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Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
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Newbie at Sharpening...please help!
- Thread starter Kestrel64
- Start date
Doesn't matter much. The 220# is the one I have and I would imagine it cuts a bit faster than the 325. But I know that others use the 325. I am sure, either would work just fine.
Knife Sharpening - I'm lazy and use a Lansky. A Lansky or Gatco is able to put a more accurate bevel on a blade than I can hold freehand (I would say that holds true for all of us because double bevels on knives are typically so short/small it's really difficult to hold them freehand on a benchstone). They're relatively inexpensive. The stones come in standard (green Silicone Carbide and ceramic Aluminum Oxide), diamond, and Arkansas (my fav). With the exception of the green silicone carbide (x-coarse, coarse, and medium) and diamond, the stones can be flattened so they will last for years (the silicone carbide are cheap and can be replaced when they dish out). Also, I can sit in my recliner and hone my pocket knife because there's no elaborate set-up with a Lansky. But here's the kicker, I only use the jig to shape the bevel, not to maintain the edge. A good strop or other xtrafine pocket hone is used to maintain the edge and provide durability. Personally, for this purpose, I use a bulb from a High Pressure Sodium Lamp. THe slick versions are like a super extra micro fine ceramic. When stropping (or the bulb) no longer keeps the edge to my standards - back to the Lansky for bevel shaping and we start the process again. I go 3,4, sometimes 5 months without pulling out the Lansky and my knife will ALWAYS shave.
For harder tool steels (if you look at Crucible's website, I THINK the S--V's are all listed under knife AND tool steels), a diamond stone is quicker to put the initial bevel on the blade. However, the diamond hones (Lansky or otherwise) typically only go to 1200 mesh and personally I like a sharper edge than that attainable at 1200. (BTW, I think King now makes a 6000 diamond waterstone). Diamond being the hardest material in the world sharpens the super hard carbides produced from Vanadium, Molybdenum, and Tungsten in tool steels much faster. However, both Silicone Carbide and Aluminum Oxide are still harder than these carbides and will abrade them, just much slower than diamond. Having said all that - use a diamond for initial beveling then move to "regular" stones for honing - I think you'll like the end result even if it takes awhile on S30V.
Someone mentioned chisel edge (single bevel). Because those bevels are taller than double bevels, they CAN be held freehand on a bench stone with a little practice. Learn to side sharpen and you'll never use a jig again. However, there are numerous companies out there that make jigs for benchstone sharpening, especially for woodworking tools (I use a Veritas MkII for inital bevel forming). But to set up a jig that replicates an already established bevel angle every time - it's luck. Freehanding is superior in this regard. Get the "smack" freehand when the bevel lays flat on the stone and you know you are honing at the same bevel.
Type of benchstone? I have exactly 18 diamond hones - they never touch my knives, chisels, or gouges. I use them for sharpening carbide tipped sawblades and flattening my waterstones - that's it. Waterstones are far superior to everything else in a benchstone - period. They are fast cutting, come in a gang of grits, and are quickly/easily flattened for that perfect bevel. Because they constantly produce new abrasion surfaces when in use, they never lose their cut like diamond hones (the diamonds on the nickel surface when you buy the stone are the diamonds on the surface of the nickel when you throw the thing away - only rounded). Water is the lubricant for waterstones. Buy the synthetic ceramic types and all you have to do is splash a little water on the surface instead of soaking the whole stone. They're superior to even Arkansas Benchstones in abrasion power and maintenance - and I'm from Arkansas (I use Arkanasas stones too, though). Flattening Arkansas, Swedish Blues & Yellows, and Indias is a much more involved process. I have all of them. Waterstones are the best.
One last thing on honing oil. WD40 is not a lubricant! It is a metal cleaning agent that helps remove rust and replace water. Talk to any gunsmith worth their salt and they'll tell you to lube something, use RemOil or Break Free, something that's actually made as a lubricant. Likewise, when honing, use something that was made for that purpose. There are tons of honing oils out there - cheap. WD40 is both thin and volatile. It gets into the pores and even substrate of natural stones and kills their cutting power. Don't use it for honing! It works great initially but over time will kill your stone. Water on waterstones wouldn't have that effect, would it ?
My $2 and 2 cents.
cinteal
For harder tool steels (if you look at Crucible's website, I THINK the S--V's are all listed under knife AND tool steels), a diamond stone is quicker to put the initial bevel on the blade. However, the diamond hones (Lansky or otherwise) typically only go to 1200 mesh and personally I like a sharper edge than that attainable at 1200. (BTW, I think King now makes a 6000 diamond waterstone). Diamond being the hardest material in the world sharpens the super hard carbides produced from Vanadium, Molybdenum, and Tungsten in tool steels much faster. However, both Silicone Carbide and Aluminum Oxide are still harder than these carbides and will abrade them, just much slower than diamond. Having said all that - use a diamond for initial beveling then move to "regular" stones for honing - I think you'll like the end result even if it takes awhile on S30V.
Someone mentioned chisel edge (single bevel). Because those bevels are taller than double bevels, they CAN be held freehand on a bench stone with a little practice. Learn to side sharpen and you'll never use a jig again. However, there are numerous companies out there that make jigs for benchstone sharpening, especially for woodworking tools (I use a Veritas MkII for inital bevel forming). But to set up a jig that replicates an already established bevel angle every time - it's luck. Freehanding is superior in this regard. Get the "smack" freehand when the bevel lays flat on the stone and you know you are honing at the same bevel.
Type of benchstone? I have exactly 18 diamond hones - they never touch my knives, chisels, or gouges. I use them for sharpening carbide tipped sawblades and flattening my waterstones - that's it. Waterstones are far superior to everything else in a benchstone - period. They are fast cutting, come in a gang of grits, and are quickly/easily flattened for that perfect bevel. Because they constantly produce new abrasion surfaces when in use, they never lose their cut like diamond hones (the diamonds on the nickel surface when you buy the stone are the diamonds on the surface of the nickel when you throw the thing away - only rounded). Water is the lubricant for waterstones. Buy the synthetic ceramic types and all you have to do is splash a little water on the surface instead of soaking the whole stone. They're superior to even Arkansas Benchstones in abrasion power and maintenance - and I'm from Arkansas (I use Arkanasas stones too, though). Flattening Arkansas, Swedish Blues & Yellows, and Indias is a much more involved process. I have all of them. Waterstones are the best.
One last thing on honing oil. WD40 is not a lubricant! It is a metal cleaning agent that helps remove rust and replace water. Talk to any gunsmith worth their salt and they'll tell you to lube something, use RemOil or Break Free, something that's actually made as a lubricant. Likewise, when honing, use something that was made for that purpose. There are tons of honing oils out there - cheap. WD40 is both thin and volatile. It gets into the pores and even substrate of natural stones and kills their cutting power. Don't use it for honing! It works great initially but over time will kill your stone. Water on waterstones wouldn't have that effect, would it ?
My $2 and 2 cents.
cinteal
thedogpound2
Banned
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2007
- Messages
- 104
Got a cheap knife? use it and free hand with stones till u got a good edge and then work yourself into the expensive crazy steel knifes being offered today.cheaper steel knifes like them aus 6 and 8 sharpen fast compared to them mega steels i call them. so learn on them and get your confidence up and skill and angles before trying the others i freehand and can pop hair in half off my arm with just a little practice and patience
i freehand and can pop hair in half off my arm with just a little practice and patience