Don't laugh - I've been Gryllerised! (knife sharpening question)

[mhpreston]

Oh dear,

I guess I am a victim of Gerber’s new marketing ploy: During a recent holiday, I impulse-purchased a Gerber® Bear Grylls Ultimate Fixed Blade Knife (Serrated Edge) and Hands Free LED Torch combo pack (http://www.gerber-store.co.uk/knives-c1#t33).

Now I find myself drawn into reviews and websites. I’m already shopping around for a boat knife and perhaps a more serious outdoor EDC as well :shakehead (The new release Ultimate Pro seems to be a much better knife and the Gerber® Bear Grylls Paracord Fixed Blade Knife got some very complimentary reviews…)

Anyway, as a noob I realise I need to learn how to sharpen the blades properly at home and in the field. I’ve spotted the Smith pocket Pal and it seems to be well regarded for use with standard and serrated edges (which I have, thanks to Bear).
http://www.smithsproducts.com/categ...s/standard-series/combo-specialty-sharpeners/

Any advice please, folks? Have you found a better device than the Smiths?

 

[mhpreston]

I guess Bear Grylls realty is a conversation stopper...

 

[StarHalo]

Bear Grylls just has the hotel staff sharpen his knives..

 

[mhpreston]

He hee - classic Artists Rifles deployment shot (the unit he served with)

 

[stevieo]

for serrated I use a ceramic stick or dmt diamond rods to gently work the curves. ceramic cleans up by pouring barkeepers friend powder on a wet paper towel & working the steel off of the ceramic rod. then you can strop it lightly in the flat side with the ceramic the pull the blade through a synthetic wine cork one time to deburr & then use a section of newspaper or smooth cardboard to give it a final strop to both sides. serrated knives are handy kitchen tools & very good at cutting rope & ship line. some gerber knives have hard steel which can be difficult to sharpen but should hold an edge. ceramic rods & dmt diamond sticks should work well. deburr & strop & you should be good to go.

 

[mhpreston]

for serrated I use a ceramic stick or dmt diamond rods

Thanks for the tips and oddly enough, I just watched a Ray Mears TV program (do you have him in the US?) where he deburred his blade on the edge of a partially open car window – have you seen that used before? He was demonstrating 'base camp' sharpening using Japanese water stones and stropping. As a skill, it looked pretty impressive and I got the feeling would be quite satisfying to master.

My blade is a combination of straight edge and serrated - would that make a Smiths the better field EDC?

 

[Valkman]

where he deburred his blade on the edge of a partially open car window

Yes you can strop your blade on the edge of a window, the bottom of a ceramic coffee mug or even on jeans or cardboard!

 

[mhpreston]

Around here if you stropped a blade on your jeans you'd end up in court!

 

[mhpreston]

Thanks for the tips guys - I also see that Lansky have produced a similar device called the Blade Medic. Stevieo quite rightly points me to more advanced tools (if the bug really starts to bite) but I am going to stick to beginner level easy carry for now. Anyone feel the Lansky is better than the Smiths?

 

[sticktodrum]

If I were you, I'd stay away from pull-through type sharpeners like the Picket Pal. They tear up the edge and leave you with something that will cut some things, but not a really good edge.

I recommend you look at something like the Spyderco Sharpmaker, or the Lanksy Croc Sticks. Those will help you get a very good edge on a knife, within certain limits. The primary edge should be 20 degrees per side or less to use those without any fuss, but they still can be used if that's not the case. You should look into them, primarily the Sharpmaker. JDavis882 on YouTube has a couple of great videos on it.

 

[mhpreston]

I recommend you look at something like the Spyderco Sharpmaker, or the Lanksy Croc Sticks.

Thanks again! You and Stevieo have convinced me. I spotted the Lansky Croc Sticks on Amazon at a good price and went for them. While not pocket sized, they look portable.

 

[MatthewSB]

If I were you, I'd stay away from pull-through type sharpeners like the Picket Pal. They tear up the edge and leave you with something that will cut some things, but not a really good edge.

I recommend you look at something like the Spyderco Sharpmaker, or the Lanksy Croc Sticks. Those will help you get a very good edge on a knife, within certain limits. The primary edge should be 20 degrees per side or less to use those without any fuss, but they still can be used if that's not the case. You should look into them, primarily the Sharpmaker. JDavis882 on YouTube has a couple of great videos on it.

This, especially the bolded part ^

Pull through sharpeners destroy blades. To get an edge good and sharp you must get the right angle on both sides, then work up a burr on one side and smooth it out on the other.

The Spyderco Sharpmaker is the best $45 I ever spent, and felt stupid for waiting so long to get it. It's the best way to learn the "feel" for sharpening and getting your knives truly sharp. For serrations, you can use edges of the triangle Sharpmaker as well.

 

[radiopej]

You're better off with a sharpening system like the Lansky or Sharpmaker, but the Smiths isn't exactly horrible if you just need an edge. It will quickly put a cutting edge on a dull knife, but doesn't let you pick much.

 

[Dipti13]

You can use a gatco super micro sharpener.It is working fine as I am using it from several years.

 

[patoriku]

Regardless of the medium used, you need to be able to sharpen without relying on any jig or system as you might be stuck somewhere and have to rely on your knife. What happens if it gets to a point in no longer cuts anything without a dangerous amount of force?