Does anyone still use sharpening stones ?

J

Jason Cutter

Joined
Oct 9, 2002
Messages
1,419
I was wondering how many of you knife knuts still rely on the good ole abrasive stone to sharpen your knives. I was touching up a kitchen knife on a old silicon carbide stone when I realised how little I use those any more. Usually, I have an EZELAP diamond hone or some sort of ceramic rod (and of course, my grinder with slack belt) to do the final edge.

These days with the super steels (CPM's, other high wear resistant alloys) becoming more prevalent, diamond hones and ceramic rods, jigs, and other high-tech toys and tools seem the rage. What do you think. Thanks in advance. Jason.
 
I still use my supermarket-bought $5 caborundum stone to sharpen my kitchen knives but not my folders or the Karnali :D . I lightly strop the edges (2-3 light strokes each side) on a loaded leather strop after sharpening - I like my kitchen edges to have a lot of "bite". They don't shave tho'.

Diamond hones are too expensive for me at the moment, as are waterstones. I would like to try waterstones sometime.
 
Sharpening stones are a must in any knutz toolbox, but stones can range in price from a couple bucks, to $100+.

Freehand sharpening is a skill all knife knutz should learn.
 
Originally posted by Grateful
Stones are all that I use.
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me too...

i'm planning on getting an edgepro for reprofiling jobs, but for finishing, i'm currently using translucent arkansas. i couldn't imagine using anything else for finishing. if you've used translucent arkansas you'd know what i mean.. then again, i've never used a belt to sharpen, & i know some folks use belts exclusively.
 
Unless I'm reprofiling, stones/hones are the only thing I use. I have been playing with a belt grinder, but am no good sharpening with it yet.
 
Water, Arkansas and (occasionally) my Spyderco ceramic bench stone. Never had much use for the sharpmakers and the like, I'm sure they work well, but my Dad grilled the freehand method into me from an early age, so I prefer to just keep doing what I'm doing. I do have a hunter in D-2 that I notice it takes the stones a while to do much to, so I may look into diamond at some point.

Definitely a skill worth mastering. :)
 
I've never been able to use a stone to any good effect, so I stay with my Crock Sticks. They sharpen everything from my little pocket knives up to my big bowies and survival knives.
 
I like my fine Norton stone for my 1095 and Becker blades. I really like the kind of edge it puts on. I use a diamond stone for the harder stuff like D2 and sv30.
 
Bloody Oath! I find the good old bear combination stone, already oil soaked, the most economical (I bought an 8" combination from Bunnings for around $20). The amount of sharpening I do seems to wear out diamond hones and for the cost they are not worth it plus I like the feel of the stone and the sound it makes - must be something primitive about it. I also use the Razor Edge stones for the really fine work - I reckon they are the best I have used but a bit more expensive.
 
Originally posted by JDBLADE
The amount of sharpening I do seems to wear out diamond hones and for the cost they are not worth it plus I like the feel of the stone and the sound it makes - must be something primitive about it.
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JD, couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks for all the replies. Reassuring to see so many still have faith in good "old" tech.

One of the reasons I still use those combination synthetic stones is that they are so cheap and they actually do stock remove quickly with little "concern" about wearing things out (at $2 per small stone, who cares...) Also, as mentioned already, the coarseness of the edges are GREAT for kitchen knives.

The more traditional "men's business" of a father teaching his son how to sharpen a pocketknife is slowly dying out. :( I'm not whining about the changing times, its just that not all older values are disposable ... ;)
 
Arkansas stone, a little spit and a keen eye!

I have a pair of DMT sticks but stopped using them in favor of the edge I get from a wet stone.

Collecter
 
How much sharpening do you guys do that you wear out a diamond hone? I have a DMT conical sharpener that I have been using for 4 years, and it still works just as good as the day I bought it. Are you cleaning them periodically?
 
For reprofiling or sharpening a very dull knife I usually start with my belt sander. When I visit friends and sharpen this type of knife I have been starting with a large coarse DMT bench hone. If you apply extra heavy pressure to diamond hones you strip the diamonds off faster. I just bought myself a 120 grit water stone for this heavy work. I like to jump from there to a fine diamond hone to smooth the edge finish and then go to my Sharpmaker. For very special jobs I have a couple straight razor bench hones and some extra fine water stones that I finish with.

I keep my Norton combination hone for special occasions. I find that some of the carbon steels take a nice edge when finished on an India stone. I keep 4 different stones in my desk drawer at work for touchup.

The only hones that I have abandoned (well moved out to the garage) are my arkansas stones. They cut sooo slow that they just don't seem to offer value anymore.
 
:eek: You're supposed to CLEAN those diamond stones? :D

All I use currently, is diamond stones. Occasionally, I will finish with a black hard Arkansas stone though. I just rarely see the need to sharpen any finer than a red(fine) DMT diamond stone.
 
Depending on how dull it is there is aprogression I use:
Belt grinder
Diamond hone
Surgical Black Arkansas
Translucent Arkansas
Leather Strop

If I use the grinder, I will skip the diamond hone.

The Arkansas stones are indestructable in use. I have been using the translucent stone regularly since 1982 (or 1983, I don't remember for sure)and there are no signs of wear.

The surgical Black stones are about the same price as diamond hones of similar size, while the translucent stones are about twice as much. Ihave had good service and products from Hall's Arkansas Stones over the years <www.hallsproedge.com>
 
I have a combo Norton India and a Norton Arkansas, but they rarely see much use as sandpaper and lapping film both cut faster and my sharpening jigs (EdgePro and Sharpmaker) take less motor skills to get a hair-popping edge.

Jeff Clark,

Where did you get a 120 grit waterstone? How big is it? That sounds like a great tool in the reprofiling arsenal.
 
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