First Thinning/refinish Project - Mizuno DX - Advice appreciated.

[TonyZ]

Hi all,

I've had my miz for a couple years and its seen a few sharpenings since then. I always do my best to remove as little material as possible and it still cuts well enough but I can tell the edge geometry is not what it was. I want to stay on top of maintenance but also am nervous about ruining the finish and not being able to bring it back to something palatable/consistent. This would be my first attempt at thinning something other than my mazaki so I am a little nervous.

Things I am worried about -

-Ruining the convexity if I start at 220 grit, I worry it might take off too much material and that I may not be able to polish it very well after.

- ruining the shinogi line, I feel that this is inevitable. In the event I stray too high, should I just go ahead and try to refinish the whole blade? I have a mix of starter jnats as well as some sandpaper I could use to potentially get a good finish.

I would really appreciate tips on how you would approach this or what I should expect/look out for when starting out.

not at home but I can post some pics later.

 

[azn_knives_4l]

Hi all,

I've had my miz for a couple years and its seen a few sharpenings since then. I always do my best to remove as little material as possible and it still cuts well enough but I can tell the edge geometry is not what it was. I want to stay on top of maintenance but also am nervous about ruining the finish and not being able to bring it back to something palatable/consistent. This would be my first attempt at thinning something other than my mazaki so I am a little nervous.

Things I am worried about -

-Ruining the convexity if I start at 220 grit, I worry it might take off too much material and that I may not be able to polish it very well after.

- ruining the shinogi line, I feel that this is inevitable. In the event I stray too high, should I just go ahead and try to refinish the whole blade? I have a mix of starter jnats as well as some sandpaper I could use to potentially get a good finish.

I would really appreciate tips on how you would approach this or what I should expect/look out for when starting out.

not at home but I can post some pics later.

Best of luck. I think stuff like this is mostly experience because regardless of what you know it's still your hands doing the work and this simply takes practice to develop coordination. Sandpaper on a soft backing really helps to even it all out in the end if the stone finish isn't quite to satisfaction.

 

[TonyZ]

Best of luck. I think stuff like this is mostly experience because regardless of what you know it's still your hands doing the work and this simply takes practice to develop coordination. Sandpaper on a soft backing really helps to even it all out in the end if the stone finish isn't quite to satisfaction.

Thanks for the tip, I will keep that in my pocket. At the very least I think I can get it to be serviceable.

 

[azn_knives_4l]

Thanks for the tip, I will keep that in my pocket. At the very least I think I can get it to be serviceable.

Sandpaper is just a variation on finger stones and abrasive powder so don't feel bad about using it. Technology should help us and not shame us.

Also, can practice finger placement, force vectors, and pressure on a wood board or something before going to the stone. Really helps to figure out what will/will not roll and round the shinogi on any particular knife kind of like practice strokes in golf. Be aware of your water and slurry and how it interacts with the knife and stiction and check your progress frequently.

You've got this!