Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades knife sharpening ~ recommendations needed

http://youtu.be/i-BjcYJnAWU



..... interesting video on why Edge Pro might be more versatile than the Wicked Edge

Unless a blade is so thick it will barely sharpen, or it has been abused, a red DMT and a strop loaded with green compound is all you need.

An Edge pro might be nice but I have better things to spend money on. I keep my knives sharp enough to shave hair without pulling or scraping with just the above. Sure you can get a sharper edge by highly polishing it on a system like an Edge Pro but that edge is gone in a few cuts back to my level of sharp.

For rough work such as cutting through the hide of a deer to gut it and ripping the stuff out I prefer a folder with a partial serrated blade and a smooth blade.

The serrated blade cuts faster to get started.

On a single blade knife for the same work I like a rough edge put there by a rough stone.

The wicked edge is just an improvement on the lanky.

With the edge pro you don't have the problem of the angle changing the further away you get from the center of the rig. In the edge pro case you simply slide the knife down and hold it on the incline bed so there isn't a problem.

Holding the knife is the only thing you have to learn with the edge pro - after that you only need to learn when to stop. I made some of mine too sharp.

BTW - you can't create an edge or rebuild an edge with a strop.... Come on! There is now way in heck I'm going to remove chips in a blade with a strop either.

Google edge pro and kitchen knife and you can watch the guy slide the blade down to keep the same angle with skipping a beat.

You do the same on drop points by rotating the blade curve where you sharpen - that's just about impossible to do on anything that you clamp the blade into.

The reason you like a rough edge is because your knife steel holds the edge longer when it is rough. Better steel will however excel it with a finer sharper edge. A bob Dozier in D2 will have a toothy feel on a microscopic level when sharpened on a DMT and left unpolished. It will still be smooth enough to shave with but you can tell it's more toothy for lack of a better word than 1095 when polished.

1095 will take a finer edge and polish to a higher level, but it will quickly loose that edge. A Dozier D2 will keep that hair popping edge through a couple of deer. It won't shave your face as well as a polished 1095 blade but it will cut flesh or hide a lot better.

Why would you have chips in your blade? Machetes and axes are for chopping. knives are for cutting. I did mention abuse. I've never chipped an edge on a deer.

Lol you deer either don't have bones in them, or maybe not bullets.

I get plenty of other guys knives to fix or put and edge on, so I never know what I'm going to see.

However micro chips are very common, and Those require more than a strop if you have a day job.

Bones are to be taken apart at joints and bullets are make of lead and copper which last time I checked are softer than steel. If you are hacking through bone, no wonder you need an Edge Pro. LOL right back at you. Incidentally, you developed attitude first. Perhaps your pride of ownership was bruised.

I didn't say all you needed was a strop. I said all you needed was a red DMT and a strop. Have you ever even used a strop loaded with green compound?

I use white and black bark river compounds.

Given I use the edge pro 2000 grit polish tapes and sometimes higher on my blades I really don't need to strop.

So if I understand the last post, it's apparently possible to debone a deers shoulder blade without hitting the bone at all? . Back at ya.

Leather to keep one going. If my knife is chipping on deer it would go in the [bleep] trash. Sheit heat treatment.

Why screw around taking hours when you can do a better job in minutes. Get a paper wheel sharpening kit for a 6" or 8" grinder from Jantz supply. You'll still want a DMT small plate for field touch ups. Once you use paper wheels you'll never have a dull knife again.

I can tell that you fellas have strong beliefs in your sharpening methods ... and that's a good thing! I'm sure this is one of those instances where you can skin the cat several ways. End results are probably pretty similar. I just want to develop a method and run with it! I'm not one for changing things up once Ive found something that works for me and it sounds like you guys feel the same. Looks like it's just a matter of which way I want to approach it.

That's what really happens in a practical approach.

What we are really discussing is what is the best type if cutting edge.

I used to like the 600 grit rougher almost serrated edge that was described earlier, however when I learned taxidermy I noticed the scalpels cut differently so I investigated and found a finer edge was better.

When I started screwing with a better edge I made them too thin and the edge rolled over like a log bur, then I went the other way and made them too steep. Over time I fiquired it out. Now when the knife hits hair it almost jumps away from the knife, which is really on the edge of too damn sharp.

At the end of the day what I have found is that a extremely flat fine edge with no duration or cuts much longer and requires less touch up, just as the one gent. Said- after you have a good edge the strop is all you need. Example - last year I dressed and boned 5 deer and only strop'do my blade once - it's a crazy sharp SOB.

Steely - microchips are not the same as chips on a blade, ha can't see them, but you can feel them shen you cut paper and the blade stalls and pulls.

I just need my knives sharp enough to do field chores like dressing and skinning animals, along with the daily requirements when I carry them to work. Also, something that slices through a steak when I sit down @ the table in the evening. I really am looking for an edge that holds up well, so Im assuming not to thin. I'm not looking for chit to just fall over dead when I pull my knives out.

I like the Spyderco Sharpmaker. It's a great system that keeps a very sharp edge without ruining your blades.

Eric

One last wicked edge to edge pro comparison - look at how close your fingers are from the blade, some of those systems run you fingers pretty close to it if not over to of it- I never liked that.

Why not just learn how to use stones and diamond plates?

A fella really don't need electrical gadgets, wheels, discs, belts, rotors, clamps, guides, compounds, polishers, potions and commercial strops to get a fugging edge. Maybe someone will come up with a smartfone app, so alls a guy has to do is move his thumbs and his blades magically appear better than new......
How the hell did we get by before technology?....

I like the way you think. My only problem with it is the better DMT diamond stones run about $110 or $120 a pop. Say you want 2 different stones with different grit and then add a good strop with some compounds, you are now approaching the $300 range. That basically puts a fella into an Edge Pro system. Just trying to be realistic about it. Unless I don't need those fancy diamond stones.

The only reason DMT is better than a Norton is because the DMT stays flat and lasts longer.

Unless you need to sharpen really large blades, and not necessarily then, you don't have to get the expensive DMT stones.The 6" stones will do fine.

Why don't you try a 6" red DMT? Then if you want the other stuff later you can buy it. That 6" DMT can go anywhere with you a lot better than a sharpening kit and it's only about $30. It's all you will need to keep a knife sharp. It will actually be better after it has worn a little finer, so you can add a ceramic rod for now if you want. Use the ceramic after the DMT and before the strop untill the DMT wears a little finer.

My only point in all this is that most of us would be better served to spend that $300 on a good quality knife that already has a properly ground edge and just keep it sharp with a simple stone and strop. My Dozier only requires a couple swipes on the worn DMT to restore an edge. If I want to go from shaving sharp to scary sharp I strop a couple dozen wipes on compound loaded leather.


Spotshooter
I like Edge Pro. I do agree with you concerning ultimate sharpness. I just don't think surgery sharp scalpels are necessary or even desirable in a hunting knife.They are fun to play with and show off, so have fun my friend.