Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades Preferred Sharpening Methods

What do you guys like to use to sharpen your knives? Any different method whether it's a tough steel or an easy sharpener?

Edge Pro for most blades. Japanese water stones for scandi grind blades. Mouse Pad/sandpaper along with a leather strop for my convex knives.

I use the jig thing with diamond stones for setting my edge and or putting a edge on a real dull or real hard blade. For all touch up work I use a set of sticks.

I'd like to try a edge pro or something like that. Sounds like they're real nice

I've been thinking about getting an edge pro knockoff got working over my really dull stuff, when they just need a touch up I've had good luck with the spyderco sharp maker.

Anybody else have anything to say about the edge pros one way or another

I generally use an 8" Norton fine India Stone and WD40.

As long as I stay on top of things the Spyderco Sharpmaker has been great.

I'd like to try a Norton stone.........

DMT Magna Guide kit and a steel.

I have tried them all and have enjoyed varying degree of success. But on a whim I picked one of these up Work Sharp tools at Northern Tool and have to say it is the easiest and fastest way to keep them razor sharp:




The 6K grit belt really puts a nice edge on everything.

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=308798


Get down to where the pictures start. Do it just like her with not too fine a stone. Free yourself from those little machines and live wild and loud with the wind in your hair and a trusty, rusty blade by your side and sing the song of....

I had the Professional model but it was way more than the average Joe needs so I sold it and bought the Apex. No complaints about either model. Money well spent IMO but they've sure gone up in price. I sold my first one for enough to get my money back plus pay for the Apex.

I'd suggest getting the basic Apex to start with. The med and fine stones will do everything most guys need and you can buy additional stones and tapes (for less money) if you decide you need em down the line.

As mentioned above, they don't work for convex grinds but I only have one 2.5" convex blade.

My stone "battery" consists of an 8 inch combo (coarse-fine) Norton India stone, a 6 inch Soft Arkansas and hard translucent Arkansas pocket stone. I use mineral oil for "honing oil". For "tougher" steels I'd probably look at diamond plates or if you can't or don't want to do it by hand the work sharp.

Personally I'd recommend one of these with a 50grit belt for that "toothy" edge... especially if you buy custom knives... it will quickly help you justify the next purchase...

Who makes "one of these"?

lucky guy here since i have powered belt machine, edge pro , dmt bench diamond stones, & even a strop impregnated with diamond paste. for blades of my friends that sometimes have garden hoe bevels i go to the powered belts. if you wish to get great even bevels the edge pro is my choice. most of my knives are never gone to real dull, so the dmt stones do the light touchups. to put the true razor edge to impress yankees the strop is the way. cranky72

I'm still learning how to use this.

Harbor Freight sells something similar for $35 and gets great reviews.

I kinda doubt Harbor freight is selling anything similar for $35 bucks. I was joking when I posted that and I'd stay away from the 50grit belts, but if somebody really wants something along that lines, you should check Beaumont Metal Works. A decent Knife maker's grinder will run a bit more than $35.

Ok, perhaps not similar in quality but in usage.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-in-x-30-in-belt-sander-60543.html

Get a 20% of coupon and you are nearly there.

The go to recommendation at BladeForums and others for low cost belt driven sharpening.

laughin', yeah, the machine I referenced will set ya back well in excess of a grand, just to get warmed up, but it's a Knife maker's machine and on a slightly different scale. Not exactly meant for the average guy doing home sharpening.

The main advantage of sharpening with a belt on a knife making machine is the variable speed. You can slow it way down and avoid over heating the cutting edge. A 1/10 second pause on a fast moving belt and that edge will turn cheery red and you have a ruined blade.