Sharpening preferences

Would you rather sharpen...

  • Quick touch-ups as often as needed

  • Once a week, preferably no more than ten minutes, let's get this done.

  • Once every few weeks or a month, it's fine if it takes up to half an hour.

  • No more than two or three times per year, and I am ready to give a good part of the day to it.

  • Sharpening is for the birds, I'll just buy a new knife when this one is dull!

  • Other (please explain in a post)


Results are only viewable after voting.

David Mary

pass the mustard - after you cut it
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I realize there may be circumstances that would affect your choice, but for simplicity's sake this poll assumes one knife that you use frequently. What option most closely resembles your thoughts for sharpening that knife. Feel free to post a comment with some context regarding the steel, blade geometry, edge angle, the type of use the knife is put to, and perhaps most importantly how you sharpen. Thanks!
 
Quick touchups are fine with me. I have as many sharpening stones scattered about as I do knives, so I am never far away from one.

I have become rather proficient free-hand sharpening over the last 40 years, so my guided systems rarely see any use now.

A few licks on a stone and I'm good to go. I never let any of my knives get dull to the point of a labor-intensive sharpening session, so it doesn't bother me at all to do a quick touchup when required.

Steel type is irrelevant. They all get dull - they all get re-sharpened at some point....
 
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My vote is for quick touch-ups as often as needed. My LC200N necker gets the most use. It holds a great working edge for cutting up cardboard boxes, scoring Boltaron, and miscellaneous EDC tasks like cutting cord, packages, etc. When I use it heavily for a day, I tend to give it a few passes on the Sharpmaker even once or twice in a day, just to keep the edge nice and keen. On a day with moderate use, I'll either strop it on some cardboard, or on the slack leather strop I have hanging from my desk.

But all the knives I press into use are fine grained tough steels I can grind thin. So I follow this mentality whether the knife is LC200N, AEB-L, 8670, 15N20, or 1084, which are my primary steels.
 
I'll touch up as needed on my Wicked Edge. Depending on how dull the knife is, I'll usually start at 100 grit and go up to 600 grit. Usually about 10 strokes per side per grit is enough to get any knife back to razor sharp.
 
To put it simply, I have more knifes than I really need. I have a core group that are rotated more often than others. When I notice one getting dull I'll just stop grabbing that one for a bit. Wait for a few to get dull and sharpen 2 or 3 at once. It could be months in between.

Shout out to the "super steels"!
 
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Over the years I have learned that the best way to keep your knife sharp is to not let it get dull. I don't hesitate to put steel to stone or diamond paddle during the day if I'm doing a lot of cutting, and my kitchen knives see the butcher steel quite a lot between sharpenings.
 
I never let any of my knives get dull to the point of a labor-intensive sharpening session, so it doesn't bother me at all to do a quick touchup when required.

I tend to give it a few passes on the Sharpmaker even once or twice in a day

the best way to keep your knife sharp is to not let it get dull.
You have it covered, keep it simple, regular maintenance is far easier the a major overhaul. And when you do have to re sharpen/go back to a stone, it is so much easier with less removal of metal required. Have a good one.:thumbsup::):):)
 
I carry a Eze-lap model L with most the red plastic handle cut off, in my wallet. If I notice that my knife is not cutting as clean and fast as I want, I'll give it a quick one minute touchup on the spot. I use the small circle method and go from kick to tip in about 30 seconds. Once in each side of the blade usually does it.
 
Quick touch up as needed.

My dad once told me when I was kid, "You can clean up your bathroom a little at a time as needed or neglect it for a month or two and then clean it up. You can figure out which is easier."

Thanks Dad!
 
When I have a knife when with an appropriately sharp edge for my liking, I try to ride the edge for as long as possible using frequent honing and edge touch ups to prolong the cutting edge.

I've recently been using and liking the results of diamond polishing pastes, at various higher grits, to refresh kitchen knife edges and edc edges.
 
I like to keep up on the edges on all my knives. However it is much easier this time around in the knife game. I used to have a massive collection and I found myself not using a lot of them and sometimes not keeping up on the edges as much as I like. Now I've got my main folders down to less than the fingers on one hand (at the moment). I went through and gave them all a quick sharpen the other day. Lately I'm using my sharpmaker in the horizontal bench stone configuration freehand. I was really surprised, I have a S30v Kershaw that I carried everyday and also used every day (semi lightly) for over a year. The edge was DULL last week. I was able to get it back to shaving sharp in less than 20 minutes freehand using just the brown and white sharpmaker rods and that was with matching the bevel, not a microbevel. Now I'm a big fan of touching up whenever I see a shiny spot on the edge (roll or rarely microchip).
As far as geometry, I like a lot of different geometries depending on what kind of knife it is. I have a thing for thin geometries on my folders lately, probably because that's what people are talking about now days and I'm just noticing more how good they cut. However I do like to have a harder use folder in the stable as well with a bit thicker geometry. Same thing on fixed blades though, it just depends on the use.
On steels, I'm kind of undecided so far honestly. I love them all for what they are. I EDC 13c26 every single day and then carry a second folder with me as well. The 13c26 gets sharp as hell and is nice and easy to sharpen. I just decided to make that my edc a couple months ago and I'm going to stick with it for a while. However I did just get some Maxamet in...
 
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My vote is for quick touch-ups as often as needed. My LC200N necker gets the most use. It holds a great working edge for cutting up cardboard boxes, scoring Boltaron, and miscellaneous EDC tasks like cutting cord, packages, etc. When I use it heavily for a day, I tend to give it a few passes on the Sharpmaker even once or twice in a day, just to keep the edge nice and keen. On a day with moderate use, I'll either strop it on some cardboard, or on the slack leather strop I have hanging from my desk.

But all the knives I press into use are fine grained tough steels I can grind thin. So I follow this mentality whether the knife is LC200N, AEB-L, 8670, 15N20, or 1084, which are my primary steels.
Edge Pro Apex...wrote you a message
 
Interesting thread, David. Quick touchups for me, though once every few weeks or months also apply to me in case of lesser used knives. I don’t really run my knives through the gauntlet but, oh boy, sometimes the edge hits a dinner plate or metallic object. Next thing I know, there’s a shiny glint on the edge. Argh.

Anywhere from 5 to 15 min sharpening is acceptable to me under normal circumstances.
 
To put it simple, I have more knifes than I really need. I have a core group that are rotated more often than others. When I notice one getting dull I'll just stop grabbing that one for a bit. Wait for a few to get dull and sharpen 2 or 3 at once. It could be months in between.

Shout out to the "super steels"!

I'm in the same boat, just rotate one out until several need sharpening. If I sit down to relax, I'll run a ceramic rod and strop on the knives in my pockets.
 
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