O.T. Sharpening knives, LOL!

[kelbro]

The belt sanders will put a good convex working edge on a knife quickly.

 

[K22]

Lansky….I’ve been using the same thing for about 40 years.

That's the one. Does a professional job and you can vary the angle depending on the application of the knife. Great product!

 

[Fast14riot]

Just wait until you try a Tormek powered wet hone. They are really nice. Paper wheels are fantastic for power stopping, too. Its funny, most non-knife people look at sharpening as removing steel and use way too much force or too aggressive abrasives. For hand sharpening my knives with saber edge geometry I prefer to use diamond lapping films on a surface plate. Usually finishing by slicing in hardwood to remove burr then stopping on a zinc chromate loaded strop.

There's razor sharp and then there is sharp as a razor. This is the same Case xx brand razor before and after. It was a very smooth, nice shaving blade.

 

[sacre]

I sometimes use wet/dry paper with oil and on a piece of glass to keep it flat. 600-2000 grits. Mostly in the shop on chisels or turning tools. My knife at the same time if it needs it. Stuff is always handy.

 

[ShtrRdy]

@Don_M2 -- do these work?

Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition Knife and Tool Sharpener MK.2

Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition Knife and Tool Sharpener MK.2 - Experience precision and speed with the Ken Onion Edition Knife & Tool Sharpener Mk.2, designed for edge enthusiasts and knife collectors alike. Specially designed flexible abrasive belts and electronic speed control delivers...

www.sportsmans.com

 

[charlie b]

I admire all of you who are skilled at this. I am a hack. Barely able to sharpen my wood plane blades to a handyman level.

My wife's grandfather taught me what he could in the short time I knew him. He sharpened blades in a piano factory. Saw blades, planer blades, etc. He shaved with straight razors until he died.

I could not maintain angles and I lacked the fine 'feel' needed for the really sharp stuff. I have used jigs, but, the 'feel' part is a key piece of the art.

 

[jackieschmidt]

Don’t laugh, but this is a really handy little item. I don’t know what these little disc are made from, but they are super hard.

Just run the knife through it several times and it puts a great edge on.

 

[ELR LVR]

I recently discovered that "over-stopping" is a real thing. Only a few passes are needed, you're just trying to remove any remnants of the burr caused by the abrasive. Too much stropping or using too much pressure can redull the edge.

Awesome story man, you got a nice lucky break there having your service at a local gun shop
---
I know a few people who use a strop to try to "resharpen" their knives
instead of going straight to using the stone first
---
I tried using a small belt sander I have with a silicon carbide belt but it wasn't solid and smooth enough
Some of the new knife steels are pretty tough,
once I began using S30V blades.... I went to using Lapidary Diamond wheels to sharpen them,
since that's what I use to sharpen my carbide tooling, and aint no knife steel as hard as Carbide so if it sharpens carbide it will move metal on a knife
then follow up with Diamond Lapidary compounds to get the edge I want
the diamond wheels make quick work of touching up an edge and come in many different grits

 

[Fast14riot]

@Don_M2 -- do these work?

Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition Knife and Tool Sharpener MK.2

Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition Knife and Tool Sharpener MK.2 - Experience precision and speed with the Ken Onion Edition Knife & Tool Sharpener Mk.2, designed for edge enthusiasts and knife collectors alike. Specially designed flexible abrasive belts and electronic speed control delivers...

www.sportsmans.com

Yep, they work well. Just remember that power tools make mistakes happen way faster!

 

[Rick300]

Yep, they work well. Just remember that power tools make mistakes happen way faster!

Couldn't agree more!

 

[Rick300]

I bought the Ken Onion at a sports show after I saw the demonstrator guy take a customers rough blade blade blank and turn it into a fully functioning sharp blade in about 15-20 minutes. Of course that means you can also destroy one in much less time.

 

[Doug Casner]

I remember back in the 70s, we butchered and cut up our deer and alot of other peoples deer. Always used those Arkansas stones. Took awhile too get em sharp. Then we got a moon stick. I think Case made it. Little ceramic steel. Hit it a few licks on that a you were back in the game. Doug

 

[Don_M2]

@Don_M2 -- do these work?

Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition Knife and Tool Sharpener MK.2

Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition Knife and Tool Sharpener MK.2 - Experience precision and speed with the Ken Onion Edition Knife & Tool Sharpener Mk.2, designed for edge enthusiasts and knife collectors alike. Specially designed flexible abrasive belts and electronic speed control delivers...

www.sportsmans.com

Yep.

 

[Don_M2]

Awesome story man, you got a nice lucky break there having your service at a local gun shop
---
I know a few people who use a strop to try to "resharpen" their knives
instead of going straight to using the stone first
---
I tried using a small belt sander I have with a silicon carbide belt but it wasn't solid and smooth enough
Some of the new knife steels are pretty tough,
once I began using S30V blades.... I went to using Lapidary Diamond wheels to sharpen them,
since that's what I use to sharpen my carbide tooling, and aint no knife steel as hard as Carbide so if it sharpens carbide it will move metal on a knife
then follow up with Diamond Lapidary compounds to get the edge I want
the diamond wheels make quick work of touching up an edge and come in many different grits

Occasional, LIGHT stropping CAN slightly restore a keeness to an edge... for a while, until it gets too dull and needs stones/abrasives again. However, many people, myself included, failed to understand that over-stropping, using too much pressure (stropping is ONLY meant to clean up a burr - no heavy strokes needed) or stropping at too steep of an angle (you can all too easily "roll" or "round off the apex" and dull the knife).

 

[Fast14riot]

I remember back in the 70s, we butchered and cut up our deer and alot of other peoples deer. Always used those Arkansas stones. Took awhile too get em sharp. Then we got a moon stick. I think Case made it. Little ceramic steel. Hit it a few licks on that a you were back in the game. Doug

I have a couple ceramic sticks, including a "steel" for honing, I wouldn'tbe caught without them. A neat hack, take a coffee mug and flip it over, you can use the unglazed bottom rim to sharpen a knife. Just be sure the coffee is gone or at least cold, lol!

 

[AckleymanII]

Soft steel blade knives are one issue, high rockwell blade knives that are capable of skinning and butchering 4+ elk and perhaps a dozen white tails need a different method.

https://www.harborfreight.com/1-in-x-30-in-belt-sander-58359.html

1000 grit on up belts are available.

 

[CJ6]

I use my grandfathers stones and steel.
He worked in the beef cut at Hormel for 40+ years. Taught me every I know about keeping an edge. Still use his knives too.

 

[FNSafari]

Get a Work Sharp Ken Onion belt sharpener. I used to sharpen my one knife by hand and enjoyed, but not so much after I acquired lots more. Great machine.

 

[UpstateNYer]

I do all our knives by hand. I warn the wife when certain blades have been sharpened. My youngest is learning to sharpen. He is particular when it comes to his knives. His recent boning of a deer proved a knife is just an extension of your hand.

I use a variety of methods to bring the edge in. Diamond stones of various grits are good but I use a float glass plate and wet dry sand paper to get shaving sharp on some knives. Stropping is a critical step in sharpening and yes, two to three strokes is enough on a strop. Horse butt leather makes the best strops.

One thing I hate to see on a knife is grinder marks. I do not lend my edc to someone who doesn't carry a knife.

 

[FNSafari]

Speaking of knives, I bought my wife a US made Buck Vanguard fixed blade for a bit over 100$. Made in USA, blade of 420HC. I read a lot about steels and this type seemed to me the best balance of cost, visual appearance and functionality in a fixed blade. The 420HC steel is not a high end composition, but it has high carbon content and about 15% nickel content and is hardened by BUCK. In the time she has had it she has shot, gutted, skinned and cut up 4 deer, along with other sane uses, and the darn blade is still very sharp, as in I don't need to sharpen it. IMO a great deal from an American company who makes it, and lots of other of its products right here in US of A.