Pull Through Sharpener

C

Crybaby

Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Messages
31
I am pretty decent at sharpening , however, I want a quick fix for a couple double edged tools of mine. Seems a pull through is a good way to go? I am open to suggestions sans freehand, I have no interest in free handing these specific ones. What method do you guys use for double edged tools and if you are willing to give me recommendations such as quality pull -throughs, etc, let me have it. Thank you much.
 
Don't use a pull through. Look at the sharpmaker, edgepro, paper wheels, wicked edge, etc etc
 
Funny thing, I just watched it. I have used a pull through before, they are brutal, I was just wanting a quick fix to get an edge and finish a few strokes on a stone or so. A couple of daggers I acquired are what I speak of. Nothing too fancy, just was/am looking for a quick fix, I'm too lazy to freehand reprofile these suckers.
 
If you are "pretty decent at sharpening," then you know that the only thing a carbide V sharpener does is destroy an edge. The only benefit you would get from one is if you had a butter knife and desperately needed to quickly get enough of a V up to cut through a zip tie or something like that.

Since you already sharpen, you should have a coarse stone lying around that would let you quickly half-a** an edge that would do the job at least better than a pull-through sharpener. Regardless if it's a double-edged dagger or any other kind of knife, if you just want a quick-and-dirty edge, that's the option to go with.

Plus, a dagger (and any double-edged blade) is a weapon and only a weapon. On something that you're going to use to defend your life, I would have assumed you wanted your best edge possible. You say you're good at sharpening, so I assume your other knives have a screaming edge on them. But when it comes to your weapon, you want to use a pull-through sharpener?
 
Magnaminous_G said:
If you are "pretty decent at sharpening," then you know that the only thing a carbide V sharpener does is destroy an edge. The only benefit you would get from one is if you had a butter knife and desperately needed to quickly get enough of a V up to cut through a zip tie or something like that.

Since you already sharpen, you should have a coarse stone lying around that would let you quickly half-a** an edge that would do the job at least better than a pull-through sharpener. Regardless if it's a double-edged dagger or any other kind of knife, if you just want a quick-and-dirty edge, that's the option to go with.

Plus, a dagger (and any double-edged blade) is a weapon and only a weapon. On something that you're going to use to defend your life, I would have assumed you wanted your best edge possible. You say you're good at sharpening, so I assume your other knives have a screaming edge on them. But when it comes to your weapon, you want to use a pull-through sharpener?
Click to expand...

Daggers don't need to be sharp--just pointy enough to go in repeatedly. An edge is nice to have, but edge holding isn't crucial for a dagger, since you are probably only going to have to put one person down. A pull through would work just fine for a dagger IMO. Now, if you want a dagger you can actually use, it's better to have a good, fine edge on it. Pull throughs do work fast, though. I have had good results using them to reprofile and then finishing on stones.
 
I wouldn't use a pull-through sharpener to reprofile my worst enemy's knife. It rips up the sides of the bevel, leave's uneven "waves" with the chunks of metal it rips out, and on top of that, it leaves a pretty obtuse angle on it that will have to be pared down. You're still better off with a stone. I was also taking the OP at his word and assuming he already knew how to sharpen a knife, in which case he would know you can very easily and quickly whip up an edge with a coarse stone. Doesn't have to be pretty or perfect, but will be better than the destruction caused by a carbide V sharpener.
 
Used to be in the fur biz where knives were in constant use. We'd buy Chicago Cutlery 4" paring knives for skinners-- 6/$25 (long time ago). Most of my workers were in high school, and I paid them well-- in the little town I HQ'd in, they were the highest-paid kids around. The thought of paying them to stand there and resharpen over and over again to a showcase edge would have put me out of business. We handled 100,000+ critters each season.

For knives of little value-- where the goal is a functional working edge that can in a few seconds be refreshed-- these things are great.

Would I use them on one of my 12/15 users? Only in an emergency-- but yes. I'd rather have a working edge than a butter knife in one hand, and a v-notch in the other.
 
