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- Jul 10, 2009
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I posted this on the Busse forum, as it originally applied to INFI etc.. but I figured i'd post it here as well. I've tried a lot of different sharpening methods and thought i'd write a little something about each.
Keep in mind, this is only my opinion and what works for me!
Here's the post.
If you talked to me one year ago, I couldn't sharpen a knife to save my life. I generally had my knives sharpened by someone who knew what they were doing. In my defense, the main reason for my failure was just never learning how to do so properly, and the science behind sharpening. There was a point in my life when I would go over to the OD grind machines at work, set the dress speed super slow and sharpen my folders etc on a gigantic centerless grinder wheel. I could get knives so they could cut, and occasionally could get an edge that could rip hair from your arm in certain spots, but nothing uniform. I've now tried many many sharpening methods, just like trying different knives, I like to dive right in and try it all, then separate the bad from the good. Here are some methods I've tried.
Paper Wheel sharpening - I bought a cheap Ryobi 8 inch bench grinder, tore off all the guards and shields and through on a set up 10 inch razor edge system paper wheels. One wheel is coated in carbide, the other is bare that you load with a white compound. These are the same wheels Richard J uses and gets great results. Results were fairly good from the very beginning. Very simply, develop a burr on the blade sharpening both sides on the grit wheel, then move over to the other wheel loaded with the compound and remove the burr and polish the edge. It was a pretty good system to be honest, quickest method I've yet to find to get an edge to shave hair off your arm. If I had it to do over again, I would have purchased a Buffer instead of the Bench grinder, I would have more clearance between the two wheels and not buff my elbows quite as much.
DMT diamond stones - These are quite nice, there's something about freehanding that just makes you feel good about yourself when you're done. Sitting down, relaxing and just working the blade to develop your burr, repeat etc going up in the grits. By the time you hit the strop your edge is going to be popping hair just by running it over the tops of it. I can absolutely get an edge sharper free handing with DMT stones than I can with paper wheels, but the level of sharpness difference is not really noticeable unless your job is removing print from newspaper and splitting hair. It also takes quite a bit longer than the paper wheels, but you feel like you've accomplished something. I don't know about everyone, but it's rewarding to me to take something dull, spend the time and turn it into a freaking laser.
Spyderco sharpmaker - One of my least favorite systems. Factory edges are varied so greatly on production knives, often quite uneven and reprofiling is next to impossible without the diamond rods. Not many options in angle either. Only pros I can think of its impossible to screw up and the serration sharpening ability, I just don't care for this system. Not knocking those of you who use it, but it's not for me.
Edge pro - I got one when the opportunity arose, it's not for me. What the Edge Pro does is creates a system that is 100% idiot proof. I honestly cannot think of a way you can screw up a knife with this system, I also can't imagine anyone cant get a sharp edge on one. It's downfalls? Recurves, serrations, oddly shaped blades toward the tip, water stone shallowing, set up time, mess.
The EP gives you a sharp edge, I have up to 7000 grit polishing tapes for it as well. When you get done with the 7k tapes you have a perfectly flat bevel that is mirror polished. What's odd is, although my edges on the EP looked absolutely perfect, they lacked the sharpness that was attainable with hand stones. Not in sharpness to the touch, but rather sharpness in actual use. I think the fact that while free handing, you're actually slightly convexing the edge which in my opinion increases performance. In the end i'm not a fan of perfectly flat bevels. Another downfall to the system is scratching. I don't really care on my own knives, but I don't want to destroy a friends knife on it. I'm not talking a little "sharpening scratching", but we're talking scratches that looks like I rubbed the blade on concrete. This can be avoided by taping up the blade, honestly, it's just too much of a hassle. I'm getting rid of EP soon, I can't say that about any other system besides the sharpmaker.
The Belt Sander - This is probably one of the cheaper set ups. I use a grizzly 1x30 which I think was probably around 50 dollars. I have belts ranging from 40 grit to 15 micron, to loaded leather, to loaded cork. I've got it all. This is the single most versatile system in a knife sharpeners arsenal, bar none! After I sell the EP i'm going to purchase a Kalamzoo 1x42 sander just to have adjustable tension. You can take a knife with a thick saber grind and coated blade and turn it into a full convex with a satin finish. You can remove chips from a blade, thin out grinds etc.. Nothing gives me a sharper edge. Take your time and practice on cheaper knives as well. I've thinned out knives too much as well on this, trying to test the limits of what INFI can take in terms of thinness. Pay close attention to the tips and the area around the choil as well. I can get an edge sharper and more durable on a sander than any other method, faster too. For a non convexed or damaged edge I work my way up from 320 grit all the way to 15 micron. After 15 micron I started doing something different as on the cheap 1x30 sander, the leather belts become useless when they stretch. I started using a cork belt that I basically knocked all the grit off of, and loaded it with green compound. I find this works much better for me than the leather. I also hand strop after with pink compound. Convex is easier to maintain as well, I won't sharpen this FBM again for probably 4 months or so, and then it'll just be with the loaded belt. I occasionally strop on my jeans. I just sharpened this this afternoon, scary freaking sharp.
