Sharpener

T

TheUSMC2017

Joined
Nov 24, 2010
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I need to get a sharpener- I have a smith's DMT stone, Accusharp, and bloc sharpener. All of which are crap. So; I feel like I need a sharpening system that works for me; still being inexpensive. I suck at freehand, but I'm willing to learn, given the system will eventually become an effective means of sharpening. Here are a couple of options that I've considered so far.

Paper wheel
Sharpmaker


Is there anything I need to know about paper wheels? Are there certain grades or companies that are best? Where can I get some good stones, what grits do I need?
 
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Of the ones you mentioned, the paperwheels are probably the fastest at removing material and can produce good edges with practice. The Sharpmaker is an excellent system but it does take longer to grind in the angles for the edges first time you sharpen your knife. You are working at a slower pace so it is easier to see trouble coming and avoid it rather than the speed of the paper wheels regardless of if you are working the edge right or not.
 
wildernessnerd said:
I use a Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpener (WSKTS). Very easy to use with a short learning curve. Here's a link that is very informative http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/765050-Work-Sharp-Knife-Sharpener?highlight=wskts
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Yes, though I have to stress the necessity of aftermarket belts. A single pass on the P220 belt can work up a burr on a dull knife(depending on the steel), which should attest to how much metal it removes. The aftermarket Micro-Mesh belts lets me choose the speed at which I go, as well as allowing me to refine the edge further(hair popping sharpness is easily achieved). I also like it over the paper wheels because being 1-2 degrees off won't make your edge look like it was ground at 5 different angles, not to mention it takes only 1/3 of the space).


TheUSMC2017 said:
Can someone tell me about sharpening stones? It would be a great help.
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There are Arkansas oil stones, which I've never paid much attention to because constant oiling sounds messy and tedious. As well, I hear it doesn't do well on modern wear resistant steels.

There are natural Japanese waterstones, which are actual abrasive stones mined from a quarry in Japan. These are for the truly "authentic" sharpening experience. The finer grit stones are quite expensive, sometimes going up to $300+ for a single stone. I don't feel it's worth it unless you're filthy rich.

Synthetic Japanese waterstones are as they sound, man-made stones of aluminum oxide in a cement binder. These are more affordable and work much like the real thing. The japanese waterstones are soaked in water to help lubricate and wash away the dust from grinding. As you sharpen, the old material is broken down and new material is constantly exposed. This creates a "slush" that acts like a finer grit abrasive and polishes your knife edge. Though this wear of the stones will mean you eventually need to flatten the stone or else you'll be left with a bit of a "dip" in your stone.

A very therapeutic experience to be sure, but I feel diamond stones are the most practical. They work even on super hard ceramic blades, they remain perfectly flat, and they aren't as messy(water aside). They are essentially diamonds bonded to a stainless steel plate. The cost is higher than the waterstones, but I think it's worth the price. The only thing to watch out for is cleaning and pressure. Leftover metal and water on the plates will cause it to rust, and too much pressure when sharpening will rip the diamonds out of the plate.
 
Noctis3880 said:
A very therapeutic experience to be sure, but I feel diamond stones are the most practical. They work even on super hard ceramic blades, they remain perfectly flat, and they aren't as messy(water aside). They are essentially diamonds bonded to a stainless steel plate. The cost is higher than the waterstones, but I think it's worth the price. The only thing to watch out for is cleaning and pressure. Leftover metal and water on the plates will cause it to rust, and too much pressure when sharpening will rip the diamonds out of the plate.
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Can you recommend a certain brand or place to buy? Are there grit sizes or something I should be looking out for?
Thanks a lot for all the help.
 
DMT, knifecenter or chefknivestogo stocks a large selection. A good starter set would be Coarse/Fine/Extra fine.
 
I can strongly recommend CKTG, they are good people and ship fast! I purchased my Choseras for the EdgePro from Ken there.
 
I would love to learn to sharpen too. After reading this I went to chefknivestogo and looked around. they had a lot of videos teaching sharpening. I bookmarked and will look at them later. If interested checkout .... Suppliers >Videos & Tutorials
 
TheUSMC2017 said:
Can you recommend a certain brand or place to buy? Are there grit sizes or something I should be looking out for?
Thanks a lot for all the help.
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chefknivestogo has the widest selection of stones. That question is pretty difficult to answer depending on what kind of edges you want and the steels you're sharpening.

In general, I think the DMT 8" Diasharp Continuous stones from Coarse/Fine/Extra Fine will serve most of your needs. You can throw in an Extra Coarse and a few strops with the DMT Diapaste if you wish, but that's for the true razor edge obsessed nut. And for the price you can get an Edge Pro Apex Kit 4 that will include everything you need for a razor sharp edge for about $250. So you really need to consider how you want to sharpen and more importantly, what is it that you are sharpening?

