POLL: Sharpening Frequency

[Minnesota Man]

I try to strop after use.

 

[shinyedges]

I'm pretty sharp and touch up as needed for normal function.

 

[Shotgun]

Depends on the steel.

SAK, every day or every other.
S30V, about every other week
HAP40, 1 or 2 times a month though it's usually just because I'm bored and feel like giving it a stropping. Even after heavy cardboard days it hasn't lost its bite. "Working edges" are for lesser steels.

 

[microtech85]

I am trying to get myself to hold off on frequent touch-ups, otherwise am i really getting the benefit of super edge retention steels such as s90v and m390?

 

[JJ_Colt45]

That was a question I asked myself as most of my knives are high carbon ... and of the stainless knives most are softer but still perform very well ...

I only recently stepped into a couple M390 and D3V blades and I do love the knives ... but in all honesty I truely would never require anything like these steels ... I understand why there is demand for it and seems we are always looking for the next best thing ... but I could get by with much less wear resistance steels.

 

[19-3ben]

I put down for a few times a year. I have really really come to appreciate the beauty in stropping, and i rarely every sharpen now. Unless I really REALLY heavily use a knife without any edge maintenance during use, I've found that stropping alone is more than enough to bring back a hit shaving edge in very little time.

In almost all cases, a few swipes with some green paste is all i need.

 

[19-3ben]

edited. irrelevant and off topic.

 

[Wanimator]

As needed or touched up after use. I try not to let things dull because that just makes more work

 

[T. Erdelyi]

I think as a whole we tend to over sharpen and we do this because for some odd reason we're convinced that if it doesn't fillet hair, it's just not sharp, even if it's an ax. LOL

Not only do we tend to over sharpen but when we do we tend to use the wrong stones/hones and overcompensate by applying more pressure than necessary.

As for sharpening, I ascribe to same philosophy I see on my med bottles, "...as needed."

You'd be amazed at what a good ceramic hone can do. The finer the grit/micron size or density of the ceramic will determine how fast you wear out your blade. Remember sharpening is just controlled wear to your blade.

 

[OzarkJoe]

I sharpen whatever I’m carrying and my wife’s favorite kitchen knife weekly. Mine usually don’t need it too bad but I find it makes me feel better anyway. Plus sometimes it slows me down and makes me focus.

 

[PirateSeulb]

@T.Eldelyi real men don't shave or shave with an axe

 

[Hickory n steel]

I went for weekly, but as I suspect of most I sharpen or touch up my blades as needed.

 

[basmca]

8cr13mov, sak, 440c weekly or so
S35vn every 2-4 weeks.

But also depends on use.the other day i had just put a hair popping edge back on a knife and 2 hr's after that i broke down 3 garbage bags of cardboard. so that knife got 2 sharpenings in a day.

 

[Petunia D. Feeble]

As needed for me is usually a daily thing. Generally just a couple passes on a strop though.

 

[maximus83]

Same.

Weekly, as needed. Same. With my EDC blades. But in all candor, I'm ALSO going a little psycho learning sharpening lately, sharpening other blades a lot more often than normal. I blame @FortyTwoBlades and his fantastic sharpening stones, and those evil people at DMT with their fantastic diamond stones, all of whom are conspiring together to rob me of all my money and spare time. Having so much fun that I'm buying cheap blades, sharpening them over and over, grabbing my old knives, sharpening those too, pretty much sharpening everything that's in reach. I know, I probably need help. What can I say, it's been a nice diversion from job stress lately and helps to relax the mind a bit.

 

[BellaBlades]

A touch up every few weeks is all I require. Same for kitchen knives. Usually two strokes on the sharpmaker gray stones will bring the edge back with the exception of heavy use which I reserve for cheaper knives these days. I used to be OCD about my edge. Now if it cuts, it cuts. It saves me time, steel and aggravation.

I find that I never use the fine or ultra fine stones anymore. In my opinion the slightly coarser edge cuts better and last longer.

I also find i will use the base of my lucky "keep calm and kill zombies" coffee mug for touchups when the occasion calls for it.

 

[palonej]

I’ll touch up after each day. I’m in the trades so the knife carried needs a little attention at the end of the day.......usually strop or XFine stone.
Joe

 

[abcdef]

I fudged a little and said "never". I don't count touching up a few kitchen knives once in a while. Too many knives, too little use.

 

[microtech85]

it sounds like a lot of us touch up on ceramics. I personally touch up on spyderco ceramics, either the 2x8 fine bench stone, or the corner of the fine sharpmaker rod or the flat of the medium sharpmaker rod. I use the rod freehand sometimes and in the sharpmaker rig other times. I do not like going too fine but i am interested in maybe buying the ultrafine spyderco ceramic. I just made a strop recently and loaded it with green compound and have been giving up to 3 passes on each side with that from time to time. I have been happy with the strops results sometimes, but other times, i feel it made the edge too slick. I do like my steels to bite into material a little.

 

[brasileiro]

There is knife that I never sharpen, is the same I never used.
I sharpen them when they are not cutting like should be.
Maybe weekly maybe every 15 days.
But touch-up after every use.