How do you sharpen your knives?

[Richard Simmons]

Was wondering how you all sharpen your kinives? I've never been particularly good with standard stones so many years ago I purchased a Lansky Diamond Sharpener

http://www.cutleryshoppe.com/lanskydeluxediamond-4honekit.aspx


It did pretty well with the exception of longer blades which required the guide/holder to be repositioned.

A couple of years back I picked up a Spyderco Sharpmaker.

http://www.cutleryshoppe.com/tri-anglesharpmaker.aspx

I'm quite pleased with the SM and rarely use the Lansky any more other than for reprofiling something like D2 blades. Since I tend to keep most of my blades at a 30 degree (inclusive) angle with a 40 degree (inclusive) microbevel the SM works great and it's fast.

I've added both the diamond and UF rods to my SM and for most of my daily cutting all I need is a few stokes on the UF to keep my blades shaving sharp. IMO the Sharpmaker is something worth considering, especially if, like me you just haven't developed the knack/technique for freehand sharpening.

Another sharpening or honing techinque I've been considerig is stropping. Anyone have eny experience or opinions of stropping?

[abpt1]

Was wondering how you all sharpen your kinives? I've never been particularly good with standard stones so many years ago I purchased a Lansky Diamond Sharpener

http://www.cutleryshoppe.com/lanskydeluxediamond-4honekit.aspx


It did pretty well with the exception of longer blades which required the guide/holder to be repositioned.

A couple of years back I picked up a Spyderco Sharpmaker.

http://www.cutleryshoppe.com/tri-anglesharpmaker.aspx

I'm quite pleased with the SM and rarely use the Lansky any more other than for reprofiling something like D2 blades. Since I tend to keep most of my blades at a 30 degree (inclusive) angle with a 40 degree (inclusive) microbevel the SM works great and it's fast.

I've added both the diamond and UF rods to my SM and for most of my daily cutting all I need is a few stokes on the UF to keep my blades shaving sharp. IMO the Sharpmaker is something worth considering, especially if, like me you just haven't developed the knack/technique for freehand sharpening.

Another sharpening or honing techinque I've been considerig is stropping. Anyone have eny experience or opinions of stropping?
I have been using this type for a long time I never liked the rocks either . http://www.gerber-tools.com/Gerber-Diamond-Knife-Sharpener-9841.htm but i was up at cabelas a while ago 5-6 month's when it was slow the guy at the knife counter sharpend my 1550st on two different machines it was like new on this http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0074252519550a&navCount=11&podId=0074252&parentId=cat20897&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=MainCatcat602009-cat20897&catalogCode=UK&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat20897&hasJS=true

and then this

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat602009-cat570001-cat20897_TGP&id=0051024517921a&navCount=13&podId=0051024&parentId=cat20897&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=QL&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true

...it just starting to get dull now and that was like 5-6 month's ago .
http://www.qtl.co.il/img/copy.pnghttp://www.google.com/favicon.ico (http://www.google.com/search?q=i)http://www.qtl.co.il/img/trans.png

[hawk1911]

Kinda embarrased but the only knife sharpening I do is on one of those carbide/ceramic combos that you can get for 2-3 bucks at the sporting goods stores. I works pretty good and leaves all my pocket knifes pretty sharp but Im guessing its not a proffesional grade item, and doesnt give a proffesional finish but considering that I dint pay much for the knifes in the first place it pretty good.

[AKTexas]

When I'm in the mood I use Arkansas stones.

When I'm lazy I take them to a knife sharpening shop and have them do it.

[cevulirn]

when I need to cut a new edge bevel into a blade I start with this:
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10843
if the bevel isn't too bad, but the knife is still very dull, I'll start with a 10 inch round diamond stick.
Next I use something like the following, (Mine is made by smith's though) for basic edge work:
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10207414
Then I go to my favorite stone... The Spyderco Ultrafine bench stone: http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=SP302uf
And finally, I finish the edge by stropping on a (home made) leather strop with some polishing compound worked into it.

I free hand it the whole way, and I've gotten my knives pretty damned sharp, just not quite sharp enough to comfortably shave with. (Arm, yeah, face? no.)

