Do I need a guided sharpening system?

[googlebutt]

I'm just about finishing up my first knife, and the sharpening aspect is the one thing I haven't covered yet.

I'm now on a pretty tight budget, so I'm not really sure which direction to go in. I do have a variable speed 2x42, bubble jig, but it isn't water cooled. I understand that sharpening on a grinder has a pretty steep learning curve. Going straight to the grinder is going to be my cheapest route, but I'm worried about screwing up my knife.

Second option is the Lanksy, which I understand isn't the best, and I don't just want to throw money at something that I'll hate.

Distant third is the KME system, which is what I really want considering I'm only planning on doing FFG knives (beats the lansky out there I think), but I simply can't afford at the moment.

Any thoughts for a noob?

 

[joedhiggins]

Grinder is easy. Use the slack belt and high grit. Light pressure with the edge trailing. multiple quic, even passes. Maybe 1-2 seconds per side. dip the blade between passes.

Otherwise, buy a good king 1k, 6k. I rarely end my sharpening on the grinder. FOr kitchen knives, I do the whole thing by hand. Takes maybe 5 min from a 3-5 thou edge. On a knife with beefier geometry, I will take it to a burr on something like a 220 belt and then hand sharpen from there. I occasionally will go all belt for a knife. Generally I get a burr to 400-600 grit and then strop on a slow speed buffing wheel. I generally do this for personal or utility knives, not ones I intend to give away.

Learning to use a water stone is easy and you can get a very sharp edge with only the 1k/6k and a final strop on a bit of newsprint.

 

[googlebutt]

Thanks for the reply, I'll go for it and give it a shot on my grinder. My current belt selection looks like this: 60 CASG Ceramic, 120 CASG Ceramic, A160CF, A300, A120, A65, and A45 Trizacts. Are there any sharpening specific belts you recommend that I pick up in addition to those stones?

 

[joedhiggins]

Aluminum oxide belts for sharpening. Don't use trizact, it will tear up the belt and give inconsistent results. You will do a fair bit of the sharpening on the edges of the belt. I like the superflex AOs. you will need some way to strop as well. Newsprint on a stone works well.

As an alternative to stones, you could try PSA sandpaper with a granite or float glass backer. Also works well, but it is pricier in the long run than a king or similar stone, and you will need to find PSA paper in the 2k range to get the same results. I use this method, but for chisels and plane blades. I find it unnecessary for most knives.

 

[googlebutt]

What grits do you think I should pick up? Also, do you recommend I stick with 2" wide belts for sharpening? If I'm reading correctly, some prefer 1". Thanks again.

 

[joedhiggins]

I use 2" belts for sharpening. I have belts up to 800. I generally use 400-600 if I am not going to finish with a stone. My AOs range from 40 Grit up. AOs are great for handle shaping and finishing, so I have a full grit range.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I sharpen on the slack belt with a 400 grit yellow AO belt. (Klingspor 312J, IIRC)

For anyone new to sharpening and belt grinders, the slack belt isn't really slack. It is the term for a belt under normal tension, but not where it is on a wheel or platen. You can back the platen away from the belt, or use the top part of the belt right behind the contact wheel. Always be cautious when using the top of the belt that you don't catch the tip on the belt. Sharpening should be done on a slow belt, as full speed will create too much heat an can ruin the edge.

A leather final strop is required to get that crazy sharp edge people love. Glue a 12" strip of 12" wide leather on a board (flesh side up) and charge it with your favorite stropping compound - red rouge, yellow rouge, white rouge, green chrome, 8000 grit diamond paste, Some folks charge the strop with Flitz metal polish.

 

[Fred.Rowe]

Even though you don't have a wet belt machine; using the Bubble Jig to "set" the original edge angle on the platen will produce an edge that can be easily finished on a stone or diamond plate. Quench after each pass across the belt. Using a known angle to set the edge makes sharpening the blade, later in it's life, far easier and it removes the guess work.

