Knife Making Belt Grinder Tips: Conquering "2 Inch Divot"

This video shows techniques for eliminating a common knife making problem known as "two inch divot." When forming knives using two inch wide grinder belts, it's not unusual for a sort of divot or bump in the grind line to form about two inches from the plunge line. In this video, knife maker Walter Sorrells explains what causes two inch divot, and how to eliminate it.
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[@AnonYmous-ii4tc]

5:21 what an excellent way to describe and explain this. Thank you Walter!

[@austinmkelley]

Thank you for going in depth on the "hoowhys" 😂😂😂

[@jenafierro1500]

These videos have so.much valuable information in them amd you give them away for free. Thank you. You are a treasure.

[@bearriver685]

The value of these videos is impossible to overstate. Being able to benefit from Walter's knowledge is a real blessing. My grandfather would have gladly traded his ability to reproduce in exchange for the access we have to information and tools today.

[@mikecolumna]

Blessings to you and yours! Thank you, Walter!

[@dappershaves]

I follow many bladesmith’s and really enjoy your approach to knife making and knowledge sharing. Thx

[@Andre-eo9io]

My heart dropped at 11:03 when you violated that iconic Precise V5... However, great video, and thanks for the help!

[@ChopKnives]

You have a gift in explaining complicated things with ease. Thanks for another great video.

[@spencerwright4489]

Thanks for focusing on the why. I agree completely that understanding a problem naturally leads to solutions.

[@BladeCharmer]

I' va also faced this problem several times. Thank you Mr Walter, this video has helped me a whola lot.

[@markgoston4419]

..and that’s exactly why I’m a Patreon subscriber. Outstanding grinding masterclass Walter. Very well explained...thanks. More of these please :)

[@rainmanworks5175]

Damn! Today I'm spend 2 hours try to find the way to avoid 2" on my first chefs knife. I wish I see this video before.After thinking and testing diferend aproches I'm succsided to make nice bevel. Yes,I'm done it,but watching video could save me time. Thank you for wise words!

[@NuManXplore]

Very helpful video, thanks Walter!! I will be back to watch this multiple times.

[@aslob9321]

Awesome information, I truly enjoy seeing a master that is also a mentor!

[@nickdannunzio7683]

Great (back to basics) vid for people that never had HS shop class or the like... You explanation is exemplary and applies to any material and grinding surface... BZ...

[@stevecampbell9721]

Very informative! I have a very modest set up and use a Ryobi belt disc combo with custom belts I have ordered. I haven't run into this problem much except with belt cupping. I'm teaching a friend how to make her own set of kitchen knives though (yeah thanks for pointing that out) we shall see if she runs into that problem as we are making them.

[@ck5381]

Thanks for the tip Walter, looking forward to seeing those divots go away.

[@ljk8059]

Really helpful and concise... as always. Thanks Walter.

[@timjackson5555]

Thanks Mr. Sorrells, just watched this again for the ?? Time Running a CoolMist.. some manufacturers belts will take water, others curl really bad.

[@thomasarussellsr]

Nice job, Walter. Really a very well thought out explanation of the causes and good tips on repairs. As always, I enjoyed the video and it made me think.

[@forzapaq]

Perfect timing Walter! I'm just getting into knife making (file and jjg) and this was happening and driving me crazy. Your video makes total sense, and will help me manage it in the future.

[@contra009]

Jamie Taylor this problem would not show up if you were filing in your bevels by hand. Since the file is only cutting when you move it, instead of any time you touch it like a belt sander would be, more likely your issue is coming from uneven pressure. You're probably pressing on your file much harder at the beginning of the cut stroke. Try working a little slower and focus on filing evenly.

[@forzapaq]

Contra009 Thanks for the info....was hoping someone might shed some light.

[@contra009]

Jamie Taylor no worries! Keep at it. Too many people try to cure attention to detail with power tools, and it's a very frustrating learning curve.

[@rickotts3299]

Man did I learn a lot on this video you hit my problem dead on thanx!

[@jonpaulison2283]

I jave been making blades for a long time and the last 2 choppers I made I have a 2 inch divot in the edge . I dont know what I'm doing wrong , but your video is helpful . I'm scratching my head for the past 2 days .

[@colsoncustoms8994]

Belt cupping really grinds my gears. It only happens on the belts types that I used for handle scales and sheaths, but it has made me have to go back and fix an unnecessary screw up quite a few times.

[@LoganSumrell]

Thank you for all of your knowledge sharing on so many levels.

[@davemccracken6436]

I haven't yet ground a blade, but I am sure learning things here! I "feel" that the more info I have had now, the easier it will be to transition to doing things with steel. I am more of a woodworker, but I love to cook, and knives are something I want to have better quality, but the price of good knives is UGHHHHHHHH Thanks for the in depth approach to your teaching. I am a linear thinker, and I need to dot my t's and cross my i's very carefully from the get go! Thanks Walter for a chance to learn things here.

[@ivysinistra]

All it takes is for you to go out and do it!

