Recommended sharpening system/technique for S45VN folders?

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Pcexbird

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Nov 27, 2020
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I saw a video on YouTube (I know, I know) that shows a guy using a Fine (25micron/600 mesh) DMT Dia-Sharp diamond whetstone and a strop as a replacement for an array of stones. Not sure if life can be that simple though, the results looked impressive.

I am admittedly very green when it comes to sharpening. I've been overwhelmed by the huge selection of sharpening systems and still haven't pulled the trigger on any of them.

Presently my knives are all S45VN and I have a couple cheap 8cr13 blades to practice with.

I'm wondering as someone new to sharpening what would you recommend?

What do you think of the above method?

I am also looking into strops...is it advisable to get a two sided paddle with the white/green standard compound or to get the ones with diamond spray and such?

I will only be sharpening folders. Mostly Spyderco knives, and would greatly appreciate any advice you'd have for what you recommend for someone new who doesn't want to destroy their knives and is eager to learn.

Thanks.
 
Depends on your budget and the amount of effort you want to put into sharpening. Are you a "buy once, cry once" type or do you want to buy something cheaper to dip your toes in?
 
600 grit done right will handle all your needs. As will a 325 grit. Can you go to a finer stone? Sure. If it isn't sharp after the 600 the Uber fine grit won't make a difference. As far as strops go I would go with diamond spray on balsa. Although I've tried them on many mediums. You can get a 3x3 x12 inch balsa block at hobby lobby and you have 4 surfaces to play around with. You will get out whatever you put in.
 
I do like natural stones, but with most of the newer steels, diamonds are the way to go. They will cut anything, saving you time and frustration. If you're looking for a guided system, I still think the KME is the best bang for your buck.

I used a double sided strop with green and white compound for years. Just get a quality one and you will be happy. I've switched to diamond spray on balsa wood for the most part now. You can get balsa wood, sand it smooth...2000 grit, and make your own. Then you just need to buy diamond emulsion. I use 6 and 1 micron.
 
tokerblue said:
Depends on your budget and the amount of effort you want to put into sharpening. Are you a "buy once, cry once" type or do you want to buy something cheaper to dip your toes in?
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I'm not against spending money on guided but I kind of want to save that option for if I cannot succeed at freehand. Right now I have the setup above in my cart and it's about $80 I'd definitely start with some cheaper knives before putting any of my spyderco or zt's on it. Open to opinions though. I'm not looking for mirror edges yet but I do want it to be sharp as if not a bit more than say a from factory Spyderco para 2 for example. Does that seem attainable with the 600 + strop or will I need to go further to get to that sharpness?

I don't want to over complicate things by reprofiling yet as I have read the guides on this forum for the edge pro apex and it's admittedly overwhelming for me who wants to maintain factory sharpness and go a bit beyond that.
 
Pcexbird said:
Open to opinions though. I'm not looking for mirror edges yet but I do want it to be sharp as if not a bit more than say a from factory Spyderco para 2 for example. Does that seem attainable with the 600 + strop or will I need to go further to get to that sharpness?
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I use the Wicked Edge and I usually stop at 600 grit.
 
I'm really between getting a 600 grit diamond and a strop with 3, and 1 micron solution or a sharpmaker Tbh.
 
tokerblue said:
I use the Wicked Edge and I usually stop at 600 grit.
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Yeah the WE is super nice. But it's a bit high on the cost side for initial investment for me at this stage.But are you also saying 600 grit is plenty? Maybe I should buy the 600 grit diamond 8x3 stone.
 
Pcexbird said:
Yeah the WE is super nice. But it's a bit high on the cost side for initial investment for me at this stage.But are you also saying 600 grit is plenty? Maybe I should buy the 600 grit diamond 8x3 stone.
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I also have the 800/1000 stones for the WE, but I rarely use them. I find that 600 grit gets you a really nice "toothy" edge.
 
tokerblue said:
I also have the 800/1000 stones for the WE, but I rarely use them. I find that 600 grit gets you a really nice "toothy" edge.
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So with a dull yet undamaged blade can I literally start with a 600 grit diamond and skip using a coarse stone? Can I do the same with a factory sharpened brand new spyderco or should I skip the stone and go straight to the strop with a new blade?

