Getting back into the hobby with a few questions.

[hummer784]

Hey guys! I havent posted in quite awhile and actually neglected most of my knives for far too long . I have a lansky sharpening kit which I get good results with espically when I use my homemade strop here are my questions:

1. Some of the stones aren't flat anymore. Can this be fixed?
2. When I use the white ceramic stone should I get a burr? I havent been getting one but I might not be patient enough. Lol.
3. Is there any use to the blue stone?
4. I have been reading about scary sharp but cannot afford an edge pro and im terrible with flat stones. Any ideas?

For a strop I'm using about 12" of an old belt with some blue magic metal polish rubbed in, is this alright? What improvements would you guys suggest?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[eccvets]

save your time and money and get a paper wheel set, 25-35 bucks and it will get all your knifes to shaving sharp in mins instaead of hours and hours

 

[richard j]

+1 for what eccvets said.

 

[hummer784]

Thanks for the replies guys but maybe I should mention that even though I have a grinder I don't have easy access to it. Paper wheels sound awesome but I haven't turned my grinder on in years! It's tucked in the back of storage becuase I have no place to put it at my current house.

Now what???

 

[richard j]

its time to dig out the grinder. check out my paper wheel thread. there is a lot of good info. i also have some good info on my website. click on the sitemap and i have a page called paper wheel myths and tips.

 

[Jason B.]

To answer your questions,

1. Yes, stones can be flattened many ways. Rubbing them together, coarse sandpaper on glass, or putting a little water on the sidewalk and rubbing until the stone is flat again.

2. Yes, every grit even the finest of grits will produce a burr but its probably so small you will have a very hard time finding it.

3. Probably not but only you can decide if its useful for your needs.

4. Getting a knife sharp is 99% skill and 1% tools, even with your coarsest stone you should have a sharp edge capable of shaving hair. Getting a new sharpening tool will not make you any better at sharpening, learning to use something new when you have not mastered your current tools will leave you with the same questions as before.

 

[eccvets]

Thanks for the replies guys but maybe I should mention that even though I have a grinder I don't have easy access to it. Paper wheels sound awesome but I haven't turned my grinder on in years! It's tucked in the back of storage becuase I have no place to put it at my current house.

Now what???

dude, its called craigslist! look it up, grinders usually go for like 15-20 bucks! just buy another one or its time to throw out some crap and get to your grinder. before I got my paper wheels just a few months ago, I didn't turn mines on for like 6 years.

 

[richard j]

eccvets is right. the wheels are so easy to use compared to learning how to hand sharpen. i used to hand sharpen for 18 years until i met a knifemaker by the name of art summers. he introduced me to the wheels and after that i never went back to hand sharpening.

check out this thread http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=651061 i sharpened 241 folders in a total of 17 hours and most knives had 2-3 blades. they were brand new knives without an edge whatsoever.

for the price you pay for some stones, strop, compound and whatever else, you can get a set of wheels. they are only $50. or so from woodcraft. a member that goes by stevenkelby posted some good info on the last page of my paper wheel thread.

 

[dsmegst]

Thanks for the replies guys but maybe I should mention that even though I have a grinder I don't have easy access to it. Paper wheels sound awesome but I haven't turned my grinder on in years! It's tucked in the back of storage becuase I have no place to put it at my current house.

Now what???

Well, you're already ahead of the curve. You have a grinder. I can't speak to your space issue but I would think the time you save via the wheels can make up for having to put it away every time. Hopefully, your grinder is a fairly low speed unit. If it's too fast, the grit wheel can be touchy.

Before getting the wheels, I also had good results with the Spyderco Sharpmaker. If space is at a premium, it might be a good alternative for you. That and a strop would be a good combination.

Going back to your first post: 1. You can flatten stones on a flat backed sandpaper or a flat block of concrete. 2. I used the medium grit stone until I got a burr and the fine stone to polish the edge and to get rid of the burr. If you're creating a burr with the fine stone, you could be using too much pressure and forcing a new burr. Once you've gotten the two sides to meet with a coarser stone (and a burr is a good way to tell), then further burring becomes your enemy. 3. Sorry, I don't have the set you're using but generally speaking, a 3 grit system is used thus - coarse to repair damaged edges by removing lots of metal, medium for refreshing your worn edge, and fine to polish and refine the new edge. Unless there's a chip or big flat spots, I never use a coarse grit. Medium and fine gets used a lot. For touch ups, only the fine and stropping. 4. Your strop sounds fine. For something that short, I would glue it to a piece of wood. A longer piece is easy to pull taught but not a short one.