[@Lokiwho]

Great tips! I was having this exact issue yesterday and I nearly threw my blade across the shop

[@colsoncustoms8994]

The Trizact CF belts are great for making nice smooth lines and keeping everything even.

[@marcgodwin7571]

On the cupping point have you tried to run a small rubber wheel above the top platoon wheel to straighten out the cup, or it would make no difference?

[@harryphotos1]

Thank you! The cupping part was an ah-hah moment for me.

[@Hellspijker]

thank you, very clear explanation!

[@QGoblin]

Great information, thanks so much.

[@vicfeb3]

Just stepped away from my grinder, after getting a divot and this showed up! Thank you!! Do you have a video on belt tension? Currently running a 1 inch or so deflection, but I noticed on this video there was a belt that was vibrating pretty good.

[@WalterSorrellsBlades]

It actually isn't vibrating quite as much as it looks like it is. It's somewhat of an optical illusion caused by the intersection of 60 frames/minute filming and LED light pulsing.

[@vicfeb3]

Ah...copy that

[@StodOneR]

My observation when making a bevel on a knife with my amateur sander on the disk sander it is sort of impossible to make a straight bevel( cross section ) because the disk is sort of soft , I always make convex bevel unless I use a stone wheel to make the bevel in which case I can make a concave bevel for something like a straight razor

[@rodwilliams1722]

You can sure take the fun out of being an artist. Professor.

[@bennetelsen6073]

Thanx Walter!

[@zgi5950]

Great Video Again! Thank You!

[@damionlowther78]

Nicely put this is great advise.

[@davidendres7808]

Thank you

[@heesanoice7637]

Although I've never had the 2 in bump issue, I've always had a problem with the plunge line ending up higher than the rest of the grind line. I think I'm pausing just for a split second when I plunge in, and that's all it takes to make the grind line uneven. I'll check my belts and see if there's cupping in them , too. Thanks for that info, because I was unaware of that happening !

[@sl6534]

Howard Cole this exactly! Funny enough it only ever happens on one side of the blade for me. I'm assuming it has to be too much pressure or time on the plunge line, kind of the opposite of what he was demonstrating. I did notice that on the blade he used to demonstrate the 2" divot it had the divot at the plunge line too.

[@heesanoice7637]

I used to really put the pressure on the blade and always ended up with lots of clean up detailing in the end. I've since then learned to throttle back on my pressure, and I tend to move the blade along faster than I used to. Before, I took it really slow so as to watch my grind line angle. But I realized one day that the slower you go, the bigger chances there is of you making a deep mistake that's really hard to fix later. this is my 5th year of knife making, and I'm finally getting the hang of it !!

[@ivysinistra]

Start from the tip and move it back from the belt once you reach the plunge line

[@jsmcinnes]

Great video! Thank you!

[@LastBastian]

My Trizact Gator belts suffer from the "cupping" issue. Badly. Even the brand new ones seem to have this problem...

[@tobystout7363]

Very helpful. Thank you

[@nihallee]

Really cool ! Thanks a lot !!!

[@chs5h4]

Great Vid! Thank you!

[@andrewkline]

17:32 keep this man away from the dry erase board.. good, thorough explanation, though.

[@gooner9038]

Can the use of a jig obviate this problem?

[@polishavenger1]

Not in my experience.

[@FajnyAleZaNiski]

+1, You are not afraid to grab the belt with the blade edge, cut it and throw away the knife? it is not more safety to have the blade edge down not up?

[@moredankmemes3755]

NiceTubeAccount it's so you can see the edge. It gives better control over the grind. I'm no expert but I think the belt would sooner either get cut or simply grind the edge away while the edge shears off some grit.

[@jrpalm1948]

For some reason I never had a problem with the "2 inch divot" only with keeping the grind lines straight and not wavy which is a simple fix. really with grinding it just takes practice lots and lots.

[@david8a668]

Where can we get telplates of some of your knifes?

[@dappershaves]

Money fixes many problems and IP is not free :-). Support the man, sure he will meet you halfway….

[@WalterSorrellsBlades]

I've got plans for several of my knives available for folks who support the channel through my patreon page. You can find a link to it in the description. I've got plans for a handful of knives there now and am adding new ones all the time.

[@mercoid]

Combat Abrasives. They combat unsmoothness.

[@ljblades2473]

Great video I just made a chefs knife and ran into the same problem.

[@oskarskoglund806]

Don't like 2 inch divots? Dont make blades longer than 2 inches. Easy fix

[@jackdawg4579]

or use a 4 inch belt or even better dont use plunge lines! :)

[@colsoncustoms8994]

full flat / zero convex ftw

[@kenbgood4u]

Lmao 😂😂😂

[@truetourtillott8288]

4 inch belts!

[@tjbouwer]

belt bump is a course of inferior belt joint

[@gregbrown3082]

17:22 the reason why you're here.

[@KettleNK]

1st comment :) yay your videos are great.

[@LastBastian]

I hate the 2" divot!!!

[@philochristos]

Me, too! It's my nemesis.

[@Finn-McCool]

Caution, no chef's knives were used in the slaughtering of helpless farm animals in the video. Relax it's only red ink! 😃 Thanks Walt.