Posted: 4/1/2010 7:51:35 PM EDT
| This may be general knowledge, but I'm just curious what methods you all use to sharpen your knives. I'm not a big knife guy but I definitely see something getting started here. I just got a CRKT Ultima 5" and would like to get this baby sharp. Thanks in advance. |
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Even more important than the tool is the KNOWLEDGE of how to sharpen a knife. I am an admirer of a book that I regularly post about on this board.
"The Razor Edge Book of Sharpening" is a terrific read! The cover has a pic of the author at an axe-sharpening contest, SHAVING with a double-bitted logging axe! That ol' boy knows his stuff! Look for the book online; Amazon has it. ETA For actual sharpening, I use a regular 2-sided stone, with NO OIL on it (the book says not to use oil) and continue with a Washita stone (finer grit), then finish with a moon stone. The moon stone resembles a piece of white marble, it has a very, very fine grit. |
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A lot depends on just how sharp you want the thing to be. The pull through type sharpeners with a ceramic rod work pretty well for getting a usable edge, but not one you can shave with.
If you are going to spend more than $10 on a sharpener, you can get a Harbor Freight 1" wide belt sander. There are a couple of videos on Youtube showing some very impressive sharpening capability with a $40 machine and a $12 leather belt. I think the biggest issue is that it can be time consuming and people want it to go fast. I also think a lot of people use way too coarse of a grit, and end up making a big mess. It takes some time to learn to hold the angle correctly and consistently. From what I can tell though, the way to get the sharpest edges is with progressively finer sandpaper on a flat surface. The users of this technique sometimes call it "Scary Sharp". It can get you a very sharp edge. Youtube has some good videos on the technique. A guy I work with uses it to sharpen his woodworking chisels. |
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Here is a current discussion on the subject over in the peanut gallery:
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=1022054 |
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Quoted:
A lot depends on just how sharp you want the thing to be. The pull through type sharpeners with a ceramic rod work pretty well for getting a usable edge, but not one you can shave with. If you are going to spend more than $10 on a sharpener, you can get a Harbor Freight 1" wide belt sander. There are a couple of videos on Youtube showing some very impressive sharpening capability with a $40 machine and a $12 leather belt. I think the biggest issue is that it can be time consuming and people want it to go fast. I also think a lot of people use way too coarse of a grit, and end up making a big mess. It takes some time to learn to hold the angle correctly and consistently. From what I can tell though, the way to get the sharpest edges is with progressively finer sandpaper on a flat surface. The users of this technique sometimes call it "Scary Sharp". It can get you a very sharp edge. Youtube has some good videos on the technique. A guy I work with uses it to sharpen his woodworking chisels. The convexed blade/sandpaper sharpening combination is underrated and underused IMO. I have a sharpmaker and stones but they are collecting dust. I have found convexed edges are easier to obtain and are more durable. Sandpaper and a mouse pad are not exactly expensive, either. |
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Quoted:
Even more important than the tool is the KNOWLEDGE of how to sharpen a knife. I am an admirer of a book that I regularly post about on this board. The Razor Edge Book of Sharpening is a terrific read! The cover has a pic of the author at an axe-sharpening contest, SHAVING with a double-bitted logging axe! That ol' boy knows his stuff! Look for the book online; Amazon has it. ETA For actual sharpening, I use a regular 2-sided stone, with NO OIL on it (the book says not to use oil) and continue with a Washita stone (finer grit), then finish with a moon stone. The moon stone resembles a piece of white marble, it has a very, very fine grit. Franks right on this you know. I'm a big advocate of learn how to sharpen a knife on a stone and you'll never be without a knife sharpener. The systems on the market right now and I have quite a few are awfully nice but nothing replaces the knowledge. Tj |
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If you want an edge that is nasty sharp and polished to a mirror, a good whetstone and a strop bat are the way to go. In my down time, I sharpen knives for the guys in the platoon, and have probably sharpened about fifty knives in the last couple months. I could always get an edge just with the whet stone, but struggled to get them shaving sharp. I picked up a Strop bat from JRE Industries and was amazed at how sharp and polished the edge turns out.
Do a little research on sharpening. After reading a pamphlet by Mors Kochanski, and watching a few youtube videos, I started understanding what I was doing, instead of just grinding a knife on a stone. |
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I have several hundred edged tools and depending on the steel, end use and edge type I use a selection of natural and artificial whetstones and oilstones including Arkansas, Ouachita or Washita stones, silicon carbide (carborundum) and aluminium oxide (corundum) stones and Japanese waterstones. Also used are diamond coated plates and, along with a glass plate, various diamond and other types of abrasive grit. Also mentioned previously, fine grades of 'sanding' paper are used on glass plate.
BTW Whetstones and waterstones are different types. "Despite being a homophone with wet, whetstones need not be lubricated with oil or water though it is very common that one of these is used. Lubrication aids the cutting action and carries away swarf." Japanese waterstones require water to work properly. Finding a good abrasive to sharpen your chosen steel is much easier than learning the techniques required to do a proper job. Don't wait for the coming times to learn how to do it well. ETA plain bond paper is one of the best strop materials made. |
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For over 20 years I used Arkansas and Washita stones, and was able to get great edges on my knives. I've also used sandpaper on a mouse pad to do convex edges, and got good results. Then I tried a Spyderco Sharpmaker and got hooked. For me, the Sharpmaker seems to give me very sharp blades more consistently than other methods.
If/when I get the space to setup a workshop, I want to try paper wheels on a grinder, and possibly a slack belt sander. |
| I have done some looking and talked to my boss who is kind of a knife guy and he suggested the Lansky sharpening system. He let me borrow it and I have to say I liked it. It was somewhat inexpensive and worked well. I wasn't looking to pay a whole lot and wanted something entry level I guess you could say. I went ahead and bought the Lansky Deluxe system. I do however want to advance to using stones, so I plan on continuing my research. I also saw a video in which a guy covered a wooden block with some denim and had some buffing compound that he used as a strop. Still a lot of things to look into. I appreciate all the input from you more experienced knife guys. It has definitely opened my eyes to another hobby. |
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I use a two sided stone. Most time I dont use oil. I judge the sharpness of my knives by shaving with it. If it can shave hair off my arm, its sharp enough for me. I think sharpening is 50/50, 50% skill, and 50% sharpening stone.
Im the desinated knife sharpener at work. I guess what i do works. |