I dont have a knife sharpener, so how can i sharpen my knives?

eccvets said:
never heard of this before, do you put any compound/paste on to the photo print paper?
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No, like newspaper it has fine Clays in it so its kinda "pre-loaded" with compound. Works better than one may think too.
 
fedvladem said:
im a bit low on money right now. im only in high school. i have like 10 bucks right now but im gonna save up for the spyderco knife sharpener. but until then, i need to find a way to sharpen my knives
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Ahh just got done with that mess. In all seriousness though if you can get a part time job that doesnt conflict with school, do it. I worked my first full time job with summer. Needless to say I got so many cool new edged tools it was great. To answer your original question buy some wet dry sandpaper varying in the coarse and fine grits, it's all I do now and I don't plan on looking for another method for a long time.
 
You can find a Rapala ceramic sharpener for about 3$ bucks in fishing dept. of most sporting goods stores that will give you a serviceble edge until you can get a good sharpener like the Sharpmaker. And since the Rapala has ceramic rods it won't damage your edges like those lousy pull through sharpeners with carbide scrapers in them.

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I highly recommend the bottom of ceramic bowls or coffee mugs. The bottoms have different abrasiveness levels so find ones that are coarse and some are more find. Start from coarse to fine. Finish it up by stropping on newspaper (The LA times seems to have a good stropping abrasiveness).

Also. kudos on saving up to buy something. Too many of my peers (I am a college kid) play around with daddy's money and buy a sharpmaker the instant they realize they need a sharpener. Of course their parents foot the credit card bill.
 
In addition to the cheap stones at the hardware store and sand paper; white jewelers rouge is around ~6000 grit. I use it on an old leather belt to strop with, works pretty well for me. A stick of it lasts a long while and is like $5 at Ace.
 
Victorionx pocket sharpener is about 7$. The ceramic rod to thin down, the slotted V to finish (microbevel), assuming thinning down with angle less than 40 inclusive (which the V slot is).
 
theres a few options

Ceramic cup or crock pot (it does work)
Wet and dry - There is heaps of grits available- I go to 2000 personally
If you get a burr and if folds after cutting, You can reallign with a screwdriver, the spine of another knife, an actual steel etc
Use a stone
If you have autopolish, put it on cardboard to make a strop.

this is a quick jig I made out of pine, Ive since made ones that arent as tall and have 2 angles (another angle where the vertical is)
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I find that the best low cost option is Lansky crocksticks and a strop :rolleyes:
- total for that-less than $20 :D
 
Do you know someone who works for an Electric Utility? Ask them to get you the ceramic element support from a broken street light. Before I retired from a power company I knew linemen who swore that it was the very best sharpener available. I never tried it myself, as I always had alternatives.
 
Check some of the asian stores for inexpensive sharpening stones. I just picked up a combo 120/280 grit stone and a 400 grit stone (both 2" x 6" x 3/4") for $ 1.50 each at a Japanese store called Daiso, they are like the dollar stores but most stuff is $1.50 and better quality. I had to get a couple more because I left mine at my brother in law's cabin so that I have some thing there to sharpen knives with.

Here's another idea, sweet talk your parents into getting you a stone and keep their kitchen knives sharp for them. That way, they get some benefits from it too. Help out in the kitchen, especially when it comes to cutting stuff up. My mom always liked it when I'd cut stuff up, plus I learned how to do stuff like cut up a whole chicken in about 3 minutes or less, got lost of practice "hacking" up assorted vegetables and fruit. Now one of my favorite things to do is to slice up red onions for sandwiches and see how thin I can get the slices.

Let us know what you end up getting.

Ric
 
Sandpaper and a mousepad. Just use a stropping motion for that. 220-320 grit wet/dry should do you good. Get a piece of wood and cut into it to remove the burr.

A spyderco Sharpmaker is for maintaining an edge, it'll take forever to actually sharpen it.
 
Phydeaux said:
Check some of the asian stores for inexpensive sharpening stones. I just picked up a combo 120/280 grit stone and a 400 grit stone (both 2" x 6" x 3/4") for $ 1.50 each at a Japanese store called Daiso, they are like the dollar stores but most stuff is $1.50 and better quality. I had to get a couple more because I left mine at my brother in law's cabin so that I have some thing there to sharpen knives with.

