Product recommendations for a wide range of sharpening?

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brent_strong

Joined
Nov 13, 2005
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Hey, as I'm sure it's quite obvious, I'm new here, but have always had a strong interest in knives and sharpening. I'm an avid cook, so I have a wide assortment of kitchen knives (assortment of very cheap to medium quality, I haven't bought a set to keep good yet, since my roommates will undoubtedly ruin them if I do) and always carry a decent quality pocket knife.

I've been doing some research lately to find a good quality sharpening setup for a decent price. I've read through a few good sites that detail technique and describe/review sharpening products and systems to some extent and have found that either a GATCO or Meyerco system would fit my needs adequately, but I'd like to make sure there isn't a wonderful product out there that I am unaware of that would work better!

My budget is definitely under $50 unless you have a VERY convincing argument for a certain setup that would be very versatile and would be more of a lifetime setup. The knives I will be sharpening range from a 2-3" pocket knife blade up to a large sized 10-12"+ kitchen knife blade. Obviously I need to find something that will accomodate both.

I'd like to find something relatively easy to use, but I am certainly not opposed to learning a new lifetime skill with this, so something like a GATCO or a whetstone/guide setup would probably fit me well. I love the simplicity that the Meyerco offers, but I would happily do more work to get a better or longer lasting edge with a different system.

I'm sure you've had similar questions to this asked a million times on here, but with my stipulations, it may be a bit unique. I have looked through some of the FAQ threads here and found some good information, hopefully you can help me along in my search for a nice entry level sharpening system that is very versatile!

Thanks!
 
If I was really into it, I'd get into freehand w/stones. But I'm guessing you want an actual system to ease the learning curve?

The Spyderco Sharpmaker (204) will be recommended by many here. It is very easy to use, within 5 minutes you'll be a pro. It can accomodate a large variety of edged tools. I think they can be had for around $40 but I picked mine up at a local gun shop which ran me about $60 (still worth it).

I must say that there are some huge downsides to it though:

1. It will only do 2 different angles (3 if you count the scissor thing, which I never use).

2. Reprofileing the blade will take so long, you'll want to slit your wrists with the knife dull. :rolleyes: You can get the dimond stones for it, but they are super expensive. Also you have to take your time because if you hit the top of the stone, you'll have a huge chip in the edge...

3. It is somewhat hard (more like time consuming) to clean, and must be cleaned often.

4. You may also have problems doing your longer kitchen knives.

FOR THE PRICE, IT'S WORTH IT.

Then there is the Edge Pro, I can really say much about it other than it is over $100, but still highly regarded. Doing a search will yield many threads. :thumbup:
 
You can't beat the Spyderco 204 Sharpmaker for someone who has not done a lot of sharpening. The video and booklet that come with the unit are very easy to understand.

There is one other unit that has caught my eye. It is called the "SKARB" www.skarb.com. What I like about the SKARB system is that you can use your own stones as long as they are not too big. It has the angle control of the Edge Pro but it can be used with many more stones than these units that come with their own proprietary stones.
 
Considering your budget constraints, I'd go with the Sharpmaker. It has the inherent restrictions already mentioned, but short of the Edge Pro ($200) any system does.

If after trying the Sharpmaker, if you cannot get a really sharp edge, your knives may be so shot that you need to get them professionally reground to a new edge. Then, use the Sharpmaker to keep them sharp and you should be set for life.

If I were doing it, I would have someone reprofile the edge to something less than 15 degrees per side. I would then run them through the Sharpmaker at the 30 degree setting (=15 degrees per side) and keep them razor sharp.

Good luck.

PS. As I've had a roomate for 36 years (read wife), I know what you mean about "their" ability to wreck a knife. Just keep up on the maintenance which will offset the "rommie factor".
 
underaged! said:
1. It will only do 2 different angles (3 if you count the scissor thing, which I never use).
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You can adjust the angles by putting blocks under the base, various calculations for incremental adjustements were discussed here a short time ago usinf the rods and safety guides.

Reprofileing the blade will take so long ...
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This is a problem with any v-rod or jig system, get an x-coarse waterstone to reset edges. Get a belt sander if you do it a lot, especially for heavy worn knives picked up a flea markets and such.

It is somewhat hard (more like time consuming) to clean ...
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Spray them with a cleaner, leave for awhile, come back and wipe clean.

You may also have problems doing your longer kitchen knives.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it is also cumbersome on fairly heavy knives in the kitchen like cleavers and such. The Sharpmaker is also really versatile, if you are just applying microbevels to knives you can make due with a more trimmed down simple v-rod setup. The Sharpmaker though will come in handy as you expand your sharpening to other sharp tools, as the video details.