Enjoy the process, Fred

 

[E.Carlson]

I like guided systems and the Lansky will work fine with a little tweaking. I would get the basic stone set and also pick up the extra coarse diamond stone and the leather strip "stone". Also pad the clamp jaws with tape or foam shelf liner to protect the blade.
I use a hapstone now, but still break out the lansky for small blades. Simple, accurate and repeatable.

 

[googlebutt]

Even though you don't have a wet belt machine; using the Bubble Jig to "set" the original edge angle on the platen will produce an edge that can be easily finished on a stone or diamond plate. Quench after each pass across the belt. Using a known angle to set the edge makes sharpening the blade, later in it's life, far easier and it removes the guess work.

Enjoy the process, Fred

Hey Fred, first of all, your jig is very helpful!

Would you recommend that I sharpen from start to finish using the bubble jig and platen, rather than the slack belt/wet stone method?

Something in the back of my head is telling me to pick up a few belts and the lansky just in case

 

[Natlek]

You can build guided sharpening system for less then 10 $ and then you need only three different grit size /200-400-800 / DMT diamond stone and piece of leather to sharpen any known and unknown steel ............

 

[kuraki]

I've tried a lot of various methods for sharpening. Paper wheels, on the grinder, freehand, guided. Pretty much the only thing I haven't tried is guided and powered like a Tormek. They all work. I keep coming back to using my guided jig for the majority of knives I make. It's consistent, reliable, repeatable, and I can tell the buyer it was sharped at X degrees since so many have guided systems themselves.

Something like a kitchen knife I'll still do freehand on a 2x8" stone because I likely ground the bevel to 0 before sharpening and the length of the blade just makes it easier to do freehand. Something like a big chopper I still do at my grinder because it's faster and maybe convex. Everything in between I like my guided jig.

AFAIC - diamonds are a man's best friend

 

[Fred.Rowe]

Hey Fred, first of all, your jig is very helpful!

Would you recommend that I sharpen from start to finish using the bubble jig and platen, rather than the slack belt/wet stone method?

Something in the back of my head is telling me to pick up a few belts and the lansky just in case

We each have our own
approach, I like to finish on a diamond plate of 400/1000 grit. I take the belt finish to 400 on cork belts before I switch to the diamond. You can use the wedges that come with the Bubble Jig to assist with the sharpening angle on the diamond plate. I'm with Kuraki in that, I like to supply the new owner with a wedge with a matching sharpening angle.

 

[skillgannon]

I think a file mig could be modified to run diamond plates really easily. I use the belt and freehand. I used to be into guided sharpening but have moved away from it. I don't make a lot of knives and I run the edges very thin so it lends itself to freehand grinding. Thicker edges do look better with a crisp guided edge and I think they cut better as well since freehand is basically convexed. Or you can say that convexed cuts better because you can make it thinner....

 

[googlebutt]

After consuming all of the different methods suggested, this is what I'm going to try first:

1. Order for a couple of J-flex 400 grit belts and a King 1000/6000 combo stone
2. Grind to a 0 edge using the bubble jig against my platen, to set a known angle.
3. Use the bubble jig to help me on the diamond stone.
4. I have some leather scraps laying around, so I'll create my own strop and finish it off there.

In theory at least

If that fails, I'll likely try the slack belt method and then I'll bite the bullet and try a guided system if I totally fail.

 

[jll346]

I set my edge with a grinder but finish it on a sharpening system. I currently do all my sharpening on a TSPROF and then a gentle swipe on a sharpmaker

 

[Hengelo_77]

I prefer diamond "stones" over real stones.
I made some wooden triangles at 20 degrees and 15 degrees that I use to set the angle when using diafolds free hand.
I clamp the knife down and move the diafold like a file

 

[Hengelo_77]

double

 

[rodriguez7]

I use the 1 inch belts from klingspor, I like to blend my edges into a nice convex, then I finish on a spyderco sharpmaker with a 20 degree micro bevel. Seems to work good so far. Pops hair right off my arm when I’m done. Sometimes I’ll finish with a strop.

 

[skillgannon]

I am a bag advocate of those spyderco stones. I liked my sharp maker so much that I bought the benchstones