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.
Over the past few years, I have gone from having others sharpen my knives to obsessing over stroke counts on a Lansky to KME mirrored edges to my current state: Ken Onion for large blades, KME for everything else. The degree of edge finish is dependent on the application (300-1500 grit diamond for work, the occasional polish). I have gone down a rabbit hole of polishing an edge, then doing a coarse microbevel. I put a mirror edge on a balisong as a gift. I said all that to say this: I like sharpening knives. I am the knife guy at work, to the point that I have several good beater knives (think Rat 2, CJRB) that I will loan to coworkers while I sharpen their knives. I bought the small KME jaws to handle the inevitable slipjoints.
As far as my knives, I have a rotation so I can run one until it won't cut paper. Ideally, I spend an hour or so monkeying with edges, finishes, scales, etc. per week with the goal of my guys always having a sharp knife and one of the two knives on me being able to shave hair.
 
I find that quick touch ups on high grits is my preferred way.
I don't like to get dull, and then have to reprofile or set a new blade road.
 
I usually go every few weeks/month and sharpen all the knives that need it. For kitchen knives I do use a steel or a ceramic hone here and there but I would say that is maintenance and not "sharpening" I am not the kind of person that opens an envelope then has to touch up an edge. If a knife is getting dull through a lot of use in a short period, or if I have a lot of work with that knife and notice it isn't as sharp as I want to last through the task I will sharpen it but I don't use them to the point of being blunt. I would say "dull" would be having a hard time cleanly cutting through paper, leaving a rough edge on the cut but not tearing paper instead of cutting kind of zone.
 
Usually have a strop in my desk. I just switch knives from time to time. Keeps them sharp.


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I do quick touch ups. If I’m whittling, I keep the strop handy. If I’m doing lots of cutting, and need to stay keen, ill keep the dmt diafold handy. Red normally. If I’m piddling on anything, Arkansas stones. I sharpen something every day or two. I use knives a lot. Whittling and woodwork. Bam, need a touch up. That’s part of the fun.
 
garciao said:
I totally understand where you're coming from. I'd like to reprofile all of my knives to 17 degrees, but it's a lot of work.

For now I've done this process with just 3 knives I'm loving. American Lawman, PM2, and a Mini Griptilian.

Next, I want to reprofile my AD10 and Ultimate Hunter.

The process of getting them reprofiled and extremely sharp, though it may be slow, is great because then they only need a little stropping.
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Sorry, I was away on a camping trip. I agree fully with you. And those three knives are damn good picks for having as your main EDCs. You're right, it sure is a lot of work, but yea when you're done it's so nice being able to just give it a quick strop or few swipes on the Sharpmaker.🤙
 
Unless I am doing something really rough with my knife - lots or cardboard, insulative materials, zip ties, etc - a quick strop is usually all I need. Worse case a couple passes on ceramic and then a strop.

My user for the nearly the last year has been S45VN (Spartan SHF), that's all its needed for weekly maintenance.
 
Gary W. Graley said:
Quick touch ups seem to be the standard, at least going by this poll and I agree and voted as much. I use to use the Spyderco Double Stuff, then the Spyderco Double Stuff 2 and now I recently picked up this Fallkniven Ceramic fine/superfine pocket stone with a leather slip sheath that has one side rough side out so you can rub in some buffing compound to use as a strop. For my touch ups it leaves a very nice edge, just be careful as you cut towards those fingers that are gripping it, I try and keep them below the top surface :)

Heres where I picked mine up from KnifeCenter


G2
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Gary how does the cc4 compare to the double stuff?
 
Slightly smaller, I find the resulting edge is a bit more toothy and I reach for this one more
G2
 
As of late, I'm OK with once a month or so. Tormek SG and SJ wheels.

I like to maintain the same angle. I always start from low grit to high grit every time.
 
A light touch up at night with my sharp maker fine stones if needed after use that day. Sometimes just a leather strop.
 
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