Here it is again...which system is right for me?

B

bmilla35

Joined
Aug 29, 2007
Messages
1,601
To be quite frank, i'm just tired of having dull knives around and not being able to sharpen them. It's time I take care of this myself and not have to rely on someone else.

I have zero experience hand sharpening, and after reading through the pages of old threads, have no reason to believe that I too would be awful for quite some time. In light of that fact I think i'd be much better off investing in some sort of mechanically aided device, such as a Lansky deluxe or maybe even a paper wheel if I have to.

The lansky appeals to be for several reasons. One, it's cheaper. I don't have loads of money to throw around being a college student, but am willing to spend a little extra on something that will last and will do a good job. Another reason I like it is that seems pretty idiot proof. One of my main concerns is the 4 set angles. Say their 4 options are 17, 22, 25, and 30. How well would they work on a knife that lies in between the set angles? What about larger knives that might be used in a kitchen (butcher, etc.)

Obviously the paper wheel has quite a following on here. It is appealing...and i'm willing to learn how to do it (obviously on a cheap knife). The only downside is the more expensive price tag. Like I mentioned before, even if it is more expensive, if it's worth it it's worth it.

So! What do you guys think?

P.s.
 
the paper wheels are not really that much. if you can find a 1/2 hp motor that is all you will need to run the wheels. for less than $100. or you can get set a decent setup. there is a member close to you that can show you the wheels. i'll have him contact you if you want.

i used to have a guided system and i'll never go back to one.
 
I'm actually away at school..so i'm not really in Pittsburgh. Harbor Freight has a 6 inch 1/2 hp bench grinder for 45 bucks

eta: I'm not really that far from Pittsburgh lol...just in Altoona
 
How about $10 and a couple of sheets of wet/dry sandpaper? You can get a DMT Aligner clamp for $9.95 and some 220, 400, 600 grit sand paper for another buck. If you want a finer edge, get a slice of 1000 grit and 2000 grit paper too. Ten minutes with the Aligner clamp and sandpaper and ANYONE can have a good shaving edge. It's almost IdiotProof. No skill required. Just good, solid results. And if you're in a dorm or Frat house, your entire sharpening system can fit inside one corner of your desk drawer. No need for a workshop.

Take a look at some YouTube videos showing how to use the DMT clamp without its regular stones (which are great but cost another $40 bucks. Nice, but Ya don't need 'em... Sandpaper works fine. Save the rest of your money for beer. After all, you're in college. Beer is important.)



Stitchawl
 
if you can find a used 1725 rpm motor that would be even cheaper. you can pick up the wheels at any woodcraft store or order them from any grizzly imports. for less than $100. you can have a setup that will last you a lifetime. i have a set of wheels that are 20 years old. when i was able to travel more i used to go around with the wheels sharpening knives for different restaurants and scissors for hair salons-barber shops.
 
stitchawl said:
How about $10 and a couple of sheets of wet/dry sandpaper? You can get a DMT Aligner clamp for $9.95 and some 220, 400, 600 grit sand paper for another buck. If you want a finer edge, get a slice of 1000 grit and 2000 grit paper too. Ten minutes with the Aligner clamp and sandpaper and ANYONE can have a good shaving edge. It's almost IdiotProof. No skill required. Just good, solid results. And if you're in a dorm or Frat house, your entire sharpening system can fit inside one corner of your desk drawer. No need for a workshop.

Take a look at some YouTube videos showing how to use the DMT clamp without its regular stones (which are great but cost another $40 bucks. Nice, but Ya don't need 'em... Sandpaper works fine. Save the rest of your money for beer. After all, you're in college. Beer is important.)



Stitchawl
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You got that right lol

I'll check out some videos later!

@richard-i'll check out craigslist and similar sites and see what I can come up with
 
Update: I really can't find single sheets of sandpaper. Wally world sells them in 5 packs, which I guess still isn't bad.

As far as bench grinders, I can't really find anything on Craig's list. Will paper wheels result in a sharper knife than the DMT-sandpaper method?
 
Here is my 2 cents on sharpening overall:

RevDevil said:
If you want to learn to sharpen a knife, grab one from the kitchen. Those make the best practice knives to learn on. Sharpening is a skill like any other and it takes time to become good. No one gets a perfect edge on their first or even second try, no matter what they say. I think there are too many people that panic because they swipe their blade on a stone a couple times and expect it to cut like a razor blade. Be realistic, pay attention to what you are doing, and be patient.
There is more than enough information in this subforum that needs some serious study. Take a moment, search through and read some of the threads. Just like in school, we learn from reading books; so you will learn from reading threads. Good Luck.
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And that's exactly what I plan on doing. I know whatever method I will choose will require some practice, I just want the simplest method that won't cost an arm and a leg. I did some searching, and watched about 1,000 videos. Just looking for the one that's best for me.
 
bmilla35 said:
Update: I really can't find single sheets of sandpaper. Wally world sells them in 5 packs, which I guess still isn't bad.

As far as bench grinders, I can't really find anything on Craig's list. Will paper wheels result in a sharper knife than the DMT-sandpaper method?
Click to expand...

Paper wheels will give you a very sharp edge if done correctly. So will any sharpening device if used correctly for the purpose intended.
The degree of sharpness depends on several factors. Almost any sharpening system that allows for different grits will produce the very sharpest edges. If you don't need to sharpen to 2,000 grit, you have that choice. I stop sharpening many of my kitchen knives at 600 grit, then 'steel' them between uses with a borocilicate glass rod. I take my EDC pocketknife to 10,000 grit then strop on bare horsehide.

I like to have choices.


