Knife Sharpening for the Lazy?

[NeverAgain26]

I have a few knives I want to keep sharp on a regular basis:
- Leatherman Wave
- SOG Flash

I bought one of those kits with the different grits on a pole where you clamp the blade into a clamp on the stem and angle the pole into the stem for the right angle. I have it out in the barn and think it's a Lansky.

I used it twice and sure enough, I got a tolerable (not great) edge on the Leatherman. Am I doing something wrong? I give each section 8 passes like the manual says. Am I not pressing hard enough? Do I need more passes?

I don't use the SOG often enough to need to hone it. I am keeping it sharp for the day I might need it for real. I would use it more but I am not confident enough in my sharpening abilities to let it go dull enough to need honing.

The problem is, I hate the thought of going through all that hassle to sharpen the blades and lately I am letting them go dull. I know ...

... I am being lazy

But the hassle of fixing the blade to the clamp, honing it with one grit, then going to the next grit and in the end not getting a blade as sharp as I would like is not worth it. And then there is the curved tip of the blade, that as much as I try to fit into the clamp, it will not fit.

So the question is, what can I use to sharpen the blades that will be easier? Should I get a grinding wheel and several wheels in different grits which has a clamp to fit the blade? Or just the wheel and figure the angle by myself?

Anything that is fast and gets the job done would be welcome. Oh, and it can't cost an arm and a leg.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

NA26

 

[Bill Hook]

Get a DMT medium (and fine, if you want the best edge) diamond hone in a 3" x 6" or similar size.

It requires that you can eyeball an angle and keep it pretty consistent, but it works easily. You may want to sharpen one side 'til you get an edge, then flip it over to take the burr (wire edge) that formed off and true up the angle for a few passes or so. Flip it back to the other side and take the burr off that edge 'til you get good cutting and can't detect the wire edge w/ your fingernail rubbed up to the edge of the blade.

 

[NeverAgain26]

Do you push or pull the blade along the stone?

NA26

 

[Urban Warrior]

Get yourself a Spyderco Sharpmaker.

It is by far the easiest to use, and you can get a knife scary sharp.

It takes a few minutes to keep a nice edge on a knife. Just like regular maintainence on your firearm.

Do a google search on the sharpmaker, you won't be disappointed.....UW

 

[Flashpoint]

I have one of those lanskey hones with the guid rods and I have not found anything that would put a better or a cleaner edge on a knife. I would say you need more passes. Pick a point on the blade and always fix the clamp in the same place every time if you don't you will change the angle. Then just drag the stone around to the tip of the knife, no need to change the position. Also the first time you sharpen a knife with those kind of sharpeners you are changeing the angle of the original edge so it take quite a bit of effort to change the angle completely that first time. I have also noticed that the stones kind of roll the steel in the blade so when you are putting the the final edge on the knife you have to take your fingernail and hook the edge of the blade to find the lip and then very lightly run the stone over it two times to get rid of it. Afer doing that you'll have an edge that will split hairs.

 

[synoptic]

If you're really lazy like me, take it to a gun show, $5 a knife, or find a friend that can do it well and talk them into it. If you do it yourself, once you get it sharp, run it across the back of your belt a few times and that will finish it up and make it very sharp.

 

[pbman]

You can also paint the edge with a felt tip marker, this will help you get the right angle when sharpening.

Then pollish it with a strop. Leather impreignated with polishing compound.

 

[labgrade]

"I give each section 8 passes like the manual says. Am I not pressing hard enough? Do I need more passes?'

Depending on how dull your blade is at the start, you may need to use the more coarse stone & give it many more passes. I wouldn't press "too hard," but just enough to feel that you are taking off some material. Too, every few passes, remove the stone, flush it wish oil & wipe off the debris as they can become somewhat clogged. Re-oil & start fresh with the same, clean grit.

If your blde starts pretty dull, you'll have to re-condition it to a decent angle.


"And then there is the curved tip of the blade, that as much as I try to fit into the clamp, it will not fit."

On some blades, you have to re-position the clamp. Even though the angle may vary, it'll still be sharp &'ll cut like you want.

"I am being lazy ... "

Sounds like it.

Use the coarse grit to "firm up" your edge, refine it with the medium & then hone it with the "polishing grit." Use the same angle for everythig you do & just be consistant. The Lansky'll work plenty good if you just take some time at it (& it'll get easier & better w/practice). Besides, you already have one, huh?

Others may work better, but far as cheap goes, you already have the Lansky & it'll do the trick.

 

[chaim]

Do like me, take it to Bass Pro Shops whenever you are going to stop there anyway and they will usually do it for you for free. They officially charge ($1 for a "small knife" more, though I don't remember how much, for "medium" and "large" blades, and I don't know what length constitutes small, medium or large) but they've never charged me yet. That is really the lazy and easy way.

 

[Bruz]

But the hassle of fixing the blade to the clamp

Get a Spyderco Sharpmaker...


I give each section 8 passes like the manual says


If you are not matching the angle of the blade it will take a lot more than 8 passes to get it sharp...

 

[Joe Demko]

Get the Spyderco Sharpmaker. Spend the extra bux and get the diamond speed rods at the same time. With that set up, you can have a butterknife-blunt blade shaving sharp in just a few minutes. I know. I just sharpened my gf's much-neglected kitchen knives the other night. The diamond speed rods are the key. They are very abrasive and let you remove a lot of metal in a hurry. It only takes a few passes then over the ceramic to have the knife hair-popping sharp.