughly appreciated."

Toby's deburring process includes our rock-hard felt wheel and Kangaroo tail hanging strop.

"a Wustof chef's knife my parents have had longer than they've had me"

Lukas, Denmark
"Hey Vadim
Thank you for your work helping others to achieve better sharpening. I have your deburring book, and the FVB I mainly use for the SJ-200.
I just finished one of our chefs knifes, Global G-6, at 12dps. I don't have a device for measuring the BESS, but when dragging a hair over the edge, it curls a bit of the hair."