Sharpening grits for a new DIY knife

G

GD1911

Joined
Jun 21, 2012
Messages
14
Hey guys,

still trying to get my bearings on all the gear I'm going to need to get my first few knives done. I was thinking for the edge, I would rig up a DIY sharpener 'a la' EdgePro. I was looking at the stones at Congress Tools and there are a boat load...

Just wondering, if I'm working with O1, what would the best stone progression be for profiling and sharpening the final edge?
 
This may be better served in the MTE sub forum, the guys that frequent it are VERY knowledgeable about ALL things sharpening. You'll likely get as many opinions as answers. Fortunately, O1 isn't a bear to sharpen. You can use any type of stone, but some say that diamond is best used on higher alloy steels, while carbon like O1 takes it's best edge with just about everything else.

I would typically say 120 for bevel setting or edge repair. Then jump to 1000 grit to sharpen the edge (some may suggest a 400 or 600 grit in between.....that's cool). Then on to 4000 grit. And 8000 for a nice polish. I don't think there is any reason to over think it. Basically in sharpening a very dull knife you do three things...
1. Repairing of nicks and bevel establishment
2. Actually sharpening of edge
3. Polishing of edge (and this step may be skipped altogether if you are looking for a "toothy" edge)

That's a start anyway. Go from there!
 
Thanks SS!
I know there's a lot of debate amongst the sharpening crew, so I thought there may be a quick answer here, but I'll post a more in depth questions over there..

These first few (and more than likely a few more) will be camping knives, so a toothy edge would probably serve me a bit better for now. So I was thinking 120 for profiling and setting the edge, then maybe a 400to smooth and finish on an 800.
 
I have been using a 120g diamond stone to take the edge down to zero. After that I use an edge pro and go through the grits up to 2000g polishing tape. They number their grits different than the water stones, but have a chart that compares the grits of different types of systems. Its in the 8000g to 12000g range IIRC. Consider this kit to get a start. I used one on my first 30 knives or so, but bought an edge pro because it is quite a bit faster, and more precise.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.aspx?p=32992&cat=1,43072,43079&ap=1

This kit will get you shaving sharp without a problem. I know some hunters who prefer to only go as sharp as this kit goes, as sharper knives can too easily split the hides.

Don't forget the final step, a leather strop with fine paste (or a ceramic). I have been using Turtle Wax Polishing Compound. It works, but how it compares to other compounds, I don't know. I have half a bottle left, and when it is running out I'll look into it more.
 
Hey Willie,

That or the Lanskey was what I had in mind but the knives I'm making are quite big (think Esee6) so I think it might be difficult to use the smaller model, that's why I figured I would make a bigger version (to keep the angle) and pick up some EP stones or the Congress Tool ones.
 
I use 1500, 2000, 4000, and 9000x water stones for my O1 blades. I find that O1 is a pleasant steel to sharpen and doesn't require a whole lot of work to get a very keen edge. I highly recommend at least a 8000-9000 finish stone to get the best out of this steel. You'll be able to shave with it no problem.
 
I just checked my pocket, I have a 600 grit Dia-sharp credit card sharpener with a piece of 1200 grit glued to the back of it. You might give a quick strop to pull any burrs off of the edge.
 
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