Getting back into freehand sharpening, replaced my stones. Anything missing?

burf151

burf151

Joined
Dec 29, 2005
Messages
370
Hi all,

I have recently gotten interested in freehand sharpening again after not doing it for almost 10 years. My old gear consisted of 6" DMT stones with the interrupted surface in XC, C, F and then the 3 Spyderco ceramics. Plus different experiments in stropping etc. Well, my DMTs were worn pretty smooth and I never really got the hand of the Spydercos. The Spyderco stones seemed to load up before I accomplished anything, and I guess the grit on those is based on the surface finish? So trying to flatten them or clean them with diamond stones effectively changes the grit?

Anyway, for Christmas I got the DMT 8" continuous in XC, C, F, XF and Shapton Kuromaku stones in 5k and 12k. I sat down last night with a new knife that had nasty asymmetrical bevels and went to work through that progression. Didn't use the 12k, didn't think I'd get much out of it till I get my new technique down. Didn't strop or anything. Not hair popping, but it sure cut up the cardboard today. I have a $70 Amazon card for anything else I might want. Am I missing anything? Or anything I can skip? Am I right to not bother with the 12k yet? I still have various strops. I like to keep my edc fairly sharp, but I want to fool with some hair popping edges on some other knives. I can get that easily on paper wheels and want to get edges like that freehand eventually.

I am pleased with my efforts thus far, and I know I will get some improvement with more consistent angel control. The "Seven Secrets" has been quite helpful. Thanks everyone!
 
Do you need a 12k stone? It depends on the steel. For most tasks the 5000 Shapton should be sufficient. Without stropping. It is possible to minimize the burr on a fine stone like the 5k, too. For softer (European) kitchen knives some guys do not get higher than 2k Shapton.

You need a grit progression when you want a mirror polish. But freehand you have to keep in mind: the more stones you use, the higher the chance of dulling the edge. Even with a good angle control: no one is that good to keep a constant angle.
Freehand I would suggest to keep your setup light. 5k to keep a blade sharp. XF for touchups. And you should be done for a long time. Coarser diamonds for setting a new bevel.
 
Depends on what type of knife and what steel, but for kitchen knives, the 5K Shapton will give a great edge. You could go to a 12K after that, but most people wouldn't bother. It's probably a more common stone with straight razors. Having said that, some people with hard Japanese carbon steels might go for that polished edge for certain tasks. It would probably be very good for deburring even if you just use it for that.

For edc knives, I think I would just finish on F or XF diamond with that setup and do the usual burr-weakening/deburring on the stone and then strop to refine the edge. You can go to the 5K if you want, but most people prefer a somewhat toothy edge for edc. I would say just experiment with the finish and see what you like.

As for cleaning the Spyderco's - I haven't tried them but I would assume cleaning them would be similar to other ceramic waterstones. Diamond plates or SiC powder etc. won't change the finish. It is what a lot of people do to flatten or recondition the stones. You can also just use Bar Keepers Friend, rust eraser, pencil eraser, magic eraser etc. which work well if flattening isn't needed.

Just for emphasis, you will find properly deburring the most important step for a finer, longer lasting edge IMO.
 
Out of all the Shapton Pro stones, the 2K is my favorite. With what you already own, that would be my next purchase. Plus it's the ideal finishing stone for softer stainless, which is what I sharpen 99% of the time when I sharpen other peoples knives.

With your $70 gift card I'd pick up the 2K stone and maybe a cheap 20x or 30x inspection loupe if you don't already have one. Helps for checking your progress while freehand sharpening.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top