NEW ! Knife Sharpening/Maintenace thread

[5698k]

Something that isn’t mentioned as much as it should be, particularly for kitchen knives, is a good cutting surface. An end grain board, or a synthetic board, I have a hi soft, are essential for edge retention. I have Japanese kitchen knives, Kato, Toyama, Shigeharu, among others. I use a TS Prof sharpener with shapton glass stones, but I wonder what will happen now with the Ukrainian situation.

 

[servant403]

I have some Shapton glass stones. They are a huge upgrade over the stones that came with my Edge Pro.

 

[Intheshop]

Look up;

Scot Murray expanding drum. My 8" dia. came from Brownells back in the 1970's. You may have to go through lapidary supply joints now,and come in 4,6,and 8".Even for guys with $$$ belt grinding equipment(we have 1/2 dz),you're gonna get a kick out of these drums. Many different grits available.

Mounted on a decent electric motor,the sleeve(effectively just a grinder "belt") only tensions up when the motor is on. Hence,"expanding" drum. The internal webs are angled such that, there's a stiff direction,and a softer. Flip the drum changes this. These are for putting a hollow micro "bevel" on finished blades.... been around forever,and with good reason. They flat out work perfect.

One side benny; I keep a dedicated sleeve... actually it's the one that stays on 90% of the time... for sharpening Tig tungsten. Is way nicer than a hard rock for this.

Good luck with your project.

 

[Intheshop]

OK, this one is pretty durn hillbilly but I swear it works way better than it 'aught to;

Take two round chainsaw files and affix them tightly together.... like a SXS shotgun barrel...

I use a wooden handle/fixture sorta like a violin bow,where the strings would be the files. Basically support the ends. But heck,you could probably just tape the ends together? for a proof of concept.

Anyway,once fixed together you stroke the knife/broadhead blade down in the bttm of the V..... usually done with a "pull" stroke. Just sayin,might want to hold off on the beer or cocktails till afterwards,haha. There's not a DANG thing "polite" about this goober. It will however,put a very small two sided hollow "grind" on anything you drag through it.....

I epoxied a 1/8" thick... 1/2" wide,6" long piece of probably 1200 grit stone to backside of the hardwood handle. For knocking the micro wire edge off. Fun little project to make. Use whatever dia. file your chainsaw needs. Keep it with your deep woods hunting stuff.

 

[dgeesaman]

The Lansky is an easy means to achieve a consistent angle. Many new knives have ever been beveled properly, and the optional diamond stone is a quick way to achieve the burr necessary as the first step.Then follow with progressively finer stones. My final tool, also used for routine touch-up, is the Lansky ceramic rod. I'm after fast, efficient, effective and this works for me. Not true ultimate, but razor sharp for routine use.

I’m still a Lansky guy too. I’m not a knife nerd but I do want functionally sharp.

Aside from fresh Lansky diamond stones, the best upgrade is a 14x B&L loupe that helps me see the actual edge. I run the Lansky stones at a slight angle to the edge. Then once I can see the lay marks in the blade I switch stones and lay mark direction and monitor with the loupe until I get full cleanup, and so on.

Im going to try the idea of roughing in the blade at 17 and finishing at 20. Again, with the loupe this should be easy do do well.

 

[centershot]

If you use a stone, what oil do you use with it? I suppose 10-40 is out of the question.

 

[5698k]

If you use a stone, what oil do you use with it? I suppose 10-40 is out of the question.

Many stones are water stones. Some require soaking, some just need dampening. I use a drop or two of dawn in a spray bottle to dampen mine.

 

[3Sigma]

If you use a stone, what oil do you use with it? I suppose 10-40 is out of the question.

Oil stone = food grade mineral oil, like a cutting board oil.

 

[JMayo]

These are in another league but sharpening them in a way that lends to the best edge is utmost important.
Stropping with the paste sticks rubbed into the leather is all they need.
Maybe a marble stone stroke once in awhile.
I saw a ceiling fan, mounted upsidedown with a leather covered board for stropping. So i made one !

 

[servant403]

I’m still a Lansky guy too. I’m not a knife nerd but I do want functionally sharp.

Aside from fresh Lansky diamond stones, the best upgrade is a 14x B&L loupe that helps me see the actual edge. I run the Lansky stones at a slight angle to the edge. Then once I can see the lay marks in the blade I switch stones and lay mark direction and monitor with the loupe until I get full cleanup, and so on.

Im going to try the idea of roughing in the blade at 17 and finishing at 20. Again, with the loupe this should be easy do do well.

Thats a good idea. I use a loupe also sometimes to make sure a sharpening burr doesnt have any gaps before I do the other side.
Having a relief of 17 and the primary edge at 20 will help in making the knife very easy and quick to touch up.

 

[servant403]

View attachment 1321490View attachment 1321491
These are in another league but sharpening them in a way that lends to the best edge is utmost important.
Stropping with the paste sticks rubbed into the leather is all they need.
Maybe a marble stone stroke once in awhile.
I saw a ceiling fan, mounted upsidedown with a leather covered board for stropping. So i made one !

Stropping takes almost all edges to the next level. I have some strops loaded with different aluminum oxides paste grits. And also some balsa wood strops loaded with diamond paste. It works very well.

 

[CJ6]

I'm not up on the HI-Tech. stuff. I use my Grandfathers stones and steels. He worked for Hormel in the Beef-cut area for 42 years 1917-1959. He taught me young how to keep an edge and I haven't cut myself with one of my knifes yet.

