How Do You Sharpen Your Knives

Sharp Maker

Sharp Maker

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Dec 11, 2001
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I use the old fashioned way but a little more elaborate.

Step 1: Clean Knife with soap and water

Step 2: Start with 500 grit stone

Step 3: 1000 grit stone

Step 4: 2000 grit stone

Step 5: 4000 grit stone

Step 6: 8000 grit stone (cost me an arm and a leg but god was it worth it.

Step 7: metal glow Fine polich if needed to remove scratches

Step 8: tufglide and tuffcloth

I sharpen all my knives at 30 degrees and with the 8000grit stone the edge is INCREDIBLY smoooth i use the 2000,4000,and 8000 to keep my strait razor that i shave my face/head with in top shape. I only strop the strait razor never my knifes
 
Belt grinder, 220-grit belt, 600-grit belt, buffing wheel for more polished edge. Otherwise just 220-grit and then the buff.
 
You start with a 500? Man, I don't go past the medium stone on my Lansky, or the 180 on my Apex. Actually, I sharpened 5 knives today for coworkers. Kershaw liner clip, cheapie keychain knife, 26 year old Buck 311 (2 blade trapper), steel handled China cheapie lockback, and a Boye dendritic cobalt Prophet. I had to reprofile them all, grind the tips back to something resembling sharp, strop on cardboard, and just do waaaay too much to neglected and abused edges. Does the Boye seem out of place amongst this group? It should, I gave that knife away, the current owner is a friend who got me my job in the first place. It was also extremely easy to sharpen, especially compared to the made in China POS's. Had to sharpen my Voyager a couple days ago, had to do some nasty and heavy cutting. Usually it's just one pass on each side on the 1200 ceramic steel I ordered with my Edge Pro Apex. It's amazing how much longer I've gotten my edges to last doing that and that alone. Pops hair every time.
 
if the edge is comoletely flogged i start w/a soft ark and oil, followed by a med then fine norton india, followed by a DMT fine, then a spydie ultra fine ceramic, all done free hand


sifu
 
Belt grinder, worn out 220 grit then a 400 or 600 grit belt, buff and strop by hand if my buff was bad.

I use a sharpmaker to keep things touchked up or my strop. I have a Razor's Edge kit that I pack with me to sharpen the knives for friends and family. The steel I use all the time.
 
After sharpening, what would you SUGGEST is the best way to remove fine scrtaches and bring back a blade's "mirror-finish"?
A Dremel, with what?????.....Thanks.....wolf;)
 
Wolf:

If you are scratching the blade (not the edge) while sharpening, it is time to change your technique or change your sharpening gear. Though others with more experience may be better to help you on this point, I will say that I don't think a dremel with buffing compound is a good way to polish a blade. I think some on here have done it though, so take what i say with a grain of salt. The thing I worry about is that a dremel can generate a lot of heat and the small buffing wheels can create a wavy finish. It is far better to change how you sharpen or what you sharpen with.

If you are scratching the edge, the edge will benefit from a buff. Either buff (dangerous) or strop (not really dangerous) the knife. I have heard some high praise of the green polishing compound from Lee Valley Tools lately. You can get some compound and a strop from them quite cheaply.

Good Luck Wolf.
 
I don't allow my knives to become really dull, so I just need to hone it on an extra-fine grit (maybe about 4-6000) natural stone with water, then I strop on wood.
If a knife has been badly neglected I start with a 400 grit sinthetic stone, then go for the finer ones ending with the extra-fine natural.
I don't know exactly the grit of each stone, I just go from the coarser to the smoothest. Has always worked pretty well :)
 
To reprofile an edge I use a belt sander on longer or cheaper knives. For smaller and more valuable knives I start with a medium-coarse diamond bench hone (It feels like it is 220 grit). For finishing the edge (normal sharpening) I use an 8"-long fine diamond bench hone (seems like around 600-800 grit). This work is done at 15 degrees per side or less. The last edge deburr and refinement is done with ceramic rods at around 20 degrees (just a few strokes per side).

I find that the diamond cuts the best and leaves the most effective edge on hard alloys. I don't use natural stones anymore. I also don't do much leather stropping on the hardest alloys, it just seems to dull the edge.
 
If really dull. Clean with alcohol, then DMT benchhone, coarse then fine then white ceramic to finish. If not too bad, gray ceramic then white. This normally leaves a fine enough edge for me.
 
a norton waterstone 4000 grit is the furthest I go. but I am planning a purchase of an 8000 japanese water stone.

I use some other waterstones c-m-f. I don't use the coarse on my knives. I always keep'em tuned.


I am looking for an extra coarse japanese waterstone but can't find

any one know where?


a dremmel with a felt wheel and buffing compound works pretty good on scratches if they are deep you might need 120 grit emory cloth first.

I have really come to love sharpening just as much as using my knives. I love to get my knives dull so I can go sharpen it. endless love of knives.

we have a great hobby, so much to do.
 
I won't touch a powertool to ANY of my edges!
They have been sharpened by hand in the last 15 years and always will be! :)
Making the edge to a new knive is one thing. And you must be really good and know what you are doing or you'll screw up heat treatment of the blade before you can say "ah".
Re-sharpening a blade requires just five things:

An abrasive of some sort
Skill
Patience
Patience
Patience

And since I'm not skilled enough to use a belt grinder on a knife, the knife I'm doing will have a file ground and stone-polished edge...
Well... I'm not wealthy enough to buy a belt grinder, even if I wished :p so I guess I've no chance... but it was just to make a point :)
When I'll have one I'll make a lot of practice on scrap iron, before I really try to give an edge to any knife I'll make.
After all, I've always my faithful files :D
 
I never let my edges get to the point that they need a coarse stone, although I do have one, in case I chip a edge or something. I normally pop a burr with a medium-fine lansky diamond hone, and finish it off with a fine ceramice hone. 25-30 degrees, depending on the knife. Been experimenting with steels, trying new things. Right now a quick fix for a slightly abused edge, is the spine of another knife, assuming its smooth. Used a 18" metal ruler the other day, and even found myself lookin at a valve stem. I think my case of "edgeitus" is terminal.
 
patience patience patience

you are so right

so many people who say they can't sharpen is because they run the blade a few times and expect it to shave. one time I tried to count strokes on a regind and it was up near 250 and kept on going just on a coarse. it must take a 1000 or for a regrind.
 
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