best sharpening set-up?

S

soopy

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Jan 28, 2002
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:confused: I would like to get some opinions from allyall about the best way you know to put a jedi knight class edge on a blade. What gadgets,gizmos,or other getups do you have on your bench? Anything from K-mart to Kovals. I am a new maker and hav not bought a sharpener yet. I have an old smith stone from my ARMY/INFATRY(FOLLOW ME!) days,but there seems to be a lot of stuff out there nowdays. Please help me spend some more of my allowance!! By the way,my first knife is going to be a 81/2" long wharncliff letter opener with a 1095 blade and cocobolo scales. It is on papper now but will be torn from the steel this weekend:D :D Hope you take the time to advise me !!
 
See my website www.ameritech.net/users/knives/index.htm when you have
time. The condensed version:

For under $25:
A good stone and time to develop sharpening skills.

For $50 or under:
Spyderco SharpMaker - quick and easy, but bevels are not pretty
Lansky/GATCO/DMT rod-guided system - not as fast, but nice clean bevels
- for the craftsman.

For around $100
Chef'sChoice 320 ($90) - electric machine, sharpens and strops to a
shaving edge.

Chef'sChoice 120 ($120) - adds a coarse stage, needed for really dull
knives and/or thick blades

EdgePro Apex ($125) - the perfectionist's rod-guided system. The pro
model adds scissors.

For around $500:
Tormek - power wet grinder with fixtures available for everything
including woodworking tools.

Steve
Steve's Knife Sharpening Site
www.ameritech.net/users/knives/index.htm
 
Originally posted by stevebot


For $50 or under:
Spyderco SharpMaker - quick and easy, but bevels are not pretty
Lansky/GATCO/DMT rod-guided system - not as fast, but nice clean bevels
- for the craftsman.
Click to expand...

Ooooh... see now, that's where I'm going to have to go ahead and sort of "disagree" with you there. ;)

I think you've got those two transposed. The Sharpmaker would be a MUCH better option in this case. Not sure what you mean by "bevels aren't pretty" as in my experience the Sharpmaker is plenty capable of doing a "pretty" job. Our man soopy here says he's going to bust loose with an 8.5" letter opener. That kind of length on the above mentioned clamp/rod rigs isn't going to be, well, pretty. The clamp rigs don't handle the longer blades so well as the angle tends to change as you pull the rod further and further out.

The rigs seem to work fine on ~3" blades, but even then I still prefer the Sharpmaker. I used a Lansky for a good long time before I got the Sharpmaker, and have never gone back. The only thing the 204 used to be significantly down on was it's ability to back bevel and reshape, but now that Spyderco has released diamond rods for it, I don't see that being much of an issue anymore. (yeah, I realize the diamond rods aren't cheap)

I'm not saying the Sharpmaker is the be all end all; and with all due respect to your sharpening site, but for the price, the 204 is the only way to go. Especially for a relative newbie.

BTW, welcome aboard soopy!

Firebat
 
I've heard many good things about most of the popular systems and like the few that I've tried. I ended up with the Edge Pro Apex System and haven't looked back. I now sharpen friends knives on a regular basis (usually using my old stones saving the new ones for me) and hit mine once in a while. Once mastered, and it's pretty easy to get up to speed, you will have an edge that may be without equal. Strictly personal opinion as most on this forum know more than me, but I can't imagine a better edge than what I get from the Edge Pro Systems. And there's an easy solution to every "problem" and Ben at Edge Pro has them all and is more than glad to discuss them with you in detail.
 
If you decide on a Sharpmaker, get yourself a coarse DMT diamond stone to thin bevels or just use your belt sander (I use a worn 400 grit belt for machetes and large fixed blades). I have a Sharpmaker and use it mainly for touch-ups or sharpening fully flat ground blades with thin edges. It is capable of quick, truly razor sharp edges if things are right.

I have a Lansky that gets the most use of all. I eplaced the worn standard stones with DMT diamond stones. It now kicks ass on the most stubborn folder blades; 420V, 440V, D2, etc. A couple passes with the coarse stone, a couple with the fine, a few with the extra fine. Then finish up with the DMT extra fine and Lansky extra fine ceramic at the next higher angle (ex. if you set the bevels at 20 degrees, use the 25 degree setting for the final edge) and then strop. Pisses me off when you go to shave hair and lightly touch the skin and then bleed :cool:
 
I have a question on the Edgepro Apex. Does it have any kind of clamps to hold the blade in place or do you have to hold it in place with your hand, or maybe a combination of both. I was looking into buying one of these but if it doesn't have anything to help you hold the blade in place I don't think I am going to get one. Thanks.
 
Your fingers are the clamp. You tape up the blade with blue painter's tape so as to protect the blade from scratches. Then you lay it down on the largest plane of flat surface. There are recommended angles, but since each knife is different and the angle of the plane affects the angle of the stones in relation to the edge it's best (I think) to draw some black magic marker on the edge and then find the angle that perfectly files off the marker.
Now you're ready to go. Just clamp with your fingers and grind. Most knives can be held in one position without moving the knife at all for the entire length of the edge. The only potential problem is a knife with a several small flat planes. You just have to remain comfortable while clamping with your fingers and not grind too hard so as to not move the knife while sharpening. Really no biggie and most knives have plenty of surface to lay down securely on.
And once done you then move onto the finishing tape which creates the mirror finish and further enhances the sharpness to the greatest detail. I usually sharpen later at night after the tots are asleep and my wife is winding down. She hasen't yet seen me perform my sharpening tasks, but I imagine that she'll be very frightened if she ever catches me in the act. It's like a scene out of a movie of a disturbed combat vet or something (which I am, by the way).
 
Firebat :

[Sharpmaker]

... "bevels aren't pretty" [?]
Click to expand...

Sharpmaker bevels will show the variance induced by hand judging the same stroke every time. A clamp system gives the optimal bevels because they are consistent from pass to pass. You can of course approach the same quality of finish with a Sharpmaker, or even freehand, it just requires *much* more skill.

-Cliff
 
Don't know what it is with you! Always sharpening, sharpening.
Just don't use them, then they stay sharp!:D :D :D
Only kidding, I have a friend, a butcher, he own's a rod but one off the very best kind.
After 10 or 20 stroke's my knife is again razorsharp!
Only thing to do, don't let your knife become to dull.
It doesn't take almost any material, but just smooth your edge.
If you like to know more about sharpening, go to http://www.mijneigenfavorieten.nl/knivelinks/index.shtml?s=Knivelinksallsortsof and scroll down to Sharpening.
You'll find more than 35 links about this HOT ITEM.
Keep them working, keep them sharp!!
 
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