Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Knife sharpening perfected

One thing he left out was the long ceramic has a square edge and a round edge for serated blades.

I'm in the "knife guy" category as well and I gotta admit, up front, that i thoroughly enjoy sharpening my knives.

As was said above, everyone has to find their own method of sharpening - theres's lots of right ways to get it done.

The guy who made my custom field knife used a paper wheel to put the finish edge on and it was easily capable of whittling individual hairs.

Personally, i do not have the inclination to buy a paper-wheel set up to polish my edges.

However, using a medium-grit Aluminum Oxide stone, a fine Arkansas (Novaculate?) stone and my home-made leather strop loaded with 3 micron polishing compound, i am able to keep my knives hair-popping sharp.

Very good advice; and remember: when in the presence of X number of people, there will be X number of people who are convinced that they can do it better than you and will be sure to let you know. "Here, now that's sharp!" The best that you can hope for is that they will be kind in their condescension.

Buy the muti packs... I've used them from when they were wood and washers. They weigh about nothing in the backpack.

Kent

I bought a dozen about 5 years ago and gave all of my friends one.

I have one in my truck, pack (altered), kitchen, shop, toolbox and at work

They even bring old Havalon blades back to deadly sharp

I've been using the Spyderco also for a number of years and been very happy with it. That said, the paper wheel system is intriguing.

Didn't make time to read links yet, but the best things I've ever found, are Havalon knives and paper wheels.

I mostly don't ever think about field sharpening for the past 10 years or so.

Either replace the blade or grab another knife.

Takes seconds with a paper wheel at home to touch up. Does not remove much material.

I've got the Edge Pro Apex, and it's the cats pajamas. The rest of the time I can do quick preventative touch-ups with a Lansky crock stick.

Agreed.....

The only knives I don't use the EP on are convex grinds but nothing mentioned above works for convex either.

Spyderco here.




Dave

I use several different tools to sharpen, depending on how dull. I generally use a lansky diamond hone to get the angles right, then I use a hunter honer to maintain the edge. The thing I like about the hunter honer is that it does not remove any metal, it just re-forms the sharp edge. If I want a razor edge I strop the edge with a leather belt. I use to sharpen with a stone all the time, but needlessly wore out some nice knives.

I use bench stones and like the other gentlemen, I enjoy doing so but that paper wheel setup looks like a great place for a guy comfortable with power tools to start. You probably need to be careful with the tip of your knife lest the wheel take it from you and sling it someplace. But, very fast and cost effective. Good stones are not cheap, neither are jig setups. You could get a bench grinder from Harbor Freight for $50 and put $60 something more into the wheels and have a dedicated setup. Probably spend less than $150....not bad. Once set up it stays set up, nothing to drag out and assemble.

Only downsides I see is perhaps not having a place to set the grinder up and not being able to take it to "the field" which to me seems way overrated. Two decent knives properly sharpened will do a whole lot of cutting....so I'd just take another knife. I butcher at home so for me it is a non factor.

Edge pro apex stop dicking around. Once I have sharpened a knife with it. It just takes a few minutes with the 1000 grit and my mirror edge is back and I am shaving with it again

Don't know if they still carry it,but Sears use to carry a 4pack of four different polishing grits . Brown,white,black,and ruby.Each being a different hardness/coarseness. They are great for dressing the paper wheels( old ones were leather).

I have a bench grinder set up with a wire wheel on one side and the leather wheel on the other. Always apply the knife edge downwards

whats a good beginner model? apex 3?

The paper wheels won't fling your knife, you use it on the side pulling away and the only thing to worry about on the tip is burning it from moving too slow.

Worksharp Ken Onion design. The best, The easiest thing that I have found. My 14 year old son sharpened his dull deer knife to razor sharpness on his first try.

Used to have the same. White worked, still have the black left, don't think it works as well. LOL.

I reverse the grinder, so the wheels turn away from me, but its dedicated to knives only, and then go on top so I can see, a bit to the back side so if anything catches its flung away from me. Be VERY careful. VERY. Its dangerous as hell, but works quick and great!