I can literally start with 600 grit/ 25 micron diamond stone and won't need to buy the coarser stones?

I found a DMT stone that is 6" instead of 8" that actually has 600 on one side and 1200 on the other.

My only concern is whether starting with the 600 grit will indeed work or whether I will need a coarser diamond. I don't want to reprofile.

I am trying to copy the factory edge and angle. What do you all think of this?

Also, I have a strop package in my cart that has balsa and 3 micron diamond paste and it comes with a leather strop and 1 micron diamond paste too.

What do you think of that compared to a one strop system with the common green compound?

I've got it boiled down to the 600/1200 DMT dia-sharp combination stone + the 2 strop system I mention above for a total of around $90.

Or: I could get a Sharpmaker and the same strop system mentioned above. For $100

What would you guys recommend?
 
I also see a DMT aligner + set of 3 diamond stones sold as a kit. Wondering is I'd be better off with the dia sharp stone and the DMT aligner to get the angle feel down or getting the DMT aligner with the 3 stones and the guide rod. Or skip them both and get a Sharpmaker? Decisions decisions!
 
I'm a relative newbie, just returning to sharpening after many years. With that caveat out of the way (so that you know what my opinion on this is worth...), I might go with something like the DMT DuoSharp in coarse and fine. Maybe throw in an angle guide. I think that setup will cover a broad range of sharpening needs. When I bought my first diamond plates, I cheaped out and didn't get a base to go with them. If you go the bench stone route, get some kind of base. I like my Ultrasharp plates, but when they're laid flat on the table, I have no room for my hands when I sharpen. In any event, good luck on your search.
 
Spats McGee said:
I'm a relative newbie, just returning to sharpening after many years. With that caveat out of the way (so that you know what my opinion on this is worth...), I might go with something like the DMT DuoSharp in coarse and fine. Maybe throw in an angle guide. I think that setup will cover a broad range of sharpening needs. When I bought my first diamond plates, I cheaped out and didn't get a base to go with them. If you go the bench stone route, get some kind of base. I like my Ultrasharp plates, but when they're laid flat on the table, I have no room for my hands when I sharpen. In any event, good luck on your search.
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I wonder how you feel about the dia fold 4 stone setup from dmt. Comes with the aligner too and i saw i can freehand with those too in I get the process down. What do you think?
 
If you're talking about something like the DMT Aligner Prokit (which is what I was looking at when I wrote that stuff above), a couple of things come to mind. Yes, you can freehand with it, but you still wind up holding the stone in one hand. I prefer to use a larger bench stone, mounted in some stable way. You can still buy pretty inexpensively and use it until you get a feel for your angles.

ETA: I now see that you're talking about the Dia-fold setup. It looks like a handy little setup that will probably sharpen all of the steels you mentioned above.
 
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Spats McGee said:
If you're talking about something like the DMT Aligner Prokit (which is what I was looking at when I wrote that stuff above), a couple of things come to mind. Yes, you can freehand with it, but you still wind up holding the stone in one hand. I prefer to use a larger bench stone, mounted in some stable way. You can still buy pretty inexpensively and use it until you get a feel for your angles.

ETA: I now see that you're talking about the Dia-fold setup. It looks like a handy little setup that will probably sharpen all of the steels you mentioned above.
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So it's that kit or the Sharpmaker what would you start with, keeping in mind I have nothing but knives - no sharpening equipment.
 
I've never used the Sharpmaker, but it gets a lot of good recommendations. That said, if it's down to those two, I'd go with the Dia-fold.

ETA: Just to be 100% crystal clear, I've never used either the Sharpmaker or the Diafold system, and I've never sharpened S45VN. My advice is worth about what you've paid for it.
 
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