"Sharpening Phobia"?

Professor,

I think the jest of Steven's article is right on. I have sold several hundred thousand knives and sharpened probably 5,000 or more. The funny thing is, when I was still in retail, people would come in with a dull knife and actually think about buying a new one rather than sharpening the one they already had. I only charged a buck or two to get their knife back to razor sharp. Maybe it was just an excuse to buy a new toy but it is funny.

I don't think Steven was trying to make filler or was making anything up as I have witnessed what he is saying first hand.

The other thing is that I have noticed is that when people came in to have their knives sharpened they would ask me how to sharpen a knife. I would show them on a Spydie or a Lansky or even a DMT but each time they would see the price of the sharpener and realize they only sharpened the knife once since they bought, and then the price of the sharpener scared them away.

Now for the casual knife buyer that makes sense, but for you guys here on the forums it is a different story as sharpening knives is more of an art than a real necessity. What I mean by that is that we love to sharpen knives because it is a test of ourselves to see if we can bring back the edge. I know I love to sharpen a knife for a friend and hand it back with hair still on it.

I think Steven's article was directed at the casual knife buyer and not knifenuts like us. Also it seemed to me the focus of the article was on edge retention and how he felt it was not the most important feature of a knife. I agree, but it is a damn close second.

Danny at 888 Knives R Us taught me a long time ago how to sharpen knives and we both have contests sometimes to see who is better. He is!

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Best Regards,
Mike Turber
BladeForums Site Owner and Administrator
Do it! Do it right! Do it right NOW!
www.wowinc.com

 
Mike, as one of those "casual knife users" (I just have 2 Benchmades), is there a middle ground between getting the knife sharpened by someone else and buying a "system"?

What do the knife enthusiasts bring along on trips when space is at a premium (to carry and to setup)... would that be a middle solution for casual users?

I've yet to work down the edge on my Benchmades (330 and 705S), and I'm almost tempted to buy a (relatively) cheap knife and stone to practice sharpening on an ATS-34 blade. I'd like to know the essentials from the "pro" tips, since I know from the FAQ that there's alot you can do to make a good edge...but just wondered if maybe 90% of that effort is directed to refining just the last 10% of the edge.
 
Hi...my name's Jim and I'm a "sharpaphobic"...
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Seriously...I have some relatively good production and custom knives and have tried several sharpening systems (Spyderco Sharpmaker, Lansky, and DMT) but I have never been able to sharpen my knives well or consistently. I've tried the tips from Joe T's sharpening FAQs and several other sources, all to no avail (I couldn't raise a burr on stainless steel if my life depended on it)
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. I can put a serviceable edge on most of my carbon steel knives but the art of sharpening my ATS34 "daily carries" (BM Mini AFCK and Sentinel) escapes me. All my efforts to improve the edge seem counter-productive; these two knives always seem duller after my attempts to sharpen them. It's gotten to the point where I'm very reluctant to try and sharpen some of my custom pieces for fear that I may ruin them. If some could ever develop a truly idiot-proof sharpening system they'd make a fortune off of guys like me…

I've got a BM Stryker in M2 on order…maybe I'll have better luck with this steel…

Jim
 
Jim,

Where is Joe T's Sharpening FAQ? Although I have worked out my sharpening system for home and field use I'm always looking for a better way.

BTW, how are you trying to raise a burr on your stainless knives? I have found that dragging the edge produces a burr in a few strokes on any blade. I have settled on David Boye's sharpening techniques from his book 'Step-by-Step Knifemaking'.
 
At the significant risk of being obtuse, I must posit a considerable personal malaise at "sharpening systems" and wonder sharpeners when a decent stone -- in a pinch a brick or the sidewalk -- is all that is needed to sharpen a knife, and to sharpen it well. Add a bit of the sole of one's boot or the back of note pad as a strop and you can do anything the latest sharpener will do. The jazziest new sharpening gizmo will always sell I guess, sort of like the latest weight loss miracle.

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Regards,
Arizona Desert Rat


 
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