Knife sharpening

[Roguedog]

https://lansky.com/index.php/blog/burr-what-it-and-why-its-important/#.VkCZSrerTIU

Attached is a link which explains what a "burr" is and why it is important.

Jeff

 

[Nativearizonan]

I'm actually surprised... :shocked2:
For a traditional forum.....I thought there would actually be a lot more people that knew how to sharpen their knives and didn't rely on sharpening gismos with preset angles... :idunno:

It's a skill worth learning..... :v

This was my thought. Ranchers I have known had the sharpest pocket knives imaginable, yet never used anything more than a two sided carborundum stone, and maybe a boot. My dad told me you sharpen differently depending on what you were using the knife for. His high carbon Case pocket knife was for earmarking and castrating, mostly, and it would slide through an ear with no effort whatsoever. Strops he said, were for a shaving edge, not for skinning or cutting meat. He always used a steel when butchering and he had one with an antler handle that was his fathers. One time a guy was helping us butcher and grabbed the steel to touch up his knife and said "this steel is worn out, it doesn't have any grooves left on it". We just kept on skinning and using it. A steel doesn't need to be grooved to put the edge back on a knife. That guy was using a typical thick stainless hunting knife and we were using thin bladed carbon steel butcher knives. No power tool ever touched any of the blades on the ranch, not even a man powered rotary tool. It was a file, if the blade needed reground, and the carborundum stone. The coarse side of the stone was only used if the knife had gotten really dull. A leather boot, with no grit, would clean the edge up some, and the steel was used for re-sharpening, never for sharpening.

It's really all about learning to hold the same angle with every stroke on the stone. If you can be consistent you will get them sharp. You don't really need a gizmo. Like anything else, the more you do it, the better you get at it, and a gizmo just keeps you from learning how to live without one.

I tried using a polishing wheel one time, one that my dad had for polishing rocks. It caught my knife and drove it to the bone in my right index finger. I still have the scar I got when I was a teenager.

I have tried gizmos, and most do work, but they just don't seem kosher to me.

 

[pondoro]

I'm actually surprised... :shocked2:
For a traditional forum.....I thought there would actually be a lot more people that knew how to sharpen their knives and didn't rely on sharpening gismos with preset angles... :idunno:

It's a skill worth learning..... :v

Yeah the blade forum guys lean more towards freehand sharpening than this forum does.

Personally I have and love a Lansky.

 

[palonghunter]

I use 2 stones. One is a medium grit Smith's stone and the other is a hard Arkansas stone. Then I finish on a leather strop. I can get a knife shaving sharp in 5-10 minutes if it isn't super dull to begin with. I honestly don't know if I could do any better with one of the various sharpening systems because I've never tried. I've been sharpening my knives this way for around 20 years.

 

[Stophel]

I learned to sharpen knives and other tools on my own many years ago. I have some old Norton gray/orange stones, and a couple of fine Arkansas stones, and one super fine, really hard, white colored stone (I don't know what it's called) for real fine honing. I do it by hand, and by eye, holding the knife in the right hand and the stone in the left. I just do it, no guides. One stroke one direction, one stroke the other direction.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I have tried gizmos

Same here. Bought ($$$ expensive :shocked2: ) lots of tools for sharpening. Best I ever used was the Ex Sharp. Two cardboard wheels mounted on a motor. One impregnated with a hard grit, the other with compound. They wore out, I replenished and it was fine. Third time, the thing just wouldn't work as before. I use Arkansas stones and they are fine. Lately purchased a set of four diamond stones of 200,300,400 and 600 grit. Oddly doesn't cut or sharpen well at all. Not happy with it. Back to reliable Arkansas stones.

 

[tenngun]

I just enjoy pipe in mouth a cross legged seat and stone sharping a blade.

 

[longshot47]

I'm the guy in the chair across from Tenngun.
I've used just about all of the devices mentioned, and about a half dozen less common. My preference at this point is a DMT fine diamond stone. I have a few and find them to be a practical, no-fuss, means to a quick, serviceable edge. They do wear, but no truing is required. A few drops of water and you're good to go. I try not to use my hand-held cutting tools in ways that call for a more coarse means of remediation. A loaded strop is used religiously on all carving tools.
Note: I recently acquired one of the Mora carving knives [I think it is a model 105?]; a relatively small bladed, laminated and slightly curved design. My point: This thing came with, and has held, a surreal edge. I've used everything from Exacto to Butz, and this Mora is a clear standout. Kind of like a miniature jedi sword.