[Full Otto]

I free hand it the whole way, and I've gotten my knives pretty damned sharp, just not quite sharp enough to comfortably shave with. (Arm, yeah, face? no.)

I have eye witnessed this, the man knows his stuff.

[old Grump]

Sister has an electric grinder in the kitchen because I don't keep up with her. For my knives I have a fairly large number of stones, wet and dry that I use in my shop for my working and my hunting knives. Love my steel for touching up the edge of my blades and I have a small number of those ceramic rods and a couple of the diamond sharpeners but I'm not real impressed with any of them. I guess I would be considered a journeyman sharpener and not a master. Good working edge but no hair splitters for me.

[Arnulf]

I make knives and I use a 4 bench belt sander to sharpen them...then run them over a leather strop...makes em sharp enough to shave you....its how a lot of cutlery manufacturers sharpen their knives.

[HDR]

I use a variety of Arkansas stones and for high carbon kitchen knives w/o serrated edges I use ceramic sticks.

[cevulirn]

I have eye witnessed this, the man knows his stuff.

I'm planning on picking up some .25 micron diamond paste to work into another paddle strop... I like sharp knives :)

I'd really like to get a full set of Shapton glass stones, but their finest stone, (30,000 grit) costs $300 by itself. Way out of my price range.

[Arnulf]

I'm planning on picking up some .25 micron diamond paste to work into another paddle strop... I like sharp knives :)

I'd really like to get a full set of Shapton glass stones, but their finest stone, (30,000 grit) costs $300 by itself. Way out of my price range.

I like em sharp....but I get them too sharp sometimes....I got a lot of German knives with carbon steel blades.....I was oiling the blade on a antique Carl Schlieper ASE pocket knife and that sucker cut through the oil rag and sliced my finger like a hot knife through butter.

[NRAJOE]

I got the GATCO system...

http://www.knivesplus.com/gatco-ga-10005.html

Then when I'm done I strop the blade on leather.

[old Grump]

I like em sharp....but I get them too sharp sometimes....I got a lot of German knives with carbon steel blades.....I was oiling the blade on a antique Carl Schlieper ASE pocket knife and that sucker cut through the oil rag and sliced my finger like a hot knife through butter.
Hate when that happens, last did it with the German switch blade I put an edge on. Love the feel of WD-40 in a fresh wound. The good thing is it bled like crazy so it got rinsed out quick. Then I had to get the blood off the knife and sliced my other thumb. I am a very slow learner some days.

[Richard Simmons]

I like em sharp....but I get them too sharp sometimes....I got a lot of German knives with carbon steel blades.....I was oiling the blade on a antique Carl Schlieper ASE pocket knife and that sucker cut through the oil rag and sliced my finger like a hot knife through butter.

Same thing happened to me the other day. Had just finished touching up the edge on a sweet little Spyderco Smallfly and went to wipe it off on my shirt tail. Wasn't paying attention, felt something funny and saw a cresent shaped slice in my shirt tail, looked at my thumb and the top layer of skin was folded over. Didn't bleed but it sure got my attention. The Smallfly has a little belly to it and I must have rolled my thumb over a bit as I pulled it through the shirt. Wasn't pulling hard at all. Figured she was sharp enough after that and put her back in my pocket.

[cciota]

I use a Lansky sharpener.

[zeke/pa]

For several years I used a bench mounted Medium India followed by a Hard Arkansas for all my kinfe sharpening chores.
I acquired a Spyderco a few years back and I like it also.
In truth , I think that the stones work better for me.

[cevulirn]

Well, since my last post in this thread, I've acquired a few more sharpening options. First, Naniwa Super Stones in 1000 and 5000 grit, and I re-did my paddle strop with .25 micron diamond paste. The Naniwa stones are great for honing straight razors, but they're just too soft for my taste for honing regular knives. I'm still a big fan of Spyderco bench stones, but my pasted paddle strop really is the shit for putting that final edge on. I have two straight razors that I regularly shave with that I've honed myself starting with the Naniwa's, then going to the Spyderco Ultra fine, and finishing with the pasted strop, and several more I'll shave with once I fix their edge geometry.