dare I sharpen my own blade?

O

Ors

Joined
Sep 16, 2000
Messages
68
So I've just made my first folder purchase, and see the company's tips for sharpening. 25 or 30 degree angle on the stone I believe. My question is, since I have no experience with sharpening knives, can I sharpen it incorrectly and damage the chisel ground blade? Since it is a tanto, do I sharpen the point in the same manner?
So many things to learn...help!
 
Learning to sharpen your own blades is a great idea. First of all, it teaches you a lot about what makes a blade sharp, and how to maintain the kind of working edge you personally will find you need. Second, once you do get it down pretty well, you'll realize how much more convenient it is to be able to touch them up when they need it, rather than take them somewhere for someone else to mess up!?

Your best bet would be to go to the Knowledge Base and check out the BladeForums.com Knife FAQs at http://www.bladeforums.com/features/faqs.shtml. Specifically, you would want to read FAQ: Knife Sharpening by Joe Talmadge, but if you are new to all this, read the others also to get yourself an orientation.

I did a Search on “sharpening” and got 200 threads, which is overwhelming, but you might want to browse through that, too, sometime later. This is a topic where all of us are always learning.

Meanwhile, I hope a few of the real experts will chip in with tips on how to sharpen that tanto!
 
Make sure you practice on a POS knife like an old pocket knife, a cheap knife from your local hardware store, or even an old kitchen blade.

Another overlooked thing is having the proper sharpening stone. Don't get a cheap one, and make sure you know if you have to use it wet with water, or mineral oil.

P.S. Don't sharpen your knife unneccessarily. Sometimes the microscopic teeth just need to be realigned on a steel.
 
If you have No experiance with sharpening, I would strongly suggest getting a device like the Spyderco Sharpmaker. It will maintain the sharpening angle for you.

Do read the sharpening FAQs and search the general forum and archives for Sharpening. Lots of great information here.

Paracelsus
 
It isn't that hard. On your chisel ground knife, sharpen at 30-degrees. I wouldn't grind in circular motions like many people suggest. I just pretend to cut into the stone, keeping the edge at 30-degrees. Go until you feel the edge raise on the opposite side with the wire edge (burr). Repeat for the tip portion. After you raised the wire edge, strop it off. To make a strop, go get a piece of flat leather, then put some rouge or other polishing compounds on the leather. Pull the flat side at a slightly raised angle to remove the wire edge. Then flip it over and polish the ground side's edge.

sharpen.jpg


Here is a picture I made. Hope it helps!

[This message has been edited by Comrade Chang (edited 09-18-2000).]
 
Comrade Chang - you are unbelievable. What a clear and concise explanantion. And great diagrams. Good job!

Dean
 
RDaneel, thanks.
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BTW, Ors, I also suggest that you read the Joe Talmadge FAQ. You have to learn the basics of sharpening. It will make it a lot easier. I struggled for a long time before I figured out how to sharpen a knife properly. That FAQ will reduce the time it takes to learn by a great deal. I wish I had read it sooner.
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It's best to learn how to do decent freehand sharpening so you can learn what to feel for (burr on the edge, proper angle, etc.) before you move on to rigs.
 
Ors, learning how to sharpen knives yourself takes very little time to understand, and just a bit more time to practice. After reading many posts on the forums here, I bought a Spyderco Sharpmaker, and was able to put shaving sharp edges on all my knives within a few days (after sharpening about 6 different knives). It was so easy, I can't imagine that I ever shied away from the task!

The other thing is that you no longer have to ask how sharp a knife is from the manufacturer. If it's not what you want, change it. It's amazing how many forumites here begin their description of a new knife by saying how sharp it is out of the box. That's about as relevant to knife quality as asking how much gasoline was that new car you bought. Now, if the manufacturer screws up the grind, that's bit more serious, but only requires that much more elbow grease on the coarse stone.

It's like learning the right knot for tying shoes. Once you take the time, you'll be amazed at why you never learned it, and your laces will NEVER come undone again. (The last time I had my laces come undone by themselves was over two years ago). Some skills are just simply worth the time.
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I started with a Lansky system and now I primarily use the Sharpmaker. The Sharpmaker comes with a video and a very detailed instruction guide, very easy to learn. I highly recommend it.
Good luck,
Jeff
 
Though I usually prefer freehand sharpening, I got a Tri-Angle Sharpmaker, also. Takes the fun out of it (if you get into that sort of thing), but does a fine job on my folders. I even got out all the old ones that I don't use anymore and sharpened them with it. Puts a good edge on in no time. Great for touching up your knives when you're in a hurry, too.
About $50, btw.
Great illustration, Comrade Chang.
 
By all means, sharpen. I have found a high correlation (+.74) between stupid people and dull knives (overcooked pasta was also a highly correlated third variable (+.68))
Chang,
Fantastic post, very concise w/ great diagram. Thank You.
chad

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"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
George Orwell
"Those who hold the thin blue line keep order, and insure that anarchy and chaos will not prevail." Chad (1992)
"He who lives by the sword dies by the sword. He who dies by the sword did not train hard enough" -Chad (1999)
chad234@email.com
 
Originally posted by chad234:
By all means, sharpen. I have found a high correlation (+.74) between stupid people and dull knives (overcooked pasta was also a highly correlated third variable (+.68))
Click to expand...

Chad,

LMAO!!!

DRC
 
Remember if you use the Sharpmaker... that device doesn't have angles for the chisel ground tanto, so you will have to increase the angle slightly from the 20-degree (40-overall) angle. Stop your stroke before going to the tip area, and sharpen the tip edge, but be careful about the point. Do not let the point scrape against the side of the stone, it will round it out. Go slowly and carefully when doing the very tip.

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Chang the Asian Janitorial Apparatus
 
humm... what happened to the sharpening faq link?... Is it in process of moving or completely deleted?
 
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