How do you sharpen your SAK?

T

tomsch

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With all the discussion of Vic's steel I'm wondering how everyone sharpens their SAK? For me it is a quick touch-up on my Sharpmaker at 40 degrees inclusive. I typically do this once a week of after I've used the blade enough that it won't have hair. I use the same routine on my of my knives including my CRKs.

I do have a Wicket Edge but never have used it on any of my SAKs. May be interesting to put a mirror edge on at some point just to see how it turns out.
 
tomsch said:
With all the discussion of Vic's steel I'm wondering how everyone sharpens their SAK? For me it is a quick touch-up on my Sharpmaker at 40 degrees inclusive. I typically do this once a week of after I've used the blade enough that it won't have hair. I use the same routine on my of my knives including my CRKs.

I do have a Wicket Edge but never have used it on any of my SAKs. May be interesting to put a mirror edge on at some point just to see how it turns out.
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Like you, I also sharpen my SAKs on a Sharpmaker, but have found the interval between laying on the rods is much greater when I strop, sometimes going months before having to haul out the old SM. For stropping I use what is handy, including cardboard, rolled up slick covered magazines, and any ceramics my wife won't have a fit seeing me use. At home I use a stiff cardboard tube with green polishing compound rubbed into it. Of course, these intervals depend on what and how often you cut stuff.
 
for main blades I just give a couple freehand swipes on a ceramic stone, about 800 grit, but its fairly smooth for that. For pen blades I strop on compound and leather, as I want them to be pretty much a scalpel.
 
I touch up on a ceramic rod or freehand on an Arkansas stone. Strop as needed.
 
Lots of stropping seems to keep mine sharp for a long time. When it is time to sharpen all it takes is a few strokes on a medium diamond stone to set the edge, and a then about 50 strokes on a fine arkansas. 4-5 on a leather strop to finish it up and it stays sharp for a long time.
 
I've found that the mini-steel from Victorinox is sufficient for my needs. Granted, I don't abuse my SAK blades, so if the edges get rough all they really need is a 'maintenance' straightening, not a re-sharpening.

Just a suggestion. Hope it helps!

Aldon
 
Since the coffee mug bottom works so well with my old Wenger chefs knife, I just go ahead and use it on my SAK's when I'm home. A light stropping on an old leather belt after leaves it razor sharp.
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40° on the Sharpmaker, then strop occasionally for edge maintenance as needed. Use a leather belt with green compound, or a piece of hard cardboard with the same compound.
 
In complete agreement with everyone here. I free hand on a ceramic rod and strop on leather with green compound. I've brought dull SAKs back to hair popping sharp with just a strop. If you don't own a strop, glue an old belt to a garden stake and voila.
 
I've only stropped mine, on an old leather belt, with a little bit of Blue Magic metal polish on the belt.
If it (or any of my other knives) ever needs it, I have a fine ceramic rod, and a fine or medium fine (I forget which) hard arkansas stone.
 
Strop it regularly is about it. As needed. My Barlow is my primary knife, with the SAK (alox Farmer) being more of a tool to me. It's blade rarely sees use. The saw, cap-lifter, screwdriver, etc see all the action.
 
I did the initial edge with a silicon carbide norton stone (free hand) all subsequent touch ups have been with 1000 grit paper. TO be honest the majority of my edge cleanups are done with the strop.
 
I use the Victorinox Pocket Knife Sharpener , after all Victorinox made it for sharpening their knives. I have a Sharpmaker and a strop but after trying most methods i have concluded that for no muss no fuss the Vic PKS is the tool for my SAKs.
 
I use a Norton india IB8 followed by a few strokes across the ceramic side of a DC4 as I do for all my knives. In the field I carry a Victorinox Pocket knife Sharpener but rarely need to use it.
 
I carry a EZE-LAP dual diamond hone when I travel. Carried a similar one in the field for many years, no oil or mess and did/does a good, quick job. John
 
I use a cheap steal from the kitchen section at Walmart. Having used about every type of device, I've found the steel to work the best.
 
Although I have just about any type of sharpener available...

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For my Vic's I still prefer the original Lansky that I bought somewhere around 1980.

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It is the old style clamp that works so well with these type of knives and I love it so much that I bought a couple of second hand sets on the big auction site as spares.
 
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