Stubborn old knife advice

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Chunkybobcat84

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So for years I had my eye on two old knives that have been in my grandparents house as far I I can remember Im sure one was a wedding present so it safe to say 70 years ? Give or take?
It had been sharpened bay my grandfather to the point were it totally lost its shape (no chef or knife expert).
So he past away recently and I've asked my grandmother could I take a look at them and give this chef knife to my uncle.... anywhere to my question.
I've taken of a lot of steel away to straighten it out (more like a carving shape ) and put rough edge using a tool sharpening wheel.

Now it's time to stone it's got something going but I'm not getting a burr???? (I did try paper test and it do okay were the steel is older)

Is this normal for old English steel or can you go past getting a burr?

Before pic is in my avatar
 
Let's get the worst-case scenario out of the way... Did the knife get hot when you used the "tool sharpening wheel"? Were there sparks flying? Even if the entire knife didn't get hot, it is possible to destroy the temper just near the edge of the knife if you didn't do something to keep it cool.
 
I'm no expert, but I've fixed a few older knives as well. It could just be that it's so thick behind the edge where it's been reprofiled that's it's taking forever to grind away enough metal to get a true edge and form a burr. Have you thinned it out at all?
 
Thank you for you help!
I do think I will have heat damaged it I was careful not to over do on the wheel. I stopped just before my edge line so that I would remove any damaged steel before I made my final edge.

I did do some thinning (not a lot cause I'm not to that idea) so I might spend some extra time on that (plus take more off the bolster).

I has a thought about it and I changed my angle *normally 15° but this is not my normal knives. And I got a burr !!! :)
My edge can now cut paper.
The next question is why wouldn't my normal angle not get a burr?
 
Thank you for you help!
I do think I will have heat damaged it I was careful not to over do on the wheel. I stopped just before my edge line so that I would remove any damaged steel before I made my final edge.

I did do some thinning (not a lot cause I'm not to that idea) so I might spend some extra time on that (plus take more off the bolster).

I has a thought about it and I changed my angle *normally 15° but this is not my normal knives. And I got a burr !!! :)
My edge can now cut paper.
The next question is why wouldn't my normal angle not get a burr?

You are not raising a burr because you are not hitting the edge with your normal angle because the knife is too thick behind the edge. To prove this to yourself, use a magic marker or Sharpie to paint the blade from the edge to about a quarter inch up from the edge. Then take a few strokes at your normal angle. You will see that the ink has not been touched at the edge. Then, increase the angle and you'll see the ink is removed all the way to the edge at the angle where you get a burr.

The solution is to thin the blade using an angle slightly lower than your normal angle. Use repeated applications of the marker to judge how you are doing and stop just before you hit the edge. Then, sharpen at your normal angle.
 
Brilliant! Mr Tiger that's answered my observations
I guess it's time to attack the thinner (properly )
Was too nervous last time
 
The solution is to thin the blade using an angle slightly lower than your normal angle. Use repeated applications of the marker to judge how you are doing and stop just before you hit the edge. Then, sharpen at your normal angle.

I've gone back to the block thinned try to get burr/edge and it's worked better this time... but still not right.
Presumably cause I've take massive chunk off I need to do some drastic thinning???
 
I've gone back to the block thinned try to get burr/edge and it's worked better this time... but still not right.
Presumably cause I've take massive chunk off I need to do some drastic thinning???

Probably. Try to compare the area that is cutting well to the area that isn't. If you have access to a micrometer, or even a caliper, that might help.
 
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