Knife Sharpening

[Lurker]

Re: Sharpening a Leatherman Micra scissors

I agree, the sharpmaker has a very effective scissor sharpening mode that I have had good success with. I have never tried sharpening a micra, but it should work fine.

Otherwise, any flat bench stone can be used if you know the technique.

 

[SJACKAL]

Re: Shapening system - Gift Suggestion:

I just gotten a standard set Lansky and used it, much more expensive for me to get it here as compared to ordering online. So far so good, perhaps I will get the plastic base too. I also just realised that I can do multi-bevelling of 1 degree differences with the Lansky system by a nifty trick of adjusting stone height with the rod cramp. Perhaps the blade can even be stropped into a slight convex edge thereafter.

 

[cratz2]

Re: Shapening system - Gift Suggestion:

I used to sharpen kitchen knives professionally, admittedly on a small level, and if I recall, my very first post on CPF was on knife sharpening. Anyway, I digress...

I used to own the non-diamond Sharpmaker and it works very well, esp for many serrated or wavy kitchen knives and that is primarily what I used it for. For general straight edge kitchen knives, I always found the best thing was a few strokes with a steel to make sure the edge was relatively straight, then about 10 medium strokes per side then about 5 soft strokes per side with a small pocket diamond 'steel' - the one I use has a brass handle and the steel unscrews then screws back in the other way.

If the knife had taken somewhat of a beating or was used against something other than a cutting board, I used the large 8"x3" diamond stones. They are sold under various names but if they cost less than about $20 each, they probably aren't the same quality. I had a coarse and an extra fine. Obviously maintaining the same angle and not using too much pressure is key.

I learned to sharpen on Arkansas stones and can use them readily but diamonds are probably the way to go as long as you don't sharpen too often. If you're the sort of guy that likes to touch them up every 2 or 3 days, the diamonds might wear down the profile if you use uneven pressure. Having said that, I suspect most knife junkies are likely to replace their primary knife before the diamonds change the blade too radically.

 

[Lee1959]

Joe brought up an interesting point in a previous thread, it just begs the question. What kind of knife sharpening equipment do you use, and how do you use it. What kinds of edge bevels do you put upon an edge? Do youuse multiple bevels for different uses?

Personally I use various methods from stones, including japanese water stones for final finishing, to Lansky Type Sharpening Systems, to sanding belts to crock sticks, to folding diamond rods. I strop or steel a lot between sharpenings.

I use a myrid of edge bevels depending upon the use I intend the knife to be put to. I prefer a completley flat ground blade from spine to edge usually (or partly down the spine depnding upon the width of the blade ) to any type of hollow ground or other type of grind like convex. This is just personal tastes derived from the years of using blades.

 

[psimonl]

The best I've used in 8 different kinds and the one I'm always coming back to...... Drum Roll...... The Spyderco 204 Sharpmaker... Ta daaaa...

Simon

 

[psimonl]

Re: Shapening system - Gift Suggestion:

The lansky is great.... Until you get the Spyderco Sharpmaker...

Not only you can get knives hair popping sharp, no wich what steel it is made of, but you can sharpens scissors, screw driver, wood chisels, darts, fish hooks,...

It really is all you need...

Simon

BTW, I'm a little bias by Spyderco. I just love everything they do...

 

[chmsam]

The best sharpening method is whatever works for the person using it. I know a lot of people who use Spyderco, Lansky, and Apex systems. I know quite a few more people who "free hand it" with stones. Whatever gets the job done best for you.

Mastering the technique for any method is most important. Search out information on how to establish an edge, how to repair an edge, how to regrind an edge, and how to determine the proper angle. Get those down and you can handle just about anything.

 

[Lee1959]

Ummm ok

Ohh k, chmsam, can't argue with that at all . Was not asking for a debate over the best techinque or equipment, simply was asking what everyone uses to accomplish the task. Whatever works, for them...

 

[bjn70]

Sharpmaker and DMT diamond stone

I have a coarse DMT diamond stone, and a Sharpmaker.

I built a wooden base to hold the DMT stone at 18 degrees. I use it like a Sharpmaker for rough profiling, then I use the Sharpmaker at 20 degrees to actually put an edge on it.

Not sure if I'm impatient or just not doing it right, but I wish I had some coarser stones for the sharpmaker.

 

[Lee1959]

I believe they make diamond sleeves for the Sharpmaker rods which should help you perhaps.

Just looked and found them, they are not sleeves but entire rods, and they are a little pricey... but they do exist.

http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=SP204D

 

[powernoodle]

Sharpmaker here. I'd love to become an expert in sharpening, but its about #2409 on the list of things I'd like to do. So I stick with the Sharpmaker.

