Sharpening On A Budget

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dryflytrout

Joined
Jan 15, 2017
Messages
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Hi BF, I'm just about a complete noob to knives and even newer to sharpening. I'm also on a rather tight budget right now, so I'd like to get the most I can for the least possible. I would also very much like to avoid spending money on something that won't work well and have to spend more to replace it.

After looking through various sites, reading, and watching videos I've decided I'd like to sharpen freehand on stones. I found this set of stones
617REf3McKL._SL1000_.jpg

IMAGE Set 6pc Sharpening Stones for Kitchen Knife Sharpener Professional Sharpening System-stone grit: #180 #400 #800 #1500 #2000 #3000
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Will these work well for me? I do realize they are on the smaller side, but so is the majority of what I'll be using them on. I also understand the glue on this particular item doesn't perform well but that doesn't concern me. If they should be avoided could you please provide a brief explanation of why? A suggestion for something better for not much more money would also be great!

Thanks!
 
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dryflytrout said:
Hi BF, I'm just about a complete noob to knives and even newer to sharpening. I'm also on a rather tight budget right now, so I'd like to get the most I can for the least possible. I would also very much like to avoid spending money on something that won't work well and have to spend more to replace it.

After looking through various sites, reading, and watching videos I've decided I'd like to sharpen freehand on stones. I found this set of stones on Amazon:

Will these work well for me? I do realize they are on the smaller side, but so is the majority of what I'll be using them on. I also understand the glue on this particular item doesn't perform well but that doesn't concern me. If they should be avoided could you please provide a brief explanation of why? A suggestion for something better for not much more money would also be great!

Thanks!
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My .02... you'd be better off getting something like a Norton Coarse/Fine India Oilstone, or King Coarse/Fine waterstone. Either will do a better job, and last longer.

Learning to sharpen on the stones you linked to... not something I'd recommend. (Plus those stones aren't all that great).
 
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Most beginning sharpeners, in my opinion, are best served by a simple two-grit stone of appropriate grade. Most sharpeners in general are lacking a sufficiently coarse stone in their kit and so often are tempted to try jumping up to a finer grit before even really reaching a proper apex. Also, while mirror polished edges sure are pretty, coarser grits (such as the fine side of such a combo-grit stone) will leave a more toothy edge that's better in slicing tasks. Polished edges are better at push-cutting, but rapidly lose slicing aggression. Similarly toothy edges are more prone to the micro-teeth collapsing when used for push cutting. Then there's the whole range between so it's a sliding scale. The finer your scratch pattern, the more push cutting performance you get, but less slicing performance. The coarser your scratch pattern, the more aggressive your slicing, but the worse your push-cutting. But highly polished edges will still need coarser stones for doing the heavy lifting before the polishing is performed, so starting on the coarser end means you won't find yourself no longer in need of them later on as you round out your arsenal. Just my thoughts. :)
 
cbwx34 said:
My .02... you'd be better off getting something like a Norton Coarse/Fine India Oilstone, or King Coarse/Fine waterstone. Either will do a better job, and last longer.

Learning to sharpen on the stones you linked to... not something I'd recommend. (Plus those stones aren't all that great).
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This ^

Norton Crystalon, India, Ace combination stone, add from there as you gain proficiency. Also, do not learn on a good knife. Invest in some used cutlery or super cheap dollar store knives.
 
Norton JB8 or IB8, your choice, ~$25 each.

These stones are capable of repectable edges even on high carbide steels, once the basics of proper use, angle control, pressure, apexing, and burr removal are understood and mastered.

Only after the above would I recommend finer stones, which I consider a different subject.
 
I replaced the link to a non-BF dealer with a picture and description from that web site.
Please do not link to non-BF dealers. There is a link in my signature line to the current list of BF dealer members.
 
don't buy that. goto this page and read the PDF article here for sharpening
http://www.seamountknifeworks.com/articles.htm
as said above, Norton.
its not expensive.

and a leather strop or two with compound... balsa wood or other materials also works to remove the burr


also note those stones in the OP are often not flat at all, and are made for edge pro clones iirc.
 
