Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades Freehand Stones vs guided knife sharpeners

Which do you prefer, and why?

I used to be able to get a good shaving edge freehand on a stone followed by a leather strop, but really struggle to do so now. I've been using a Gatco setup for a few years now and get much better results...

Thanks J.
Why do you suppose Stones used to work for you but now don't? Is it you or the stones?

I think you know or can accurately guess which camp I am in.

MCH, Stones, for sure.
But humor me a little and articulate why please.

My father was a tool and die guy, so I had access to plenty of stones as a youth.

I used free hand stones for about 50 years. I got pretty good at it. I ended up buying three larger (longer stokes)
bench stones of various grits and made a small fixture to hold them. I always sharpened standing
with my elbows locked into my sides and the stones at the same height every time if possible.

I thought I was doing well, but kept hearing about scary sharp. When Boise loaned me his Edge Pro
I found out what scary sharp is. I no longer use free stones for sharpening.

Keeping the stones CLEAN and the angle CONSTANT is very important in sharpening blades, especially the newer steels
heat treated to higher rockwells.

I fear the old days of setting around the deer hunting campfire spitting on an arkansas stone and working up a
slather swishing your high carbon soligen blade heat treated in the mid 50s around is about gone.

I now also use the Work Sharp for my filet and kitchen knives. Does a pretty good job and is quick touch up
after setting the convex bevel the first time.

So anyhow, I feel that almost any fixtured system will normally beat free hand for sharpening.

Just my 2 cents.
Tim

Thanks Tim! Very useful info for me

If going to or staying with stones, I would say that the most important things are

Get 11" stones for a longer sustained stroke.
Get three grits, coarse, medium and fine.
Keep them clean.
Find a way to make your hands and body a fixture for consistent positioning and keep stones at same height.
And find a final strop or polish system that works for you.
Also remember that until you get a burr, you are not ready for a finer grit.

again just my 2 cents.

All of the big knife fora have intermittently hosted blade sharpening competitions. In EVERY case guided systems have won.

You are right! But I have a modified method, I don't lay the stone flat I clamp it vertical. This allows me to actually see my angle. Why do I free hand? I suppose because that is how I learned as a young kid.

A sharpening competition would be purely subjective. A cutting competition is not subjective.

Oops,my bad. I should have said "blade sharpness" competitions! The ones I reference use the protocol from BF that Phil uses: Seamount Rope Testing


In addition, I've been a Bladesports member for quite a while now and most of the guys I hang out with from there LOVE Clay Allison and Wicked Edge...

Could you draw a better circle by hand or when using a compass technical drawing instrument ?

Better straight line by hand or using the edge of a ruler ?

I’m pretty good on stones. But it’s an art, and that means you have to settle for a bit less than perfection. Anymore with my really expensive Japanese kitchen knives I’ve gone to a mechanical setup.

For the money, I don’t think you can get a better setup than a Hapstone. It has taken the Edge Pro to an entirely different level. I use diamond stones.

https://www.gritomatic.com/collections/hapstone-sharpeners

I'm sure it's me not being able to hold a consistent angle - likely due to age and unsteady hands, but who knows...

I always thought I was good freehand until a buddy of mine showed me his Lansky system. Now I know what scary sharp is. Finish with a strop and it's unbelievable sharp.

Those Russki stones are a great budget replacement on the EdgePro!

This. I figure when you're doing it by hand, you're actually competing to see if your hands and eyes can equal a mechanical device holding a precise angle. And if you like that challenge, more power to you. I'll take the easy way myself.

Depends.
I have a Sharpmaker, Lansky, and Gatco.
They all do a better job for me than free hand.
The Sharpmaker is the fastest, also the least precise.
Also the most used. It will make a knife sharp enough.
Quickly. I often use it as a bench stone if in a hurry.


At work, we have the chefs choice machines and several stones.
There it's stones, always. We carry sheath knives, and use them
constantly. Sharp isn't a dick measuring contest, it's a necessity
for doing your job. The stuff we cut dulls a knife quickly, and sharp
enough is good enough.

Freehand for me right now, I get them hair popping sharp in short order.