Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades sharpening suggestions

Looking for knife sharpening suggestions for hunting and EDC carry knives, also edge angle suggestions.

A red DMT sharpener for when one gets really bad and a Dexter Russel Steel,and green compound loaded strop is about all anyone needs.

My knives aren't too fancy. Ontario, Becker, ESEE, Mora...1095, 5160, and some common stainless stuff.

I use simple whetstones. A coarse one, and a couple fine ones for touch up. I don't get scientific on the angles. I was taught to use a whetstone when I was about 5 or 6. I just eyeball it.

For Scandi grind knives, I use Japanese water stones. For the Convex ones it's strops, and for the rest, the EdgePro Apex gives me the best results. There are many different steels among my knives. Carbon steel, stainless steels and a bunch of the modern ones.

The type of abrasive you select must be capable of cutting the steel in the knife you are using it on, so we sorta need to know what kind of knife steel you are working with. Diamond will cut anything so RH Clark's recommendation is a pretty good blanket suggestion. The different types of abrasives/stones have advantages and disadvantages just like most things, but if they can cut the steel you are working with they all work.

I prefer free hand sharpening over mechanical systems because of speed, simplicity, and portability....that is more important to me than the aesthetics of a perfect bevel angle.....especially on EDC type stuff.

Edge angle....IMO, go as low as you can until its starts rolling or chipping on you.

Personally, I use a lot of simple carbon steel and Buck 420 level stuff. I use a $7 silicon carbide stone from Home Depot to start with on a really dull beat up edge and then finish on a Soft Arkansas. Sometimes I will then go on to a hard translucent Arkansas if I want a really polished edge. That is my coarse-medium-fine "system" based on the kind of knives I have and they are very easy to maintain with it.

I don't need to sharpen anything "in the field" but if you do, I would grab a red or green DMT and take it in my pack, tackle box, whatever. They make a fold up model but I would probably just get the 6 inch "stone". Its just a thin strip of diamond coated metal mounted on a piece of plastic.....weighs almost nothing.

Most of my knives are D-2 or S30V. I have a lansky that gets them sharp but not Real Sharp.

For the touch-up on a blade that isn't too far gone; Spyderco Sharpmaker. The Sharpmaker takes care of most sharpening duties for me, but when things need more of a re-shape, I go with the Edge-Pro.

Stones for small pocket knives.....mouse pad with sandpaper and strops for convex grind (which BTW is my favorite grind)..... Edge Pro Apex for large hunting and kitchen knives.

Yep...

I use the Sharpmaker and bought the extra sharpening rods. I use it with d2, s30v, and s35vn without problems. It's best to not let them get really dull. It works great for normal use. I'm sure there are better systems but the Sharpmaker is pretty to use.

^^^This^^^

The Spyderco Sharpmaker does everything I need to sharpen my knives. It’s easy to use, keeps the angle perfectly, and makes my knife razor sharp in no time. Also great for a quick touch up. I don’t like to let my knives get dull.

Picked up the new Wicked Edge Go and really like the quality and ease of use!

I second the Wicked Edge!