Knife Sharpening

[misanthropist]

I have sharpened knives and cutting tools for years...I'm in construction and use a LOT of cutting instruments. Further to that, my dad was a knife sharpening nut. He had a lot more money invested in sharpening stuff than in knives, actually...he mainly used old moras, which could be had cheaper then even than they are now.

Anyway, I grew up around knife sharpening and I own a half dozen japanese stones and so on. I shave with a straight razor and all that. I have made a few knives for myself and for sale. Lots of sharpening around here is the point I am trying to make.

SOOO....

These days I use my water stones once in a while, if I have some specific reason to do so. I maintain my knives in the field with a DMT folding diamond hone.

For regular use at home, I would never screw around with hand-powered anything, frankly.

A cheap belt sander with grits ranging from 320 on up to 9 micron can be had for about a hundred bucks. You can do every knife in your house in about ten minutes.

It's nice to have the skill to do it all by hand and I do recommend learning, but the guided systems like the Lansky or whatever don't really teach you that anyway, so if you're going to spend the money on a machine that takes the skill out, why go the slow route? Just take a belt sander to them and bang off a knife every minute or so until they're all done. If you do it regularly, a knife takes about ten seconds to bring back to shaving sharp because there is so little material to take off.

Anyway that's my approach.

[BrianS]

Spyderco triangle sharpmaker is excellent for most purposes/ everyday knife uses (15 and 20 degree angle per side using that system). They also make good gifts for people with knives that aren't experts at sharpening using other methods and the whole system fits in a small case that can go in a bag easily.

Also check out the spyderco bench stones made out of the same synthetic sapphire as the stones for the sharpmaker if you like free hand sharpening.

I convex some blades using sandpaper and use a leather strop bat with the appropriate compounds for putting a final polish on my edges. Others I just leave as flat grinds and sharpen exclusively with the sharpmaker.

I've had good results maintaining edges with the sharpmaker by just giving a blade a few passes a side on the 30 degree back bevel setting and a quick pass on the strop after medium use. 1 minute at the end of day is all it takes to avoid the work to resharpen a badly dulled edge.

[SkyPup]

If you want to cut paper, the Spyderco will make it happen.

[Doc Blase]

I have both an Edgepro and a Triangle Sharpmaker with the optional diamond triangles for reprofiling edges.

The edgepro is particularly good for medium-sized knives, say 3" to 6" but has problems with longer blades.

Spyderco's triangles work for me better on a wider variety of blade lengths and is lots easier to set up and use; on the other hand, edgepro does allow a more refined edge if you take the time to work down to the yellow tape (whatever grit that is...)

I have a Lansky someplace but could never get it to grip the blade consistantly and the little aluminum rods were too flexible; the whole thing was pretty awkward (again for me).

As with lots of things you may need to experiment with various techniques and systems until you find the one best for your knives and skills. Some things you keep and some of 'em wind up in a box or donated down at Goodwill.

I think it might even be more important to have good steel in a quality knife than a particular sharpener. I have had some knives with steel that was so soft they were nearly impossible to sharpen. 154 CM and S30V have been favorites, as is Spyderco's version of ZDP-189. Even I can sharpen those! :-)

[willowofwisp]

Spyderco Sharpmaker for me.

[Moose-Knuckle]

Great thread gents, lot of good info in here.

[northern1]

Sharpening is deffinately becoming a lost artform or trade/skill. Its kind of tough for each individual to figure out which method works best for them with all the diffirent options and gadgets out there now.

It wasn't that long ago where every home had an Arkansas stone and that was basically it.

Me personally if a blade needs serious work like taking out gouges or having the edge re-beveled I use a cheap Harbor Freight belt grinder with a miriad of diffirent belts from Lee Valley. From then on for touch up work I've come to love the Spyderco. And that's after trying out much more expensive and complicated systems. What was a game changer for me was when I dicovered the strop, which takes its own practice to develop a feel for as well.

A trick I used to use when I was still getting the feel for things was to use a Sharpie, color the edge only and that way I could see where I was making contact and progress in comparison to the edge and the sharpener. Now I do it all on feel alone. In my circle of familly and friends I think I might be the only one who can really sharpen a blade. It is kind of sad.

[n517rv]

+1 on the wet stones

I prefer using two Japanese wet stones 1000/6000 grit. Purchased and learned how use them by watching Murray Carter videos. You can find him on YouTube.

Definitely not to cheapest route to go, but I really had fun learning to sharpen a knife and never really knew what it was like to have a super sharp knife around.

[northern1]

Yea once you get spoiled on what sharp really is your never satisfied with anything but scary sharp. Assuming the blade has the right geometry to take that type of edge. Those 1/4 thick and thicker blades only get so sharp.

[BrianS]

+1 on the wet stones

I prefer using two Japanese wet stones 1000/6000 grit. Purchased and learned how use them by watching Murray Carter videos. You can find him on YouTube.

Definitely not to cheapest route to go, but I really had fun learning to sharpen a knife and never really knew what it was like to have a super sharp knife around.

This is gonna be what I learn to do next actually, LOL. I guess I need help, but I find knife sharpening to be very relaxing and therapeutic.