Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire What’s a good, simple knife sharpener?

I guess I'm old school.

This. First time you use one of those belt sander deals you are most likely going to be re-profiling a standard v-edge into a convex edge and it takes time. Beats sandpaper on a mouse pad I bet. One way to check and see if you are hitting the edge is to cut gently 90 degrees into a stone (or maybe one of your belts) and create a "flat" where your old knife edge was. Flip the knife over edge up and you should be able to see this running the length of the blade with a good light. Sharpen until you can't see the flat anymore all the way down, then STOP! Probably you have to check the edge after each pass on the belt. The edge has been created, all you have to do is refine it by going to finer abrasives. Some people color the bevel with a magic marker until they get a feel for what they are doing. Once created you can maintain a convex edge for a long time stropping on a soft substrate.......like an old mouse pad under sandpaper.

If you want simple, the little Rada gadget is hard to beat for the results you get vs what it costs and how easy it is. Finishing up on a stone or steel enhances the results but is not necessary. This is a great gadget to have handy when your knife gets dull in the middle of cutting up a bunch of meat or whatever and you don't want to go with your "system" but just want to finish what you are doing.


My preferred method is freehand with oil stones. Its a skill worth acquiring.

Me too.

I've been using mine for about a decade. If you can hold a knife fairly straight up and down, like you're gonna chop up a carrot, you're ready to turn out razors on the Spyderco Sharpmaker. It's really that easy.

I also like the Spyderco Sharpmaker. Pretty easy to use and works very well, including serrated edges.

Huh, I thought the Work Sharp Ken Onion was an easy to use sharpener. However, I have a Spyderco Sharpmaker too for when I don't feel like pulling out the Ken Onion. They both work great as sharpening tools, just different tools.

I`ve had my work-sharp for 10+ years now. It works , from my $300 skinning knives , to my daily carry spring assist knife. Stays sharp for a very long time, and seems as easy peasy as it gets imo .
Red belt 5 pulls per side then grey honing belt 5 pulls per side , done. Worth the $100.
Skinned many russian boar and buffalo , anyone who has knows how fast a knife goes dull on those game. Work Sharp kept them sharp and ready for duty . Love that thing.

I've had mine for probably 20-25 yrs and still sharpens blades fine.
Just have to rotate the steel occasionally.

Greg

I use a diamond chefs choice electric for kitchen knives and a lansky for my others. I can use a stone or crock stick but usually use the.jig or the electric.

I used to be old school and used a soft Arkansas, hard, and black Arkansas with honing oil. But I couldn't keep up between kitchen, fillet, fishing and hunting knives. Then I was told about Accusharp about ten years ago and tried one. It's all I have use ever since, quick and simple to maintain a sharp blade.

https://accusharp.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P704B1EtMC0

I have had mine that long as well. Stupid simple and should be in every kitchen.

As soon as my shop is built, this is one of the first projects.

+100
I loved the diamond lansky stones for years.

I have no patience and no skill with a stone.

Warthog V-Sharp Classic II. Amazon for $80. Easy. Works great. You should buy a finer grit stone for $10, but that's it.

I'm old school and like a good extra fine India,Hard Arkansas and Black Arkansas oil stones.I keep a extra fine diamond stone in the kitchen for dressing up the edge on my daily use knives.The thing about knives is,keep them sharp.I've seen people who carry knives that are so dull it looks like the edge on a butter knife.Takes a lot of work to get the edge back on them.

I have an edge pro and sharpmaker. I use the sharpmaker the vast majority of the time. Buy the extra stones and don't let your knives get dull. It's very easy to get great results

Rada

$5

I love the electric Ken Onion sharpener, just takes some practice. Worksharp makes a diamond stone sharpener complete with coarse and fine grit sides, built in angle guides, a ceramic steel and leather strop in one small unit that will fit in your pocket. Thats about all I use now. I keep one in my pack at all times.

Ginzu

Spyderco Sharpmaker here too.

Worksharp . Love mine.