Keep in mind, this is only my opinion and what works for me!
Here's the post.
If you talked to me one year ago, I couldn't sharpen a knife to save my life. I generally had my knives sharpened by someone who knew what they were doing. In my defense, the main reason for my failure was just never learning how to do so properly, and the science behind sharpening. There was a point in my life when I would go over to the OD grind machines at work, set the dress speed super slow and sharpen my folders etc on a gigantic centerless grinder wheel. I could get knives so they could cut, and occasionally could get an edge that could rip hair from your arm in certain spots, but nothing uniform. I've now tried many many sharpening methods, just like trying different knives, I like to dive right in and try it all, then separate the bad from the good. Here are some methods I've tried.
Paper Wheel sharpening - I bought a cheap Ryobi 8 inch bench grinder, tore off all the guards and shields and through on a set up 10 inch razor edge system paper wheels. One wheel is coated in carbide, the other is bare that you load with a white compound. These are the same wheels Richard J uses and gets great results. Results were fairly good from the very beginning. Very simply, develop a burr on the blade sharpening both sides on the grit wheel, then move over to the other wheel loaded with the compound and remove the burr and polish the edge. It was a pretty good system to be honest, quickest method I've yet to find to get an edge to shave hair off your arm. If I had it to do over again, I would have purchased a Buffer instead of the Bench grinder, I would have more clearance between the two wheels and not buff my elbows quite as much.
DMT diamond stones - These are quite nice, there's something about freehanding that just makes you feel good about yourself when you're done. Sitting down, relaxing and just working the blade to develop your burr, repeat etc going up in the grits. By the time you hit the strop your edge is going to be popping hair just by running it over the tops of it. I can absolutely get an edge sharper free handing with DMT stones than I can with paper wheels, but the level of sharpness difference is not really noticeable unless your job is removing print from newspaper and splitting hair. It also takes quite a bit longer than the paper wheels, but you feel like you've accomplished something. I don't know about everyone, but it's rewarding to me to take something dull, spend the time and turn it into a freaking laser.
Spyderco sharpmaker - One of my least favorite systems. Factory edges are varied so greatly on production knives, often quite uneven and reprofiling is next to impossible without the diamond rods. Not many options in angle either. Only pros I can think of its impossible to screw up and the serration sharpening ability, I just don't care for this system. Not knocking those of you who use it, but it's not for me.
Edge pro - I got one when the opportunity arose, it's not for me. What the Edge Pro does is creates a system that is 100% idiot proof. I honestly cannot think of a way you can screw up a knife with this system, I also can't imagine anyone cant get a sharp edge on one. It's downfalls? Recurves, serrations, oddly shaped blades toward the tip, water stone shallowing, set up time, mess.
The EP gives you a sharp edge, I have up to 7000 grit polishing tapes for it as well. When you get done with the 7k tapes you have a perfectly flat bevel that is mirror polished. What's odd is, although my edges on the EP looked absolutely perfect, they lacked the sharpness that was attainable with hand stones. Not in sharpness to the touch, but rather sharpness in actual use. I think the fact that while free handing, you're actually slightly convexing the edge which in my opinion increases performance. In the end i'm not a fan of perfectly flat bevels. Another downfall to the system is scratching. I don't really care on my own knives, but I don't want to destroy a friends knife on it. I'm not talking a little "sharpening scratching", but we're talking scratches that looks like I rubbed the blade on concrete. This can be avoided by taping up the blade, honestly, it's just too much of a hassle. I'm getting rid of EP soon, I can't say that about any other system besides the sharpmaker.
The Belt Sander - This is probably one of the cheaper set ups. I use a grizzly 1x30 which I think was probably around 50 dollars. I have belts ranging from 40 grit to 15 micron, to loaded leather, to loaded cork. I've got it all. This is the single most versatile system in a knife sharpeners arsenal, bar none! After I sell the EP i'm going to purchase a Kalamzoo 1x42 sander just to have adjustable tension. You can take a knife with a thick saber grind and coated blade and turn it into a full convex with a satin finish. You can remove chips from a blade, thin out grinds etc.. Nothing gives me a sharper edge. Take your time and practice on cheaper knives as well. I've thinned out knives too much as well on this, trying to test the limits of what INFI can take in terms of thinness. Pay close attention to the tips and the area around the choil as well. I can get an edge sharper and more durable on a sander than any other method, faster too. For a non convexed or damaged edge I work my way up from 320 grit all the way to 15 micron. After 15 micron I started doing something different as on the cheap 1x30 sander, the leather belts become useless when they stretch. I started using a cork belt that I basically knocked all the grit off of, and loaded it with green compound. I find this works much better for me than the leather. I also hand strop after with pink compound. Convex is easier to maintain as well, I won't sharpen this FBM again for probably 4 months or so, and then it'll just be with the loaded belt. I occasionally strop on my jeans. I just sharpened this this afternoon, scary freaking sharp.
