Sharpening Questions & Comments

D

diletante

Joined
Mar 20, 2002
Messages
389
I want to invest in some Sharpening tools. I've done some searching and have read about Sharpmaker, EdgePro, Razor Edge Systems, strops, etc. I can get/keep most of my knives pretty sharp freehand using hones and a steel. I can get some of them hair popping sharp. As a result I am leaning toward a better set of hones from Razor Edge Systems, a smooth steel and maybe a strop. I know I might be able to get my knives as sharp or sharper more quickly with a Sharpmaker or EdgePro, but I want to maintain my freehand sharpening skills as well as my edged tools. A Fallkniven F1 is also on my shopping list (uless I yield to the strong temptation to buy a Rinaldi TTKK) so I also need to be able to sharpen convex edges, but I understand I can do that with emery paper on a cushioning substrate like a mouse pad. I only own a couple serrated blades (a bread knife and the serrated blade on my Wave) so I'm not as concerned about sharpening those.

Question: Can the more experienced members recommend any other sharpening solutions/suppliers for my purposes?

Comment: I found a lot of great information using the search function, but it would be great to centralize "Sharpening and Maintenance" topics in their own forum under "Tactics and Training."

:o Update: I found the sharpening FAQ, but I still think sharpening and maintenance topics deserve their own forum. :)
 
you may also look in f.a.g. area of the forum. if you havnt done so allready, ther are several good articles on edge maintainence.
guy
 
. . . the sharpening FAQ was informative. I went ahead and bought the BOOK the FAQ recommended from Razor Edge Systems along with the 1-1-PK30 KIT (I don't know if I'll use the guides, but the kit is cheaper than the separate hones).
 
I bought my first Sharpmaker twenty years ago, from Sal himself . My wife bought me the "next generation" Sharpmaker for our 10th wedding anniversery last July. The next gen can let you keep your freehand abilitys and still put an amazing edge on your blade. I wouldn't have anything else.
Charles:D
 
I'm originally from CAlifornia and I was trying to be politically correct.:D OOPS!
guy
 
diletante, I am a previous owner of Razor's Edge sharpening system. I did not like it. In my opinion, the stones were not the greatest, and the guides were just plain aggravating to use plus I ended up scratching a few blades.

I have also owned the Edge Pro Apex. It has been the best guided system that I have ever used.

I aslo own a Spyderco 204. This one is simple, and it does a real good job.

I have also free handed on Norton waterstones. I had the complete set all the way up to 8,000 grit. These were great, but I just did not like the idea of soaking them in water with the only exception of the 8,000 grit that only needs to be wet while being used. They will provide an excellent edge, and they cut fast especially when you get a good slurry going on top of them.

As of right now, the only sharpening system that I am using is the Spyderco 204 with 30 and 40 degree preset angles.

I am on a quest right now to get some good stones and go back to freehanding. Here is what I have on my list to buy.

1. A coarse grit DMT diamond hone for reprofiling and fixing very damaged blades.

2. A Norton medium and fine India stone.

3. And for the final polish, a Norton hard Arkansas. These are very expensive because they are rare.

Norton manufactures the best stones that I have ever used.

I agree, there needs to be a separate forum for these type of topics. Blade steels should also be included in it. By being in the general forum, important topics such as this get pushed back by such topics as, "Pictures of this and that", "What's the best", and "Look what I did". I am not saying they are bad topics, they are just too generalized and should be in the general forum. Big D1
 
I loved the RAzor Edge system, or at least the clamps. I don't own the stones, and never tried them. I tend to use either Spyderco's big 8"x2" ceramic hones, or DMT's 6"x2" hones. Both of those hones work well. The clamp system from Razor Edge has always worked well for me, and there's no system that I can get an edge sharper on than Razor Edge (that includes the Edge Pro and the Sharpmaker).

The Sharpmaker I love just because it's so quick and easy to use, once you've done the initial reprofiling (if needed). Pull out the base, slap in the hones, sharpen, you're done.

I am maybe the only person who owns an Edge Pro who doesn't flip over it, but I don't. It does have some positive, like the fact that it can handle most blade shapes and lengths, and the angle adjustment is infinite. On the downside, the Apex takes so long to set up that I find myself not using it, especially because I get better results from the Razor Edge system anyway. Again, though, I think I'm a tiny minority of one in this view, just about everyone who owns an Edge Pro think it's the best thing out there.

Joe
 
Hey Joe. Glad to have your input on this thread. I really like reading your articles and opinions about sharpening.

I may give the Razor's Edge guides another chance. I tried using them on an Old Timer sharp finger without much luck. I find myself over the years using this fixed blade more than any others that I have ever owned. I may give the guides another chance since holding an exact angle is so crucial.

Also, I would like to get your opinions on the Norton hard Arkansas if you have any experience with it. Big D1
 
I agree sharpening and maintenance should have its own corner on BF.

My choice of stones is the full range of spyderco bench stones, very impressed with the 10,000 grit ultra fine. I have a norton india stone I use for re-profiling too.

Anyone else notice how one companys fine grit is anothers course, or medium?