Here's another idea, sweet talk your parents into getting you a stone and keep their kitchen knives sharp for them. That way, they get some benefits from it too. Help out in the kitchen, especially when it comes to cutting stuff up. My mom always liked it when I'd cut stuff up, plus I learned how to do stuff like cut up a whole chicken in about 3 minutes or less, got lost of practice "hacking" up assorted vegetables and fruit. Now one of my favorite things to do is to slice up red onions for sandwiches and see how thin I can get the slices.

Let us know what you end up getting.

Ric
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I also got some stones from Daisho. Here it's priced 3$ each. They come in various grits, but highest only 400. Not an issue, 400 will get you sharp.
 
Black Silicon Carbide wet-or-dry auto body paper.
220 grit, 440 grit, 600+ grit. Attach with water spray to a
piece of glass. Learn to hold a constant angle by locking
your arms to your body, pivot at the waist and sweep
the blade across the paper at about a 22 degree angle.

Spend some time doing this slowly and watch to see what happens.
Learn slowly. When your blade is sharpened to your satisfaction,
strop on the backside of a leather belt.

Bill
 
Bill Hoffman said:
Black Silicon Carbide wet-or-dry auto body paper.
220 grit, 440 grit, 600+ grit. Attach with water spray to a
piece of glass. Learn to hold a constant angle by locking
your arms to your body, pivot at the waist and sweep
the blade across the paper at about a 22 degree angle.

Spend some time doing this slowly and watch to see what happens.
Learn slowly. When your blade is sharpened to your satisfaction,
strop on the backside of a leather belt.

Bill
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I second the back of a leather belt, I used that until I got a strop! :D
 
Jkjklkl said:
I've heard of people using the base of ceramic mugs to sharpen. Not sure how viable it is though, as I've never tried it.
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I used the bottom of a porcelain bowl when I was working in a kitchen. Mind you that this was used on a 15 degree inclusive chef knife, so it was really easy to lay an edge.
 
Sandpaper and an old mouse pad is probably the cheapest reasonable way.. but you could rub rocks together (varying densities) to get a flat surface and use that. Sandstone, limestone etc.. sedimentary rocks are going to be smoother than igneous granite of course. Essentially this is all sharpening stones are anyway, just varying qualities of rocks (now usually man made).
 
You should be able to find a combination stone for $2-$3 at your local hardware store or a Home Depot (look in the tools section, near the files and such). Using this, you can get a good useable edge. Follow with even the cheapest stropping options (old leather belt, cardboard, etc...), and you'll be all set.
 
I've used 8" coarse/fine stones SiC stones, I think $12 at Ace/Home Depot.

It's all about the constant angle though, run by garage sales and find a ceramic plate, stop by a waffle house/dennys/IHOP and wait for a coffee mug to break, pick ceramic up that way.

Sand and concrete will abrade the glazing on the plate/mug and you'll have a useful surface.

Murray Carter has a video on youtube where he uses a cement block and cardboard.

Summer job for $$ sounds like the best idea, sweat for knives & accessories is a solid game plan.
 
Anyone mentioned bottom ring/edge of any ceramic crockery?

Like the bottom of a mug or a plate - the unglazed ring/edge is about the same as the "crock sticks".

Of course pick one that does not have any obvious lumps or bumps - the smoother the better.

Then hold the blade perpendicular to that ring - that's obviously 90deg - then halve that angle - that's 45 deg, and then halve it again - that gives approx 22.5deg to give an inclusive angle of 45deg - probably ideal for most general purpose knives.

Then try to maintain that angle, and hone away using that unglazed ring/edge going from heel to tip - like trying to take a fine slice out of the ceramic. Pretty easy with the blade cutting away - but be more careful with the other side when honing toward yourself........ Try three strokes each side if the blade is already pretty sharp - more obviously if it is dull.

One can bring up the sharpness within seconds using a ceramic plate or mug if already fairly sharp - minutes if not -
I like mugs because of the handle is easier to hold on to.

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I think Lansky Croc sticks would be ideal for you and cost around 11 or 12 dollar's. My teenage son gathered scrap metal over his summer vacation and made several hundred dollars doing so. Go ask your neighbor's if they have some metal scrap laying around, old air conditioner's for the Copper ect. Check woodlot's for where people may have disposed of thing's. You would be surprised at what people have stacked up and some are happy to be rid of it. It can be difficult for teen's to earn money these day's, however, it is possible if you have the drive like he has.
 
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