Get it sharp!

[JackFanToM]

The sharpmaker is superior to the DMT aligner and lansky, and is excellent for maintaining, not the easiest thing to use for reprofiling or recovering a damaged edge. I own one and use it now to help people get a "feel" of correct angles when beginning freehand. You can get a knife really sharp with one if you master it.

[signal4l]

The kme system is not bad. It is a rod and stone system like the Lansky. The rods are much stronger and dont bend.

[JC5188]

Sorry but that's a horrible comparison. Bushmaster, colt? Most knives I have are less than $100 and they are used daily. I'm sure a lot of users here carry less expensive knives than that. I don't see the need to spend $400-$700 on a sharpening system. Id rather buy some good stones and do it freehand. I can put a good edge with my "bushmaster" on my $50 knife. Once you understand edge geometry and for the materials your cutting it's easy to get the edge one needs. Thanks but I know what I know because I have been sharpening my knives before the days of YouTube and lots of practice.

No offense, but I believe Jack's BM v BCM comparison is spot on...mainly because both involve people that "don't know what they don't know".

If you've seen the edge he puts on knives, you'd understand that he is talking about a "whole 'nother level".

If you are using the Lansky, you're not on that level.

Again, no offense.


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[Krazykarl]

I have never used a strop. Is the strop intended for just a few minutes of work for polishing an edge? Or is it for modifying the edge burr?

[Krazykarl]

By the way thanks for the product recommendations. It is starting to come together.

[JackFanToM]

A strop is used for a multitude of levels of refinement from simply removing the burr through the level of removing micro scratches trying to achieve a mirror polish. That is where the bat strop shines. It comes with 3 loaded strops of 3 different common grits, and one blank. Just want a quick rehone or to remove the burr use the green, want a mirror work through them progressively. I have .05 diamond paste on my blank.


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[JasonB1]

I've used a spyderco sharpmaker for the past few years. It does a good job in my opinion.

Same here for the last few years. I can free hand (although it often involves a little trial and error to get the X degree angle for a given knife down) but holding the blade 90 degrees to the base on the Sharpmaker is very easy. Only thing I don't always use it on are Scandigrinds(find one piece ceramic or diamond easier than using the Sharpmakers in the cradles) and my only convex edge that gets sandpaper on a mouse pad.

[magister]

I've got a convex Bark River. Need to get better with the mousepad/sandpaper method.

What grit do you use?

[JackFanToM]

You didn't ask me, but when I use sandpaper- I use the following grits 200 for reprofiling never apex as it can tear out the carbides, 400 is where I apex, 600, 800, 1000 for working edges, 2000, 3000, 4000, and 5000 for polished. I use wet/dry exclusively and generally use windex vs water as it is less likely to cause rust and moves material as well as water and soap.


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[JackFanToM]

On a side note, if you are not good at keeping a consistent angle and a light touch, don't use a mousepad. What will occur is it will sharp, then dull, then sharp, then dull, etc. the surface behind the edge is too deep and will curl up over the apex and dull the edge. Use a soft piece of leather instead, on a hard surface (the blank side of the strop bat works well). This will assist in keeping your pressure consistent and light.


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