Best Sharpener for an Inexperienced Sharpener

A

ARundrpillow

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Jun 6, 2014
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I am going to be buying a sharpener. I will use it to sharpen my folders and fixed blades. It will need to be able to work well on AUS8, 1095CV, CPM S30V, ELMAX and a couple others. I am not an experienced at sharpener. I have a work sharp field sharpener now and I can get them sharp but not real sharp. I am not great at holding a consistent angle. I am very mechanically inclined and really like the wicked edge but I dont want to drop that kind of doe. Im considering the lansky diamond set with a couple add-ons. The spyderco Sharp maker with diamond rods or a work sharp. Please chime in with your suggestions and reasoning behind it. I think for now I have eliminated getting stones. I want to learn with something that will somewhat guide me before I go to stones. Ultimately I believe that will be my end goal. Thanks
 
For ease of use I've reduced my sharpeners that I keep out in the kitchen to my diamond lansky turnbox and my sharpmaker. By and large combined they do a great job on most steels including 154cm, d2 and all of the softer steels.
 
The sharpmaker will not help you learn how to use a stone whatsoever. But there are cheats like putting a small binder clip at the spine of your knife to get you a proper sharpening angle on a stone.
 
cchu518 said:
The sharpmaker will not help you learn how to use a stone whatsoever. But there are cheats like putting a small binder clip at the spine of your knife to get you a proper sharpening angle on a stone.
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how so. I understand that the technique required is slightly different but isn't the under lying concept the same? Must master making a full stroke holding a consistent angle on both. Just stroking on different planes. I could be wrong
 
With systems you are basically holding a kife straight up and down to get to the set angle of the sharpmaker or a lansky. With stones you have to adjust your hand positions for sharpening the ricaso/belly and tip angles of the k ife depending on which free hand tecjnique you choose to use. Its a lot more involved and not mechanical but somewhat of an organic in the moment thing with a lot of feedback coming through your fingers, the stone and the knife. In like the sharpmaker sometime as there is zero thinking involved. And then other times I like to free hand.
 
So do you think i can maintain a very sharp edge right out of the gate using a sharp maker? What add-ons should i get?
 
I have owned/own the following: Lansky 3 stone sharpener system, Spyderco Sharpmaker, waterstones/benchstones, Worksharp, and Edge Pro Apex.

Lansky 3 stone: I never got a knife close to being sharp enough. Better than nothing but don't recommend

Spyderco Sharpmaker: I only had the rods that come with it (coarse and fine). This option is the easiest and is good at maintaining a sharp edge. I was never able to get my knives sharp enough for my liking though. Maybe the diamond and extra fine rods would have helped??

Waterstones/benchstones: Hard to keep consistent angles. Expensive. Couldn't get knife sharp enough for my liking. Takes a lot of practice.

Edge PRo Apex: Expensive BUT short learning curve. Can get a knife scary scary sharp (hair popping) Tons of options for stones. Takes a long time to sharpen a knife. Maybe 30-60 minutes for me.

Worksharp: Short-Medium learning curve. Can permanently damage your knives if you are not careful. Have to practive on cheap knives. Belts have to be replaced every so often. The positive thing is that you can sharpen knives very quickly. I can do a knife in about 5-10 minutes. It will be sharper than all the other sharpening methods (shave hair off arm and cut paper easily) with the exception of the Edge Pro.


So I recommend the Worksharp. If you can afford it, get the Ken onion one and practice, practice, practice. Before the worksharp, I was always reluctant to use my knives because of having to sharpen them. Now that I have the worksharp, I cut anything and everything because I know in 5-10 minutes, it will be shaving hair off my arm.
 
I don't have a sharpmaker to compare, but I get great hair popping edges with my Lansky Deluxe kit (that is standard ceramic). It took me only a few sharpening sessions (maybe 2 hours) to get highly proficient with it, I couldn't recommend it more highly for an unskilled sharpener who wants to get impressively sharp edges today. The only steels I have used it with are VG10, 1095, Aus8, 8Cr13 mov, 440A and a few unknown stainless kitchen knives - no problems with any.

If you go with the diamond Lansky kit (maybe better for s30v etc), I would suggest you also add the ceramic extra fine stone as that one is a great finishing stone that leaves a pretty polished edge that I doubt you will match with the diamond stones. Another essential addition is also either the 1) Lansky Super "C" Clamp OR the 2) Lansky Universal Mount. These will hold the blade clamp in place while you do your thing. I'd also pick up a decent strop to finish and bring back edges on your blades.

In order to get crazy awesome results with the Lansky system IME you will have to learn to detect burrs before switching sides and moving up in grits, which I think is an important step in improving with freehand. Of course the preset angle guides are a crutch that you will eventually have to let go of when you begin hand sharpening, but otherwise I think working with the Lansky system has helped me get a better idea what I am doing and what is going on whenever I try sharpen by hand now.