 

[justsomeguy]

Hi

,

The Spyderco Sharpmaker is probably the best choice for most people. Especially for kitchen knives.

There is one drawback. It will round over the tip. If you need to retain a needle sharp tip a Lansky or similar device is better.

Steve

 

[Lee1959]

My wife likes to use the Lansky for her kitchen knives as it allows her to put a finer edge on them easier than trying to adjust the angle on the hold while drawing down the Sharpmaker.

 

[Anglepoise]

I use an EdgePro for the following reasons.
Sharpening is all about selecting an edge angle and then being able to sharpen, and importantly….re sharpen, at that exact same angle, so one not only finishes up with a sharp edge but also an edge that has even bevels, both sides, and looks darn good.

The angle setting device should be infinitely variable and 100% repeatable so that all knives can be sharpened with the minimum of metal removal.

Grit size needs to be quickly changed for re profiling and varying degrees of sharpness. Some of my knives have mirror polished edges, arrived at with 6,000 and up grit.

Other blades, mostly used in the kitchen and requiring a little 'tooth' , get the 220 grit treatment. And sometimes I will use a combination of both, all on the same blade ( who needs serrations ).

The only sharpener system I know of that can do all this,
is the EdgePro. A truly remarkable sharpening system that will save you money as you won't buy anything else afterwards.


Now a comment on the Sharpmaker 204.
The 204 does an excellent job on knives that match its angles, but it fails to be seriously considered as a 'full sharpening system'. For this, one should look for something with infinite variable angle adjustment at the very least.

The Sharpmaker is primarily a 'touch up' tool, that only works on two fixed angles, 15° and 20°.

If your edge is not at one of these two angles, you are forced to hold the blade tilted from vertical ( guess ), or re profile to 15° or 20°. Re profiling is not best suited to 'V' rod/triangle style sharpeners as it is very time consuming and really needs the expensive diamond rods to accomplish this. If you purchase these you are now up in price to the EdgePro Apex.

Also with the Sharpmaker, you must not let the blade run off the end of the rod during the sharpening stroke. If you do this more than a few times, you will round over the blade tip. Not desirable.

 

[fasteddie]

EZ Lap diamond stones (actually diamonds bonded to a precision milled steel plate), then a Lansky ceramic dog bone, then a leather strop. For angles, I match the angle put on by the knifemaker by feel and sound. For crappy mass produced knives, or knives that are in bad shape, I try to go 20 degrees. The most important thing is to keep a steady hand and a constant angle. Roll the edg and it will never get sharp.

 

[SolarFlare]

Joe brought up an interesting point in a previous thread, it just begs the question. What kind of knife sharpening equipment do you use, and how do you use it.

Just begs the question. Why do you sharpen your knives? seems to me like there's a lot of people with expensive knives, and expensive sharpening systems that don't actually use the knives they own for anything except cuttin their own thumbs on a sharpness test.

You can spend as much money as you like on a "sharpening system" but if you can't feel your "edge" then you'll never achieve it. Buy a few crap knives an sharpen them for all they're worth, put an edge on an old butter knife. Use a stone or the system you chose. You get a "feel" for an edge, you'll know when you've got it.

Back to the point.......... why sharpen your knives if you don't actually use em?

 

[guyg]

Re: Sharpening a Leatherman Micra scissors

The Sharpmaker will be fine. I even sharpen the scissors on a Swiss Army Knife with it.

 

[SJACKAL]

Lansky, but I realised that the pre-set angles on the slots are not really true angles, the 25 degrees slot yields about 20 degrees on my knife in reality. Since the final true angle is relative to the distance which the edge is away from the Lansky's back versus the slot's height, I sort of plot out the diagrams on pencil and paper like a maths student and measures the angle before I starts sharpening. A little adjustment of a few millimetres on the stone height can change the angle by 1 or 2 degrees and a multibevel edge can be achieved.

Used to use waterstones, but never developed the skills for it and scratched many knives.

 

[Lee1959]

Solar, I dont have any knives I don't use. I may have too many to use at the same time, but they all get used. Some get used more than others, and they get sharpened more than the ones that do not get used often. I do not sharpen a blade until it is dull enough that stroping will not bring it back to hair popping sharpness. Not quite sure how you would get the idea they do not get used as I never once stated that.

 

[was_jlh]

Re: Sharpening a Leatherman Micra scissors

my niece left her leatherman last night for me to sharpen. the sharpmaker did a fine job on the scissors.