Regardless of what ever method you decide to go with, including sticking with what you have, good luck with your sharpening.

 

[hummer784]

My grinder is a dual wheel craftsman unit and that's all I know about it.

Knifenut1013 said I should be able to get a shaving sharp edge with even the coursest stones. How does this work? Right now I grind until there is a burr and flip the clamped blade over and do it again. Sometimes I have a hard time getting a shaving edge at higher grits. What could I be doing wrong?

 

[dsmegst]

Your definition of "coarse" and his may be different. They're all relative terms. A careful hand with medium grit stones can create a darn good edge and the amount of pressure you use makes a big difference. A light touch with a coarse grit will act like a finer grit but they created grit steps for a reason. It's an easier and more consistent way to work on your edges.

Your grinder will tell you what RPM it's rated for. Mine is a variable speed and I use the lowest, 2000 RPM.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I sort of 'cut my teeth' on the Lansky system, so I feel like I understand your situation. My suggestions below are intended to help, IF you choose to stay with the Lansky. It has it's quirks, and a lot of people don't seem to care for it, but it can be quite effective with a measure of patience.

I have a lansky sharpening kit which I get good results with espically when I use my homemade strop here are my questions:

1. Some of the stones aren't flat anymore. Can this be fixed?

I'm sure they can, but the Lansky hones are relatively inexpensive. You might consider replacing them with the Lansky diamond hones (around $15 each). You can buy them individually, so you can replace them according to your own needs. This is what I'd do, personally (I already have, actually, for the same reason). To flatten them, you'd probably have to invest in some sort of flattening stone or other media, which may end up costing as much or more than just replacing the hones. As a bonus, the diamond hones won't go flat, and will last a good, long time, with proper use & care.

2. When I use the white ceramic stone should I get a burr? I havent been getting one but I might not be patient enough. Lol.

I've made a habit of lightening the pressure as I've progressed through each hone. This helps greatly in reducing the burr left by the coarser hones. By the time the white ceramic is used, there's very little burr left, if any at all. The key is to make sure you produce a burr ONCE, with only the coarsest hone. Then use the subsequent hones to reduce/remove the burr. You can even get a head start on that, by significantly reducing the pressure with the coarsest hone to clean up much of the burr, before moving to the other hones. There's no need to produce & remove a burr with each hone.

3. Is there any use to the blue stone?

I assume you're referring to the 'Super Sapphire' polishing hone? If so, use it only if you really want to get as much polish on the edge as is possible with the Lansky. I've never had/used the Super Sapphire, and personally haven't felt much need for it. I've been quite happy with the results produced up through the white ceramic (after which, I follow with stropping).

4. I have been reading about scary sharp but cannot afford an edge pro and im terrible with flat stones. Any ideas?

As has been emphasized by others, how sharp an edge you get is more about good technique, regardless of which tools/methods you use. Results can be improved dramatically by just working on maintaining a consistent angle, and using VERY LIGHT pressure (for the Lansky, just the weight of the hone on the blade, no more). It also helps quite a lot to narrow the 'gaps' in grit progression, as you go.

For a strop I'm using about 12" of an old belt with some blue magic metal polish rubbed in, is this alright? What improvements would you guys suggest?

Thanks,
Mike

Lots of possibilities. Basically, a good place to start is with a simple piece of veg-tanned cowhide, stuck/glued to a piece of wood. Green compound (chromium oxide) or diamond paste/sprays are very effective. Ideally, make two strops, one used with compound, and another used bare for final finishing. Horsehide leather seems to be the favorite for a bare strop, but it's more expensive.

 

[Beckerhead83]

I know this is an old post but I had to chime in, I use the same old belt and blue magic. I am searching for real stroping methods and came across your post. I honestly have gotten hair wittiling results with the belt and blue magic.