View Full Version : How do YOU sharpen your knives
I want to know how everyone sharpens their knives. I want to know what works for you and why. Tell me about the stones, techniques, jigs, and finishing touches you use on your knives. I've carried a knife since I was a kid and have always been "into" knives, but never quite mastered sharpening like I would like to. I've had knives that I had no problem sharpening, and others that I couldn't get sharp to save my life. So let me have it, all your tips, tricks and techniques to sharpen them and keep them useful.
Spyderco Sharpmaker. In my experience, this is the best sharpener for the money. It's VERY easy to use and set up. The sharpmaker has worked on everything from my kitchen knives to my edc knives.
Arkansas Bob
07-23-14, 17:41
Arkansas whetstone and a leather strop
Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition is awesome and saves time.
http://www.worksharptools.com/knife-tool-sharpener-ken-onion-edition.html
If time isn't an issue, the Wicked Edge is pretty nice.
http://www.wickededgeusa.com/
JackFanToM
07-23-14, 20:43
DMT dia sharp stones in extra course, course, fine, and extra fine, spyderco stones in fine and ultra fine followed by a 4 way strop. I am able to easily obtain mirror polish super sharp edges and maintain them merely by stropping. I have a worksharp, DMT Aligner kit, and a spyderco sharpmaker, but all of them pale to using a stone system, and it pays to learn to hand sharpen. I avoid standard whetstones as they require regular maintenance to keep them flat and accurate, whereas my spyderco sapphire ceramics and the dia-sharps are pretty much life time stones
+1 on the DMT diamond stones... I prefer the 10" DuoSharps Bench Stones in extra course, course, fine, and extra fine. Not cheap, but well worth the investment.
Currently using a Sharpmaker—I have the diamond and ultra fine rods for it—with acceptable results, but I've been intrigued by the Work Sharp for a while.
Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition is awesome and saves time.
http://www.worksharptools.com/knife-tool-sharpener-ken-onion-edition.html
If money isn't an issue, the Wicked Edge is pretty nice.
http://www.wickededgeusa.com/
Fixed that for you.
Japanese waterstones here (Shaptons). I'm no wizard at freehand sharpening but I can make do. I'm thinking of getting a Work Sharp KO edition cause I'm getting lazier and don't always feel like breaking out the stones for a session. I also have a ceramic butcher's steel for kitchen knife touch up.
I take them to the Phoenix knife shop and pay $3 a blade.
JackFanToM
07-24-14, 11:52
My bet is the Phoenix knife shop (like the worksharp system) utilizes a belt system. Keep in mind with any system that aggressive you have a finite amount of sharpening before your blade is ruined.
My bet is the Phoenix knife shop (like the worksharp system) utilizes a belt system. Keep in mind with any system that aggressive you have a finite amount of sharpening before your blade is ruined.
Actually you can ask for hand sharpened as well (which I typically do)
Its a super high end culinary knife store.
http://www.phoenixknifehouse.com/index.php/sharpening-service
(They only ever charge me $3 for the hand sharpening thou, and I watch them do it.)
http://www.knivesshipfree.com/complete-sharpening-kit-for-field-or-home-w-s3-dry-box-black/
This looks pretty cool, I'm thinking of trying it out.
My Shun's get sharpened by the factory for free, but I've gone to a WorkSharp Ken Onion Edition which does a great job on those Japanese grinds. I also have a Sharpmaker which is a good, cost-effective tool.
sierra 223
07-24-14, 17:47
Spyderco Sharpmaker and Work Sharp
LMT Shooter
07-28-14, 03:17
I like the Lansky knife sharpener. Simple and easy, not too expensive.
Ditto on the worksharp. It's really the best thing going for convex grinds.
Flat grinds I can do by hand with a good stone and use simple diamond V hones too.
CharlieDeltaJuliet
07-29-14, 08:39
I still use diamond stones or wet stones on my better knives. On my EDC and such I use a cheapo Smith's pocket sharpener (carbide and ceramic).
for the people using the work sharp. do you guys go through all the belts?
My Shun's get sharpened by the factory for free, but I've gone to a WorkSharp Ken Onion Edition which does a great job on those Japanese grinds. I also have a Sharpmaker which is a good, cost-effective tool.
Is that for any Shun owner. I have one Shun. I keep it in the gun safe because my retard wife can actually ruin a knife by looking at it across the room. :sarcastic:
Ned Christiansen
07-29-14, 14:22
Roll your window down half way and use the sand-blasted edge for a tune-up. You can get nice long strokes, works well for me.
Next step, for the final edge, the side of a sweaty Corona bottle. No I'm not kidding.
Don't do them in sequence while sitting at a stoplight with a squad car next to you.
