Knive Sharpening Tips

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SorenRaveling

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Sep 20, 2006
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Except for my EDC knives, all my knives are for show. Most have never been used and the sharpness varies a bunch. Most of my Bucks are very sharp, but I have two KABARS and two SOGS that are not. Come to think of it, my Buck Nighthawk is not very sharp either. I am looking for ideas of what I need to buy to sharpen the dull ones, and put that "hair popping edge" on the rest. Do I need stones and Lansky system or what? Thanks for your help!
 
go with dmt diamond stones a coarse, fine, and extra fine and you go can go past hair popping sharp once they are broken in.
 
SorenRaveling said:
Except for my EDC knives, all my knives are for show. Most have never been used and the sharpness varies a bunch. Most of my Bucks are very sharp, but I have two KABARS and two SOGS that are not. Come to think of it, my Buck Nighthawk is not very sharp either. I am looking for ideas of what I need to buy to sharpen the dull ones, and put that "hair popping edge" on the rest. Do I need stones and Lansky system or what? Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...

For big knives you need big benchstone. Sharpmaker, I will suggest usually, but KaBar (I assume 1217?) is too big and has initially I suspect 50 degree on the edge. I have Diamond Products two longest diamond benchstones from carpenter store, medium (there is no coarse for this length) and extra fine (I found that fine I can skip).

sharpening-02.jpg


one of them is at the bottom.

I made this triangular base 15 degree, because can not keep blade at 15 degree to benchstone, but I skilled enough to keep it vertical (same as spoon).

This two stones is enough to create new edge and make it shaving sharp. Then I use diamond powder from jewelir store, sprayed over leather ("Handmade American" available on the Internet) - see one of them is at the top of the picture. But it looks like working sharpness is what you may achive with Ultrafine diamond (1200 grit) - hair-popping sharpness does not stay for too much (except if it is SRS-15 steel).

Thanks, Vassili.

P.S. usefull link - http://www.handamerican.com/products.html
 
get an Apex edge Pro, it's the best i've used, it takes under 5 minutes to have hair popping sharp knives:D
 
My old Daddy used to ask, "How often should you have to sharpen yer knife?" To him, the correct answer is, "You should never HAVE to sharpen it. Just keep it sharp in the first place." Whatever stone you use, technique and angle are all important, but after every couple uses of my EDC's, I hit them a lick or two, or three, on an antique Russell steel and every now and then touch them up with an antique razor strop with jewelers rouge. Then, resist the temptation to test the edge on your arm hair--you just destroyed the edge. The two hardest things I've found on a knife edge is cardboard boxes and hair. If you have to cut up a box, do the corners where you're only cutting tape, not the cardboard--save an old, beat up knife for that.

My two bits worth. Jackrabbit
 
I would also add that the edge angle on the Nighthawk is greater than on other Bucks. It was designed to take more abuse so the edge was thicker. Getting the same type of sharp on it would take a lot of reprofiling of the edge.
 
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