Need new sharpening system

C

crazyengineer

Joined
Apr 2, 2011
Messages
1,140
Ok,
so, I have just upgrade my EDC carry knife from a CRKT m16-13z to a benchmade barrage (best thing I have done with my knives in a while)

I have decided that i am going to get a new sharpening system, as the one i am using is probably 20 years old and i would rather not have it at school because of sentimental value

I have been using a couple of Hard Arkansas stones and can put a shaving edge on the M16 about 60% of the time and nearly 100% if i follow it with a pair of ceramic rods (these will stay with me)

anyways, I need something that i can use for the Benchmade. I believe that the barrage has a harder steel in the blade, if that makes any difference

so, what can yall recommend (I will be keeping my ceramic rods as I know I bought them instead of them coming from my dad)
 
for the past 20 years i have been sharpening knives with the paper wheels. for speed and sharp edge you cant beat them. in the time it would take you to get set up to hand sharpen you can be done and using your knives. they will sharpen just about any steel out there. you can get set up for around $100. or less. you can get them at any woodcraft store or order them from grizzly imports.

here is a thread i started on them. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=578787

the knife in this vid was finished off on the slotted buffing wheel after i convexed the edge on a belt sander. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q_eMwRaHYg

here are a few threads to check out of knives i have sharpened.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=651061

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=585019

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/861580-Professional-knife-sharpening
 
i have looked at the paper wheels after i heard about them by accident on the forum and decided i enjoyed using the stone

so i am really looking for a stone or something, i also need to be able to bring it to college with me
 
I'd say get a 20 dollar Norton Crystalon combination stone, or a Norton India combo stone. There are a bewildering array of stones out there, many of which will work very well. Even the King waterstones will do a good job on 154cm (assuming that's what the Barrage is). The Crystalon will handle any steel out there. If you have more coin you could go for a DMT stone, but for the money a quality silicon carbide stone (don't buy a cheapo) and an improvised strop with some Sears compound is tough to beat.
 
back in the 70's i used to use a piece of glass with some 3m wetordry sandpaper laid on top and it worked great. you could use different grits for cutting an edge down quick and then go to a finer grit for finishing up the edge. all you need is a piece of 1/4" glass the size you want to carry and the sandpaper and you're ready to go.
 
+1 on Richard's suggestion of the glass-and-sandpaper approach, that's about the single most cost-effective method of sharpening a knife the world has ever seen.

Other options depend on your budget, but as a general starting point DMT and Atoma make great diamond plates that will do your profiling work in a BIG hurry, and King makes a very respectable 1K/8K double-sided waterstone that does a decent job of finishing for not a lot-o-cash. If I was starting a package on a limited budget, I'd get myself the King pairing (for the bulk of your sharpening), some 220 and 320-grit wet-or-dry sandpaper (for the REALLY gnarly work), and a piece of leather doctored with some green buffing compound from the local hardware store as a strop.
 
I am not on a super tight budget, so i dont NEED to use sandpaper etc...
i am looking for something that I can set on a desk, with some heft

i was looking at higher grit diamond plates, but i dont know enough about them

i have a norton 4k/8k water stone, but i dont want to use it for my knives (its used for my straights)

i would like something that isn't huge, but i dont want something tiny either
 
DMT diamond hones have been my first choice for the last 20+ years, particularly with the current high alloy/carbide steels (D2, S30V, VG-10, etc.). I find bench stones to be the most versatile; occasionally I use an angle guide to re-profile an edge. Otherwise, it's freehand all the time.
 
Look at the Edge-Pro APEX and carrying case.

As good of a sharpener as money can buy, and a quite versatile, precise, lifetime investment.
 
i'm not really interested in the Edge pros and other systems like them, i have always enjoyed free handing
so i am looking for something that is good for free handing
 
crazyengineer said:
i'm not really interested in the Edge pros and other systems like them, i have always enjoyed free handing
so i am looking for something that is good for free handing
Click to expand...

DMT Dia-Folds (for pocketability or travel) or DMT bench hones (at home) would take care of that on all fronts, with any steel. Any of the Spyderco ceramics would make excellent finishing & touch-up hones. All quality, and they'll last a very long time, if properly used & taken care of. Two or three home-made strops, with compound(s) and one bare, would complete the package.
 
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