Stitchawl
 
I just posted this on the Busse forum. A low tech cheap approach would be Lansky Croc stick's for $12.00. I built 2 strops out of 1x6 oak boards, cut them down to the width of my strop, one for green compound the other for black. Glue the 2 together and drill a hole where the 2 come together deep enough for it to slide over one of the Croc stick's. To sharpen with Croc stick's, all one has to do is select the angle of 20 or 25 degree's and hold the knife verticle. Once sharp, Slide on your strop block, then reverse the process coming from the bottom holding the knife verticle and sliding up and out with little pressure. I have had excellent result's with this low tech and cheap method on Busse, Swamprat, Cammillus, ESSE knives. No reason to have dull knives laying around as it's easy enough for anyone to do.
 
stitchawl said:
Paper wheels will give you a very sharp edge if done correctly. So will any sharpening device if used correctly for the purpose intended.
The degree of sharpness depends on several factors. Almost any sharpening system that allows for different grits will produce the very sharpest edges. If you don't need to sharpen to 2,000 grit, you have that choice. I stop sharpening many of my kitchen knives at 600 grit, then 'steel' them between uses with a borocilicate glass rod. I take my EDC pocketknife to 10,000 grit then strop on bare horsehide.

I like to have choices.


Stitchawl
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10,000?! geez...and I thought 2,000 was fine lol.
 
Super X said:
I just posted this on the Busse forum. A low tech cheap approach would be Lansky Croc stick's for $12.00. I built 2 strops out of 1x6 oak boards, cut them down to the width of my strop, one for green compound the other for black. Glue the 2 together and drill a hole where the 2 come together deep enough for it to slide over one of the Croc stick's. To sharpen with Croc stick's, all one has to do is select the angle of 20 or 25 degree's and hold the knife verticle. Once sharp, Slide on your strop block, then reverse the process coming from the bottom holding the knife verticle and sliding up and out with little pressure. I have had excellent result's with this low tech and cheap method on Busse, Swamprat, Cammillus, ESSE knives. No reason to have dull knives laying around as it's easy enough for anyone to do.
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I'm not very good at visualizing things in my mind...is there any pictures of that method? or videos on youtube, perhaps?
 
To the original question, the Lansky angles provide flexibility for many steels and uses. From a pocket knife at 25, to general kitchen use at 22, to more precision cutting at 17, you've got good variation. What this system is not designed to handle is the Rockwell 58+ hardness steel that can hold an edge at less than a 17 angle. Japanese-style kitchen knives are a common example where 12-15 degrees per side will require a different system or free-hand sharpening. For the sharpest and most enduring edge, I would want to save the last $15 for a strop to remove the burr. This applies regardless of the final grit used for honing.
 
bmilla35 said:
Update: I really can't find single sheets of sandpaper. Wally world sells them in 5 packs, which I guess still isn't bad.

As far as bench grinders, I can't really find anything on Craig's list. Will paper wheels result in a sharper knife than the DMT-sandpaper method?
Click to expand...
That will depend on how fine the sandpaper is, though I suspect the paper wheels can easily rival even the finest grit sandpaper. Though you have to consider that with the paper wheel you'll go through 2 grits at the most while you'd probably need about 5 or so grits of sandpaper and you'd need to spend quite some time with each one.

You'll save money with the sandpaper method, but power tools will save you time.

If you're pressed for space, the Worksharp is another power tool sharpener that isn't as big or heavy as a bench grinder and can be set up on a folding table(I put mine on a Rubbermaid folding table):
IMG_0166.jpg


The sharpener itself is $70, shipping is usually about $10-ish. Thing is, you'll need extra belts other than the ones included. I have a whole mess of them on my table, but for a sharp edge you'll only need the P400 and 1800 from the Work Sharp site. And maybe another 6000 if you want to put in polishing compounds to take it further.

I'd say total price would add up to $100, about the same as the paper wheels. The paper wheels will run longer and surely last longer too, while the Work Sharp has a maximum runtime of 20 minutes per hour. I've also had a couple of belts come apart on me(aftermarket, not from Work Sharp), though that hasn't happened in the past 6 months. Though again, the Work Sharp is more space friendly for the college student who doesn't have a whole house/condo/apartment to himself. Choose based on your needs.

Whatever you choose, everything is going to require practice.
 
Bmilla,
Here are a few pics for you. Like I said, It's a cheap low tech approach but does a good job and is easy to do. I also use the sandpaper method which is also cheap but requires some practice. The question of a cheap sharpening method comes up a lot so hope this help's. I originally made a larger strop and had some scrap left over. I then made the 2 smaller strops and glued them together. I then drilled the hole to slide over the Croc Stick. I can't remember how much the leather was, but ordered it from Woodcraft. The Croc Sticks are about $12.00. I know I have less then $30.00 in this and that includes a much larger strop that is not pictured. No reason to have dull knives as this will get your knives shaving hair sharp at the very least and will easily slice paper.

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i know motors can burn out in anything but what happens when the motor burns out in the worksharp. how much is that going to cost to replace? that is something to think about.
 
just lately i`ve been using a dremel tool with a diamond coated bit,then a fine stone,and strop,...for friends not my knives ,works surprisingly good, i posted this in case you might know someone with a dremel tool, hope it helps cheers
 
richard j said:
i know motors can burn out in anything but what happens when the motor burns out in the worksharp. how much is that going to cost to replace? that is something to think about.
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That would depend on whether or not it's covered by the warranty.
 
i heard its just a 1 year warranty. what if its after the year warranty is up and the motor pukes? do you end up with an $80. paperweight?
 
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