DarkTemplars
07-29-14, 20:22
Smith TriHone.
It comes with an edge guide but I never use it. I also tend to have a very low edge angle.
Quiet-Matt
07-29-14, 20:59
I like the Lansky knife sharpener. Simple and easy, not too expensive.
Same here, simple effective sharpener.
chasetopher
07-29-14, 21:23
Generic (roughly 2"x8") two sided coarse/fine stone.
Same stone that I use for most all sharpening: chisels, wood plane blades, scissors, etc.
Honing solution sold for the diamond stones doesn't seem to work any better than plain old kerosene for the lubricant, and at <$1 a quart that is what I use.
With the fine side of the stone and a lighter touch, most blades can be made sharp enough to shave the hair on the back of my hand.
Despite this, I don't feel it is ever truly 'razor' sharp.
I've been interested in getting a leather strop but don't know enough about them.
backcast88
07-29-14, 22:51
I like the Lansky knife sharpener. Simple and easy, not too expensive.
Same here.
Spyderco Sharpmaker. In my experience, this is the best sharpener for the money. It's VERY easy to use and set up. The sharpmaker has worked on everything from my kitchen knives to my edc knives.
This plus a strop makes it very easy to maintain a great edge on quality steel.
I have tired most sharpeners in the past. About a year ago I landed a wicked edge pro pack 2. And I have never looked back. I have diamond stones from 50-1000 and some ceramic stones 1200-1600. Then I have 3 sets of leather strops for it with Diamond pastes from 14 microns to 0.5 microns. And I finish and maintain the edge on a flexxx strop 4 sided seems to keep my knives laser sharp.
Thanks for all the replies. I have been using 1000 to 2500 grit automotive sand paper on a mouse pad and finishing with a leather strop. That seems to work well with most of my knives. A lot of what works seems to be very dependent on the steel and the grind of the blade. I'll be looking into the work sharp and/ or the sharp maker in the near future.
don't know where I heard it but the type of steel makes a difference what type of sharpening system you use. the more common carbon blades are fine on the older stone and ceramic sharpeners but the newer "super steels" need a diamond system to sharpen properly.
the reason is the carbites(?) that are embedded in the steel will not be cut by the old stones and the metal around them is simply ground away. this leaves these particles sitting on the ridge of the edge like little teeth. this may at first seem to produce a very sharp knife that saws or pull-cuts very well but in heavier use, they are soon broken off leaving the knife duller than before.
for my super steel knives I use the Wicked Edge system with diamond hones up to 6000 and finish with a strop. it works well but my other knives I can get pretty good results with just an Arkansas stone and a butcher steel...
I have been using a Smith Tri-Hone sharpening system since 1989. It works well for most applications.
One of the guys from work who makes his own knives uses a diamond polishing wheel. He almost had a heart attack when he saw how I treat my knives.
don't know where I heard it but the type of steel makes a difference what type of sharpening system you use. the more common carbon blades are fine on the older stone and ceramic sharpeners but the newer "super steels" need a diamond system to sharpen properly.
the reason is the carbites(?) that are embedded in the steel will not be cut by the old stones and the metal around them is simply ground away. this leaves these particles sitting on the ridge of the edge like little teeth. this may at first seem to produce a very sharp knife that saws or pull-cuts very well but in heavier use, they are soon broken off leaving the knife duller than before.
for my super steel knives I use the Wicked Edge system with diamond hones up to 6000 and finish with a strop. it works well but my other knives I can get pretty good results with just an Arkansas stone and a butcher steel...
Not my experience at all. I have used a Sharpmaker and strop (grey and green compounds) to maintain Elmax, CPM S30V, and CPM S35VN. I touched up my ZT 0566 (Elmax) a few days ago and after about 20 feet of cardboard, 30 zip tie press cuts, and slashing about 15 feet of vinyl, foam, and seam threads, it still goes through paper like a laser.
I use an old Spyderco Sharpener I've had for years.
Not my experience at all. I have used a Sharpmaker and strop (grey and green compounds) to maintain Elmax, CPM S30V, and CPM S35VN. I touched up my ZT 0566 (Elmax) a few days ago and after about 20 feet of cardboard, 30 zip tie press cuts, and slashing about 15 feet of vinyl, foam, and seam threads, it still goes through paper like a laser.
well I'm not the expert who said this but understand, he does know what he's talking about. not saying you're wrong, it will make the knife seem very sharp initially or at least until those carbites break off. none of the materials you mentioned cutting seem like a real test of a blade's durability. try carving some wood with that and see how it holds up.
and it's altogether possible that your knife was not "dull" to begin with. if it picks back up with just a stropping, that's a sign of a good steel. and despite people saying that the super steels are harder to sharpen than a common steel, that's why I use them - the edge doesn't degrade to the point that they need to be actually resharpened as quickly...
