Manual Sharpening Advice

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sketchbag

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I'm pretty amateur at sharpening, but instead of getting one of those fancy tools like the sharpmaker, I'd rather learn how to do it all by hand.

I'd like to focus on my Ka-Bar 1095 blade (if it makes a difference)

What kind of stone and steel should I get?
(I wish their was a FAQ or some stickies on this)

I'd like to get one of the retractable pen size diamond grit steels.

Any helpful information on technique will be most appreciated

Thanks
 
I have a combo Dia-sharp, Xtra coarse/fime, and a combo King waterstone, 800/4000.
It lets me set a bevel on any profile, and get it to a polished edge with just those. I just last night took a Busse game warden from a 25+ deg to a 15 in about 20mins with those stones. Polished edge and SHARP!! I would get a strop too, or make one, which is what I did. Thats the secret to scary sharp IMHO.
Someone like Thom who is a true master will be along hopefully for better advice.
 
What is a dia-sharp? (in case I cant find the brand, I'll get a comparable tool)

Is there much difference in the brand of the stone? or is xxxx grit the same no matter who makes it

A strop is the strap of leather barbers use right? What should I look for when buying/making one?
 
Generally, if someone says Dia-sharp, they are referring to DMT brand diamond hones. The hones (or stones if you prefer that term) are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and grits, from a 1" x 2" keychain unit to the 3" x 12" bench units, with grits ranging from XX coarse to XX fine. I personally carry a couple of double sided DiaFolds (their pocket hones with a handle that folds up around them like a butterfly knife) in X-coarse/coarse and fine/x-fine.

EZ Lap is another maker of diamond hones, and Smith's sells some too, although I don't know if they actually make them.

As far as strops go, you can buy a barber's strop, or you can buy a ready-made knife strop from a number of sources, including but not limited to Knives Plus (knivesplus.com online - shameless plug for good people ;)) or you can make your own out of scrap leather or an old belt.

The pen-sized diamond rods are handy for some things, but you have to be very careful with them, as you can wreck an edge in a hurry if you use it wrong.

I applaude your desire to learn free-hand sharpening. It is a skill worth having. :thumbup:
 
I use a D8F DMT. It is the best sharpening investment I made in sharpening. I also wanted to learn how to hand sharpen. It took me quite a while to get the hang of it. I would say the D8F made a huge difference by letting me quickly re-establish a bevel on a truly dull knife. I used to be frustrated when I didn't understand the need to remove material on a dull knive to re-establish a bevel.

Of course, once you get the hang of it, you can keep your knives sharp without having to "re-shape" the bevel as often. It did take me some time to get to where I could maintain a steady angle by hand. Until you can properly control the angle of the blade against the stone, you can't really get a good edge.

I think it's a great skill to have, and I find it pretty rewarding to finally be able to get the edge I want. I use a Henckel steel.

Along the way, I also picked up a good ceramic stick, Japanese waterstone with a holder, A Leather strop, and some polishing creme for the strop and a smooth tool steel "steel". You don't need all of the above for a KaBar, but sometimes I like to get a very sharp edge on a knife. Probably overkill, but it can be fun.
 
Spyderco makes some nice ceramic stones .I have that and an Eze-Lap sharpener for field use [1/4" diamond rod which fits into a handle]...It's refreshing to see someone who wants to learn properly instead of getting gadgets !!!
 
im with sketchbag...i need to learn freehand. i also need to figure out what sharpeners i need but im going to practive on a cheap knife so i dont ruin one of my good ones
 
I've used a 2" X 6" DMT red (fine) 600 mesh bench stone for several years with complete satisfaction. Sharpening "freehand" is the only way I've ever known how to sharpen knives. I started at about the age of five sharpening a knife I'd liberated from Mama's kitchen drawer on a big rock out in our backyard. I've tried strops and steels and other doodads when I was younger, but that DMT (used with some water on it) or something similar is really all you need unless you think you want to shave with your Ka-Bar. Of course something more compact is nice to put in your kit bag, too, for field use sometimes. Yes, practice will make you better at sharpening, but, no, this isn't rocket science, despite what some folks would have you believe. :D
 
Ive been sharpening knives for 20+ years ....

Diamond hones rock !!!

Get a Medium and a fine ... Buy the best you can afford ...

There esp good with harder blades ...


Matt
 
Thanks guys. Ive got a question regarding use of the diasharp, do you use it like a file or a stone? personally I prefer files because you can gauge the angle much better, and I'm guessing thats the ticket with the diasharp.

Can you tell me more about the strop? Is it just to ensure the blade has no curl to it?
 
Use the Diasharp as a benchstone. You can make a small wedge out of wood and place it on the end of the stone to set the angle of the blade to the stone at the start of each stroke. Eventually that will become unnecessary as you develop the muscle memory to keep your strokes consistent.

The strop is primarily used to polish the edge. It will essentially buff out the small scratches the stone leaves behind. Those small scratches act as micro-serrations, increasing the slicing aggression of the edge, but generally decreasing the push-cutting ability. Personally, I don't like a buffed or high polish edge. I usually finish to DMT fine, which leaves a bit more slicing power and is plenty smooth enough to shave.
 
Here is the "high tech" way to sharpen your Kabar-
Use ab 8 or 10 inch mill bastard file to set the bevels. Then use a high tech Arkansas or India stone to finish. You can strop, or not.
 
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