If you only have cheap kitchen knives from supermarkets, even if you make it sharp enough to cut free-hanging hair(which is doubtful), the steel is usually so pathetic that you'd lose that razor sharpness within a few cuts. I wouldn't suggest spending that much money on a sharpening system unless you have steels that can hold a sharper edge longer like 14C28N, S30V, 154CM, VG-10, AUS-8, or 1095 o name a few.

I'd recommend the Edge Pro(uses aluminum oxide stones and need to be maintained regularly) or Wicked Edge(uses diamond stones with less maintenance, but a much higher cost) if you want picture perfect edges. Paper wheels(2 wheels with 2 different grits for a bench grinder) or the Work Sharp(mini-belt sander, aftermarket belts are a must) for fast edges(about 5-10 minutes a knife, depending on the level of polish) with less precision(can grind your handles, thumbstuds, or the blade itself in a worst case scenario). DMT diasharp continuous stones for freehanding. Haven't had too much experience with synthetic waterstones(not to mention I sucked with them), so I can't really help you there.

I currently use the WorkSharp with a full set of aftermarket Micro-Mesh belts(10 grits, 10 belts of each). I believe the total cost was somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 after shipping.
 
Noctis3880 said:
I wouldn't suggest spending that much money on a sharpening system unless you have steels that can hold a sharper edge longer like 14C28N, S30V, 154CM, VG-10, AUS-8, or 1095 o name a few.

I'd recommend the Edge Pro(uses aluminum oxide stones and need to be maintained regularly) or Wicked Edge(uses diamond stones with less maintenance, but a much higher cost) if you want picture perfect edges. Paper wheels(2 wheels with 2 different grits for a bench grinder) or the Work Sharp(mini-belt sander, aftermarket belts are a must) for fast edges(about 5-10 minutes a knife, depending on the level of polish) with less precision(can grind your handles, thumbstuds, or the blade itself in a worst case scenario). DMT diasharp continuous stones for freehanding.
I currently use the WorkSharp with a full set of aftermarket Micro-Mesh belts(10 grits, 10 belts of each). I believe the total cost was somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 after shipping.
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I only have 14C28N, 1095, and AUS8 knives; so edge retention isn't a problem. The problem is that I can't spend a whole lot of money on a sharpener; I'm looking to spend $75 max. It seems like paper wheels and DMT diasharp continuous stones are about my only choice, so would you use one over the other?
 
I use a DMT aligner system and i absolutely love it... no learning curve and very quick sharp edges... its also diamond so it will last forever and the aligner system takes the guesswork out of angles and also the clamp keeps the edges consistent i got my aligner system for under $40 check amazon http://www.dmtsharp.com/press/aligner.htm
[video=youtube;JntWcNezmho]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JntWcNezmho[/video]
 
furfmonkey said:
I use a DMT aligner system and i absolutely love it... no learning curve and very quick sharp edges... its also diamond so it will last forever and the aligner system takes the guesswork out of angles and also the clamp keeps the edges consistent i got my aligner system for under $40 check amazon http://www.dmtsharp.com/press/aligner.htm
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That's pretty awesome. Does anyone else have any opinions on this system?
 
I've heard good things of it, I used a very similar Smith's system before I got my EdgePro. Lansky also makes a good one, although I don't believe they use diamond plates. Bear in mind that it will have the disadvantages of any clamp-on system, in that it may be challenging to get clamped on tiny blades, and the angle changes as you sweep farther away from the clamp on long ones. If your objectilve is to get a good working edge on a pocket knife with a blade in the 2-4" range, it will work very well for you. I would also recommend looking into an inexpensive strop as a final step, the diamond plates on my Smith's system tended to leave a bit of a burr, even with light pressure. On the upside there, it's really hard to beat a coarse diamond for re-profiling an edge!

A combination I found to work well was the clamp-on, THEN the Sharpmaker. I found that using them in that order more or less solved the major weakness of each system. The Sharpmaker compensated for the relatively rough edges and burrs that the diamonds tended to leave, and the clamp-on system took off the metal that the Sharpmaker was too fine to effectively remove. The "best" system for you is going to depend on your exact objectives, and what kind of blades you are sharpening.
 
I've experimented with numerousl systems, including paper wheels, but IME, nothing even approaches the simplicity of use and quality of results obtained with the Edge-Pro. It allows a novice to achieve near perfect, professional edges after a very short learning curve. :thumbup:

In all fairness, I've never tried the WEPS.

Since acquiring my EP Professional, I've never been tempted to experiment with any other system. :p
 
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edgepro's cheapest system starts at $160 up to $250 well out of the TS stated price range where the DMT aligner is $40
 
I have a wicked edge and love it. It seems very similar to the edge pro except you can do both sides of the blade without flipping it and you can mark the position and resharpen in the exact same place again. A little pricy but it works very well for me.
 
The DMT Magna-Guide set that has the diafolds is great. Under your price point with C, F, EF and EEF. You can use the diafolds to freehand if you want.
 
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