Question about how long to wait before sharpening?

N

Nick24

Joined
Mar 6, 2005
Messages
27
I read that you should sharpen a knife after every 10 hours of use. Is this a general rule of thumb...or are there other schools of thought? The knives I'm most concerned about are my work knives. I bought a couple of cheap knives for cutting stretch wrap, opening boxes, and cutting straps. I would guess I use the knife somewhere in the 1 hour range a day. The knife seems to dull quickly...which of course could be a quality issue. Should I sharpen them every 2 weeks (5 hours use per week) or should I do it sooner?
 
Nick, I think the answer is that you should sharpen the knife - at the latest -- when it is no longer sharp enough to perform to your satisfaction. That point will arrive according to the material being cut, not a time schedule.

I have found it easier to give a knife a few licks on a strop as I go along so it stays sharp. Cardboard will work as a strop.
 
sharpen when the knife is dull. You really dont need someone to tell you when to shapren do you.

besides if they are cheap knives.. sharpen them all you want

Hydraulicman
 
No I guess I don't need anyone to tell me, and now that I think about it this is a rather lame post. At the time I thought it was a good question, but your simple and direct answers have showed me that it was actually quite a stupid question. I apologize if I've wasted anyone's time by reading this.
 
Very good question. Since I do an awful lot of sharpening for people I get a pretty broad perspective of what people do on this.

It is all a matter of perspective and blade geometry because even on some of these blades I have brought to me to resharpen that still shave hairs they don't penetrate when you cut with them to even sharpen a pencil because of the bevel angle, or the thickness of the blade or a combo of both.

Figuring out what you use the knife for, and whether you like a courser edge or a fine edge is something I'd recommend. Also the degree of angle for the bevel you like for the jobs you do. Then as one of the other guys said when the knife stops working for you at the tasks you use it for it is probably time to hone it again to a good sharp edge or at the least give it a few swipes on an x-fine diamond sharpener and a couple of strops on some leather with a polish paste or rouge on it to take off the wire edge and fine tune it better.

For me when the knife no longer takes off a nice shaving of one of my fingernails with ease it is time to touch up the edge. But there are two other tests I also like. The slice test using a scrap of shoe lace and a leather cut test using some scrap hide in a 3/32 or less thickness in both a slice and push test. If it cuts through these mediums with relative ease the edge is probably still fine in my opinion. Some prefer the paper test and that works to feel the edge I just prefer something with more substance for my tests.
 
Sharpen whenever you feel the need to ;) If your edge is no longer satisfactory, then sharpen, strop, or steel. I usually just strop to bring the edge back without removing metal. I give my knives a quick touch up when stropping no longer makes it sharp enough.

Oh, and there are no stupid questions ;)

Yes, you can strop with cardboard without any compound.
 
All a matter of personal preference, just how sharp you want to keep them. I am with Thomas here, I rather prefere to do a little very often, than do a lot occasionally. Besides, sharpening is fun. Its easy to find an excuse to sharpen :).
 
I agree that it's much better to maintain an edge than to let it get noticably dull and then have a very long sharpening session. After all, I want top perfoemance all of the time. You just have to develop a feel for it -- a change to a level of performance that you really don't want to accept. For me, if it doesn't shave easily (without having to press at all), it's not sharp enough

Like a lot of guys, I'll do a few light strokes on the fine and ultra fine rods on the Spyderco Sharpener every week or two, depending on what I've been cutting.
 
I thought that was what this forum was about... to talk about bronze washers and the like.. things that no one else cares about ;) that' swhat makes us great.

Hydraulicman
 
Nick24 said:
No I guess I don't need anyone to tell me, and now that I think about it this is a rather lame post. At the time I thought it was a good question, but your simple and direct answers have showed me that it was actually quite a stupid question. I apologize if I've wasted anyone's time by reading this.
Click to expand...
There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers. If you don't ask you'll never know.

I probably touch up my knives a little more than I should because I find the sharpening process a sort of mental therapy. :)

Generally though, when I find the knife a little harder to use than usual I will give it a few strokes on the Sharpmaker, sometimes this is nothing more than a couple of light touches just to put that fine edge back.
 
Thanks guys...I don't feel so crunchy now. My knives just get dull so quick. Mainly because I don't have a great sharpening touch yet. I just don't seem to have the time to sharpen them as much as they seem to need. I seem to be struggling getting my knife very sharp.
 
Nick24 said:
Thanks guys...I don't feel so crunchy now. My knives just get dull so quick. Mainly because I don't have a great sharpening touch yet. I just don't seem to have the time to sharpen them as much as they seem to need. I seem to be struggling getting my knife very sharp.
Click to expand...
Do you have a Spyderco Sharpmaker 204? If not this definitely must be your next purchase. Get down to your local knife shop and grab one. Sharpening will become easy and fun. :)
 
I don't think anyone thought that this is a dumb question. When Hydraulicman said that you don't need someone else to tell you when you need to sharpen you knives he meant it in an "empowering" way. He meant that you are the ultimate authority on when to sharpen your own knife. And your own personal application is your best hints as to what will work well for you.

I like a razor sharp edge that cuts plastic wrap cleanly with no tearing. It is as much an issue of pride as it is of practicallity. I would keep a hone at work and probably touch up the edge very lightly every few days.
 
Fisher of Men said:
What is a strop and what is "stropping"?

:D Thanks,
Fisher of Men
Click to expand...
A strop can be made from many things but mainly it's leather, often used with a stropping paste. It is used to put that final polish on an edge and make it razor sharp. You must have seen barbers, (especially in older movies), stropping the cut throat razor before shaving somebody, (or cutting their throat!)
 
the only dumb question is the question you were dumb enough not to ask...

I use the sharpmaker and strop to "refresh" in between major reprofiling jobs....(either on a stone or edgepro). A couple of sheets of sandpaper work well too (but I can't seem to find the finer grits that I need)
 
Yes I just got my sharpmaker this week...I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't watched the video yet, but not by choice. I discarded my VHS years ago so I need to get one from my parents who don't use their VHS any longer. I've just had a really busy week at work and have not been able to go and get it.
So I read the manual and I have gotten a little frustrated. Some of the other things I got this week were the diamond rods, the ultra fine rods, my grandfather's 10" diamond and ceramic stones, and a butchers steel...the only thing I am waiting on is my strop from Handamerican.com. I think I should have a pretty good setup, but I figured I would have a problem sharpening at first. I hope watching the video will help.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top