Will
 
Originally posted by Joe Talmadge
I loved the RAzor Edge system, or at least the clamps. I don't own the stones, and never tried them. I tend to use either Spyderco's big 8"x2" ceramic hones, or DMT's 6"x2" hones. Both of those hones work well. The clamp system from Razor Edge has always worked well for me, and there's no system that I can get an edge sharper on than Razor Edge (that includes the Edge Pro and the Sharpmaker).
Click to expand...

Wow! Like I said, I can get most of my knifes shaving sharp freehand, but it takes a while. I read the Razor Edge Book and the instructions for the guide and then sharpened a couple paring knives to hair poppin'. It was WAY faster than when I do it freehand and WAY easier. I promptly ordered the "Cub" guide for my sub-4" folders.

I'll have to think about adding a Sharpmaker and/or that 10K grit hone to my collection.
 
If your serious about sharpening I suggest you forgo any and all "guided" systems While the Edgepro designes and quite nice they still aren't as nice as a GOOD set of bench stones. I suggest the following Norton waterstones

220 grit- reprofiling and severe repair only
600- when you get a small nick
1000- starts the razor sharp edge
4000- its hair poppin now
8000- you now have an edge that when you swing the blade through the air the subatomic particals scream in pain.

I use the above system with no guide at all, only a steady hand and patience. Order the above stones and then get a couple of 1.99 cheapy knives and dull them and damage the blade then practice getting it Crispy sharp before you try to reprofile an expensive folder or even worse a custom.

This setup will run you about 190-200 dollars if ordered through www.toolsforwoodworking.com I highly recomend them.
 
Diletante,
I can get/keep most of my knives pretty sharp freehand using hones and a steel. I can get some of them hair popping sharp.
Click to expand...
If so you do not really need any sharpening angle forcing device, in my opinion naturally.
I have some of your mentioned devices and some more but in fact I use them very rarely, mostly because I’m too lazy to set them up. The second reason – preset angles of particular device may match actual sharpening angle of the edge or may not. If this last occurs (with pretty large probability) you will reprofile your edge instead of sharpening. Sometimes it is desired and sometimes it isn’t and always it requires plenty of work.

So if you are good in freehand sharpening my advice would be to give up with angle forcing devices and to master free hand skills. And of course you need decent whetstones, here are some what I could point as versatile and cost efficient set:
  • The 8x2” DMT Duo-Sharp double sided sharpening plate, one side coarse for edge reprofiling, another fine for finishing. Using it with their additional base it is true pleasure to work with.
  • The set of SPYDERCO ProFiles for very fine finishing or to deal with recurved and serrated edges.
  • DMT Double Sided Diafold for field sharpening.
Good luck with sharpening ;)
 
when using the Razor edge guide, dont you drag the guide on the stone, thereby, abrading the guide?

do you guys really grind the blade flat like they do in the book?
 
I have the Razor's Edge Pro kit.

Yes, the guide does get abraded. They last quite a while though, and are inexpensively replaced.

I re-profiled one folder (called grinding relief by the Razor's Edge folks) much like the way they said. Yeah, it got scratched up. But man can that sucker cut! Now I use a less shallow angle for grinding in relief. That angle need just be shallower than the actual sharpening angle, and not a whole lot. For example, on some of my folders the "relief" goes back over 1/16" on the blade. I grind that with a coarse hone and then with the fine one just to polish it up. Then setting the actual edge takes, oh, only 2-4 minutes.
 
Guess what I use for sharpening :)

I have to say the razor edge hones are not all that great, but I love the guides.

I have not used any other sharpening system. For the types of knives I have the razor edge works great.

I have all four of the DMT 2x6 inch hones and at first the finest dmt (green) was not as fine as the fine razor edge hone, but after some use the green dmt seems to put as fine of a edge on the blade as the razor edge fine stone.

The razor edge coarse hone got a dip in it preaty fast.

I now use the black dmt in place of the razor edge coarse for profiling a blade.

The guides a cheap and if I have to replace the razor edge guides every couple years big deal.

I would not spend the money again on the razor edge hones, the DMT hones have been well worth the money I spent on them.
 
Just to offer more info, I find the Razor's Edge hones to be awesome. The coarse hone cuts FAST, and the fine hone pust a nice edge on knives, what I describe as a satin polished, timy toothy edge.

The discrepency between me and pahl may be a lack of experience on my part with different hones, or the knives we use. Or it may just be personal things, I dunno. Take this info as you may. Personally, I am quite excited about Japanese waterstones these days, and I hope to get more than the 1 I have now.
 
Originally posted by diletante
. . . the sharpening FAQ was informative. I went ahead and bought the BOOK the FAQ recommended from Razor Edge Systems along with the 1-1-PK30 KIT (I don't know if I'll use the guides, but the kit is cheaper than the separate hones).
Click to expand...


I think you will be very happy with your order.


Please don't get me wrong on the razor edge hones. They do a very fine job of sharpening and I probly would never wear down the fine stone like I have the coarse one.
The coarse one just wears faster then I thought it would.



I'm I sick or what? posting a photo of my sharpening kit,,,lol :)
 

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