Wanted to say hi, new member here. I started trying freehand years ago and was not too bad. I used a lansky kit for a while but freehand is more enjoyable even thou I'm not quite that good. Went out to Hope Depot and got a cheap $5 norton yesterday to start playing with again. Im a big fan of fishing and sharpening has been fun for me to do at night when Im not trying up rigs. Im going to order some better stones to play with. Was thinking of getting a dmt coarse for all my abused bait knives to reprofile with and then either a combo 1000/4000 stone or 2 separate one. Can anyone recommend a good site and maybe your favorite stones. I watched the jdavis videos and the spyderco rods he used are discontinued so Ill have to find another to fill that place. Thanks for the help and advise if I posted this in the wrong sections I am sorry and will move it.
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Getting more stones, beginner
- Thread starter mp31x
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2010
- Messages
- 6,642
I'll give the same advice I always give for similar questions (and this is the set-up I use most of the time myself). If you like the 5 dollar Norton econo stone, get the 8" Norton Crystalon combination stone (about 20 bucks) and some white and black polishing compound (2 bucks apiece). Use some soapy water or mineral oil for a stone lube. Until you get really good freehanding (and even after depending on your curiosity level) this will do most of what you might need doing. Use some newspaper wrapped around the same stone as a strop for the white compound. Use the black compound in the same manner to touch up an edge (followed by the white if desired). You might be surprised how good an edge one can produce with these very simple and inexpensive tools, especially if they're hard users.
HH
HH
You're talking about the Spyderco medium and fine profile stones numbered 701M and 701F. I own both and they are awesome. I've seen this quote that they are "discontinued" on numerous forums and I've seen Jdavis' video where he says they are discontinued. But I can't find any information to support that notion.
The combo set that contains *both* the 701M and 701F is discontinued, but the M and F are available separately and Spyderco does not list them as discontinued. They discontinued the short 4" versions called the 702M and F, but the full sized 8" 701 series is still being produced as far as I can tell.
Knifeworks, still has the sets and the individual profiles. Searching online there are other vendors who still have the sets also.
Again, as far as I can tell, the individual profile stones/rods are still being produced. ...and it's a good thing too. They're incredible tools.
Brian.
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2011
- Messages
- 2,090
Please tell us how it works out! 
The stones you chose are the recommended setup for free hand sharpening by some of the members at SawmillCreek.org.
My stones arrived today along with my new delica4. I snapped a few quick pics with my iPhone sorry they're not the best
Heres my 2 knives I sharpened today.
The one knife is my cheap beater fishing knife, I think it says mountain edge on it. The spyderco came from the box pretty sharp. All I have been playing with lately was the cheap norton stone so these were a real treat. This is the first DMT stone I have used and it is very nice no pressure needed and the coarse stone does its job. The spyderco stones are very nice. I played a lot with the fine stone. This being my first spyderco I was very nervous about trying to freehand sharpen it brand new but I put the sharpie on it and started on the fine stone. I am very much still a beginner at freehand but after about an hour of slow trial and terror I got the top half of it to shave hair on my arm. Now its not a very smooth shave but it did take some hair off. I had problems getting the heel of the knife sharp thou. I got all but the last quarter of the knife pretty sharp but the heel seemed like maybe I rounded it because the angle looked steeper and lower at the end. For the paper test it will cut the paper on an angle if I don't go to fast. I feel that the blade still has some rough spots probably from my newbish freehand techniques but overall I am happy that I didn't ruin my new delica except maybe the heal part.
Heres my new delica and my rolling rock :thumbup:
Thanks for reading and checking out my beginner stages of freehand. I do enjoy it and find it very relaxing, something fun to do when I'm not fishing. Any tips or advise is always appreciated
Heres my 2 knives I sharpened today.
The one knife is my cheap beater fishing knife, I think it says mountain edge on it. The spyderco came from the box pretty sharp. All I have been playing with lately was the cheap norton stone so these were a real treat. This is the first DMT stone I have used and it is very nice no pressure needed and the coarse stone does its job. The spyderco stones are very nice. I played a lot with the fine stone. This being my first spyderco I was very nervous about trying to freehand sharpen it brand new but I put the sharpie on it and started on the fine stone. I am very much still a beginner at freehand but after about an hour of slow trial and terror I got the top half of it to shave hair on my arm. Now its not a very smooth shave but it did take some hair off. I had problems getting the heel of the knife sharp thou. I got all but the last quarter of the knife pretty sharp but the heel seemed like maybe I rounded it because the angle looked steeper and lower at the end. For the paper test it will cut the paper on an angle if I don't go to fast. I feel that the blade still has some rough spots probably from my newbish freehand techniques but overall I am happy that I didn't ruin my new delica except maybe the heal part.
Heres my new delica and my rolling rock :thumbup:
Thanks for reading and checking out my beginner stages of freehand. I do enjoy it and find it very relaxing, something fun to do when I'm not fishing. Any tips or advise is always appreciated
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2011
- Messages
- 2,090
These videos are fun to watch. I can watch this kind of stuff all night:
Rick Marchand has great technique. He's using Japanese water-stones here.
[youtube]UAxd7SV-ZtM[/youtube]
This is the first in a 5-part series, I believe. The guy has a ton more videos to watch, too.
[youtube]QNwP-2xBphI[/youtube]
This guy has 5 or 6 more videos in the series.
[youtube]YYnFL3zCYUY[/youtube]
This guy explains some great fundamentals and techniques for moving up in grit. Also watch the second part in the 2-part series, which is about stropping. Good demonstrations.
[youtube]lqhNbJt8tpU[/youtube]
This guy does a fast progression through all the steps (extra coarse all the way to strop) to give you a "quick and dirty" sense of the sharpening process. He has lots of more detailed videos, too, which you can watch.
[youtube]Kc1bdN2ELSs[/youtube]
Rick Marchand has great technique. He's using Japanese water-stones here.
[youtube]UAxd7SV-ZtM[/youtube]
This is the first in a 5-part series, I believe. The guy has a ton more videos to watch, too.
[youtube]QNwP-2xBphI[/youtube]
This guy has 5 or 6 more videos in the series.
[youtube]YYnFL3zCYUY[/youtube]
This guy explains some great fundamentals and techniques for moving up in grit. Also watch the second part in the 2-part series, which is about stropping. Good demonstrations.
[youtube]lqhNbJt8tpU[/youtube]
This guy does a fast progression through all the steps (extra coarse all the way to strop) to give you a "quick and dirty" sense of the sharpening process. He has lots of more detailed videos, too, which you can watch.
[youtube]Kc1bdN2ELSs[/youtube]