Sharpening help? What else do I need?

[makey98]

I have always been into knives, but now I am starting to learn more about them...(types of steel, ect.) I currently have a Spyderco folder, and some other cheapie folders....and am saving up for a Swamp Rat.....my question is ..I have read all the sharpening stuff, and have a good idea of what to do, but I need some advice about the simplest and best value of equipment.

I actually have a blue DMT diamond stone (325 mesh, 45 micron) that I got as a present that is a coarse stone for putting on a edge, what is the next thing I should get? Should

I get the FINE red DMT stone (25 micron, 600 mesh) for $40 or should I get a fine (cheaper) Arkansas stone?

Should I just have those two and get a strop from Lee Valley and that should do it????..what kind of compound should I use??? .I need the strop to sharpen that convex edge of the Swamp Rat??? right ....???

Thanks.

 

[frugalweaver]

I would go for the fine DMT and a leather strop. You can make your own strop from a piece of leather, a piece of wood and some Elmer's glue. Mine is an old soft leather belt glued to a 1X2 pine board about 16 inches long.

I use white rouge compound in a cardboard tube. It is just aluminum oxide in a wax base.

Don't get hung up on what is "RIGHT or CORRECT" find what works best for you and practice till you can do it easily and quickly.

I have a 600 grit belt sander in my shop and a cotton buffing wheel. With that combination I can sharpen the dullest knife in a few seconds. Works great for planer blades, chisels, carving knives, turning tools and lots of other things.

 

[moontroll]

I have the dmt coarse ,I would add either the dmt fine,extra fine and arkansas black.OR dmt fine, Arkansas hard and Arkansas black.The diamond sharpeners will leave a more coarse/seration edge,the arkansas will leave a smoother finer edge but they both work fine.I have them all and I start with the Dmt fine then the Arkansas hard then the the black(I have no arm hair left now working on the legs).I have went to paper when I can cut the width without friction I'm done.Thats with a fixed blade for some reason I can get them sharper than a slip joint, and a folder is in the middle.I AM A STONE KINDA GUY! For economics I would go for the two Sided wet stones(I have them to)Medium /fine(norton 220/1000) then the Arkansas black.Youll get there it just takes time.One of the best stones I have I got at walmat 20 years ago its somwhere between the Arkansas black and hard,I cant find them anymore.I only use the Dmt coarse on very neglected Knives.IN my opinion from the Dmt coarse you will need at least two other stones to get to a fine edge.