I need an affordable freehand sharpening solution.

T

the kid

Joined
May 5, 2008
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I don't need a Sharpmaker, Lansky box, rods, compound, paste, sandpaper, mousepad, cup, steel, strop or one of those cheap pull through devices.

Now we got that out of the way :D I need an affordable stone or other contraption for freehand sharpening.

I was thinking either a 2 sided (Norton, India?) stone.

OR

One of these things:

lansky-diamond-sharpening-pad-medium-grit.jpg



Naturally I already read many threads about the subject and I run into two problems:

1 Information overload. (hence the joke in the first sentence)
2 Not specific enough information about brands and grids.

I know Norton stones are good and India stones as well. But I can't even seem to be able to find out if India stones are actually a Norton brand or universal type.:confused:

I would prefer a dry solution because it's less messy that way. (I prefer sharpening behind my desk while watching a TV show or something)
Also, I will do my shopping at Ebay because the American brands will not be available to me otherwise so I really need a specific brand, type and grit.
I do not want to use oil, water is okay though.

I will use it to sharpen my pocket knives. All of these have a secondary bevel. So size is not that important.
I was thinking about $20 max if possible.:foot: (will be $35 with shipping for me)

Please advice and try to keep it simple please. :p
 
For a dry solution, your best options are diamond plates or wet/dry (silicon carbide) sandpaper over glass, metal, etc. The Norton stones are a good option, but work best with some sort of lube - oil, water, windex.
 
I have a smiths tri hone that I got for 22 dollars shipped on amazon ( you could probably get a similar price on ebay). It has a super coarse side a medium side and a fine side. I don't know about the exact grits but they get my knife plenty sharp.
 
Danimal6513 said:
I have a smiths tri hone that I got for 22 dollars shipped on amazon ( you could probably get a similar price on ebay). It has a super coarse side a medium side and a fine side. I don't know about the exact grits but they get my knife plenty sharp.
Click to expand...

Cool device but it needs oil.?
 
You did not give the grades of steel you wish to sharpen, so, to cover the bases, your best bet for cheap and dry would be pocket diamond hones (Eze Lap, DMT).
Coarse/fine covers it pretty well.
 
StevieWunders said:
You did not give the grades of steel you wish to sharpen, so, to cover the bases, your best bet for cheap and dry would be pocket diamond hones (Eze Lap, DMT).
Coarse/fine covers it pretty well.
Click to expand...

Cheap steels. Victorinox, Case Tru sharp, other affordable knives.
Could you elaborate on that?

I assume Eze Lap and DMT are brands, got any type numbers or names?
 
For softer steels such as victorinox, diamond is overkill. I tried and it eats away the blade so fast :eek:

I'd recommend HH's Washboard. The sandpaper should be plenty good to go.
 
Chris "Anagarika";12673956 said:
For softer steels such as victorinox, diamond is overkill. I tried and it eats away the blade so fast :eek:

I'd recommend HH's Washboard. The sandpaper should be plenty good to go.
Click to expand...

I second the vote for a washboard, it's a great system and it comes at a great price too :)
 
++ for HeavyHanded's washboard together with sandpaper and paper loaded with compound and you have a complete sharpening solution. Maybe for major reprofiling you would rather look into a coarse JWS or diamond. I would also second diamond stones in general. I really like the dotted DMT coarse/fine in 8 inch (the DMT duosharp).
 
Norton offers a set of stones for sharpening butcher/kitchen knives. The larger set uses 3 stones that are arranged in a triangular prism fashion that is suspended over an oil bath. The neat thing is you can squeegee the oil off the top of the stone with a rubber kitchen spatula before you use it, so there is minimal messiness.
The normal set up is a coarse stone made of Silicon Carbide (Carborundum), a medium stone also Carborundum, and a fine India (Aluminum Oxide/Corundum) stone. These stones are 11 1/2" X 2 1/2" X 1/2". They work great for larger knives, but they work fine for small knives as well. The grit sizes are 100, 220, and 320 respectively.
Because you can refresh the surface of the stones with new oil, there is no glazing, and you always have a useful cutting surface.
 
I would go waterstones, the Arashiyama 1k and 6k specifically. If you need a coarse stone there are plenty to chose from.
 
Chris "Anagarika";12673956 said:
For softer steels such as victorinox, diamond is overkill. I tried and it eats away the blade so fast :eek:

I'd recommend HH's Washboard. The sandpaper should be plenty good to go.
Click to expand...

Diamond is overkill, noted :thumbup:
If I can get a completely dull pocket knife sharp again on my old stone I don't need diamond.

