Keeping your blades sharp

[thegriz]

I have a few good knives - really good knives. My problem is that I don't sharpen them for fear of ruining them. Thus I avoid using them so they don't become dull before I really need them.

I go to the sporting goods stores and look at knife sharpening kits but I just go cross-eyed. Should I just use a stone? Should I get a diamond sharpener, etc. I have a professional knife maker who has sharpened by most prized knife for me and repaired the blade. However, he's in Canada and shipping the knives back and forth is a pain. I want a simple solution that I can take care of myself without damaging my blades. I bought a new Kershaw folding knife 2 days ago. It was pretty sharp right out of the box. Now it's dull enough to run across my hand without leaving a mark. I'm not sure if it's just junk or whether I just need to do a lot of sharpening.

I know this foolish. I need help in order to fix this problem. Do any of you have a reliable solution for sharpening knives?

 

[Ohen Cepel]

I like the inexpensive ceramic sticks (one piece hand held version). Cheap and great for touch ups.

A stone is also great to have it you need to get the edge back into the correct angle. However, if you're touching it up frequently a stone shouldn't be needed that often.

Lots of guys love the Spyderco sharpener. I have one and it's alright, I prefer the 2 things I mentioned above though. The Spydy has the advantage that I don't think you're going to possibly hurt anything so long as you read the instructions. It's worth looking into.

The Kershaw is probably just a soft steel. Great in that it's easy to sharpen and won't take but a minute to bring back to a razor's edge. However, it will also dull quickly since it's soft. It would be a good knife to work on some and get your confidence up.

Good luck!

 

[hso]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=8341

We've got a sticky in Non-Firearms Weapons on sharpening and we've had several good discussions as well that you could pull up with a search on sharpening. You'd probably benefit from spending a little time reading over there on knives, steel, sharpening and use.

The short response to your question is to get one of the Warthog sharpeners and follow the instructions. http://www.warthogsharp.com/

Next would be to get any of the good ceramic "V" sharpener systems like those produced by Gatco or Spyderco. Follow the instructions there. The critical issue is to keep the blade verticle as you move down the rod to keep the angle and to stroke one side until you have a wire edge on the other. Then stroke the opposite stone until you feel the wire edge form on the opposite side. Strop that off and you'll have a good edge to work with.

 

[oregonshooter]

The best setup bar none is the EdgePro Pricy, but worth it! I've used one for several years now.

 

[Charles S]

I personally like the SPyderco sharpmaker. I have used one for 15 years now and I love it.

I am know around the deer camp for my ability to sharpen knives and the sharpness of my blades.

Charles

 

[Sunray]

One of the most dangerous and useless tools is a dull knife of any type. Look in the Yellow Pages for a sharpening shop. A place that does saw blades etc. Then go buy a steel to keep the edge true between sharpenings.

 

[thegriz]

Thanks - I appreciate you

That's exactly the kind of input I was looking for. I touched up the folding knife this evening and I was very pleased with the result.

Thanks for the information and advice.

 

[hso]

TG,

What did you use and how did you use it?

 

[Kingcreek]

As a child, I learned to use a stone. Used to sit on my grandad's lap in his woodshop and sharpen his planer blades and chisels. still use a good stone sometimes.
I like the Spyderco Sharpmaker for its ease and speed.
When I'm out hunting I usually carry a small stone in my backpack and I always carry a piece of leather and a piece of very fine wet/dry sandpaper to strop an edge back to razor sharp.

 

[Scottso]

Stones. Arkansas whetstone's what I learned on shaving sharp, however if you do not use correctly or have "feel" for it forget it. Also a Diamond imprecgnated steel I've used for 15 years or so, finally need a new one lol. Tried to use those Sharpenning kits with attachments and guides and bells and whistles, not for me, but hey whatever floats your boat. With stones a bit of oil, wash them down once and awhile, last you forever!

 

[CWL]

Started with Lanskys ~20 years ago, have owned everything from diamond hones, japanese polishing stones, flat leather sharpeners and Leather barber strops.

I prefer the Spyderco Sharpmaker. (Although I still use the leather strop to put a polish to my blades.)

 

[Matt Dillon]

I use a combination of the Cardboard wheel sharpening system, and a cheap Harbor Freight 1"x30" belt sander with a leather belt impregnated with Chromium Dioxide for stropping. Can't get much quicker or sharper!

