Knife sharpening

I always carry a knife. (Gibbs' rule number 9) Comes in handy, regularly. I'm also nutso about keeping it sharp. Dull knife = Useless. I have used the talents of an old Russian guy to put a superb edge on blades, but he is inconvenient. Wrong side of town. I have not been able to come close to the edges he makes at home. Anybody have some good ideas about this? I want an edge that I can shave with. No, I won't be shaving with it, just want a fine edge. Thanks, Chuck

I have this, its hard to use well, but still easier then a regular stone. It will take a lot of practice to get it right but once you do its pretty awesome. I got mine for cheaper, not sure where...

http://www.amazon.com/Lansky-Professional-Sharpening-System-Serrated/dp/B001KN3OKO

Yeah, buy a set of professional knife sharpening wheels and a HF grinder. I have a whole collection of various knife sharpener things: Stones, ceramic stones, stick things, gizmos, some cheap, some expensive. I used to watch the professionals do it at gun shows, so I bought what they use. Total cost on the wheels is <$20 or so, plus some polishing compound. The HF grinder is cheap with a 20% off coupon.

Uncoiled wrote: I have this, its hard to use well, but still easier then a regular stone. It will take a lot of practice to get it right but once you do its pretty awesome. I got mine for cheaper, not sure where... http://www.amazon.com/Lansky-Professional-Sharpening-System-Serrated/dp/B001KN3OKO

+1 on the Lansky system. I have had one for ~15 years and really like it. It does take some practice to be good with it. Once you learn how it takes care of the biggest problem in knife sharpening - maintaining a consistent angle. the best part is that you can use different angles depending on how you intend to use the knife. It has 4 different angles form 30 for the meat cleaver to 17 for touching up scalpels.

Spiderco sharpener.

The shop I work at sells Benchmade Knives, which never really need sharpening and if they do, they do it for you. Also, we have a few sharpeners sitting around for the other knives we sell. Kabar and other cheap eye candy.

Something like this is what we use. In fact, this might be it...

What if I happen to have an axe to grind?

"What if I happen to have an axe to grind?"

4" angle grinder with a flap disc.

A small fine rat tale file can put a hell of an edge on a knife if the edge is really dull. You just have to hit it around 20 degrees on each side. I'd follow with a metal sharpening stick then a fine porcelain sharpening stick.

For an axe I'd use a course metal file, a few minutes and it will be very very sharp.

and

I've got the Lansky stuff as well. It's very easy to use and puts one heck of an edge on knives. I use it for kitchen knives and my KA-BAR. Someday I'll tackle the WWI German bayonet and see how it does.

As mentioned, it'll let you select the angle and keeps it consistent, which is really hard to do on a wheel unless you practice constantly.

N Sperlo wrote: The shop I work at sells Benchmade Knives, which never really need sharpening and if they do, they do it for you. " />

I'll take that bet.

I've seen those ads for knives touting that they NEVER NEED SHARPENING!!!! My BS meter always pegs.

Another Lansky user here. But I also do a lot of wood working with hand tools. For those I want a better edge. So I use plate glass and silicon carbide paper. Start at 220 or 400 and work to 2000. Glue the paper to the glass with 3M 77 and have at it.

Lansky

I normally use wetordry sandpaper and a leather strop.

The Lansky system is OK. I can get knives usably sharp, but not that super-sharp that nice knives come from the factory.

From everything I hear, THE sharpener to have is the Spyderco Sharpmaker, which is like $80. I keep meaning to buy one, but always have something I'd rather spend 80 bucks on.

cwh wrote: I've seen those ads for knives touting that they NEVER NEED SHARPENING!!!! My BS meter always pegs.

Friend of mine: "Cutco knives never need to be sharpened...they're dull all the time!"

Not to thread hijack, but say I have a Leatherman that has a knife on it, only it has some serrations, i.e. it's not a straight blade. Can these sharpener things be used for that, too?

A la:

Stropping and a steel.

And a diamond hone stick.

I've spent a small fortune over the years buying various gee-gaws to sharpen things, because I was the worse sharpener I knew of. I could dull anything. Yet nothing I really did, worked.

Finally learned to quit trying to grind away metal to create sharpness, and instead curl the edge back straight. This is where the steel and the stropping come in. I've learned to keep a blade sharp for a long time by quickly doing this.

The diamond stick I use is a three sided thingie, with three different grits. It works wonderfully for those times I actually need to remove metal from the blade (rare). Thing I finally learned, slice the sharpener. Move the blade like you're trying to carve or shave off the stone or stick. That means pressure and nice sweeping action. Goes a long way to getting the edge shaped correctly.

Drahthaar said:

Another Lansky user here. But I also do a lot of wood working with hand tools. For those I want a better edge. So I use plate glass and silicon carbide paper. Start at 220 or 400 and work to 2000. Glue the paper to the glass with 3M 77 and have at it.

No don’t use a Glue!! ( to hold the sandpaper in place). 

Use motor oil!  Whatever is handy,  then you can peel off the sheet of sandpaper ( I use wet or dry ) put it in a sealed plastic bag and reuse it for decades. Then add a few drops of oil and put on your next sheet.  

The system is called scary sharp because it’s so fast and good it’s scary.  

I go all the way to 6000 grit and yes I can shave with the finished result.  

Not only knives but chisels, planer blades, and any cutting edge.  

Zombie thread, canoe removed

A good knife can be ruined by over use of a so called sharpener. 

 A small stone,a little oil and a leather strop is all that is needed.   My father showed me how.

Zombie threads always lead to interesting followup 

I've moved from the Lansky stuff to Japanese water stones. Much more effective. I tend to run a much tighter angle as well which means more resharpening, but I'm okay with that.

I just call my step mom who uses a pair of sharpening steels. She spent 25 years keeping knives sharp enough to trim turkeys on a line that moves 60 birds per minute. Even with a fancy sharpener I can't match the edge she puts on my knives. 

There was a local local inventor from my hometown who invented the E-Z Sharp, and my dad, being the town artist & a former newspaper advertising guy, designed the packaging for it. This is the prototype. Another local guy who was the first salesperson for them kept it, and gave it to me several years ago.  I still use the sharpener too!