 

[Prose]

I'm thinking about getting a KME or TSProf. Anyone been gifted an extra that they need to get rid of???

 

[muleystalker]

Do these need to be flattened? Are you "slicing" or reversing the blade with these?

Yes they need to be kept flat, all stones do. pull away from the edge. The Choresa 800grit is the one to get over the 1000. The 800 grit is very versatile, it cuts like a 500 grit but also can finish a blade like a 1500 grit. if you only have one stone its a great choice, remember its a water stone, don't use oil. put water on it till it doesn't absorb anymore then go. Keep it wet while working.

 

[muleystalker]

I've got a tormek t4. Makes a blade as sharp as it needs to be but I can do far better by hand or with a gatco. Main benefit of the tormek is I can sharpen anything right now fast.

After buying and using the T4 would you still buy one if in the market or stick with stones?

 

[muleystalker]

OK, this one is pretty durn hillbilly but I swear it works way better than it 'aught to;

Take two round chainsaw files and affix them tightly together.... like a SXS shotgun barrel...

I use a wooden handle/fixture sorta like a violin bow,where the strings would be the files. Basically support the ends. But heck,you could probably just tape the ends together? for a proof of concept.

Anyway,once fixed together you stroke the knife/broadhead blade down in the bttm of the V..... usually done with a "pull" stroke. Just sayin,might want to hold off on the beer or cocktails till afterwards,haha. There's not a DANG thing "polite" about this goober. It will however,put a very small two sided hollow "grind" on anything you drag through it.....

I epoxied a 1/8" thick... 1/2" wide,6" long piece of probably 1200 grit stone to backside of the hardwood handle. For knocking the micro wire edge off. Fun little project to make. Use whatever dia. file your chainsaw needs. Keep it with your deep woods hunting stuff.

I have been using this for sharping broad heads for over 40 years, it's the best especially for 2 blade. Leaves a nice tooth on the blade that does maximum damage.

 

[muleystalker]

I’m still a Lansky guy too. I’m not a knife nerd but I do want functionally sharp.

Aside from fresh Lansky diamond stones, the best upgrade is a 14x B&L loupe that helps me see the actual edge. I run the Lansky stones at a slight angle to the edge. Then once I can see the lay marks in the blade I switch stones and lay mark direction and monitor with the loupe until I get full cleanup, and so on.

Im going to try the idea of roughing in the blade at 17 and finishing at 20. Again, with the loupe this should be easy do do well.

Its called a micro bevel.

 

[Richard Jones]

I have lots of different sharpening stuff. Lots of diamond, some oil, mostly waterstones. Lots of waterstones. Tormek. 2 Edge Pros. Strops. Pastes. Sprays. Lots of J-knives to choose from and a metric ton of fixed blades and folders. Obsessed, you might say.

The Tormek only sees flower shop knives and scissors (we own a florist). Those get done about every other month. The level of sharpening sophistication that these tools need is not high, as the ladies that wield them are not particular in what they select to cut, be it a flower stem or a piece of wire. They fuss at me for getting the knives "too sharp". Of course, we know there's no such thing....

The Edge Pro Pro sees hardly any use any more as I free hand everything now. For J-knives, I might go to a 5K Suehiro Rika, but most every thing else just gets a 2K edge now. Woodworking stuff like chisels and plane blades get the 8k treatment. Straight razors are a whole 'nuther animal, with films down to .05 micron and stupidly expensive natural stones. Ridiculous.

Everyday stainless stuff, like Forschner, really doesn't benefit much after 1-2k. Zero use for German steel. I used to take everything to 8k or beyond, but now, 2k for "crap steel" as I call it, 5k for the good stuff.

My favorite EDC steels would have to be S30V and M390. I have 'lots' of knives with more 'exotic' steel, but always find myself coming back to these, with the right heat treatment. J-knives, my preference is AS, followed by white and blue. I think I own two (2) stainless J-knives, one in AEB-L and one in ginsanko.

It's ridiculous how much sharpening gear I have, but it was an itch I had to scratch.

I could go on for days.

 

[Greg Y]

I have lansky, kme, tormek, ken onion, 50 loose quality stones and lastly my favorite, the grinder mounted paper wheels.

The paper is fast and builds an edge quickly. The stropping side gets dangerously sharp in a few light passes. Material removal is near zero.

 

[dgeesaman]

Its called a micro bevel.

It’s what I’ve been doing since I wrote that.

Unfortunately the Lansky seems to change sharpening angle when I go from coarse/medium to fine/extra fine stones. Using my loupe I see the finer stones touch the edge at a shallower angle then they are set up to be. No matter how carefully I set things up I had to manually bend the finer stones downward until they would contact the full face of the edge. This explains why for years I couldn’t get better than a “medium” grit edge sharpness with the Lansky but I still don’t know why it’s happening. Geometrically there is no reason and

Another thing to mention about Lansky - I have mostly their diamond stones now. I replaced the original conventional stones from years ago. Each diamond stone has a couple rough spots and in the loupe I see them create gouge marks that indicate inconsistent roughness on the edge. That makes ascending in fineness really slow and difficult.

So anyway I’m not far from scrapping the whole Lansky system for something of higher quality. But I don’t want a benchtop machine(s) costing hundreds of dollars.