How often do you do it?

Macchina

Macchina

Joined
Apr 7, 2006
Messages
5,213
That's right, I want to know how often you sharpen your EDC. I sharpen (about 6 passes on a fine ceramic stone) mine every day I use it, it's not dull, but I sharpen it anyway. If I'm going Hunting, Hiking, Camping, etc. then I sharpen them before I go out no matter what. I am very finicky about a sharp blade, buy I mainly just find it relaxing to sharpen a knife after work. How often do you sharpen yours?
 
I'm ashamed to say -- I don't sharpen until I notice that it's getting dull. Since I can be pretty inattentive, that can be weeks, and sometimes months. :o
 
i like to touch all of my common use knives up about once a week on a lazy afternoon, usually on the weekend.

or i do it right before i go out in the woods or do something important with it.
 
I sharpen it if i notice it is dull or if i am planning an outing of any kind or if i am bored which is fairly regularly. I use either my sharpmaker or sometimes just a porceline rod for touch ups
 
Yeah, I don't own any sharpening equipment. So, I guess I don't really sharpen my knives. The guys at my local hardware store sharpen mine up for me.
 
Depends on how much I'm using it. I hate dull knives, so I keep a good eye on it.... Depends on which knife I'm carrying at the time too, some hold an edge for a long time. Others don't.
 
I sharpen my EDCs about every three months. I do strop them every other day though.
 
I usually switch out my EDC main folder weekly. before I put last weeks away I give it whatever attention it needs. Clean and lube blade and pivot, sharpen the blade, usually just needs a light touch up.
I like to be able to grab one out of the safe and have it ready to roll without any effort.
 
moving-van.jpg
 
If I'm using a blade hard - as I get time to re-sharpen. If I'm doing something like gardening or property renovation things - it's usually at the end of the day. In the past, I've dulled several folders, especially when I'm doing reno work in the course of a day, so it's nice to have 'em sharp for the next day/usage. During the work week - only when I notice it's starting to dull a bit - I'll touch up when I get a chance - most times it's after I get home.

- gord
 
It seems like a lot of people oversharpen their knives. The biggest causes of oversharpening seem to be setting a schedule- sharpening every day/week/month even if you haven't used it at all or enough to dull the edge to any noticable degree. The other cause is people using inappropriate sharpening methods. Sometimes, all you need to restore an edge is to roll the edge back over. Eventually the edge fatigues and breaks off, but the straightened edge will still give you some mileage. But instead of steeling or stropping, people use medium or low grit stones every time and end up taking off a lot of material. I strop my main use knives or use my fine (white) Sharpmaker rods as needed, and if I notice that I can't restore the edge because it's been dulled too much or fatigued too much, then I move up to my medium sharpmaker rods or very high grit sandpaper.

Some people need to invest in something other than low grit sandpaper, beltsanding, cheapo sharpeners, and using stones in the medium or low range when they only need a fine tuning. It's worth it in the end when you're not losing blade belly quickly. It's also important not to undersharpen and let the edge get beyond easy repair, because you need to remove a lot of material to restore the edge and your knife isn't functioning properly while it's dull.
 
I use my translucent arkansas or a ceramic stone when I want to touch up my blades. They remove very little metal ... It's relaxing and probably unnecessary sharpening but fun and reassuring to get that blistering sharp edge back.
 
Native Justice said:
I use my translucent arkansas or a ceramic stone when I want to touch up my blades. They remove very little metal ... It's relaxing and probably unnecessary sharpening but fun and reassuring to get that blistering sharp edge back.
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I don't get crazy about keeping knives sharp. I sharpen when the knife gets dull. Some think I'm crazy by what I consider dull.
 
I definitely think oversharpening is much better than undersharpening. A dull knife is just inefficient and dangerous :thumbdn:
 
I use a strop or a steel pretty much everyday. Its easy for me to get obsessive about sharpening; so i try to keep it under control.
 
I have a signature on the Spyderco.com Forum where I also am a member that goes something like this>> "There are few tools that are as useful as a sharp knife, but there are few tools as useless as a dull knife" << I may have missed a word or 2 but you get the jest of it :)

To me if my EDC, or any other knife I own for that matter isn't hair shaving sharp then I immediately feel that I got a job to do> YES INDEED get the sharpening equipment out NOW!!!

Now I do make exceptions on my "strictly collectible" NIB knives that I simply collect for my long term collection. Those are knives that I will probably never use. But any blade in my "user arsenal" will always be sharp or I will immediately be working on it. I am carrying 3 blades today. A C-44 Spyderco big Dyad, A C-52 Spyderco ZDP-189 Calypso Jr, and a Spyderco G-10 Harpy. And you could shave with all of them :rolleyes: Well maybe the Harpy would be limited to oddly shaped faces :eek: That's how serious I take it :cool:
 
I sharpen my knives whenever there is a need. When they nolonger properly perform they get few licks on the sharpener, crock sticks for a quick tune up usually does the trick. I don't let them get much less than shaving sharp, that way they are easier to tune up. Periodically the primary edge needs to be worked up on an as needed bases. Over sharpening does nothing but shorten the lifespan of the knife.
 
I sharpen only when the knife needs it and strop some in=between. I am picky about what is "sharp".
WOOK
 
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