[Poll] How often do you re-sharpen?

[dogstar]

Do you touch up your edge before the knife gets dull? Or do you keep cutting until you have to sharpen?

I am kind of obsessive with maintaining a sharp edge.

 

[jmh33]

Sharpen when needed. I am not bragging but I have so many knives that I just grab another. Then when I get 3-4 that need sharpened they get done!!
John

 

[joe_random]

Sharpen when needed. I am not bragging but I have so many knives that I just grab another. Then when I get 3-4 that need sharpened they get done!!
John

That sounds a little bit like me! I used to keep them all sharp, but I've been doing a bit of a rotation for the last while. So I spend part of an evening getting them all ready at once, it saves time on setup and cleanup.

 

[Wild Willie]

I've found over the years it's easier (for me) to just keep up on my edges rather than let them go too long. Hence my preference for a bit easier to maintain steels.

 

[dogstar]

I've found over the years it's easier (for me) to just keep up on my edges rather than let them go too long. Hence my preference for a bit easier to maintain steels.

Yeah, it seems like less work just to maintain the edge than to do a full re-sharpening.

 

[TheEdge01]

I voted both! As a knife maker, sharpening is part of the hobby, so I’m kind of partial to sharp knives.

 

[Ernie1980]

I resharpen/touch up knives that are in regular use (like keychain and yard knives) when they need it, and go in about once a year and at least strop the edges of my other knives.

 

[Wild Willie]

Yeah, it seems like less work just to maintain the edge than to do a full re-sharpening.

Indeed, I wind up being handed enough knives that have gone far too long without any lovin' to let mine get even remotely less than working sharp.

 

[guy g]

I do touch ups. When I'm going to swap one, I make sure it's ready to go in case I have to Grab n Go.

 

[Blues]

Touch 'em up. C'mon now. This is the way.

 

[Mustacheben]

I like to touch up my CRK’s especially the s35vn ones but I agree with others if I rotate enough I’ll wait to have a sharpening day and do a batch of them.

 

[Corton93]

I'll do a "group" sharpening about every month or so if needed..

But I will generally strop on a daily basis, usually right before I get in bed..

 

[Deino]

For my construction job, I cut a lot of abrasive materials, so I just snap the blade off and keep going. Always hair shaving sharp.

 

[pholder]

Nightly, it’s therapeutic. Half the fun is using them, half fun is keeping them sharp

 

[ferider]

I sharpen a knife before use when I see light reflecting. If I'm in a rush, I pick another one.

 

[Peter Hartwig]

Strop much more than sharpen. Usually all I need to do

 

[1911bphil]

I wait until I have several that need sharpening, then I'll sharpen them all at once. I'll strop a lot more often though, usually every day.

 

[JC972]

If I cut something that I know will dull it some, like thicker plastic, I’ll touch it up. I’m fact that’s mostly what mine cut. My touch ups are just to get it back to that sticky fingerprint grabbing edge and then it’s done. Now, I usually carry softer steels, or so it seems to compare to what’s out now. Think Camillus mfg. Buck 307’s, Case CV Jumbo Stockmans and the like. The 3 dot 110 just gets a touch up every now and then because even with the thrashing it usually gets, it just keeps its edge very well for me. I’ve been carrying a user grade Remington 9501 last few weeks and two of the three blades have a slight recurve from the factory so it gets the stones more often cause I’m trying to sharpen that out of it. I’ll get it sharp then use it at work and then in a few days of use I’ll use a medium India on it again. I have a 551 Benchmade I carried as a deputy some years back and it’s only been stropped despite cutting a list of things with it. For me I reckon it just depends on the particular knife.

 

[palonej]

I’m a toucher upper.

 

[Dav1]

If I'm out camping or working with a knife I'll sharpen as required otherwise as another has said I find it therapeutic and just go through my knives sharpening them until shaving sharp, which isn't really required unless you need to shave hair.