I suck at sharpening

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The XXC will remove metal the fastest, and is the best for flattening stones.

OTOH, I so seldom need to remove a lot of metal, and I keep my stones flat by flattening them every other time I use them, therefore I use a coarse instead of an XC or XXC.

You probably should also get a medium and ultra-fine, if you're going to depend on diamonds. :p

Personally, I would just get a "C" or "XC" and waterstones for sharpening past that level. Shaptons or Naniwas will give you an incredible edge at the finer grit sizes. :thumbup:
 
The complete set of 8x3 DMT benchstones would be ideal but its a lot of money, I'll have them all one day but for now the X-coarse, fine, X-fine and XX-fine do the job well. The advantage to having the complete set would be speed, still with what I have now its quite fast. Of all the stones I have diamonds really do work the best, I like my waterstones and ceramics but the diamond stones seem to be much more consistent in edge sharpness throughout a wide selection of steels. A 8000 mesh diamond hone just does things other stone can't. Did I mention they are fast ;)
 
knifenut1013 said:
The complete set of 8x3 DMT benchstones would be ideal but its a lot of money, I'll have them all one day but for now the X-coarse, fine, X-fine and XX-fine do the job well. The advantage to having the complete set would be speed, still with what I have now its quite fast. Of all the stones I have diamonds really do work the best, I like my waterstones and ceramics but the diamond stones seem to be much more consistent in edge sharpness throughout a wide selection of steels. A 8000 mesh diamond hone just does things other stone can't. Did I mention they are fast ;)
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Here, again, is the individual preference and taste. :p

You are quite correct that a complete set of diamond stones is the fastest non-powered way to sharpen. No question about that.:thumbup:

OTOH, I sharpen as much for relaxation, and the joy of getting my mind off of the day's troubles as for the keenness of the blade itself.

I also enjoy doing precision work that requires 100 percent concentration. I find it impossible to worry about problems at the school when I'm concentrating on other work. :)
 
hardheart said:
You cannot destroy a knife on sharpening stones. Try the coarse, you should be able to shave arm hair off of that stone.
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I beg to differ.. You can destroy a knife on a sharpening stone if you put enough energy to it.. I've seen it.. Never underestimate how stupid some people can be especially when frustrated... That said it would be very difficult to ruin the temper using a hand type sharpening stones.

As to 154CM.. Any abrasive that will wear away or polish the steel will sharpen the blade. Coarse abrasives and better cutting abrasives like diamond stones make the task of sharpening some of the higher end and more wear resistant blades much easier.
 
Re; Dmt bench stones, there are two variations ie. Interrupted or Continuous surface. Which would you recommended?
 
I sharpen every day, burned through many knives and some water stones, I also really like vintage oil stones.
A phenomena happens to me where i'll practice and practice, be doing great then for a few days I regress back to not being able to get anything sharp enough to split hair. Then the next week i'm back to thinking i'm amazing at it again! lol
-Its like the old saying goes "3 steps forward and 2 steps back" with practice.
I find this very irritating.

This may sound strange or overwhelming, but for most people free hand, I really don't think you will "get the hang of it" untill you have sharpened 500-1000 knives... this sounds crazy but if you do 2 knives a day on average, they add up quick. It only takes 10 minutes or less to do one knife. I have not quite hit that 1000 mark but i'm close.
 
Glytch5 said:
I sharpen every day, burned through many knives and some water stones, I also really like vintage oil stones.
A phenomena happens to me where i'll practice and practice, be doing great then for a few days I regress back to not being able to get anything sharp enough to split hair. Then the next week i'm back to thinking i'm amazing at it again! lol
-Its like the old saying goes "3 steps forward and 2 steps back" with practice.
I find this very irritating.

This may sound strange or overwhelming, but for most people free hand, I really don't think you will "get the hang of it" untill you have sharpened 500-1000 knives... this sounds crazy but if you do 2 knives a day on average, they add up quick. It only takes 10 minutes or less to do one knife. I have not quite hit that 1000 mark but i'm close.
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Wow, you raised this thread from a deep, deep slumber! I agree that you have to sharpen a lot of knives to get good because you'll work out your own kinks and quirks along the way (the way you hold the knife, the way you approach the stone, the way you keep bevels even from heel to tip, the way you feel for a burr, the way you check for edge damage, the way you sharpen a flexible blade vs. a stiff blade, sharpening high-wear resistant steels vs. softer steels, sharpening very dull/damaged edges, etc.).