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Thanks for all the advice. It seems like everyone agrees a Norton JB8 or IB8 is the best so I'll trust your experience.

I think I got caught up in the mirror polish thing before I understood the difference between that and a more toothy blade. Now that I realize that and the most important thing I would knife for, a blade that sliced seems much safer than a blade that pushes. That use would be getting my waders off if I go under and they fill up with water causing me to drown. Slicing the waders without puncturing my leg seems like the way to go! Hopefully that won't be the most frequent thing I use it for though.
 
I thought I had all my questions answered, but the more I learn the more I realize I don't know. I guess that's how it goes huh?
Would DMT Dia-Sharps in course and fine, with the intention to add extra course and extra fine at a later time be good to get me started? Diamond will cut/sharpener faster than other stones, correct? Will they also last longer? I realized this morning I'd rather just get something of good quality that will last instead of junk that will need to be replaced quickly.

What would I need tempered glass for?

Once again, thank you to everyone who has responded. I appreciate the assistance to get me started in the right direction.
 
dryflytrout said:
I thought I had all my questions answered, but the more I learn the more I realize I don't know. I guess that's how it goes huh?
Would DMT Dia-Sharps in course and fine, with the intention to add extra course and extra fine at a later time be good to get me started? Diamond will cut/sharpener faster than other stones, correct? Will they also last longer? I realized this morning I'd rather just get something of good quality that will last instead of junk that will need to be replaced quickly.

What would I need tempered glass for?

Once again, thank you to everyone who has responded. I appreciate the assistance to get me started in the right direction.
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For diamonds an extra coarse and fine would be a great combo. A full set of them also very nice. They are not very tolerant of using too much force and can wreck the plates if you press too hard. I also don't recommend them for beginners as they don't have very good feedback (felt tactile sensation as the steel moves across the stone) and IMHO are really at their best on the high carbide steels. On a lot of common or budget steels they are overkill and don't produce as nice an edge as aluminum oxide or silicon carbide (my opinion).

On a budget and starting out don't overthink this. A good India or Crystalon combination stone and a bottle of mineral oil will never collect dust in your collection and are a good way to learn. After you have a better idea of how this all works, then look into more $ for more options. If you use a Crystalon (siliconcarbide) with oil, the mud can be smeared on a sheet of paper for a honing compound/strop (video link below) and you'll be turning out edges that might very well be all you need unless getting into shaving or woodworking.

http://i748.photobucket.com/albums/xx126/Millermeter_2010/101_0301_zpstsqn16ak.jpg
 
The Norton jb8 and IB8 are far from junk. They will last a very long time. I personally don't know of anything that cuts faster than the coarse side of a JB8. Like said, this is because you're linited to how much pressure you can use with diamond to keep from damaging it. This is also why I prefer a coarse diamond over Xcoarse. I don't think you can take advantage of XC and get full cut depth like you can with silicon carbide stones (using more force), except maybe on no/low carbide soft steels.
Note: I don't know if eze-lap and dmt coarse is the same, I use eze-lap.

The diamond advantage to me is it cuts cleaner than any other abrasive, and mostly use them for finishing.

I think everyone, regardless of what they have, should have a norton combo oilstone in their kit. It's still the best value/price that I know of at ~$20-$25 for the jb8/ib8 (their best oilstones imo).
 
Just get any double sided stone that's under 300 grit on one side and over it on the other. I have one from the dollar tree. Here I am three years later. I sliced the corners off attempting to sharpen it. I've abused it. Used it with water oil and a compound of some sort. And it still works out in my garage. Just bought a new one because now I'm good at sharpening and decided it was time for one that's not warped and bowed with no corners and clogged. Get a cheap one because you will ruin it. Then once you learn get a nice set. 4 years of knives and I'm finally moving away from that stone up to a norton course fine I think it's aluminum oxide 100/320 grit and a 1000/3000 whetstone. I would add a 600 grit to mine when I can. So buy a set if you want but also get the cheapest one you find to learn on. I can shave after 320 grit. Ain't a smooth shave but I can do it. When you get to about that point then I'd say you start using nice ones so they don't get ruined


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