Looking to learn sharpening techniques

[Taiden]

Hey all,

I've had an EDC for a few years now, and never want to be without one again. I started with a Kershaw Leek a while back, and hated it because of the slippy handle. Eventually got a Benchmade Griptillian, and loved it. I've had three different Griptilians, and each one got stolen or misplaced...

So anyway, I have a Benchmade Ambush in AUS8 steel. It's a nice little knife at a great price.

I've been wanting to upgrade to something like a 940 or 960, but I've decided that an expensive knife is worthless as an EDC if you can't keep it sharp. So now I want to learn how to keep my Ambush insanely sharp, and once I have learned that skill I would like to upgrade as a gift to myself for my efforts.

Anyway, I'm not made of money and I'm not looking for the crazy polished edge that guys like knifenut go for, I just want to be able to get a blade arm hair shaving sharp.

I would like to get good at a technique that can be portable, so I think freehand is in order. Murray Carter seems to think that 1000 grit and 6000 grit is all you need, and I trust his opinion more than my own.

So yeah, I'm looking to spend less than $100 on a setup that will lend itself to a portable setup later on.

Sorry for the screen door, and everyone have a great Christmas!

 

[Ankerson]

Anyway, I'm not made of money and I'm not looking for the crazy polished edge that guys like knifenut go for, I just want to be able to get a blade arm hair shaving sharp.

You can do that with a Sharpmaker easy.

 

[kingsqueak]

Diamond stones will be thinner and lighter than water or oil stones.

I just got a set that is diamond for x-coarse and coarse and water stones in 1k and a 4k/8k stone. I feel the range is pretty complete but I would miss one of the steps for sure if I lost the option now.

I think a 1k and 4k/8k stone would be a good start but it will cover you best for dressing up an already relatively clean edge. For taking out chips and reprofiling, you could use the 1k stone, but it's going to take a long time. You could save a lot of cash on the diamond stones at first with one of the very coarse Home Depot special oil stones for the initial cleanup.

I just reprofiled a "Sharp" branded hunter my wife picked up from a thrift store cheap. It was below letter opener dull when I started. Spent a good solid hour on it running up through the range of stones I have and now it's a 90% edge, very very sharp, not quite the "silly perfect" sharp I'd like, but it's now an utterly useful edge.

Without the x-coarse and coarse diamond, getting an even bevel and working out the previous owner's dings would have taken even longer...that is where the bulk of my time was spent for sure.

I spent years frustrated with sharpening until I started reading here and watching youtube on sharpening techniques. I've spent a pretty good chunk on my stones set and an EdgePro Apex, but I have to say, it's been very satisfying to finally get the edges that I've wanted to achieve.

Use cheap knives to start out. Go through whatever you have kicking around the kitchen, get knives from friends or yard sale stuff etc. I didn't ruin anything this time around with so much information, but it definitely took me a good two dozen or so blades before I got to comfortable place and gained some consistency. Now it's all just practice practice practice.

The EdgePro is a really nice piece, but I have to say, I like it better from the git her dun perspective as it's very efficient for a very consistent edge. The freehand stones are more fun from the challenge/hobby aspect of sharpening. I like the error factor and the patience and persistence that freehand needs. Also with the skills of freehand sharpening, you can just grab whatever you have available as a sharpening surface and go.

 

[Any Cal.]

For that steel and knife, you could pretty much take your pick of sharpening method, and most any would be fine once you learned to use them.

 

[ChapmanPreferred]

One more vote for the Spyderco Sharpmaker. I will add that I really prefer having the Diamond rods for the Sharpmaker as they save considerable time when compared to the basic Sharpmaker brown rods for setting the edge on a really dull knife or one with a wider factory angle than 40 degrees.

 

[Jason B.]

A 1k and 6k stone would be more than enough to get you the results you want. With a budget of $100 your not just limited to a king stone though, you can mix and match with say the 1k bester and 5k Suehiro Rika or stay in a set with a 1k and 5k Naniwa SS.

Lots of stones available and some better suited to your needs than others, do some reading on the different stones it will help you make the right choice.

 

[SusAntigoon]

Or get a DMT coarse stone to put aside your sharpmaker...it'll serve you well and is not that expensive...

 

[Taiden]

I have some old Arkansas stones in the house but they are bowed in the middle and filled with oil/grease. Does a stone that is bowed in the middle (thinner in the middle, thicker on the edges) make it really difficult to sharpen a typical folding knife without a lot of belly?