Magnaminous_G said:
Plus, a dagger (and any double-edged blade) is a weapon and only a weapon. On something that you're going to use to defend your life, I would have assumed you wanted your best edge possible. You say you're good at sharpening, so I assume your other knives have a screaming edge on them. But when it comes to your weapon, you want to use a pull-through sharpener?
Click to expand...

A weapon doesn't need to be sharp to be effective. I agree that pull through sharpeners do more harm than good for most knives, but with a dedicated weapon you don't need the sharpest possible edge. If you truly know how to defend yourself, it doesn't matter if you're using a hair whittling razor or a butter knife.
 
I don't wish to belabor the point here, but if the OP can sharpen a knife already and has the equipment, then why in the world would he not want the knife he is going to stake his life on to be as sharp as possible? This is what is escaping me. Not the fact that you can use a pull-through to put something that resembles a sharp V on an edge, nor the fact that you don't need a razor-sharp tip to penetrate human flesh with a dagger. I get that.
 
I keep re-reading the original post and I just can't seem to find where he says he wants to use a 'carbide' pull-through sharpener.
He just says "pull- through sharpener."

There are several ceramic pull-through sharpeners that are quite effective... providing the blade bevel matches the angle of the ceramic rods. I believe Gerber makes one that has two sets of rods embedded, medium grit on one side, fine grit on the other.

These do no more damage to an edge than the Sharpmaker or any other ceramic rod device, but have the same draw-backs; the edge angles must match. No doubt any good quality sharpening system such as Edge-Pro, Wicked-Edge, or even DMT Aligner will be a more versatile and useful sharpening method, as would free-handing, but the OP is asking for a down and dirty way to quickly work the edges of point-use knives. He doesn't need a new Mercedes Benz to drive to the corner 7-Eleven.


Stitchawl
 
Magnaminous_G said:
I don't wish to belabor the point here, but if the OP can sharpen a knife already and has the equipment, then why in the world would he not want the knife he is going to stake his life on to be as sharp as possible? This is what is escaping me. Not the fact that you can use a pull-through to put something that resembles a sharp V on an edge, nor the fact that you don't need a razor-sharp tip to penetrate human flesh with a dagger. I get that.
Click to expand...

Fair enough :)
 
stitchawl said:
There are several ceramic pull-through sharpeners that are quite effective... providing the blade bevel matches the angle of the ceramic rods. I believe Gerber makes one that has two sets of rods embedded, medium grit on one side, fine grit on the other.
These do no more damage to an edge than the Sharpmaker or any other ceramic rod device, but have the same draw-backs; the edge angles must match.
Click to expand...

I agree with the first part, and have an addition to the second. For years I used a small and inexpensive ceramic roller pull-through from Fiskars (http://www.fiskars.de/Kuche-und-Hau...orm-Messer/857000-Roll-SharpTM-Messerscharfer) for my wife's very thin-bladed paring knives. This is nothing more than a plastic handle with a ceramic wheel mounted in it at a 20° angle. The results were always excellent. About once a week I'd spend maybe a minute on each knife and there were never any complaints from the kitchen. In the meantime I steel those same knives and the results are at least the same if not better.

However, the angles do not have to match. The angle on the knife must be the same OR LESS than the 20° on the pull-through. The best results were always after I had put the knives to my stones every three or four months, which made for about 17° per side. When you then use the Roll-Sharp at its 20° angle, a microbevel is created and maintained for months of weekly sharpening on the Roll-Sharp, until a session with the sharpening stones is once again necessary.

One disadvantage is to be found in the half-inch or so near the tip. If you're right-handed, the right side of the tip will not be in contact with the ceramic roller. For lefties, it's the left side of the tip. What needs to be done there is to either swivel the knife 40° and work the right side of the tip area for a moment, or switch hands and roll the tip area using your left hand. And take off that foolish plastic cover-guide-thing on the Roll-Sharp, it's always in the way.

Sam
 
I would recommend a lansky turn-box for a quick (and cheap, <$15) touch up system. That is unless you have a sharpmaker, then just use that, maybe buy the diamond rods to make it faster.
 
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