Hi so since I started getting into knife collecting which was more than 5 years ago I have been scared to use my knives so they don't get dull and I won't be able to sharpen them again to the factory razor sharp edge, but I have been going on few camping trips and I would really love to be able to use my knives knowing that I can get them to razor sharp again. So does anyone know the best way/technique to sharpen knife(mostly folding knives) to hair popping sharp? However I don't want to spend $200 to buy fancy sharpening system, if anyone know a good sharpening system under $100 or has any tips on how to sharpen on sharpening stone, ceramic stone and leather strop please leave a comment I will be more than happy to learn
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Easiest way to sharpen a knife
- Thread starter Hamido
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Spyderco has you covered with the Sharpmaker. :thumbup: Roughly $60, one of the best and easiest sharpening systems around.
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By far the best is the 1x30 harbor freight belt sander at $40, 120,400 and 600 grit belts at $30, with a surgi-sharp 1x30 leather strop belt at $25.
My friend you will be able to get any knife scary sharp in minutes for the rest of your life. Do the homework for yourself..... professional results every time... I will never go back to stones
My friend you will be able to get any knife scary sharp in minutes for the rest of your life. Do the homework for yourself..... professional results every time... I will never go back to stones
I use wet/dry sandpaper. Sharpening is a skill, it just takes practice. Once you understand how it works you can use almost anything abrasive.
Practice sharpening cheapo knives if you're uncomfortable using your nice ones. It took some practice, and about 6 months, but I can now get all of my blades to whittle beard hairs. While that's not as sharp as some people here cab get there's, it's more than enough for my needs.
Good luck finding something that works for you
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Practice sharpening cheapo knives if you're uncomfortable using your nice ones. It took some practice, and about 6 months, but I can now get all of my blades to whittle beard hairs. While that's not as sharp as some people here cab get there's, it's more than enough for my needs.
Good luck finding something that works for you
.OP this is great advice for a beginner to disregard.
Buy a cheap dual sided stone. Buy a black sharpie marker. Buy a cheap knife of low alloy steel that you can ruin. Read much here. Do much rubbing of cheap knife on cheap dual sided stone. Learn how to control knife on the stone to achieve bevels you want - that ability translates directly to presentation of the blade to a moving belt.
Become proficient at managing wire edge formation and elimination. Buy a strop and learn to use it without blunting your edge. After that a sharpmaker may be right for you, or maybe better quality stones. Or maybe you'll end up like some of us with tons of sharpening gear.
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How about the bottom of a coffee mug.
What about work sharp sharpening system?
It's simple really. Pay someone who can sharpen to sharpen for you.
Otherwise, resign yourself to the learning curve everyone else went through, or get a fancy system that doesn't have the same steep learning curve.
Maybe your learning curve is shorter than others. Maybe it's longer. Until you try, you don't know- but there IS a learning curve for everyone.
Also, this link: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/794-Maintenance-Tinkering-amp-Embellishment most threads are dedicated to the topic.
Zero
Otherwise, resign yourself to the learning curve everyone else went through, or get a fancy system that doesn't have the same steep learning curve.
Maybe your learning curve is shorter than others. Maybe it's longer. Until you try, you don't know- but there IS a learning curve for everyone.
Also, this link: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/794-Maintenance-Tinkering-amp-Embellishment most threads are dedicated to the topic.
Zero
ejames13
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I agree. Definitely do not start off with a powered sharpening system like a belt sander. You could still start off with a Sharpmaker though...that's what I did. Either way, it's going to take you time and practice to become proficient. You reap what you sow. Just resign to the fact that you aren't going to be good at it for a while, but don't give up. It's a great skill to have once you've learned it.
115Italian
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Lansky guided sharpening or just pay a professional knife sharpener. Those are the cheapest ways I can think of
RayseM
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I haven't used the Lansky but I own and use - The Spydrco TriAngle Sharpmaker http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=77 .
The shop around price for the basic set up as shown in the link is less than $ 60.00.
All that you need for basic maintenance of already sharp knives - including serrated!
Easy to use - watch the videos as posted by Spyderco - 4 parts - https://www.youtube.com/embed/GB0r6GvESGg?autoplay=1&rel=0
I highly recommend :thumbup:
The shop around price for the basic set up as shown in the link is less than $ 60.00.
All that you need for basic maintenance of already sharp knives - including serrated!
Easy to use - watch the videos as posted by Spyderco - 4 parts - https://www.youtube.com/embed/GB0r6GvESGg?autoplay=1&rel=0
I highly recommend :thumbup:
Hamido, just learn to sharpen freehand, as they call it. Contrary to what some would have you believe, there is no secret ritual or rocket science to putting a good sharp edge on your knife. You don't need a hundred dollar system that was produced to get the most of your money out of your pocket and into theirs.
Go to Home Depot or Lowes and get a Norton economy sharpening stone for the price of a beer or two at your corner pub. Then take some time and watch some videos on free hand sharpening. Thrers's lots of methods to use, the 'slicing the top off the stone' method, the 'Murry Carter Japanese scrubbing' method, the 'small circle' method' which like the Japanese method keeps the blade edge in constant contact with the stone. That's a good thing.
Don't get obsessed with angles, it don't mean squat. The media being cut won't know the difference if the blade is a degree or three off. This is one place where close enough is good enough.
