knife sharpening
- Thread starter nirad
- Start date
thesurefire
Flashlight Enthusiast
I use a smith stone. I hear good things about the spiderco shapener system but I've never been able to convice myself to get on for the price.
I use the Spydie 204 for daily touchups. Maybe not daily but you know what I mean /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
and the Lansky with DMT Stones to reprofile or do any heavy stuff. Usually just Xcoarse and fine,
I find the 204 takes too long for heavy edge removal.
Never did get the knack of freehand.
Tom
and the Lansky with DMT Stones to reprofile or do any heavy stuff. Usually just Xcoarse and fine,
I find the 204 takes too long for heavy edge removal.
Never did get the knack of freehand.
Tom
Commander
Enlightened
[ QUOTE ]
TOB9595 said:
I use the Spydie 204 for daily touchups. Maybe not daily but you know what I mean /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
and the Lansky with DMT Stones to reprofile or do any heavy stuff. Usually just Xcoarse and fine,
I find the 204 takes too long for heavy edge removal.
[/ QUOTE ]
Funny I use the same!
In the field i use freehand and a DMT stone.
TOB9595 said:
I use the Spydie 204 for daily touchups. Maybe not daily but you know what I mean /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
and the Lansky with DMT Stones to reprofile or do any heavy stuff. Usually just Xcoarse and fine,
I find the 204 takes too long for heavy edge removal.
[/ QUOTE ]
Funny I use the same!
In the field i use freehand and a DMT stone.
I use the Spyderco 204 Sharpmaker. Although it is not cheap, I think it is easy to use and extremely versatile. Yes, heavy reprofiling takes forever with this system, so it is best for maintaining a blade that you don't let get real bad. Or you can spring for the expensive diamond rods and they will make quick work of a heavy job. It is a very good system. It will sharpen a blade of any size, either plain edge or serrated with either of 2 preset angles or free-hand, it has another preset angle for scissors and instructions for sharpening all sorts of things like a hatchet, nail clippers, etc. It comes with a complete instructional VHS video by the guy who invented it plus a fully-illustated manual. And you don't have to mess around with sharpening jigs like the Lansky-style sharpeners.
The only flaw is that it is easy to slightly round off the sharp tip of a knife with it if you don't follow a certain trick. The trick is that when using the corners of the sharpening rods, don't pull the blade all the way through-- stop before the tip falls off of the corner of the stone. I just use the flat surfaces anyway, and stop before the tip falls off. You can get really nice tips that way.
The only flaw is that it is easy to slightly round off the sharp tip of a knife with it if you don't follow a certain trick. The trick is that when using the corners of the sharpening rods, don't pull the blade all the way through-- stop before the tip falls off of the corner of the stone. I just use the flat surfaces anyway, and stop before the tip falls off. You can get really nice tips that way.
ErickThakrar
Enlightened
I have both a Lansky and a Sharpmaker and honestly, I get far more mileage out of my Lansky. I use that to reprofile an edge. I also have a spyderco benchstone that I also use to do touchups with and then I strop for the rest of the maintenance I do. Which by the way gives me a VERY sharp blade. Just cut the frell out of my palm yesterday with the very tip of my BM 710. Very clean cut /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
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Joe Talmadge
Flashlight Enthusiast
To re-profile with my Sharpmaker, I take some coarse (<100 grit) sandpaper and lay it against the Sharpmaker's triangle stone. That works very well and will remove a lot of metal quickly.
Joe
Joe
rfdancer
Newly Enlightened
The EdgePro is nice. The sharpening steel does excellent touch-ups.
LEDmodMan
Flashaholic*
I haven't found a job I couldn't do with my Spyderco 204 with the diamond sticks. I used to use the trick Joe mentioned with sandpaper, or even a file when I needed to reprofile an edge. That was until I got the diamond sticks, and I haven't looked back since. Though the additional cost for the diamond sticks was high, I think the diamond sticks are well worth it. If you look hard, you can usually get the 204 plus the diamond sticks for around as low as $100 - $120 total. I usually don't need the diamond sticks other than for reprofiling an edge, as I don't let my knives get that dull.
