Since I am new to knife sharpening but am use to free hand sharpening due to experience with restoring razors, I decided to go economical and choose free hand. I bought a soft, hard and black arkasas, a king 1000 and I have a coarse DMT to lap and do major work. I also obliviously have a strop board and compounds for final touches. Am I missing anything? Ill be sharpening common pocket knives, hunting knives like the buck 100 series and some kitchen knives that I am getting into.
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- Thread starter bigredtn
- Start date
David Martin
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Yes, You need a good coarse stone. The coarse diamond is not coarse enough to do much metal removal. If you like diamond, get the x coarse or a coarse SiC stone. Which is more economical. This stone will become your work-horse stone when doing the 100 series fixed blades. I would go ahead an purchase the combination stone w/ coarse & fine grits. The Arkansas stones won't do much metal removal on the 100 series fixed blades. DM
DM, thanks for the reply!! Which coarse and fine stones would you recommend? India or the carbide? Thanks again DM!!
David Martin
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- Joined
- Apr 7, 2008
- Messages
- 19,520
The 100 series you mention have many different steels. Everything from 420, to 440C on up to s30v. If you were just sharpening kitchen knives
and folders with low stainless to mid-grade stainless I think you could sharpen those with a coarse / fine SiC stone or India and save some money. Even dealing with s30v, you may see that steel only once a year. I see that steel only once or twice in sharpening 100 knives.
Without jumping off too deep into expensive stones, one could do fine with a coarse SiC stone and on to the coarse diamond. Then some stropping on diamond slurry. Then count how many times a year you are sharpening high vanadium steels. 3-4 times would not merit two more diamond stones. Even if you sharpen it 8 times a year I work it with the coarse SiC and on to the coarse diamond and finish on a 2X6" fine diamond. These 3 stones would cover any steel you'll come across.
Work on technique, make your bevels look real good. The steel should be capable of slicing paper after each stage grit. Don't hope that good edge happens at the final grit. You should be pulling it off at each grit. Good luck, DM
and folders with low stainless to mid-grade stainless I think you could sharpen those with a coarse / fine SiC stone or India and save some money. Even dealing with s30v, you may see that steel only once a year. I see that steel only once or twice in sharpening 100 knives.
Without jumping off too deep into expensive stones, one could do fine with a coarse SiC stone and on to the coarse diamond. Then some stropping on diamond slurry. Then count how many times a year you are sharpening high vanadium steels. 3-4 times would not merit two more diamond stones. Even if you sharpen it 8 times a year I work it with the coarse SiC and on to the coarse diamond and finish on a 2X6" fine diamond. These 3 stones would cover any steel you'll come across.
Work on technique, make your bevels look real good. The steel should be capable of slicing paper after each stage grit. Don't hope that good edge happens at the final grit. You should be pulling it off at each grit. Good luck, DM