Angle finder app

Found this helpful for a sharpening noob like myself. was going to buy an angle cube until I realized my phone could do it for me. Apparently there are both free apps for Android and iPhone. Much easier than using coins or doing math. :biggrin:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iYOK.AngleMeterV10&hl=en

How do you use it on the knife?

Just lay the side edge of the phone against the knife to get your sharpening angle. Can't sharpen with the phone on the knife, unless you somehow create a magnetic jig or something. Prior to using this, I was just eyeballing my angle and had a hard time "feeling" 5 degree increments.

Pretty cool trick, I downloaded one for BlackBerry 10 - its called Tilt Meter Free (if anybody interested) and it showed that my eyeballing is about 2 degree off on average.

Neat.

Cool app, and I'm not making fun, I promise. But, why do I not give a crapolla about the angles I sharpen at?

How's that for ending my sentence with a preposition? Winston Churchill would be proud!

Lefty said:

Cool app, and I'm not making fun, I promise. But, why do I not give a crapolla about the angles I sharpen at?

Click to expand...

Cause you're a lefty?:lol2:

tripleq said:

Cause you're a lefty?:lol2:

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+1 :lol2:

I cut various wedges off wine corks to use under the blades to show my neighbor his sharpening angles. Works well with angle devices.

If I concerned myself with angles I would be more apt to use a protractor than the gyroscope inside the iPhone, I wouldn't trust that it's as accurate.

If I concerned myself with angles I would be more apt to use a protractor than the gyroscope inside the iPhone, I wouldn't trust that it's as accurate.

Click to expand...

I tried to use the standard school grade protractor when I just started sharpening, and it is quite unusable. Phone solution is quite use friendly on another side.
As for the phone accuracy, the 90, 45 and 0 degrees were spot on. So I think its quite accurate. Well may be the iPhone's "gyroscope" one sux, I did not test on that platform.

You don't need to know the angle, only that you are removing steel from the shoulder of the bevel first then down to the edge. Since the angle changes over time, why bother measuring it?

And why not, it can be fun

ThEoRy said:

You don't need to know the angle, only that you are removing steel from the shoulder of the bevel first then down to the edge. Since the angle changes over time, why bother measuring it?

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:word:

Have never measured an angle and my knives are crazy sharp.

This got me thinking: has any beginner (like me) actually tried to sharpen with an angle cube attached to the knife via its built in magnet. I was thinking of doing that actually...

If so how did that work out...

I understand in the long run precise angles don't matter but if you've never sharpened before knowing what the basic Japanese vs German angles help. Every time someone said sharpen at approx 12-15 deg it drove me crazy because I'm like "idk *** that means"

Either way apps are free so use it or not its all the same

That's why you just stick 2 pennies under the spine when sharpening the front and 3 pennies when sharpening the back. Simple.

The problem I have with using an angle cube/phone app etc, is that when we discuss the bevel angle on our knives it is with respect to an imaginary line running from edge of the knife to a midpoint along the spine. Unless your knife happens to be fully flat ground, the angle cube is sitting on a plane that is not parallel to this imaginary line. In other words, how do you account for the angle of the grind of the knife?

Does that make any sense?

kartman35 said:

The problem I have with using an angle cube/phone app etc, is that when we discuss the bevel angle on our knives it is with respect to an imaginary line running from edge of the knife to a midpoint along the spine. Unless your knife happens to be fully flat ground, the angle cube is sitting on a plane that is not parallel to this imaginary line. In other words, how do you account for the angle of the grind of the knife?

Does that make any sense?

Click to expand...

I understand what you are getting at. Angle measuring devices are useless imho, and discussion of angles often misleading. ymmv.

I have seen devices like the wicked edge where you can make sweeps at diff. angles to form a blended convex edge,but you can do it freehand too alot cheaper.Have always eyeball distance fr.spine to stone,shallow for backbevel & higher for final bevel.A steady spine & even burr heel to tip,polishing less burr lighter strokes.

Never bothered with angle degree or beginners tips.Thats the way I was taught.More intuitive flow of steel on stone

But if you like exact measurements, angle devices as long as you get a sharp edge, its all good

Ahem... letting my iPhone potentially get in contact with the swarf on the stone? Maybe not

this'll work quite well on an edge pro for sure though. =D

For iPhone, I like "Angle Meter", it overlays a T shaped angle guide over the camera background which makes it somewhat possible to measure angles you can't actually place the phone against. I have never actually used an angle meter for sharpening though, I have occasionally checked an angle after sharpening just out of curiosity though.