Can you tell I like to say diamond sticks? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif
Can you tell I like to say diamond sticks? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif
Kanai
Newly Enlightened
The Spyderco 204 has never failed me yet. I EDC at least 2 blades, and they can shave the hair off my arms. I do have the diamond sticks, but rarely use them because I never let my blades get that bad.
Echo63
Flashlight Enthusiast
i use a lansky
all of my plain blades are razor sharp - i just need to get the serrated stone
all of my plain blades are razor sharp - i just need to get the serrated stone
GarageBoy
Flashlight Enthusiast
Free hand!
sotto
Flashlight Enthusiast
Old translucent white natural hard Arkansas stones for edge polishing, finishing with a leather strop and green polishing compound. To profile an edge, or even for just a quick sharpening job, old natural washita Arkansas stones.
I do the grunt sharpening on a $9 Crock stick sharpener with medium rods then finish off with an ultrafine rod for the Sharpmaker, freehand. Sometimes I'll give it a few light swipes on a fine steel I keep for my kitchen knives.
It gets my knives sharp enough, fast enough and cost $25 total (not including the steel which I already had).
Wilkey
PS. Don't forget to rubber-erase your sticks every now and then.
It gets my knives sharp enough, fast enough and cost $25 total (not including the steel which I already had).
Wilkey
PS. Don't forget to rubber-erase your sticks every now and then.
Steelwolf
Flashlight Enthusiast
Spyderco Sharpmaker 203. Would have got the 204, but they weren't planning on bringing them in for at least another year (while they got rid of stocks of 203). Wouldn't you know it... they appeared on the shelves 2 weeks after I bought my 203!!
For heavy reprofiling, I use DMT stones either free hand or propped up against the 203 stones to get the angle. Have also used various grades of sandpaper and emery cloth, but the DMTs are my preference.
Had the Lansky Diamond system before, but must have done something wrong, 'cause the diamonds got knocked off. My DMTs OTOH are still strong after twice as many blades. I am more careful about applying pressure though.
For heavy reprofiling, I use DMT stones either free hand or propped up against the 203 stones to get the angle. Have also used various grades of sandpaper and emery cloth, but the DMTs are my preference.
Had the Lansky Diamond system before, but must have done something wrong, 'cause the diamonds got knocked off. My DMTs OTOH are still strong after twice as many blades. I am more careful about applying pressure though.
Set the edge with a Lansky, then freehand any touch-ups. Hard to clamp in the exact same spot, to get the exact same edge with a lansky.
The secret to sharpening knives freehand is to hold your angle. Easy to say, difficult to execute.
while sharpening, lock your wrist, move your elbow instead. Use a black marker on the edge to see what angle you are actually setting.
Once an edge is set by an Lansky, very few strokes are needed to touch-up to razor sharp again.
There are many techniques to sharpening, but this is mine. Works very well for me. I've been tempted to get the recommended Sharpmaker. Don't see much point, When my knives are sharp enough to shave with.
Another lesson learned the Hard way. Some knives are best left alone with the makers edge. For example, my Newt Livesay Woo neck knife is the sharpest blade I have ever handled. I use Woo for backup purposes and not a utility knife. Livesay is the master of 1095 heat-treatment, Woo has a Rockwell of 59 and will hold it's edge for a long time. In this case leave it alone, you'll go backwards.
The secret to sharpening knives freehand is to hold your angle. Easy to say, difficult to execute.
while sharpening, lock your wrist, move your elbow instead. Use a black marker on the edge to see what angle you are actually setting.
Once an edge is set by an Lansky, very few strokes are needed to touch-up to razor sharp again.
There are many techniques to sharpening, but this is mine. Works very well for me. I've been tempted to get the recommended Sharpmaker. Don't see much point, When my knives are sharp enough to shave with.
Another lesson learned the Hard way. Some knives are best left alone with the makers edge. For example, my Newt Livesay Woo neck knife is the sharpest blade I have ever handled. I use Woo for backup purposes and not a utility knife. Livesay is the master of 1095 heat-treatment, Woo has a Rockwell of 59 and will hold it's edge for a long time. In this case leave it alone, you'll go backwards.