Final piece of advice - if you go Lansky - don't listen to the directions and do the bullshit 'X strokes per side' switching technique the first few times you sharpen a blade, instead - blast at one side until you work up a burr, then switch sides and work up a burr again, then move up in grits and repeat. Then once you are done with that all the way through your finest stone, now its time for the X strokes per side (only on that final stone) just to remove the final burr. Works like a charm that way.
 
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I have used Edgepro, paper wheels, Worksharp, belt grinder, water stones, and regular bench stones.

I like the belt grinder with difference grit belts better than the Worksharp. I also like water stones. For me, it is more fun to sharpen on a stone but for quick results I use a belt grinder. Take the time and learn to sharpen on stones.
 
For me, getting the angle right consistently is the most difficult part of the process. I would recommend something like the edge pro or wicked edge, systems where the knife is secured and the stones are held at fixed angles. Sharpening with these systems is fairly easy. I have used other stones and rods, but it takes a lot of practice to really get consistent edges from any purely manual sharpener. Would also suggest a leather strop if you are looking to put on a razor edge...nothing beats the strop.
 
For only $20, the Lansky 4-rod turnbox gives very good results. The downside is that you're limited to 20 and 25 degrees.
 
I use the Lansky with diamond and ceramic hones. I like using it. Like many things there is a learning curve but it is more to learn how you prefer to use it.
I use "x" amount of strokes per side...working a burr then switching.
Lansky may be difficult to use on some longer blades...
Search You Tube videos for the system. There are many of them.
Good luck and keep us informed.
 
Step 1. Give the WS to someone you don't like.

Step 2. Buy some good stones.

Step 3. Practice, practice, practice because if you don't know the basics of sharpening no system will help you.
 
Jason B. said:
Step 1. Give the WS to someone you don't like.

Step 2. Buy some good stones.

Step 3. Practice, practice, practice because if you don't know the basics of sharpening no system will help you.
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2nd!
I'd like to add that you can watch tons of videos and read etc. but you will have to find your own way, something that suits your anatomy so to speak and makes sense to you.
 
Jason B. said:
Step 1. Give the WS to someone you don't like.

Step 2. Buy some good stones.

Step 3. Practice, practice, practice because if you don't know the basics of sharpening no system will help you.
Click to expand...

awestib said:
2nd!
I'd like to add that you can watch tons of videos and read etc. but you will have to find your own way, something that suits your anatomy so to speak and makes sense to you.
Click to expand...


^ 3rd!
Start simple and build from there. Isn't rocket science, but you have to develop an understanding through doing.
 
HeavyHanded said:
^ 3rd!
Start simple and build from there. Isn't rocket science, but you have to develop an understanding through doing.
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I get that and agree that that is where I need to be eventually. I do not want to be using dull blades between now and then so I need something that can maintain my edges while I perfect my hand sharpening technique.
 
Jason B. said:
Step 2. Buy some good stones.

Step 3. Practice, practice, practice because if you don't know the basics of sharpening no system will help you.
Click to expand...

negative 1th...

Nothing against learning free hand practicing, but I think it's a bad idea to ONLY get freehand stones if you really want to get sharp blades in the near future. If you are anything like me, you will get into sharpening, practice for a few hours, then get frustrated that your results aren't what you want, then quit trying for a year before practicing again and the cycle will continue. For those of us who are naturally bad at holding consistent angles it takes LOTS of practice to get anything in the realm of shaving hair and pushcutting paper.

Getting a decent guided system will allow you to get awesome results fast, give you some pride in the blades you create, and keep you interested in sharpening long enough to actually practice your freehand more often trying to match your guided results. Lansky Deluxe kit is only like $25 on Amazon, money well spent for the edges it can produce and the excitement it will add when your knives all turn into scalpals.
 
Have to agree you do need to develop an understanding and get some experience, but I also understand being new to sharpening and how frustrating it can be not knowing how. Ot kinda depends on where you want to get to relative to your sharpening abilities...I mean if all you want to do is have sharp knives as quickly as possible, buying something recommended above will do it. But truth is any such tools will become a crutch to your really developing a knife sharpening skill set. If your goal is to learn the art of sharpening, then I have to agree with Jason B...buy some stones and find a crappy blade to practice on. I do think there are some good youtube videos that can help you start out. In particular, this guy does a good 3-part series on sharpening basics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28nuuXVoBSQ. This is very basic stuff and does not get into some of the finer points, but might be a good start.

Personally, I agree with this:

FlameCycle said:
negative 1th...

Getting a decent guided system will allow you to get awesome results fast, give you some pride in the blades you create, and keep you interested in sharpening long enough to actually practice your freehand more often trying to match your guided results. Lansky Deluxe kit is only like $25 on Amazon, money well spent for the edges it can produce and the excitement it will add when your knives all turn into scalpals.
Click to expand...
 
Your never going to perfect hand sharpening in a week, month, or maybe even in this lifetime. It's a constant learning experience that always changes and presents new challenges. Your not going to have dull knives between, you might even find them to be sharper.

Freehand is not hard, it's the idea that you NEED a system that's complicating your decision.
 
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