hand sharpening

RescueRiley

RescueRiley

Joined
Mar 22, 2006
Messages
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Just got a new camillus roughcut stockman..it's a great knife but came virtuall unsharpened been hitting it up on a 2 sided siamond plate but just can't sem to get it right I'm sure it's my techniques, any pointers?? Thanks
 
I read this tutorial awhile ago, tgried it out and was amazed, it really worked. Before I could only even dull a butter knife. Try it it's pretty cool.
 
I found the demonstration by the DMT sales rep handy on estimating blade angle for freehand sharpening on a stone. Set the stone on a table or your lap where you plan on sharpening... hold knife blade sharp edge down on stone... that's 90 degrees; half that and it's 45 degrees; half that angle again and you are down to 22.5 degrees; then go a little more acute and you're there to start sharpening with strokes toward you like you are cutting something. You should not be scratching up the side of the blade. If you do, you're angle is too small.

I like the DMT "stones". Since the factory edge is so dull, I'd start with a coarse grit for a few strokes until you start feeling it sharp, then swithch to fine or v fine grit and continue.
 
Been contemplating a Sharpmaker, but are there different models? If so, what to bear in mind?
 
Riley, have you tried the small overlapping circle method?

Get a dry erase marker and mark the edges with it. Lay the blade down on the stone/hone flat and lift the back till you see the very edge touch the stone. Start honing in small overlapping circles and making your way from the kick to the blade tip. Take about a minute to get to the tip. When you do, take a look at the marker darkened edge, can you see a nice even bevel all the way to the edge? If so do the other side of the blade the same way. Our scout master tought us this, and it always works to hold the angle because you're not lifting the blade off the stone the whole time you are working your way up the edge.

I've used this method for most of my life, and it gets knives sharp fast, with no waffling back and forth on the bevels. Once you get used to the feel of free hand sharpening with the circle method, you can do it anyplace in just a few minutes.

Another advantage of this is you can use a very small hone. I keep a cut down Eze-lap model LF in my wallet with all but 1 inch of the red plastic handle cut off. This sharpens all my knives. Pocket, mora's, fishing.

If your knife is really dull to start, you may want to put on the bevels first with a corser grit stone, like a carborundum stone. They cut fast, and you can smooth it out once you get it fairly sharp.
 
As a kid my Dad taught me the overlapping circle method. When I got older, I realized that I was probably not doing as good a job as I could. So I changed methods. But intuitively, the circle method is probably the easiest on a stone. The difference is you are sharpening opposite to sharpening like you are cutting something.
 
I have an Edge Pro and while it puts a wicked edge on things I usually convex everything I have because a touch up with a home made convex set up takes about 20 seconds, including steeling.

If I use my SAK a lot outside cutting up cardboard for recycle I get in the house, check the edge, out comes the little convex setup already to go. Swipe, swipe, swipe, steel steel steel and she is shaving sharp again. I really dont know why people bother with stones and angles.
 
I have an electric one too that I used to sharpen machetes and kitchen knives on. Takes a lot of steel off though. My wife uses it mostly now in the kitchen if she can find it.
 
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