 

[pete f]

I use a whole lot of different ways. depends on what I am sharpening.

Diamond plates are great ideas.

just as good results can be done with wet or dry sand paper and a piece of plate glass. wet both side of the sand paper, let it stick to the glass and then just practice, Practice with the knives in the kitchen as they are usually a grade of steel that is fairly soft and will sharpen fast, learn to feel the angles and work away. keep the sand paper wet and let the slurry wash off. this keeps the paper cutting. once you feel confident on the good cooks knife, start on one of the not so good hunting knives and finally work up to your good stuff.

it just takes confidence. i can make blades sharp as a straight razor pretty easy.

 

[Smith357]

I have used stones for the last 35 years to keep all my blades sharp. I have a dozen or so for every concievable use. A use a carbide stone for micro serrations on a my axes, and tomahawks also for my toolbox working blades, I use Arkansas soft, hard, and black for my kitchen cutlery and pocket knives, I like a super fine 4-6000 grit Japanese whetstone for that final polish on my shushi knives and other ultra fine blades. All those gadget sharpeners are fine for those who don't know how to sharpen a blade. But they limit you to one edge geometry. The only rig I use is for grinding my chisle and plane blades, I will then hone them by hand.

 

[pictoblu]

A lot of the guys I know swear by the Spyderco Sharpmaker. I've never used one.

For several years I used the Lansky 5 stone kit, but really never was satisfied with the rig-a-ma-roe in setting it up and the clamp has scratched some of my blades.

Just this year I bought a couple of the DMT diamond hones, and so far I like them the best for regular sharpening maintenance.

There's a really good book, The Razor Edge Book of Sharpening, by John Juranich, that I highly recommend for anyone learning to hone a blade, and even folks who already know how might pick up a good tip or 2 from it.

And if you want to go "high tech" there's always a belt sander. I have a Harbor Freight 1" x 30" belt sander. Cost all of $30, and then got a nice assortment of various grit belts off fleabay. And a leather belt that has been treated with compound will take an edge to previously unknown levels of sharpness. But I think that's really too much for most to even think about, unless they really are into it.

 

[JTW Jr.]

Never could get used to the Spyderco Sharpmaker. Tried the Warthog but if your blade has a thick spine forget it. Tried to use it at the SHOT show on a Strider AR...no go. But for thin blades it works great.

Depending on what I am sharpening , I use either the Edge Pro Apex or Spyderco flat stones. If it is a knife I made I will do 95% of the edge on my Bader grinder and then the last bit on a stone and strop.

Get some cheap knives and practice , the trick is to never let them get really dull , bringing back an extremely dull edge on a S30v blade sucks.

 

[bigjim]

I have come to think Stones and Ceramic sticks are just not as good as sand paper.

I now use a inch square stick about a foot long with a strip of thin hard leather glued to one side. I wrap various grits of sand papaer on this stick.

60 to 100 grit to reprofile

150 to 220 for final shapeing and evening up lines.

220-600 to refine the primary bevel

1000 -2000 grit to Polish and cut a micro bevel.

The thin hard leather backing makes the sand paper cut better and creates a natural convex effect.

Leather strop for final polish with Hand American abrasives.

 

[Oldnamvet]

I use my Tormek sharpener with the special knife holder to keep the bevel true. In between real sharpenings, I use a piece of leather glued to a flat piece of maple. Keep it charged with jeweler rouge and the edge you get is like a mirror.

 

[Tom Krein]

Give me a call or pm me. I sharpen my customers knives all the time. I even have one customer who sends his knives from Singapore to me.

Tom Krein
Krein Knives
479-736-3444

 

[JohnKSa]

There's a really good book, The Razor Edge Book of Sharpening, by John Juranich, that I highly recommend for anyone learning to hone a blade, and even folks who already know how might pick up a good tip or 2 from it.

Concur. There may be better methods for sharpening, but if there are, I haven't found them. I bought this book years ago and was immediately able to sharpen knives better than ever before. Not only much sharper, but MUCH more consistently. I can get a knife as sharp as I want it to be and I can do it EVERY time I try. Since I read the book, I don't know anyone personally who can sharpen a knife as well as I can, and what's more, I don't need any expensive gadgets to make it happen, just a couple of stones--don't even need oil.