Go over to the maintenance forum and there's lots of help there that will get you on the road to being self reliant on knife sharpening. The nice thing about learning to free hand is, you can sharpen up your kmnfe anywhere at anytime if it goes dull. Out on a camping trip, fishing by a lake shore, in a motel room. Sharpening a knife is more about technique in using what you have rather than relying on some high dollar gizmo that gets left at home because it won't fit in a pocket or in your wallet. Once you kern how to really sharpen your knife the "old way" you can use any smooth stone out of a creek, bottom of a coffee mug, side of a brick wall. Strop it on the back of your belt and you'll be good to go.
Freehand lets you carry small stone for sharpening in the field.
If you don't want to load down your pocket with a stone, then a small Eze-Lap diamond hone will fit in the wallet. Works on most knives no matter where you are.
Go to Home Depot or Lowes and get a Norton economy sharpening stone for the price of a beer or two at your corner pub. Then take some time and watch some videos on free hand sharpening. Thrers's lots of methods to use, the 'slicing the top off the stone' method, the 'Murry Carter Japanese scrubbing' method, the 'small circle' method' which like the Japanese method keeps the blade edge in constant contact with the stone. That's a good thing.
Don't get obsessed with angles, it don't mean squat. The media being cut won't know the difference if the blade is a degree or three off. This is one place where close enough is good enough.
Go over to the maintenance forum and there's lots of help there that will get you on the road to being self reliant on knife sharpening. The nice thing about learning to free hand is, you can sharpen up your kmnfe anywhere at anytime if it goes dull. Out on a camping trip, fishing by a lake shore, in a motel room. Sharpening a knife is more about technique in using what you have rather than relying on some high dollar gizmo that gets left at home because it won't fit in a pocket or in your wallet. Once you kern how to really sharpen your knife the "old way" you can use any smooth stone out of a creek, bottom of a coffee mug, side of a brick wall. Strop it on the back of your belt and you'll be good to go.
Freehand lets you carry small stone for sharpening in the field.
If you don't want to load down your pocket with a stone, then a small Eze-Lap diamond hone will fit in the wallet. Works on most knives no matter where you are.
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:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
That works just fine!! I've got knives shaving sharp like that before. But pick your mug with care, some are better than others!
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- Aug 27, 2014
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I can get every one of my knives screaming sharp with a Sharpmaker and a leather strop.. If you follow the DVD instructions and be careful, you can do the same..
Hamido, I don't know where you are, but if your'e anywhere in a day's drive from me, I'd meet up with you and teach you how to sharpen fast and easy with a stone or pocket hone. You just buy the lunch!:thumb up:
Heck, if you're anywhere in southern California, I'll probably be there visiting family this summer in the Mission Viejo area.
Heck, if you're anywhere in southern California, I'll probably be there visiting family this summer in the Mission Viejo area.
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- Jan 26, 2012
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100%! Do not go belt sander as a beginner. What happens if you need to sharpen a knife in the field or without power? SOL. You can also really mess up a knife with a belt sander.
I have a work sharp and it is good for massive reprifiles, super dull convex edges, and large blades. It does convex the edge slightly though so once you go that route you have to keep with it or stropping the convex edge.
I mostly use a double sided norton stone and a ceramic rod. Practice on cheap knives. Use a sharpie. I can now sharpen any of my knives including doing some significant re-profiling free hand. The thing I do most is not let them get super dull and just use the ceramic rod to touch up the edges. Buy a double sided portable DMT stone and throw it in your bag or car. You can handle pretty much anything with this setup once you practice a bit. Well under $100. Also the sharpmaker would be another good way to go. There is a reason other companies like Esee even recommend one.
And again, no belt sander!
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
- Messages
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Hamido, just learn to sharpen freehand, as they call it. Contrary to what some would have you believe, there is no secret ritual or rocket science to putting a good sharp edge on your knife. You don't need a hundred dollar system that was produced to get the most of your money out of your pocket and into theirs.
Go to Home Depot or Lowes and get a Norton economy sharpening stone for the price of a beer or two at your corner pub. Then take some time and watch some videos on free hand sharpening. Thrers's lots of methods to use, the 'slicing the top off the stone' method, the 'Murry Carter Japanese scrubbing' method, the 'small circle' method' which like the Japanese method keeps the blade edge in constant contact with the stone. That's a good thing.
Don't get obsessed with angles, it don't mean squat. The media being cut won't know the difference if the blade is a degree or three off. This is one place where close enough is good enough.
Go over to the maintenance forum and there's lots of help there that will get you on the road to being self reliant on knife sharpening. The nice thing about learning to free hand is, you can sharpen up your kmnfe anywhere at anytime if it goes dull. Out on a camping trip, fishing by a lake shore, in a motel room. Sharpening a knife is more about technique in using what you have rather than relying on some high dollar gizmo that gets left at home because it won't fit in a pocket or in your wallet. Once you kern how to really sharpen your knife the "old way" you can use any smooth stone out of a creek, bottom of a coffee mug, side of a brick wall. Strop it on the back of your belt and you'll be good to go.
Freehand lets you carry small stone for sharpening in the field.
If you don't want to load down your pocket with a stone, then a small Eze-Lap diamond hone will fit in the wallet. Works on most knives no matter where you are.
More great advice. I don't worry about angles unless I want to. If I am reprofiling a thicker blade to be more slicey I pay more attention to thinning out the edge and making the angle more acute. Mostly though I go with "my angle" which is where my hand feels the most comfortable when sharpening, rather than some exact degree. Works fine.