cheap knife sharpener that isn't a pull-through?(razor edge) around $25 or cheaper

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levga2627

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Jun 18, 2013
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i can'r find a cheap but epic razor sharp knife sharpening system anywhere. i can't spend enough money for a spyderco sharpmaker, or a edgepro apex, im already spending a ton of money on knives. accusharp 001 or a smith's pp1 pocket pal ain't gonna cut it. please send a link to the items if you can. i heard regular cheap stones and strops get a razors edge but I CAN'T FIND THE RIGHT ONES!!!!!also, i would PERFER (don't need to) one that doesn't use oil, i don't wanna pay often for a new bottle, it will eventually add up
 
I sharpmaker can be bought for $50, just save a little longer and buy something that works and will last. They are also easy to use and care for.
 
carborundum stone from hardware store, has 2 sides, can't miss it. Get a bottle of oil, it will last forever, doesn't take much, and you are still probably at or under 10 dollars.
 
Wet/dry on glass can give a pretty damn good razor edge.

But most important, technique is king. Not the tools.
 
Rat Finkenstein said:
carborundum stone from hardware store, has 2 sides, can't miss it. Get a bottle of oil, it will last forever, doesn't take much, and you are still probably at or under 10 dollars.
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This is pretty much what I was going to suggest. Sounds like you need to develop a freehand technique so you can use inexpensive stones and still get good results. Getting a great edge off of a stone free hand is mostly a matter of technique. That gets better with study and practice.
 
There's the Lansky turnbox. Two grits of ceramic rods. Can be had for around $20
 
Rat Finkenstein said:
carborundum stone from hardware store, has 2 sides, can't miss it. Get a bottle of oil, it will last forever, doesn't take much, and you are still probably at or under 10 dollars.
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That's how I started, if you're just getting started collecting knives and you say ya can't afford too much for a sharpening system, I can almost guarantee that you aren't buying knives with any high end after steels so a carborundum stone will suit your needs.

singularity35 said:
Wet/dry on glass can give a pretty damn good razor edge.

But most important, technique is king. Not the tools.
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This is great advice and considering the knives you're probably buying they'll give you plenty of opportunity to practice your sharpening skills at a reasonable cost and developed all the technique you'll need.

Last piece of advice, when buying stones for free hand sharpening, buy the biggest, best quality stones you can afford, this is always gonna be a balancing act between cost and size but that is more a personal choice. If I had to favor one over the other if go with quality over size but there is a compromise, it's just determined by the average steel your knives have and your experience.

Buy a good 6X-8X loupe and study the type of sharp edge you want to attain, learn what a sharp edge looks like so you can compare results and practice, practice, practice. The only way to get proficient is practice, sharpen everyone's knife you know, maintaining angle should become second nature.

By the time you go through all of that, as your skill improves, the quality of the steel used in the knives your collecting goes up, you'll probably realize that there is a no more efficient, more economical sharpening system than person practiced in the art of free hand sharpening.
 
The Smith's DCS4 FINE/COARSE Diamond Combo Sharpener will put a working edge back on a blade with no oil needed (practice will be though). It can be easily thrown in a pack for use in the field too. About $15.

-sh00ter
 
singularity35 said:
Wet/dry on glass can give a pretty damn good razor edge.

But most important, technique is king. Not the tools.
Click to expand...
+1. i used wetordry sandpaper on glass for about 8 years until a buddy sold me an ez sharp for his cost which was $10. back in 82. a ceramic rod works good to fine tune the edge which is what i used to do. make sure to get one that is pure white and not off white.
 
levga2627 said:
im already spending a ton of money on knives.
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Not to be a smart a$%@, but it seems to me that you are buying more car than you afford to buy gas for!:confused: Part of the responsibility of knife ownership if you are going to use the knives you buy, is to keep them sharp, or have a real good buddy to do it for you. If you can not afford to buy a small container of oil to use on a stone, that you can't afford either, then help me out here. Am I missing something? All the above suggestions are great, but useless if you can't afford any of the minimum basics.

