Sharpening a Black M6?

adrock1978

adrock1978

Joined
May 30, 2009
Messages
2,538
I just bought my first Swamp Rat. A black M6. This is one tank of a knife. Can anyone recommend a good way to sharpen it, or a good knife sharpening kit? I dont own any stones or anything. I own several knives, but never took the time to properly maintain the edges.

I'm afraid I may screw up the black crinkle finish if I attempt to sharpen it wrong.
 
I use a Spyderco Sharpmaker for all of my knives except the couple with convex edges. It works pretty well once you get the hang of it. I've also heard really good things about the Edgepro sharpening system.
 
If I'm sharpening any of my blades beyond a stropping, they end up with a convex edge. I don't do V-grinds anymore. I used to do it all with a mousepad and sandpaper, but recently upgraded to a belt sander. Good stuff :thumbup:
 
Ok, still kind of lost here. What exactly is stropping a blade? I'm not sure what edge my M6 has. Would stropping be enough to maintain a sharp edge? How about a ceramic rod?
 
Once the edge is sharp, all you should do is strop occasionally. Read up on sharpening techniques here. There's good info. Sharpmakers work fine with some blades. I like the DMT Diafold diamond sticks and the Spyderco ceramic files. It takes a little practice, but sharpening to hair-poppin levels only takes a few minutes. The M6 is a fatty down to the edge, so convexing it seems to be a good idea.
 
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