Knife maitenance and sharpening help.

I

ItalianStallion303

Joined
Mar 22, 2015
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26
Hi there guys! So I have a couple of questions for ya'll.

#1: I've been using the Spyderco Triangle Sharpener for awhile now and I've been wanting to switch over to stones to learn how to hone a blade myself. I was just wondering, which stones do I need to get? I've heard some people say they go from diamond stones to ceramic and all other sorts of combinations. Or should I just stick with one type of stone? Also, what grits of stones would I need?

And #2: What would you guys recommend I apply to my fixed blade knives to keep them in excellent condition and to prevent rusting? I've heard many different opinions in this area and was wondering what would ya'll recommend?

And lastly #3: I have a leatherman that's getting a fair bit of rust near the hinges and was wondering how could I restore this knife and keep it working smoothly? Is there something I could soak it in without disassembling the whole thing?

Thanks in advance!
 
#2: Keep them clean and wipe them down with 3-In-1 oil or mineral oil for blades that come in contact with food.

How often depends on usage. For users, after a day's usage. For storage, at least every year, if not 6 months.
 
1A. Grit progression is very important if you want to get to higher levels of polish. For EDC knives, I recommend 120, 220, 320/400 and 600, possibly 1,000 grit as well. Sandpaper on glass is a very low entry cost into sharpening, also, you don't have to dress/flatten your sharpening media. Very attractive option for beginning.

2A. Frog lube.

3A. Dishwasher followed by vinegar with a brass brush, then lube it well and wipe off the excess. You could just heat the vinegar add some dish soap and scrub, rinse and lube. Leatherman tools seem to enjoy a run through the dishwasher.
 
Skimo said:
1A. Grit progression is very important if you want to get to higher levels of polish. For EDC knives, I recommend 120, 220, 320/400 and 600, possibly 1,000 grit as well. Sandpaper on glass is a very low entry cost into sharpening, also, you don't have to dress/flatten your sharpening media. Very attractive option for beginning.

2A. Frog lube.

3A. Dishwasher followed by vinegar with a brass brush, then lube it well and wipe off the excess. You could just heat the vinegar add some dish soap and scrub, rinse and lube. Leatherman tools seem to enjoy a run through the dishwasher.
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Thanks for the response! If I were to go with stones, which type should I get? And what should I lube my leatherman with?
 
There are a ton of good stones, for edge repair, just head to the nearest ACE/Lowes/HD and get a combo stone for about $7. Grab some green polishing compound for another $5 while you're there.

Lube the Leatherman with whatever oil you want from WD-40 to motor oil, doesn't really matter, soak it in oil or just apply drops to the pivots. There's no real way to go wrong.
 
Skimo said:
There are a ton of good stones, for edge repair, just head to the nearest ACE/Lowes/HD and get a combo stone for about $7. Grab some green polishing compound for another $5 while you're there.

Lube the Leatherman with whatever oil you want from WD-40 to motor oil, doesn't really matter, soak it in oil or just apply drops to the pivots. There's no real way to go wrong.
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Amen, just lube the Leatherman and work it for a few, the rust will float out of the pivot. Wipe it off and you're good for another handful of years.

As far as the stone selection it will depend on a lot of factors- the ACE combo stone is good advice. Whatever you choose it is good practice to avoid swapping abrasive types as you go, it makes for a much easier transition as you progress from coarse to fine or anywhere between. The Grand Unified Grit Chart:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/856708-The-Grand-Unified-Grit-Chart

Is a great reference if you wind up swapping abrasive types as you go. I make a sharpening block that handles a full range of sharpening by swapping abrasive media that is linked through my signature below - also provides continuity of abrasives and technique. Whatever you go with, you're making the right decision to learn freehand - own the process and the results, and be able to work with whatever is available. There is no substitute.
 
It's also a good idea to keep the grit progression simple by not having many grits to deal with when learning, so start small with just a simple coarse/fine grit and than add more as you get more comfortable.

And keep in mind you can use your sharpmaker as a bench stone, it works better if you add some rubber or silicon feet or use something like a drawer mat to keep it from sliding around too much. Than put something where the rods are inserted in their bench stone configuration to fill in the gap on either side so it doesn't want to move around as much. For me I use rubber feet and just 1 stone with the sharpmaker in the upright position and I jam something in on one side like a piece of paper or cut up piece of one of the spare rubber feet to keep it in place. Once you create a nice fully apexed edge on your coarse stone these rods are more than adequate for working your way up the grits or touching up a blade in my opinion. Just something to keep in mind for latter.
 
Bob6794 said:
It's also a good idea to keep the grit progression simple by not having many grits to deal with when learning, so start small with just a simple coarse/fine grit and than add more as you get more comfortable.

And keep in mind you can use your sharpmaker as a bench stone, it works better if you add some rubber or silicon feet or use something like a drawer mat to keep it from sliding around too much. Than put something where the rods are inserted in their bench stone configuration to fill in the gap on either side so it doesn't want to move around as much. For me I use rubber feet and just 1 stone with the sharpmaker in the upright position and I jam something in on one side like a piece of paper or cut up piece of one of the spare rubber feet to keep it in place. Once you create a nice fully apexed edge on your coarse stone these rods are more than adequate for working your way up the grits or touching up a blade in my opinion. Just something to keep in mind for latter.
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Thanks for all the tips guys! Now what would be a good size of stone to use? Or does it not matter?
 
