Do you have a flavor of the month sharpening system?

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droptrd

Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
141
Are you like me? I will go for a month or 2 or 3 with one system and get great results and be ....happy. But then I will get bored and move over to another system I own (I have many) and proceed forward for a month or 2 or 3 and get great results and be...happy. For months Ive been in zen with my free hand sharpening. I even added a 3rd ark (black) to my collection. My freehand skills are the best they've have been. But then I got bored and started running my work folder (delica) on my paper wheels. Now I cant stop running knives over my paper wheels. Whats bad is that I know in a few months Ill be saying the same thing about my belt sander or my wicked edge or sharpmaker etc. Am I nutz? Or are there more peeps like me?
 
Sorry to say but,,yes you are nuts. LOL Now send the Wicked Edge to me. Just think of it as therapy...
 
In the last 5 years I've probably spent 5x to 8x the money on sharpening systems and supplies than on knives. Sharpening is one of my hobbies and I pursue it. I don't go wildly from system to system, but I have explored a number of different types. I have yet to buy a high precision guided system like the EdgePro or Wicked Edge... but I kinda want them. At some point maybe.

I'll always have more to learn in this hobby. It's interesting stuff! :)
Brian.
 
I guess I got lucky. I started with the Lansky deluxe set years ago but I was only mediocre using it. Then, last year, I went to the Apex Pro but could never get comfortable with it even though it produced great edges. I followed a hunch that the WE was the answer, and man was I ever right on that. It is all I will ever want or need. I have total confidence that I can put any blade on the WE and get a wicked sharp blade. I'm pretty sure, its the last system I'll ever need.
 
I confess that I do jump around, too. I also get bored and like the challenge of seeing if I can get "just as good results using x-system" and try that. I like to experiment with different abrasives with different systems, too.

If you're crazy and seek help, make an appointment for me too!
 
I started out with a smiths 6 inch diamond fine stone, then I found Bladeforums and got a spyderco sharpmaker for several weeks then moved into a Gatco tri-hone arkansas where I am today and I can now produce near mirror edges. Thinking of getting into CBN for full mirror edge, since I work primarily with 1095 steel.
 
Nope...I've been using the Lansky hones for a couple of years and have no desire to use another system or freehand stones.
I'd rather spend the money on a knife.
 
I have a large selection of japanese waterstones, I use different stones for different steels so almost everyday is a new flavor.

Currently, I am using some new Kohetsu waterstones.
 
Nope, I use the same 8000 grit for all my knives. I have many others, but I love the 8000 that I use.

If I use a different stone, my knife will cut different and I'll wish I had uses the 8000
 
My habits tend to be cyclical, or perhaps better described as 'all over the place'. I've never gotten rid of any of the sharpening gear I've collected over ~20+ years, and I've started to enjoy digging out some of the old stuff that, at one time, didn't seem to work for me at all, but now works much better. ;) I've noticed that all the experimenting over the years has 'taught' my hands to sharpen, and it has magically improved results across the board. This is why I've more recently developed a deliberate habit of periodically turning around and re-trying stones that I'd lost interest in, some time back, as results are usually better the 2nd/3rd/4th time around. I've also gotten much better at recognizing which stone or tool or method 'is perfect for what this blade needs, right now'. So, still having all of the old gear makes it very easy to find a (nearly) perfect fix for whatever project is at hand. Diamond hones, SiC stones, Arkansas stones, sandpaper, rod-type sharpeners & steels; I've found good use for all of them at one time or another, most recently discovering a near-perfect application of some wet/dry paper over granite (surfacing plate), in touching up the bevels & edge on a Scandi blade I bought recently, and using a kitchen steel to re-align the edge on the tip of a paring knife frequently used for cutting fruit against a ceramic tile countertop (not by me, but in the hands of a family member; ouch). And when that tip gets too damaged for the steel to fix it, a Fine diamond or SiC pocket stone re-grinds it in just a handful of passes.

I don't rely much on guided setups anymore (Lansky, Gatco, etc), though the Lansky was responsible for the biggest leap in my knowledge of sharpening, in teaching me proper use of pressure, and watching for/creating the burr, etc. I do keep my DMT Aligner clamp on standby though, as it's sometimes very useful in big re-bevelling jobs on heavier blades, using a bench stone, when the priority is to make an 'as new' set of crisp bevels on a blade. Beyond that, I don't use it at all, instead opting to free-hand everything else.


David
 
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I have and experiment with a lot of stones and methods, including somewhat unorthodox means. Lately I am really enjoying the qualities of some jointer stones I've picked up over the years to make a complete set. I find them to function very similar to waterstones but use oil.

I don't use guided systems but do tinker with powered ones that compliment freehand technique. Generally I finish on a Washboard, no matter how I get to that step. My next foray will likely be into some higher end waterstones, probably Shapton Pros or similar, but am mighty satisfied with my current regimen.

In the meantime, I spend a bit of time toying with the mechanics of how I sharpen, always looking to reduce slop or inconsistencies and increase speed without sacrificing quality.

Martin
 
I'm waiting on a full progression set of Shapton Glass Stones for my EPA from CKTG, we'll see how they preform.
 
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