I use both the Lansky system and the Spyderco Sharpmaker. And I also prefer to strop my knives to maintain the edge.
I typicaly use the lansky for plane edge knives or something with a simple design. For knives with recurves and such like my ZT 0200 (or anything designed by Ken Onion for that matter) I use the Sharpmaker because it is easier when dealing with the constatnly curving blade shape.
You can't go wrong with either of these systems they are very afordable and pretty idiot-proof.
JackFanToM
08-14-14, 19:49
The Spyderco Sharpmaker is an excellent system for maintaining or reconditioning edges, but it does not do well bringing very dull edges back or re-profiling them. Note I did not say it wasn't possible, just that it does not do it very well (even with the diamond rods). The Worksharp, Edge Pro, and Wicked Edge can all create excellent edges and are good at maintaining, re-conditioning, and re-profiling edges. Unfortunately all three of these systems require space, are bulky, and generally are not easy to use on the fly. All of these aforementioned systems have a learning curve and limitations regarding the size of the blade (try sharpening an axe with the edge pro or wicked edge). I have several of these systems, as well as a few others not mentioned...they each have served me well, and still do for certain tasks. After trying all of these, and mastering them, I have found that freehand sharpening is more rewarding, more convenient, more versatile, easier to use anywhere at anytime, and forces you to truly understand the geometry of an edge. Does it require a learning curve...yes, but then so do each of these other systems. What you learn freehand can be applied to ALL of the other systems, and makes them more effective. Does freehand require a ton of stones? This depends on your goal...I can use 3 stones to go from completely dull to mirror polished edge that will glide thru phone book paper...with all sorts of steel (S30V, 154CM, Elmax, Niolox, 5160, 8cr13mov, sandvik, sleipner, etc.). I actually own 5 stones and a strop, and all of the stones have lifetime warranties and are guaranteed not wear down. These stones are less expensive than waterstones, tougher than arkansas stones, and in the event I need to be able to sharpen on the move I can maintain any edge with one (I would not have a mirror polish but it would still be far superior to any factory edge). I use a combination of DMT and Spyderco stones. These stone perform well, and the scratch patterns are incredibly consistent.
I'm not saying my method is for you, and that it is superior. I'm merely pointing out that your tool is only as good as the user, and even if you have the best, most expensive system, you will need to master it. I can sharpen better with all of my systems now that I can freehand. I also have found that my freehand edges are easier to control the loss of metal during sharpening....I lose less and still get the edge as good or better than any of the systems. You can acquire and edgepro or a wicked edge basic systems from $200-300, or all of my stones and a strop for well under $200.
well I'm not the expert who said this but understand, he does know what he's talking about. not saying you're wrong, it will make the knife seem very sharp initially or at least until those carbites break off. none of the materials you mentioned cutting seem like a real test of a blade's durability. try carving some wood with that and see how it holds up.
and it's altogether possible that your knife was not "dull" to begin with. if it picks back up with just a stropping, that's a sign of a good steel. and despite people saying that the super steels are harder to sharpen than a common steel, that's why I use them - the edge doesn't degrade to the point that they need to be actually resharpened as quickly...
Fair response. As a general rule, my blades never get really dull. I use blades frequently on the types of materials listed above, so I am motivated to maintain edges, and prefer steels that retain well while also being maintenance friendly.
Wicked Edge sharpener. 8 levels of diamond stone, 4 levels of ceramic, 4 levels of stropping, ending with a sub micron stropping compound. Produces repeatable mirrored edges that you can shave with.
Wicked Edge sharpener. 8 levels of diamond stone, 4 levels of ceramic, 4 levels of stropping, ending with a sub micron stropping compound. Produces repeatable mirrored edges that you can shave with.
That sounds just like my procedure. And I maintain on a flexxx strop quad strop with 3 compounds and 1 finishing side
I like the Lansky knife sharpener. Simple and easy, not too expensive.
I've been using a Lansky set for years. That and an old leather belt that I turned into a strop. I'll probably get a worksharp for the convex grind blades I have. The strop works good only for touch ups if the edge is already sharp.
Honorthecall81
08-23-14, 18:25
Spyderco tri sharpmaker. Gets everything sharp enough to split frog hair.
I use the sharpener from my wife's knife block in the kitchen.
I use a Norton two sided medium and fine stone. I can get my EDC knife and wife's kitchen knives razor sharp with just that.
Sometimes, for the kitchen knives and fillet knives I'll even put an emery cloth onto a mouse pad and polish up the edge up to a mirror look.
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