My suggestion is to use the bottom of a ceramic mug that you may already have, or a ceramic plate with the unglazed edge exposed to sharpen your knives. No cost, no oil to have to replace, no razor sharp edges that will cut standing hair, or mirror finish on your knives. All these things are part of owning knives, and should be a part of the expense of your collection. Again, not trying to flame you, but just trying to introduce you to the realities of knife ownership. I understand budgets and limited funds, as most of us ride that train all the time. But you can't ride the train if you can not afford the ticket.

Blessings,

Omar
 
Norton 8" coarse/fine India bench stone. Mine was $25 even. Still kicking myself for getting rid of it.
 
Another consideration is a Smith's 3-in-1. You can find them for about $16 shipped on Amazon. They retail for only $20.
 
  • Silicon carbide stone (also referred to as 'carborundum', as previously suggested). Can get Norton's 6" 'Economy' version at Home Depot, or Ace Hardware also has what appears to be an identical stone. Each is about ~$6 or so. These are very fast-working (Coarse/Fine; double-sided) and are great for establishing new bevels on most any blade.
  • Some wet/dry sandpaper, in grits from 220 thru 2000. Roughly ~$1 per 9" x 11" sheet (often sold in pkgs. of 5 sheets). The medium-to-higher grits, especially, are great for fine-tuning edges in a 'stropping' fashion. Works very much like a SiC stone, when stuck or fixed in place over glass.
  • A couple or three pieces of scrap veg-tan leather. None of this needs to be expensive, ranging from a 'free' old belt, to 'dirt cheap' from scrap bins at a Tandy outlet or hobby/craft store. I regularly use two pieces that were included in a 3 lb. bag of 'scraps' from a popular hobby/craft outlet, at ~$6 for the 3 lb. bag. Also using two of my own leather belts.
  • Two or three types of stick or 'crayon' buffing/polishing compound (black, white, green); maybe $5-$7 per stick, and they'll last a very long time (years). Can be found online or at most hardware stores.

The latter three of the above-listed materials are what I've been using for probably 95% of my knife maintenance. I don't have to re-bevel that often, and that job gets roughly equally split between the SiC stone and/or diamond hones (for the most wear-resistant steels, usually; otherwise the diamond isn't mandatory).


David
 
levga2627 said:
i can'r find a cheap but epic razor sharp knife sharpening system anywhere. i can't spend enough money for a spyderco sharpmaker, or a edgepro apex, im already spending a ton of money on knives. accusharp 001 or a smith's pp1 pocket pal ain't gonna cut it. please send a link to the items if you can. i heard regular cheap stones and strops get a razors edge but I CAN'T FIND THE RIGHT ONES!!!!!also, i would PERFER (don't need to) one that doesn't use oil, i don't wanna pay often for a new bottle, it will eventually add up
Click to expand...

what is wrong with a pull though sharpener?? I made my own and love it. I am just asking because I would like to know please.
 
richard, if its a carbide pull through sharpener, it leaves a rough ugly jagged edge and removes way too much metal. the ceramic type are not that bad. i loaned my uncle henry steel head fillet knife to my bro in law and he used a pull through sharpener on it. that was the last time i let him use any of my knives without me being there to supervise him. he took several years of life out of the knife just using it for a few days butchering a deer and using the pull through carbide scraper.
 
richard j said:
richard, if its a carbide pull through sharpener, it leaves a rough ugly jagged edge and removes way too much metal. the ceramic type are not that bad. i loaned my uncle henry steel head fillet knife to my bro in law and he used a pull through sharpener on it. that was the last time i let him use any of my knives without me being there to supervise him. he took several years of life out of the knife just using it for a few days butchering a deer and using the pull through carbide scraper.
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thank you for answering my question. here is a picture of the knife sharpener that I made my self. yes the rods are ceramic. I Believe white ones are fine.
 

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