Sharpening routine? Why?

Monofletch

Monofletch

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I know this has been asked a million times. I am curious about what system you use to get the edge you want. What is your routine when sharpening ex.. 400/600/1500/ strop

I am starting to like the edge I get from my DMT 600 diamond stone then strop.
 
My go to stone is a Norton IB8 combination coarse, fine India. Normally my blade doesn't need to be worked on the coarse side. I take it straight to the fine India and remove the burr mostly on that stone. I have a good edge at this point that will shave any hair it touches. Then should I need more, I'll strop it ( on leather w/ slurry applied) to clean it up and remove more burr. By now the edge is more refined and very sharp. DM
 
I really have not used an India stone much, but I know they produce a very nice edge. I sharpened 2 112s. On a im9 India and it done very well. And yes I've sharpened quite a few high end steel knives on my Arkansas stones. As I tell everyone they cut slower but to be the edge in the end is well worth it. Although I would bot recommend the arkies for a novice. There slower and people generally grow very impatient with them.
 
Understanding steel and abrasive is very important. High alloy steels have elements far harder than the Arkansas stone actually making them rather ineffective. They "work" but so does water running over rocks. Arkansas stones like Japanese water stones or Belgian blue stones all have a place in sharpening but it's more nostalgic than practical. I have several natural stones myself but understand their uses and limitations so only recommend them to a end user that also understands their uses and limitations. It's simply not wise to recommend a $500 Hakka stone or $300 translucent Arkansas stone to someone that has not requested such stones.


Read more, it will bring you up to speed with the rest of us.
 
I have been sharpening my own for a while now. I have the Ruixin Pro system, but I have only used it on knives that needed a touch up. It gets a very nice edge (depending on the steel), but I don't trust myself on a "good" knife yet. :o

I prefer my Smith's clamp and my DMT diamond stones.
 
Monofletch said:
I know this has been asked a million times. I am curious about what system you use to get the edge you want. What is your routine when sharpening ex.. 400/600/1500/ strop

I am starting to like the edge I get from my DMT 600 diamond stone then strop.
Click to expand...



I experiment with and use all sorts of tools for sharpening, but all are basically freehand on bench stone. For speed and convenience I use sandpaper and some compound on a Washboard just like the videos etc shown in the website linked below. After that, I often use a Crystalon silicon carbide stone with reclaimed grit on paper over Washboard for a honing compound.

I also very much enjoy using my set of jointering stones, especially for touch-ups. I had set these aside for a year or so and have recently picked them back up - a bit challenging to use at first, but produce what for me is near perfect edge character. I prefer an edge with a lot of bite to it at whatever finish I am using for a given tool, and a backhoned edge on a very hard strop or soft stone hits it perfect. With the jointering stones I will sometimes use the reclaimed grit on a Washboard with paper, or sometimes just a few passes on plain paper after I've done my finish backhoning.

As for what edge finish I use, that could be as low as 240 grit for my paring knives, up a 1-3 micron edge, 4-6k JIS for pressure cutting and chopping. I seldom deliberately go any finer.

Generally I hit in the middle of that range, 500-800, 1200-2k JIS for utility EDU stuff, so am not far off of the edge you've been working with lately. If the edge needs repair I try not to start any more coarse than the coarse side of the Crystalon, 240 jointer stone, or 220 wet/dry and work up to the desired finish.

Martin
 
HeavyHanded said:
I experiment with and use all sorts of tools for sharpening, but all are basically freehand on bench stone. For speed and convenience I use sandpaper and some compound on a Washboard just like the videos etc shown in the website linked below. After that, I often use a Crystalon silicon carbide stone with reclaimed grit on paper over Washboard for a honing compound.

I also very much enjoy using my set of jointering stones, especially for touch-ups. I had set these aside for a year or so and have recently picked them back up - a bit challenging to use at first, but produce what for me is near perfect edge character. I prefer an edge with a lot of bite to it at whatever finish I am using for a given tool, and a backhoned edge on a very hard strop or soft stone hits it perfect. With the jointering stones I will sometimes use the reclaimed grit on a Washboard with paper, or sometimes just a few passes on plain paper after I've done my finish backhoning.

As for what edge finish I use, that could be as low as 240 grit for my paring knives, up a 1-3 micron edge, 4-6k JIS for pressure cutting and chopping. I seldom deliberately go any finer.

Generally I hit in the middle of that range, 500-800, 1200-2k JIS for utility EDU stuff, so am not far off of the edge you've been working with lately. If the edge needs repair I try not to start any more coarse than the coarse side of the Crystalon, 240 jointer stone, or 220 wet/dry and work up to the desired finish.

Martin
Click to expand...

Thanks Martin--great post
 
I work through a series of stone, I've found it cuts down the time spent overall sharpening. basically Course DMT diamond followed by 240/600/1000. Though I have a 2000 and 5000 jap. water stone but I hardly ever use those sans straight razors and possibly a secondary blade on a traditional (One sharpened at 25* inclusive up to 600 grit + strop, the second: 20* and a mirror polish)
 
If an edge is truly dull I usually go on waterstones from 220/1000/4000/8000 then strop on denim with white rouge until the edge is shiny. If it just needs touched up a little the 8000/strop works fine.

The best way to get that crazy sharp edge is to move from stone to stone polishing every scratch from the previous stone out. Coarse always builds the edge.
 
Generally speaking i go something like this , been playing with lots of harder steels lately so this reflects that...

Atomas 140 , 400 , 600 , 1200
Nubatama 150
Shaptons 320 , 1k , 1.5k , 2k , 5k , 8k , 15k , 30k
Kangaroo Strops 0.25u , 0.125u and 0.1u

Sometimes more sometimes less. Crappy or mystery steels get something more like this
Nubatama 24, 60 , 150
Shapton 320 , 1k , 1500 , 2k
Kanagaroo Strop w/ 4u Boron Carbide
 
A set of DMT'S from course to extra extra fine, with spyderco ceramics. In order of Dmt, Dmt, Spyderco, Dmt,Spyderco, DMT, Syderco. Then on to felt strops loaded with diamond paste for mirroring. I stop anywhere in that process depending on steel, then strop. I don't like the grit progression of either set, so I use em both.
 
I use a set of DMT'S and syderco ceramic's. Going DMT, DMT, Spydie, DMT, Spydie, DMT, Spydie. Finished on felt strops load with diamond spray. I don't like the progression of either set, so they fill in each others gaps.
 
I normally like a polished edge, but for a few months now I've been experimenting with something different. I'm trying a Chosera 400 grit, followed by stropping with 0.5 micron. These edges have been working great for me, but for some reason they're not as fun as a polished edge :rolleyes:
 
I use waterstones, dmts, and even a belt sander (convexing) . Like Jason said (long time no see buddy), it depends on your steel, and for me how much time i want to spend on that edge. If I need a quick edge then ill hit the blade on a belt sander ,which I DO NOT RECOMMEND , then hit it with a worn out belt and be on my way, If i have a little more time I may go DMT 325 to spyderco medium ceramic to spyderco UF, but if I want that perfect mirror and have the time, then ill pull out the waterstones and go town. IMO if you cant get a scary sharp edge from a dmt coarse after burr removal then that is where you need to start ,that is my most used and prized "stone"
 
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