ItalianStallion303 said:
Thanks for all the tips guys! Now what would be a good size of stone to use? Or does it not matter?
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Truth be told whatever feels comfortable for you. Some people are perfectly comfortable with pocket stones. Others feel better with something like a 8x3 or larger. For me I personally find a 6x2 stone about perfect and an 8x2 feel huge for me to the point where if I try to use the entire stone it feels like I'm reaching out of my zone of comfort and can't control the angle as much. But if you don't know your preference it's better to go bigger than too small as there is no rule you have to use the entire stone, but there is no way to make a stone larger than it is.
 
ItalianStallion303 said:
How does this baby look:
Bora 501057 Fine/Coarse Combination Sharpening Stone, Aluminum Oxide https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B003Y3BMAW/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_zv3awbCYQDGW9
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It will work (scrape shave) but you can probably get it cheaper locally

Says its on sale for $9.51 CDN (from $ 22.99 ) which is $7.14USD (from $17.25) .

Looks very much like a common hardware store stone (the lowdetail reviews seem to confirm),
basically if you walked into your local hardware store you should be able to buy for that price or cheaper

They have dollartree in canada, you can get almost as good a stone for $1.25CDN , with under 5 min of prep its ready to sharpen, just rub/round the corners, maybe flatten a little, and you're in business

And if japanese/chinese/asian grocery stores are true to form your local one should have them for same price or a little more ... 8inch stone for ~$3CDN

So I wouldn't pay that for it;
you see all kinds of crazy prices online, you see $1 or $7 or $20 stones listed at $80 ...
for lots of single items its cheaper to walk into local store than online+shipping

For example $12.59 for 8inchx2inch sharpening stone Stanley | 16-050 3Pc Sharpening Kit | Home Depot Canada 11 In-Stock » 2121 St. Clair Ave. WestToronto, ON M6N 5A8 Store # 7013

If you still want "bora" from amazon then Id pick silicon carbide version , sic is harder than alumox, its also friable(breaks down) so you get a finer finish than grit rating, and its easier to keep the stone cutting
 
Just head to Princess auto or whatever, harbor freight. SiC better than ALOX.
 
bucketstove said:
(...)

If you still want "bora" from amazon then Id pick silicon carbide version , sic is harder than alumox, its also friable(breaks down) so you get a finer finish than grit rating, and its easier to keep the stone cutting
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Looking at the details in the description, that 'Green Silicon' stone is potentially a mystery. IF it's actually silicon carbide, probably no worries and it should work fine. But part of the description from the vendor calls it 'silicon oxide'(???), and other parts call it 'green silicon'. Might actually be a SiC stone (silicon carbide), but the lack of knowledge inferred in the vendor's description is somewhat worrisome to me. Doesn't seem definitive about what they're actually selling. There is a type of abrasive called 'green silicon carbide', but no telling by the vendor description whether this is it or not.

If searching Amazon or elsewhere for a known good SiC stone, I'd just be looking for Norton's 'Economy' stone or their higher-end 'Crystolon' stone.


David
 
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Obsessed with Edges said:
Looking at the details in the description, that 'Green Silicon' stone is potentially a mystery. IF it's actually silicon carbide, probably no worries and it should work fine. But part of the description from the vendor calls it 'silicon oxide'(???), and other parts call it 'green silicon'. Might actually be a SiC stone (silicon carbide), but the lack of knowledge inferred in the vendor's description is somewhat worrisome to me. Doesn't seem definitive about what they're actually selling. There is a type of abrasive called 'green silicon carbide', but no telling by the vendor description whether this is it or not.

If searching Amazon or elsewhere for a known good SiC stone, I'd just be looking for Norton's 'Economy' stone or their higher-end 'Crystolon' stone.


David
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:) its always a mystery, the reviews are always "works" or "doesn't" ...
but consider that it is widely available, for example tormekus sells them, it probably is sic :) green color just means more pure sic :)

also its more expensive, compare to 8.90 for bora-sharpening-stone-aluminum-oxide-2345
4.92 bora-sharpening-stone-aluminum-oxide
9.60 bora-sharpening-stone-green-silicon

heck even walmart has them for 8.88 plus 5 shipping http://www.walmart.com/ip/BORA-501098-Combination-Grit-Sharpening-Stone/44006955
and walmart claims grit is Grit : 220/1000

hey, 1000 is higher than norton economy :)
 
chucknduck said:
http://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/DMT-Duosharp-Plus-Diamond-Kit-P248.aspx
or this...... http://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/3-Stone-DMT-6-Whetstone-Kit-P577.aspx

If you want to buy once and have it last forever this is the way to go. No messing with oil, no stone flattening, no soaking stones. Down the road if you want finer, mirror finishes you will need to add to these but these will work great and are hands down the easiest to use and learn on.
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:) I don't exactly agree , learning to sharpen on a $130 stone ...
you know you can dislodge the diamonds by using too much force ...
which means if you have a lot of metal removal to do diamonds are slow
as a beginner I like my cheap sic/alox stones better than the cheap diamonds
 
Thanks again guys! Now for the multitool I'm thinking of soaking it in WD40. Would ya'll happen to know how long I should leave it in there for?
 
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