Let's talk knife sharpening

[Chief Rick]

Arkansas stones?

Water stones (synthetic)?

Diamond stones?

Ceramic stones?

 

All knives should be sharp.  What is your preferred system?

[Shooting Bull]

My preferred system is to have somebody else do it. 

 

There's those that can put a razor's edge on a knife and then there's the rest of us. 

[Prof. Fuller Bullspit]

Depends on the knife. Most are brought to an edge with a 2x72 belt grinder then stropped on leather with a a fine abrasive compound. This is for convexed edges.
 

Others are sharpened with a synthetic waterstone then stropped.  This is used for Knives with a V edge or for a convex that is damaged.

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Call me old-schooled.   I sharpen my straight-edge blades with Arkansas stones.   Big flat bench stones.  I don't sharpen my serrated blades - I replace them.  No carry knife of mine has a serrated blade.  As far as I know, I have no concave-edge blades.   Convex-edges (bulging out behind the edge) would be worthless AFAIK.

 

Good luck, GJ

[Null N. Void]

I recently purchased the  Lansky Sharpeners MEDGE1 Sharpening System Medium & Fine.  It works well and doesn't need water or oil.  It will put an edge sharp enough to shave hair off of your arm.  I sold all my other stones.

[Dusty Devil Dale]

For steel blades, I like to use WET  1,000 grit silicon carbide sandpaper laid over a piece of thick glass.  Or away from a workbench, I use an ultrafine EZ Lap diamond sharpener.  Both of those can work acceptably, given patience.   I sometimes follow up with light buffing on a stitched cotton abrasive (white diamond) wheel.  That works well, but you have to be extremely careful that the wheel doesn't pull the knife out of your hands.  

 

I've never found any way to get an acceptable edge on a Titanium blade.   I have bought several that won't reliably cut an ordinary corrugated cardboard box.  ( The local saw shop refuses to attempt them.).  But they're extremely strong and they seem to hold their dull edges perfectly.   They'd probably be good bayonets, but Titanium doesn't seem to be much of a cutting edge material.  

[TN Mongo, SASS #61450]

I have always used the Lansky system, but it takes a little time to complete.  I keep the system listed below in my kitchen drawer and I can touch up my good kitchen cutlery in a few seconds.  It's far more precise than a butcher's steel and I never have had to use my Lansky system on my kitchen knives.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Edgemaker-Sharpening-Finishing-Polishing-Portable/dp/B079P6RFLP/ref=sr_1_99?crid=QPXC6ZTY6G2&dchild=1&keywords=knife+sharpener&qid=1587392843&sprefix=knife%2Caps%2C171&sr=8-99

[Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428]

Lansky sharpeners are the best.  A can make a razor blade into a dull butter knife with a flat stone.  But with my Lansky, all my blades are razor sharp.

 

My Lansky sharpener used to save me from cooking and KP duty at the deer camp.  Once somebody saw me sharpening my knife around the fire one night.  They pulled out a knife and offered to take my turn washing dishes if I sharpened it for them.  Next thing you know, I was free from duties all week, all I had to do was sharpen knives for everyone while I sat at the fire at night.

[Cyrus Cassidy #45437]

I have both Arkansas stones and diamond stones and use both regularly.  

[Flash]

This is what I use.

[Stump Water]

36 minutes ago, Flash said:

This is what I use.

 

That's what I use.   Use one and you'll never go back to a stone.

 

If you don't need it to say "Ken Onion" it's half the price.

 

[J-BAR #18287]

Soft Arkansas stone, finished with a smooth  steel.   Refresh the edge angle with the smooth steel after using the knife and washing it.  Grinding a new edge removes metal, using a smooth steel does not.  
 

I watched packing house employees and meat inspectors use a knife continuously for 8 hours a shift, maintaining a razor edge with frequent steeling.  If they accidentally dinged the edge by hitting metal or dropping it on concrete, a few passes on a stone would quickly restore the edge.  If the blade is tempered properly, grinding a new edge should be be a rare chore.

[Thunder Creek Kid]

Lansky

[Jasper Agate]

    

I'm a retied chef and a hobbyist knife maker. I use the Norton three sided oil stone to do most of my sharpening. I changed out the coarse stone for an Arkansas hard stone. I do use a 2x72 belt grinder with a 320 grit old belt to cut an edge or re-profile one and finish it with a 10 inch buffing wheel with rouge on it. 

 

A couple of pictures one of my latest project

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Spyderco sharpener since they came out.

OLG 

[J-BAR #18287]

1 hour ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Spyderco sharpener since they came out.

OLG 

It works great for serrated blades.

[Doc Flimshaw Sass# 73310]

7 hours ago, Stump Water said:

 

That's what I use.   Use one and you'll never go back to a stone.

 

If you don't need it to say "Ken Onion" it's half the price.

 

It lets you get as good as a stone without the learning curve. I have the cheaper original non ken onion version and it’s great

[Bugler]

Used Lansky for a long time and then discovered the Work Sharp belt sharpener......WOW!!! It does what the Lansky did in mere moments....

 

Bugler

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

1 hour ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

It works great for serrated blades.

