Sharpening routine for a working knife?

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DavidL41

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Oct 12, 2014
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I asked a similar question but I'm still a bit unclear.

What would the routine be for a working knife to get it to 90 percent sharp (NOT the sharpest possible edge with 4 stones and diamond pastes). A simple quick way to achieve a reasonably sharp knife edge.

Correct me where its needed. I get a knife from factory finish, use a dmt fine and profile the bevel, proceed to the 6k stone and then one more time on the 10k stone to hone and deburr on a piece of wood. Now I have a fully sharpened blade.

Once the blade starts to dull (not completely dulls) what is the proper way to sharpen:

1. 10k stone. I hear that green compound eventually will round out the edge is that the same with the 10k?
2. 1k stone, 6k, 10k and strop
3. 6k, 10k
 
I just strop it when it loses that scary sharpness. Eventually it gets to a point where stropping no longer brings it to a good degree of sharpness, at this point I go from 1k, 4k, 8k to strop. I suppose I could start at 4k if I hit it soon enough but not worth all that effort. I just touch up and when touching up no longer satisfies a full sharpening is in order. And a strop made of denim stretched across a hard object like a piece of wood or even the top of a stone doesn't round the edge.
 
For me as a chef, i HAVE to have sharp knives at work, and over the long years I've eventually just maintain on a 8000 grit, i polish it once every morning for about a minute each knife. Even if it's not dull, i just like the fresh edge for each day. The 8000 removes very little steel and burr is fairly easy to remove on the smooth stone.
I only go to the lower stones to remove chips, or to sharpen other people's knives.
 
DavidL41 said:
I asked a similar question but I'm still a bit unclear.

What would the routine be for a working knife to get it to 90 percent sharp (NOT the sharpest possible edge with 4 stones and diamond pastes). A simple quick way to achieve a reasonably sharp knife edge.

Correct me where its needed. I get a knife from factory finish, use a dmt fine and profile the bevel, proceed to the 6k stone and then one more time on the 10k stone to hone and deburr on a piece of wood. Now I have a fully sharpened blade.

Once the blade starts to dull (not completely dulls) what is the proper way to sharpen:

1. 10k stone. I hear that green compound eventually will round out the edge is that the same with the 10k?
2. 1k stone, 6k, 10k and strop
3. 6k, 10k
Click to expand...


You have to determine what finish is best for your intended task(s). There may very well be no need to go much beyond the DMT fine.

The polishing grade waterstone is a hard surface, so any rounding will be from technique and not the surface deflecting as with a strop. You have to keep in mind that backhoning on a fine waterstone is fairly demanding in its own right whereas the strop has a higher margin of error. Also, if the edge is thin and a full convex, and the strop is hard, the edge can be maintained for a long time on the strop.

You will need to dial in on your technique and see what you can get away with for a target edge. Do the least.
 
New guy here, but I find for what I need, after I have a really sharp knife ( with my Wicked Edge) just a strop or a pass or three on some really high grit does it me bout once a week., depending.
 
I just go back to DMT EEF as my last stone. Smooth enough to shave and still toothy for daily use.
Sometime add paper to HH's washboard to shine up a bit more.
 
Does any one know the Japanese grit equivalent to DMT Fine and extra extra fine it shows 3 micron or 8000 grit american yet in some sources show 4000 grit japanese.

DMT looks like a great option but is there any noticeable difference between a ceramic stone vs a diamond or a regular water stone - are the end results different (toothier,smoother) or just diamond and ceramic are faster to get the same results.

To do an exacto knife style pull cut on thick leather(stiff and sometimes stretchy) would it be better theoretically for a coarse-ish 3-4k or 6k-8k or 16k japanese grit stones. I have a knife done with a something close to 3k and I wonder if to go to 6k-8k is worth it or even 16k. For this type of work on this material is there a need for a polished blade upwards to 6k,8k,16k other than to preserve the blade. Is there a reason to 10k-16k other than shaving, is 6k-8k japanese grit around middle ground between coarse and super fine polish.

Theres a lot of questions, any suggestions helps.
 
The DMT EEF is about equal to a 2-3k Japanese waterstones but that's ONLY when the diamond hones are used on High Alloy steels with loads of wear resistance. The actual edge has the sharpness that you would find with a 6000-8000 grit waterstone but the toothyness of a 1-2k stone, makes for a very agressive but polished edge.

I would recommend a 1k and 5k Shapton pro set, they are fast cutting and slow wearing ceramic waterstones. The 5k would be a ideal finish for the work intended, it reminds me of the DMT EEF because it yields a polished but toothy edge.
 
Slips into ones pocket, adjust to any angle. Simplicity itself.
DSC02109.JPG
 
To get a knife to 90% sharp, you would have to know where it is currently, don't you? And go from there. I would think the routine is to examine the knife condition in terms of sharpness (looking at it through a loupe?) and assess what it would take to get it from where it it to 90%.

If it's (let's say) 80% and you consider that stropping will get you there, then a strop is all you need. if you are at 50%, maybe that calls for starting with a fine. If you have unacceptable chips, then perhaps you need to start with a coarse stone first.
 
okay its becoming more clear to me. il pick up a shapton pro or glass stone 5k or 6k or maybe a dmt extra extra fine.
dmt fine/extra fine combo stone in place of 1k shapton, is there any difference in end results because I assume that the 5k will refine the scratch pattern regardless if its dmt fine or 1k shapton?

One last question isn't it better for the knife to have a toothy edge like on a dmt extra extra fine (like jason said toothy apex like 1-2k stone yet polished bevel so it can glide through) for cutting leather stiff or stretchy? what grit has enough tooth to cut through the tougher skain layer but not so much tooth it lacks precision.

The cuts have to be perfect to the pattern on the leather otherwise they are waste material, a slightly better blade can help literally save a few hundred dollars worth of leather over time.
 
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