But I have to admit that, yes, your post sounds strange to me. I don't think it takes 1,000 knives. 100 maybe. A red flag shot up when I read that you're close to 1,000 knives under your sharpening belt but still sometimes find yourself not being able to achieve your goals. There is something not right there. Are you able to make a vid of your sharpening process and share it here?
 
OP.....

I was (and to some extent still am) in the same boat as you. Two years ago I started my foray into the world of higher end knives only to realize I sucked at (and was also afraid to) sharpening them. First knife was a Bark River Bravo one..

It is only NOW, over two years later that I think I finally have gotten the knack of sharpening it by stropping down as I finally was able to get it shaving sharp.

Also, I've got the KO worksharp pro which I've used on less expensive knives with some success. The first couple of knives I screwed up the blade on though, but thats ok as they were cheap things I picked up at a flea market.

Keep at it..as with anything practice makes perfect...
 
dmt or atoma if you want the best, atoma. dmt is a close second and a lot cheaper. I use dmt's and go through them in two or three yrs but I also make knives and use them more in a year than most use them in a lifetime. any knife I make I resharpen it free by hand and the bevel is mirror.
 
1-Use diamond hones as they remain flat.

2-Use coarse or X-tra coarse to get a true flat V-bevel side.

3-Stroke lenghtwise on the initial coarse grit to avoid any change in angle freehand: Back and forth to maintain the angle constant on every stroke: Watch for the shadow to disappear below the edge in a strong overhead light.

4-Feel accross the edge with your nail for a burr: A burr will pick up any nail material in a crisp white appearance.

5-Break the burr by lightly rubbing the edge accross a medium stone at nearly 70 to 90 degrees, until no nail material is grabbed either side.

6-Touch up the side opposite a successful "break off" at a slightly higher angle, gentle pressure, still on the medium stone... Repeat other side until the medium stone makes it push-cut through phonebook paper.

Of note is less coarse diamonds strokes should not be lengthwise as you get close to the end, as horizontal striations that are paralell to the edge can weaken it.

I don't see any practical value in highly polished edges or angles over 15° per side.

Gaston
 
Get a set of degree wedges to use with your stone or diamond plate; it will cut sharpening time in half when each and every pass is at the same angle of approach. They make sharpening both productive and fun. Why take some precise and make it vague?
 
Fred.Rowe said:
Get a set of degree wedges to use with your stone or diamond plate; it will cut sharpening time in half when each and every pass is at the same angle of approach. They make sharpening both productive and fun. Why take some precise and make it vague?
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Are these something that clamp or glue to the blade? My problem with any guided sharpening is the adjustment of changing the angle slightly while going around the belly: Changing the angle is "vague", and no set angle will "look right" on a low radius belly (like the slight belly on fighters or daggers)... I've found I can do what I want more precisely freehand if stroking paralell to the edge...

Gaston
 
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The wedges give the user an exact base line angle or datum to work from Sit the wedge on the surface of the stone then set the ricasso of the blade atop the wedge. A 15 degree wedge will have the apex sitting at a precise angle. Each pass is identical to the last. When moving along the belly and tip just lift the spine.

The wedges give far better results when the user has not developed that long term freehand technique.

I can grind free hand, bevels and edges, but if I want specific results, its the Bubble Jig and ERU's exact angle control that I chose.

When I sharpen on our 2 x 72 VS wet belt machine, using set angle control, the results are fast and amazingly accurate. I'm a custom maker and grind with angle control from steel choice to finished edge. Having every angle on the knife match all the others makes the building of a big blade so much easier to pull off. When some one looks down the bevels they look as if they were ground by machine, same way with the finished edge.

It would be pretty boring if we all went about it in the same way, the different styles of sharpeners as well as knife makers keeps the craft interesting and competitive.

Fred
 
Gaston444 said:
Are these something that clamp or glue to the blade? My problem with any guided sharpening is the adjustment of changing the angle slightly while going around the belly: Changing the angle is "vague", and no set angle will "look right" on a low radius belly (like the slight belly on fighters or daggers)... I've found I can do what I want more precisely freehand if stroking paralell to the edge...

Gaston
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Have you tried your hand at Japanese whetstone yet?
 
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