Free hand sharpening is not working out for me. Recommend Sharpening systems pls

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darthwayne

Joined
Oct 7, 2016
Messages
152
Although i am able to sharpen cheap steel knives but i am struggling a lot with free hand sharpening on diamond stones....i am not able to keep constant angle or eyeball the right angle and the edge is never super sharp.

while some of you are so good that your edge reflects like a mirror, i end up getting some scratches on the belly as well.

lanksy seems very interesting for sharpening amateurs like me so atleast i have functional knives while i keep practicing free hand with cheaper knives.



i intend to sharpen steels such as VG10, S30V and 20CV.

budget is upto $50
 
I would recommend the Spyderco Sharpmaker over the Lansky. I have both of them but I rarely ever use the Lansky. I suppose it is because the SM is very quick to set up and I never seem to be able to get the Lansky clamp just right.
 
darthwayne said:
Although i am able to sharpen cheap steel knives but i am struggling a lot with free hand sharpening on diamond stones....i am not able to keep constant angle or eyeball the right angle and the edge is never super sharp.

while some of you are so good that your edge reflects like a mirror, i end up getting some scratches on the belly as well.

lanksy seems very interesting for sharpening amateurs like me so atleast i have functional knives while i keep practicing free hand with cheaper knives.



i intend to sharpen steels such as VG10, S30V and 20CV.

budget is upto $50
Click to expand...
Hi,
Have you tried guided freehand?
Instead of trying to keep an angle, lean one of your diamond stones against a wall or a book so it holds the angle, like a bench stone sharmaker and just slice down the stone and pivot for tip
FTHZV98H9T4QPH9.RECTANGLE1.jpg


To maintain angle throughout the tip all you have to do is pivot the blade throughout the curved parts like this
Im2fC0G.gif


Also remember to use light force on the diamond ... think like brushing your teeth ... under 1lb or 1/2lb if you were to measure on a scale
 
darthwayne said:
Although i am able to sharpen cheap steel knives but i am struggling a lot with free hand sharpening on diamond stones....i am not able to keep constant angle or eyeball the right angle and the edge is never super sharp.

while some of you are so good that your edge reflects like a mirror, i end up getting some scratches on the belly as well.

lanksy seems very interesting for sharpening amateurs like me so atleast i have functional knives while i keep practicing free hand with cheaper knives.



i intend to sharpen steels such as VG10, S30V and 20CV.

budget is upto $50
Click to expand...

The reason you can't keep the angle constant is almost certainly that your free-hand motion is too perpendicular to the edge, instead of closer to parallel to the edge, which makes keeping the angle constant much easier.

I never managed to achieve anything with a perpendicular stroke either, but closer to parallel, watching carefully to prevent "rocking", is almost as precise as a guided system.

A knife without a deep belly is also easier, initially, to follow the parallel motion through.

I find coarse diamond hones (Dia-Sharps) also make things easier than any stone, because they "eat" metal faster and remain flatter.

Gaston
 
Save up and get the KME sharpener. Great customer service. If you want to re-profile on the Sharpmaker it will take forever even with the diamond rods. It's great for touch up but not for real sharpening. If you watch a few video's from KME on YouTube you will see how easy it is. Its the only good sharpener with the clamp system in this price range. I have not used my Sharpmaker since I got the KME. Call KME and speak to Ron the owner he's very helpful and honest and will not sell you anything you don't need.
You'll end up buying it anyway so you might as well start saving now.
 
In your price range the DMT Aligner is a good bet.
It won't give you the precise angles of the KME but it is decent.

If your knives are not in need of profiling then the Sharpmaker would be a good choice.
All systems have their own strengths and weaknesses, there is not one perfect system, but using various systems has helped me with my freehand sharpening a whole lot.
 
I would save up and buy a good quality system as buying cheap stuff is a waste and you won't be satisfied.
I tried most all of the systems and ended up with the Profile K02 and am very happy with it have had great results right from the get go. While your saving money watch the video's on YT and read the sticky's on here there is a lot to learn before you get your system.
 
darthwayne said:
Although i am able to sharpen cheap steel knives but i am struggling a lot with free hand sharpening on diamond stones....i am not able to keep constant angle or eyeball the right angle and the edge is never super sharp.

while some of you are so good that your edge reflects like a mirror, i end up getting some scratches on the belly as well.

lanksy seems very interesting for sharpening amateurs like me so atleast i have functional knives while i keep practicing free hand with cheaper knives.



i intend to sharpen steels such as VG10, S30V and 20CV.

budget is upto $50
Click to expand...

the lansky is a chore to use, but if it works it works, only do the diamond one, I own the regular version and it is lame having to use the oil constantly to keep the stones from clogging with swarf.

I recommend the Worksharp GSS, its a non-powered diamond stone with built in training wheels that can be turned off when you get better at sharpening
 
I use an angle guide to maintain a consistent angle when sharpening freehand. Cheap, and it works. You can find a variety of guides through a Google search.
 
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