Sharpening a knife

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provin1327

Joined
Jul 2, 2007
Messages
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I have never sharpened a knife before, other then on a little rod thing where you go over under over under, like a kitchen knife, but how do you sharpen a knife like the one I have, a kershaw blur. Its not dull, but I want to know for the future. I know you use a stone, should I go pick one up?
 
Get a Spyderco Sharpmaker. It'll get you started with sharpening knives and is a great system for touching up edges that aren't very dull (like your Blur).

I'm a newbie when it comes to sharpening, and even I can't mess up on the Sharpmaker. It's ALMOST idiot-proof.

Also, they're not too hard on your pocket, will run you around 40 or 50 dollars.
 
that and the sharp maker has those wonderful ceramic rods. for a recurve knife, it really is the best option
 
i would go with a set of the sharpening wheels. i have been sharpening knives for close to half my life and i wouldnt switch back to anything. i used to have an ez sharp system which was similar to a lansky. when i bought a set of wheels and learned to use them, i gave my cousin the ez sharp for his broadheads. you can get a knife razor sharp each and every time you sharpen with these wheels. stevebot, a member here sells these wheels to members at a discount. here is the link to his website. you cant go wrong with a set of these wheels once you learn how to use them. you can also make money with these wheels by sharpening other peoples knives, scissors, pinking shears, tin snips or any other straight edge too. it takes practice to sharpen with these wheels but once you learn you will have no problems. http://users.ameritech.net/knives/paper.htm you will need a 1/2 hp motor that runs 1725 rpm. the bench grinder motors run too fast for my liking and seem to create more heat.
 
I haven't tried the Sharpmaker - yet. I very well may eventually though because of all the good talk about them here.

Currently I have a couple of pieces of DMT hardware for all my sharpening needs. I went and bought three different grades of their DuoSharp "stones" - coarse, fine, extra fine. Honestly, a single DuoSharp in coarse/fine (there are two "grits" on several of their models, one grit per side) would have done everything I need. For putting that "showroom shine" on the edge of a blade you really want that extra fine though.

I have used the Duo to sharpen my Buck 110, most of my kitchen knives, some garden shears, and a couple pairs of scissors. As I guide, I used a pair of quarters like is demoed on the DMT site.

Besides the DuoSharp, I have a DiaFold (in the toolbox) and a Mini-Sharp (for in the kitchen drawer). I really like them. That from someone who had never sharpened anything other than a pencil until about a year ago.

I bought mine from Wholesale Hunter. Pricing and shipping were both fair.

Good luck!
 
I consider the Sharpmaker one of the best investments I've ever made.

It isn't perfect, and it doesn't do all jobs, but it's as close as anyone's come so far, IMHO. (And remember, my opinion is the opinion of an amateur, so take it with a grain of salt. :p )

I am considering getting either a Harbor Freight belt sander, or a set of cardboard wheels, so my opinion might change a little, but I'll still keep the Sharpmaker in my camper. In fact, I might get another one for my backpack!

Ben
 
I am also an amateur at sharpening knives. I accidentaly came across a book at the local library called " THE RAZOR EDGE BOOK OF SHARPENING". It can be found at razoredgesystems.com. Again I am also an amateur. All I know is before I couldn't sharpen anything. Now I can give all but the sorriest knives a shaving edge. Ask some of the experienced guys about this book.
 
I haven't tried the Sharpmaker - yet. I very well may eventually though because of all the good talk about them here.

Currently I have a couple of pieces of DMT hardware for all my sharpening needs. I went and bought three different grades of their DuoSharp "stones" - coarse, fine, extra fine. Honestly, a single DuoSharp in coarse/fine (there are two "grits" on several of their models, one grit per side) would have done everything I need. For putting that "showroom shine" on the edge of a blade you really want that extra fine though.

I have used the Duo to sharpen my Buck 110, most of my kitchen knives, some garden shears, and a couple pairs of scissors. As I guide, I used a pair of quarters like is demoed on the DMT site.

Besides the DuoSharp, I have a DiaFold (in the toolbox) and a Mini-Sharp (for in the kitchen drawer). I really like them. That from someone who had never sharpened anything other than a pencil until about a year ago.

I bought mine from Wholesale Hunter. Pricing and shipping were both fair.

Good luck!
 
I just ordered those cardboard wheels for sharpening. I talked with the owner and was told to get a bench grinder that runs a minimum of 3400 rpm. I have a benchtop that runs at 1750, but he (owner) told me that was too slow.
Oh well, I bought a faster grinder and will post hopefully by next week. My wheels are supposed to ship by tomorrow or the next day.
 
provin1327 said:
I have never sharpened a knife before, other then on a little rod thing where you go over under over under, like a kitchen knife, but how do you sharpen a knife like the one I have, a kershaw blur. Its not dull, but I want to know for the future. I know you use a stone, should I go pick one up?
Click to expand...

Most of the guys here have given you some pretty good advice. I would say that obtaining a Spyderco 204 Sharpmaker will be a "no-brainer" investment. Not only will it keep all of your knives sharp but with proper care it should last you a lifetime. But the instructional video/DVD is a must to understand the function of the unit. Also the booklet that comes with the kit has a well-spring of good information.

I have another recommendation to make. There are 2 great books on sharpening. Both can be had very inexpensively. The first one is The Razor Edge Book Of Sharpening by John Juranitch and the Complete Book Of Sharpening by Leonard Lee. I see both books on Ebay constantly in the $10 to $15 dollar range. And the information is well worth it.

Sharpening is a skill to be sure but it is not quantum physics or rocket science and you should be able to master it with a little study and practice. Good Luck
 
I dont really need somthing super fancy, I probably wont pick up anything untill it gets pretty dull, once we go camping more often and such.
 
provin1327 said:
I dont really need somthing super fancy, I probably wont pick up anything untill it gets pretty dull, once we go camping more often and such.
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another tip of advice provin. nvr wait until the last minute. get a sharpening system as soon as you can, be it the sharpmaker or something else. even if it is to use for a quick tune-up of the edge, it'll be worth it and your knives will keep doing their job at top performance. dont wait till it gets dull and cant cut very well. especially with all the camping that you have mentioned. just not that great an idea.
 
offsetlover- im not waiting till I go camping, I may just get a stone or somthing, see im so new to this stuff, my dad knows a little, so does my uncle, he probably has a stone or a sharpener I can use. He even has a few bullet making machines.
 
provin1327 said:
offsetlover- im not waiting till I go camping, I may just get a stone or somthing, see im so new to this stuff, my dad knows a little, so does my uncle, he probably has a stone or a sharpener I can use. He even has a few bullet making machines.
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w/e works for you. i'll tell you this, blurs are hard to sharpen on a stone. havnt tried one of the round stones yet, but your standard stone is really hard to use because of that recurve
 
I don't mean to run the "get a sharpener sooner not later" advice into the ground, but I would like to emphasize that a knife doesn't work properly without a sharp edge. It should cut effortlessly, and as soon as you have to put effort, and start sawing, you should look at touching up the edge. It is key in maintaining a good edge, and even more important in the safe use of a knife. The only time I have stabbed myself was with a dull knife that I had to pry a large cable tie off with. It should have cut the cable tie with only a little force, and instead I had to put a lot of force which led me to stab my other hand. Luckily it was into bone and I didn't cause a fracture.
 
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