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Posted: 4/11/2016 12:04:24 PM EDT
I have a friend that is looking for something to sharpen a number of knives and a hatchet. I rarely keep anything long enough to need sharpening before I replace it or lose it. 
Can anyone help me suggest something for him? |
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Edge pro apex, or the Wicked edge. Both are superior to anything else on the market. For consistent, repeatable results you can't beat em. If he just has a couple knives and isn't going to be doing much, go to the local hardware store and get a Dimond or Arkansas stone. Also a strop & compound makes a huge difference. |
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Wet/dry sandpaper on a piece of glass works as good as anything.
I have a Spyderco sharpmaker with UF stones that keep my knifes sharp but its not good for getting a knife sharp unless you have eternity. I have some waterstones that work really well. You could pick up a beltsander (some people have good luck with one from Harbor Freight) and some belts to sharpen some hard users if your friend is the impatient type. With a leather belt you could put a scary sharp edge on the blade quick. You could pick up one of those cheap knock off edge pro sharpeners with some wet/dry sandpaper and a blank. That would get you into a nice system cheap to see if you like that type of sharpener. You could get a Lansky or Gatco guided system. If you go with a diamond stone use light pressure so you don't knock the diamonds loose. If you have deep pockets and want to slice atoms IMO the Wicked Edge is the best sharpener money can buy. Pick up a strop and some rouge to finish what ever system you decide to go with. |
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+ 1 on this. I just got one recently and practiced on cheaper blades,(like they suggested) then my wife's kitchen knives before moving up and using it on my Busse. Happy with it so far.  Quoted:
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Ken Onion Work Sharp gets my vote. + 1 on this. I just got one recently and practiced on cheaper blades,(like they suggested) then my wife's kitchen knives before moving up and using it on my Busse. Happy with it so far. I have a KOWS I got as a gift, I only use it on kitchen knives never my nicer knives. It removes a lot of metal very quickly, even on a "touch up" type sharpen (personally I strop for this) it takes a lot of metal. |
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It depends on the material. My wifes kitchen knives took only a few passes with the medium belt.
I find that with Busse INFI, it took longer for me to sharpen it. But my user TGLB now has a scary sharp edge
The KOWS def had a learning curve, practice with cheaper blades then move up. |
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I am a big fan of guided sharpeners.
Wicked edge, lansky, etc. Set the edge with rough, polish it through the finer grits then strip on leather loaded with polishing compound. If you go the lansky route, practice on cheaper blades first as there is a bit of a learning curve with it as to how to get a good edge as it is less exact than the wicked edge type of system. (Once you look at both of them, you will understand why. And they do make diamond hones for a lansky. It just depends on how much $ you think a sharp knife is worth vs how much time you want to invest in learning the system you use. It also depends on if you want a convex edge, which lansky or wicked edge can't produce... Personally I like a v edge as it is faster to sharpen and once the angle is set, takes little effort to restore. It might dull a bit faster than convex, but I've never found it to be much difference. |
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I just got this: amazon
The thing is a club. $11 and the diameter of the stone is 1" . It's 16" long and heavy as a brick. 
I like this too: 
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Dmt diamond plates. Will sharpen anything. Cheap ND easy I use nothing but DMT stones and the DMT Diafold Duosharp folders. I can sharpen anything from D2 to Chrome Vanadium wood working tools with them. Have had some of them over 20 years and they still make stuff shaving sharp. I don't like jig sharpeners. Learning to sharpen is a skill that sticks with you for a lifetime. Buy Leonard Lee's book The Complete Guide to Sharpening it's a good book to have. |
| Been sharpening any and all of my knives on a Sharpmaker since 1985. I met him and his wife at a woodworking show out West. First time I had ever seen a serrated knife and I left that day with my Police model knife and I had to have a way to sharpen it, so I got the Sharpmaker as well. Still have both of them too. I recently purchased the diamond coarse rods and the ultra fine rods. The use of the UF rods will put a scary sharp edge on a knife. |
| Been sharpening any and all of my knives on a Sharpmaker since 1985. I met him and his wife at a woodworking show out West. First time I had ever seen a serrated knife and I left that day with my Police model knife and I had to have a way to sharpen it, so I got the Sharpmaker as well. Still have both of them too. I recently purchased the diamond coarse rods and the ultra fine rods. The use of the UF rods will put a scary sharp edge on a knife. |
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