I Need a Sharpening System That Works!

After about a week of sharpening my good knives on the Sharpmaker, my good knives no longer needed sharpening -- so I dug ut a few of my grandmother's worn out butter knives. They will shave now, and I only had to double the strokes on the coarse rods to do it.

I'm sure any of the reputable systems can do this. Some are easier to use, some are cheaper to buy. Take your pick, start with a few POS knives, get comfortable, work on the good stuff, get happy.

Probably a good idea to pick up a steel and some benchstones and maybe a diamond hone, too. Patience, patience.
 
I think that the sharpmaker is an excellent sharpening system. HOWEVER, I think that the most important thing is that you understand the process of sharpening. The Sharpening FAQ on this site written by Joe Talmadge helped me far more than buying another piece of equipment. No matter what system you use, the understanding of how to sharpen the knife is the most important. Go read the FAQ. (Click on the "knowledge base" link and then click on "Knife FAQs") I'm sure you'll begin to get good results...

--Matt
 
What works for me is simply two grades of ceramic stones (medium and ultrafine) followed by stropping on leather coated with chromium oxide (green) polish. Freehand sharpening is quick, fast, and easy. But it takes A Lot of practice (I'm still getting better and have been seriously practicing Sharp for ten years).

Sharpening systems can help folks achieve good edges without a lot of time spent practicing repetitive, consistant, and sometimes complex motions. But some sort of fundamental understanding and skills of observation are also necessary.

Joe Talmage suggests using a black felt tip mark to cover the edge with ink. I really like this technique. Particulary when sharpening a blade for the first time. The ink will make it easy to see exactly where the stone is abrading the edge. Often folks are trying to apply a more acute angle to the edge that is alreay on the knife. It may take a long time using hand stones to Reprofile the primary edge (thinning). I think most folks failures result from not spending enough time making sure that their sharpening strokes are actually Doing something at the cutting edge.

Any system should help establish a consistant angle of abrasion. Working through finer and finer stones is necessary to achieve the ultimate edge that is beyond shaving sharp. This system can involve stone, knife, hand, muscle and brain, Or it can include an apparatus to help fix the angles of abrasion from the stone on the knife. Both will work well if the operator knows what he is trying to do, and looks, listens, and feels.

Paracelsus
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Gary H:
EDGE PRO:

Do you buy this direct, or is there a better source?

The Pro model is rather expensive, is it worth the difference?</font>
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You buy direct. Ben Dale, the creator of the edgepro, is a real nice guy to deal with. As to whether it's worth the difference, I'm guessing you mean as compared to the Apex model -- so I can't answer you, I only own the Pro model. I haven't regretted the price; it's worth every penny, especially after wasting so much money on other systems.

 
Gary H - I have both models and unless you sharpen a lot of knives (like 20+ a week) or really big ones, there's no real difference in performance between the Apex and the Pro. The Pro does everything the Apex does (plus a little more) it just does it better. My Apex suited my need for quite some time before I got the Pro. Get an Apex, you won't be disappointed
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You have all the tools you need to sharpen your knives. You just need someone to show you how to use them. With the lansky, you should be able to get the right profile for your knife and the sypderco will give you the final, shaving-sharp angle. You just need to find someone who knows how to use them and can show you. Probably the two most common problems are failure to take both sides down to the edge and failure to maintain a consistent angle. Another is failure to remove the burr that forms on one side of the edge. The edge will often feel sharp but won't last long.

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Hoodoo

I get some pleasure from finding a relentlessly peaceful use for a combative looking knife.
JKM
 
Nothing beats the old tried and true Norton India Oil Stone. Once you can put a hair popping edge on a blade by hand, you can move on to one of the systems mentioned to save yourself some time. Sharpening is 99% knowhow and 1% equipment. My bet is Joe Talmadge could put a razor edge on just about anything using a concrete floor as a stone. I'm nowhere near that good, but using a stone is the best way I know of to get there. Lotsa cheap knives to practice on helps too.
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