 

[Tom Compton]

Was early for an appointment in Hot Springs over 40 years ago. Walked into Smith's Cutlery just after opening and no other customers in the store. Got a one on one lesson in sharpening and bought a medium/hard Arkansas laminated stone and some honing oil. I still use the stone and have added several steels so I have one handy (shop, back pack, garage, kitchen, travel trailer etc).

I do have a Cold Steel Master Hunter that I use a wheel on but my carbon steel Case XXs and Snuffer broadheads get the stone. That Cold Steel took a 5x5 bull from ground to painters without touching it up.
TC

 

[mzloder]

I do have a Cold Steel Master Hunter that I use a wheel on but my carbon steel Case XXs and Snuffer broadheads get the stone. That Cold Steel took a 5x5 bull from ground to painters without touching it up.

Aye mate! Cold Steel makes a superb knife, love mine!

 

[b737tvc]

I can't sharpen to save my life , Ive tried and tried, stone after stone , machine after machine.....ur :idunno:


Beaver T.

 

[Shooey]

I've tried lots of things and have settled on the long ceramic sticks. My block has a big angle to use with the coarser sticks, and a smaller angle to use with the fine sticks. I use a steel first if the blade needs it, then the sticks, and finish on a leather strop. This is what works for me, something else might work well for you.

 

[jamesthomas]

I have a 3 sided Arkansas stone that I use, I can get a knife sharp enough for most anything but "razor sharp" is beyond me so far.

After getting into straight razoring, a 4000/8000 grit Norton water stone will put an edge that will shave your legs. I used the fine side of my Arkansas stone to remove a small chip on one of my razors, after a bit on the 4000, and then about 50 strokes on the 8000 I can shave with it. Getting a regular knife sharp is easy peasy, no Lansky here guys.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

I have never had an issue freehand sharpening any of my blades. Establish a good edge on a flat,true and high quality stone, then strop or steel to perfection. I have found that a ceramic trim tile from a bathroom will achieve a shave sharp edge in four or five passes. The best way to maintain a knife is to keep it constantly sharp. Letting it get dull, then fully reprofiling the edge will lead to undue wear to the blade. Touching the blade up often will help you keep a more consistent edge and prolong the life of your knives. Only a polished edge is a sharp edge.

 

[Juice Jaws]

I am in the same boat. Have tried the Lansky Sharpener and that work good. But the best I found was the Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpener. It gets my knife's razor sharp. Easy to use. Use it on all my knife's and really like it.

 

[Rick Boylan]

I bought one of those stones for honing my razor. They work great.

But I don't use my razor to shave my legs. :rotf: :haha: :thumbsup:

 

[Blackpowdersmoke]

I have never had an issue freehand sharpening any of my blades. Establish a good edge on a flat,true and high quality stone, then strop or steel to perfection. I have found that a ceramic trim tile from a bathroom will achieve a shave sharp edge in four or five passes. The best way to maintain a knife is to keep it constantly sharp. Letting it get dull, then fully reprofiling the edge will lead to undue wear to the blade. Touching the blade up often will help you keep a more consistent edge and prolong the life of your knives. Only a polished edge is a sharp edge.

Truer words were never spoken...

I have been sharpening my own knives by hand since I was given my first hunting knife over 45 years ago. I know a lot of folks rely on fixture type sharpeners like a Lansky and although I own one, it rarely ever sees use. I'll use it to put an edge on an extremely dull (beat up) knife someone asks me to sharpen for them just to save time, but my personal knives never spend any time in it. 98% of the time all I need do is hit any of my knives with my diamond steel and then my old Wilson cast steel finishing steel (which I feel is better than a ceramic rod) a dozen or so strokes each and they'll peel hair from wherever you wanna remove it! I also use a strop from time to time but that's usually when they get cleaned up and put away after butchering a deer, etc.

Maintain your knife's edge, don't let it go until you're forced to re-work it!!

BPS