The Washboard is over my budget, especially since shipping is bound to be $15, if he ships internationally at all.

knifenut1013 said:
I would go waterstones, the Arashiyama 1k and 6k specifically. If you need a coarse stone there are plenty to chose from.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately not available to me :grumpy:

I think I'm going to simplify the question. I would like a stone with two grits, no oil for under $20.
Perhaps a Norton or india stone?
 
the kid said:
Diamond is overkill, noted :thumbup:
If I can get a completely dull pocket knife sharp again on my old stone I don't need diamond.

The Washboard is over my budget, especially since shipping is bound to be $15, if he ships internationally at all.



Unfortunately not available to me :grumpy:

I think I'm going to simplify the question. I would like a stone with two grits, no oil for under $20.
Perhaps a Norton or india stone?
Click to expand...

Those Norton stones will load up fairly quickly if used with no oil or lube. If determined, go with the Norton Crystalon (silicon carbide) and you can use it dry and clean it off after use more easily than the India stone. If dry is a defining factor and diamonds are overkill, just use wet/dry sandpaper wrapped around a black of hardwood, metal, glass. Use a pink eraser or similar to clean it off as it loads up. In the States you can get a good assortment at the auto parts store where the body work supplies are sold. Get a progression - 120 grit, 320 grit, 600, etc
 
the kid said:
Cheap steels. Victorinox, Case Tru sharp, other affordable knives.
Could you elaborate on that?

I assume Eze Lap and DMT are brands, got any type numbers or names?
Click to expand...

There's quite a lot of accurate information in this thread and a number of excellent sharpening choices. Your price limit leaves you with two alternatives, as I see it (someone else may have another $20 idea). You can buy an Eze-Lap 6" fine diamond pocket hone and accept that your knives will wear out relatively soon, though you can prolong their lives by touching up very gently and often when used. This accommodates your wish for dry sharpening, but remember to clean the hone regularly (wash and dry thoroughly or dry stiff nylon brush-not perfect, but will do). Your other choice is to be a little tidier with your oilstones and get a soft and hard Arkansas sized for your budget. Others have their own methods and I wouldn't quarrel with any of them, but I use two or three drops of oil to start off an Ark. stone, spread it with my finger and sharpen. If working the stone a lot(loading up is clearly visible with most), I repeat the oil and wipe with a shop rag and do this again when I'm finished. You don't need a major oil spill, you just need moistened stones. IMHO, after the initial wetting, the oil is for cleaning swarf, not so much for lubricating the stone. I'm generally not the tidiest person you'll ever meet, but I can sharpen all night on Arkies and the only things dirty are my fingers and my shop rag. Everything about knife steel and sharpening it comes down to a tradeoff of one quality or advantage for another. Time for you to make a trade. Happy sharpening.
Edit: You might consult British Blades forum for UK or nearer stone dealers and possibly trim down your shipping costs.
 
The folks @ Britishblades or Stefan (Schmalhaus) will be able to help more as they're in EU. Stefan is a member here, shoot him an email.
 
@ StevieWunders and Chris

I have an account on britishblades. I think I'm going to make a thread over there. I really appreciate the suggestions here but none of them available or unknown to me.
In the mean time I will just have to buy new knives on a regular basis until I get a decent sharpening stone.:D
 
I've been using Japanese water stones for 25+ years. Love them! No knickknacks to deal with and you merely soak the stones in water. I keep the larger ones at home (coarse/medium/fine) and for outdoor hunting/fishing and camping trips keep a small 1000 grit version in my kit bag. The 'chalk' stone which is 4000 (I think) only gets used when I'm in a really good mood and want a crazy edge. For most purposes a 1000 grit sharpening and then strop on the leather belt holding up my pants will still drop straight through a tomato with almost no effort.
Hand sharpening is laborious the first time around but does tell you in very short order how keen your steel is. I gave up on stainless (except for knock-about knives) a long time ago in favour of vintage carbon steel that says Solingen or Sheffield on it. My kitchen knives are all 50-70 year old new-found Sabatiers that Lee Valley Tools was flogging cheap quite a few years ago.
 
There is a Norton two sided "economy" stone sold at Home Depot's for less than $6 and I am told it is a good stone. I was also told to use it dry so you should try that!

I picked one up but havent used it yet as I am waiting on some user knives to sharpen! :D
 
I have no direct experience, but it's highly recommended for simple steel as well. Jason did one video with that on a Henckel (which has simple steel like SAK, IIRC): [youtube]8VPCvd5hUVQ[/youtube]
 
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