 

It will also sharpen scissors.

OLG 

[Still hand Bill]

Spyderco and a wicked edge system.  

[County Jr]

I use a TRI-STONE I believe the brand is Smiths. 

Coarse Diamond

Fine Diamond 

Arkansas Stone

Then I strop with leather. I seldom let my knives get to the point where the need more then a strop or Arkansas then strop. When I sharpen friends knives they are usually pretty dull so I go thru all four. 

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

You guys are trying to make me feel guilty about all the dull knives in my kitchen, right?

 

This is my Grandfather's steel strop that I use to put a fresh edge on knives. Been using it since shortly after he died sometime around 1974 or so.

 

 

 

 

 

This is the Norton India Combination Oil Stone I used to use a bazillion years ago to sharpen up my chisels when I was a professional woodworker. This is the coarse side. I made up the case it sits in out of scrap cherry stock at the same time I bought it. The two finishing nails protrude though slightly and I whack them into the bench top to keep it steady when I am using it.

 

 

 

 

 

This is the fine side.

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like it is still available: Mine is 8" X  2" by 1".

 

https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Norton-Combination-India-Stone-P69.aspx

 

 

When I was sharpening chisels I used a jig to keep the angle constant. I had a strip of leather hanging on the end of the bench for the final strop. Hmmm.... Just checked and the strip of leather is still hanging there. I haven't sharpened chisels in a while.

 

I got curious and did a little bit of Googling. Apparently Pop's strop is actually called a Sharpening Rod or Sharpening Steel. Boy Howdy, learn something every day. Pop's has the name Lee on it. I found a whole bunch just like it on the web, but I think I will keep using Pop's.

 

[Buckshot Bob]

Another vote Lanskey , I always used to use a flat stone but the lanskey gives a perfect repeatable edge every time ,plus I like you can 

select different angles depending on blade design, and they have stones for serrated blades 

[Lazy Eeyour]

Really sharp: give the knife to a wood carver to sharpen. Do not test unless you want to bleed. If I do it, a 5" Scott Murry Drum with 360 and 400 sand paper sprayed with water followed by leather/rouge, then steel. Not quite as good as a wood carver but works.

 

[Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator]

On 4/20/2020 at 10:51 AM, Stump Water said:

 

That's what I use.   Use one and you'll never go back to a stone.

 

If you don't need it to say "Ken Onion" it's half the price.

 

I don't even know who Ken Onion is so do not need the name, but do like the idea and ease that the device seems to present.  Who makes the "no'name" unit?.

[Flash]

1 minute ago, Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator said:

I don't even know who Ken Onion is so do not need the name, but do like the idea and ease that the device seems to present.  Who makes the "no'name" unit?.

Same company, the Ken Onion has attachments for knife makers. Yes the base model is less expensive.

[Flash]

6 minutes ago, Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator said:

I don't even know who Ken Onion is so do not need the name, but do like the idea and ease that the device seems to present.  Who makes the "no'name" unit?.

Here is a link to the base model base model

[Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator]

10 minutes ago, Flash said:

Same company, the Ken Onion has attachments for knife makers. Yes the base model is less expensive.

is base unit all needed?

 

I have used a many of different knife sharpeners over the last 50 years, never being able to master the stones as my Dad could.  Unfortunately, I guess, I turned to the ease of the pocket sharpeners like the AccuSharpe, of which we sold a many at the store.

This belt sharpener appears to be easy to use and give exceptional edge to most any blade with proper setting of angle.

[Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator]

5 minutes ago, Flash said:

Here is a link to the base model base model

THANKS

[Flash]

2 minutes ago, Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator said:

is base unit all needed?

I have the Ken Onion but as far as I can tell the main difference is the Ken Onion has the adjustable angle and the base unit does not. You should watch some of the videos found on the link to the site and maybe that will help.

[Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator]

3 minutes ago, Flash said:

I have the Ken Onion but as far as I can tell the main difference is the Ken Onion has the adjustable angle and the base unit does not. You should watch some of the videos found on the link to the site and maybe that will help.

Would certainly want the angle adjustment so to sharpen any type knife (hunting, pocket, kitchen, etc).  How about an ax?

[Flash]

1 minute ago, Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator said:

Would certainly want the angle adjustment so to sharpen any type knife (hunting, pocket, kitchen, etc).  How about an ax?

There is an attachment that can do any type blade but the knife sharpener is limited to the thickness that will fit in the slot;

[Flash]

7 minutes ago, Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator said:

Would certainly want the angle adjustment so to sharpen any type knife (hunting, pocket, kitchen, etc).  How about an ax?

You may want to look at some of these videos on youtube also. work sharp youtube

[Flash]

9 minutes ago, Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator said:

Would certainly want the angle adjustment so to sharpen any type knife (hunting, pocket, kitchen, etc).  How about an ax?

And sometimes you can find better deals on Amazon if you want to buy. Here is a link. Work Sharpe on Amazon

[Totes Magoats]

I use the Wicked Edge system.  It's the finest knife sharpener I have ever used.  And yes, it puts a wicked edge on the knife.  Exact angles on each side.

 

https://wickededgeusa.com

 

Totes