-Cliff
 
Just get the 3 stone 8 inch arkansas setup. It's not any harder to use than a gadget, and you get the satisfaction of knowing you did it freehand. It might take a little practice to get your knives shaving sharp, but it's worth it. It's also easy to pack a small stone when you go fishing or hunting. Learn the ancient art. That's worth it. I paid 40 bucks for mine, and after doing a little reading on the web, I can get my knives as sharp as I can Imagine. They feel like razor blades, and I can do pocket knives all the way up to big kitchen knives.
 
Since cost is such a high priority for you, check out the homemade angle jigs in the recent thread linked below. If you know someone with a woodworking shop or have one yourself, these can be made quite cheaply. Coupled with stones that can be bought cheaply online or at hardware or woodworking stores, these jigs could be considered a poor man's Sharpmaker.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=371999

Also, since you can use commonly available sharpening stones, you have access to whatever grits you feel will work best for your style of sharpening.

HTH.
 
thedroid420 said:
Just get the 3 stone 8 inch arkansas setup. It's not any harder to use than a gadget, and you get the satisfaction of knowing you did it freehand. It might take a little practice to get your knives shaving sharp, but it's worth it. It's also easy to pack a small stone when you go fishing or hunting. Learn the ancient art. That's worth it. I paid 40 bucks for mine, and after doing a little reading on the web, I can get my knives as sharp as I can Imagine. They feel like razor blades, and I can do pocket knives all the way up to big kitchen knives.
Click to expand...


I kinda like the idea of this. What Arkansas stone setup did you buy?

What do the rest of you think about an Arkansas stone setup vs. the Sharpmaker?

Thanks for the advice so far!
 
I bought my setup from the gunstore for about 40 bucks. It has three stones of different grits mounted on a triangular piece of cedar. It also includes a cedar cradle for the stones. Works great, is cheap, and alows you to learn a new skill, instead of using a crutch.
 
Welcome to the party! Always good to get new blood in the forums. Otherwise things get dull.

If I were you I would go with a Sharpmaker and double-sided whetstone from the Depot about 6"x2". The Sharpmaker will sharpen various sized knives and the whetstone with medium and fine grits will enable you to reprofile the edge when necessary (and it shouldn't be necessary very often if the knife is good quality with good steel). For a better whetstone the DMT diamond stones are hard to beat. They have an extra-course which is awesome when it comes to reprofiling.

http://www.dmtsharp.com/general/basicsharp.htm


Also don't forget a hone which you can easily make from an old leather belt. Mine is glued to a wooden paint stirrer.

http://www.drsharpening.com/leatherhone.html



Here are some good links to info about sharpening knife edges.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=368828

http://www.mhcable.com/~yocraft/sosak/convex.htm

http://knifeart.com/geomofcutedb.html

http://knifeart.com/knifedfaqbyj1.html

http://users.ameritech.net/knives/Juranitch1977Feb.htm
 
Looks like it! I'll probably pick up a DMT stone or two as well, eventually. At least I have plenty of crappy knives to learn what NOT to do on! By the time I buy a good set of kitchen knives and a permanent pocket knife, I should have my technique down.
 
I would second the belt sander and the angle jigs linked in another recent thread. If you cant find it, they are just long (8"-9") pieces of wood cut at an angle then fastened to a flat base so they stand up, and you sharpen vertically, like the sharpmaker. I use the belt sander w/ a 220 or fresh 320 grit belt to reprofile knives. Since you have some low end knives to practice on, this should only take you 3-4 ruined knives to get the hang of it. After the reprofiling stage, I use the bench stones (800 grit water stone and Norton course/fine India) to maintain an edge. For undamaged knives in the kitchen, 20-30 strokes per side should form a small but easily removable burr (I find large burrs to be difficult to remove on thin kitchen knives) which can be taken off with 5-6 strokes per side at a higher angle. In all honesty, a Norton course/fine India stone will sharpen nearly anything to an acceptable edge for kitchen use, considering the abuse most kitchen knives take. The course side will thin an edge out, but takes much longer than a belt sander. My wooden jigs/stands were free from some scrap. My 1x30 inch sander was 39.95, and my Norton coarse/fine stone was $20. Belts are $1-$3 each, but one 320 grit belt will sharpen my entire knife block 3-4 times. It cost me $20 in knives to learn to use the sander. That includes 2 paring knives, a S&W hunter I reground to full convex grinds, and a Benchmade Ares with a blade already ruined by hammering it through 22 gauge sheet metal.
 
When starting with a new extra-coarse stone or a belt sander I found it helpful to run down to Goodwill and pick up a couple of knives for a couple a bucks to practice on.

--SAK
 
Brent - Welcome to the party! It's always good to get new blood in the forum or things get dull.

Look around and you'll see all kinds of sharpening suggestions for just about any kind of blade.
 
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