Sharpening Solutions For A Beginner

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RP13

Joined
Sep 30, 2013
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117
Hey Folks

I just received my GEC Pemberton today and it seems to be a great little knife, however it came pretty dull. I have a Lanksy pocket sharpener that I used on it, but it didn't seem to do any good. I was just wondering what sharpener is good for a beginner that will get good results, don't need it splitting hairs but passing the paper test would be nice. I have a budget of 30 dollars what would you recommend any info would be great.

Thank You
 
I would look into DMT stones myself, they work wonders with a bit of practice. I would look for a course/fine one.
 
I like the small rod-guided systems for beginners/non-sharpening-addicted (sane) people. The DMT Aligner or Lansky system (with an additional diamond extra-coarse hone) should do it. Those will control the angle and have almost no learning curve.

Good sharpening,
Dave
 
I third the DMT. I started off with no real sharpening experience, and got the dmt magnet guide... After using it a few times I just use the diafold with no guide with great results. The fine/extra fine is good for me, it should be for you too with a new non-damaged blade
 
Simple steel (1095) makes it pretty straightforward. A simple stone in silicon carbide or aluminum oxide would work, or even some hard-backed wet/dry sandpaper. And if what I've read about many GECs in the Traditional Forum is true, the factory edge is likely fairly wide/thick in angle (common on many makes). Re-bevelling to a somewhat more acute edge angle is what I'd be doing first (30° inclusive is great; anything < 40° inclusive will be OK). A diamond hone in coarse or fine grit would work fast to do that, but isn't essential (can also do this with a basic silicon carbide stone or sandpaper in 220-400 grit range). 1095 steel really responds well to silicon carbide or aluminum oxide in higher grit stages, and stropping with green compound on very firm leather or wood (like balsa) can finish it off very nicely.

As suggested, the DMT Magna-Guide is helpful if you're uncomfortable with freehand sharpening or re-bevelling. On a smaller blade like the traditional GEC you've got, Lansky's clamped & guided system may be better. Their clamp, with a milled notch in the end of the jaws, is better-suited to smaller/narrower blades. Easier to sharpen to more acute angles with it.

Possibilities for stones (lots & lots of options, but these examples are well-proven):

  • Silicon Carbide --> Norton's Crystolon, or their inexpensive 'Economy' stone (found @ Home Depot); Wet/dry sandpaper from Norton or 3M
  • Aluminum Oxide --> Norton's India has a good reputation.
  • Diamond --> DMT's 'Coarse' (325 mesh/45 micron), 'Fine' (600 mesh/25 micron)
  • Guided system --> Lansky's standard or 'Deluxe' kit, or their diamond kit.


David
 
RP13 said:
I have a budget of 30 dollars
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The only option that will meet that budget is sandpaper or used stones. Even then, you'll be hard pressed to attain multiple grit levels. On top of that, you'll have to make up for your lack of tools with a lot of skill. That will cost you a lot of time.

Entry level sharpening starts at around $80.00 depending on factors.
 
RP13 said:
Hey Folks

I just received my GEC Pemberton today and it seems to be a great little knife, however it came pretty dull. I have a Lanksy pocket sharpener that I used on it, but it didn't seem to do any good. I was just wondering what sharpener is good for a beginner that will get good results, don't need it splitting hairs but passing the paper test would be nice. I have a budget of 30 dollars what would you recommend any info would be great.

Thank You
Click to expand...

You can probably pick up a combination Norton India stone for that, and a bottle of mineral oil. The newer Norton econo stone sold at Home Depot is made in Mexico and appears to be higher quality than the older Brazilian made ones - they come flat anyway. Pretty sure they're about 6 bucks. An old piece of hacksaw blade (paint removed) can be rubbed on the fine side of the econo stone with a few drops of oil, and the resulting mud used as a stopping compound - it doesn't get cheaper than that.
 
$30 is EASY for entry-level. As mentioned, a $7 Norton Economy stone from Home Depot, or the equivalent from Ace Hardware, can accomplish a lot. I've done an awful lot of sharpening with wet/dry sandpaper, at ~ $1/sheet, on glass backing (I use a 9" x 12" 'candle plate' from Hobby Lobby, purchased for ~ $5). Use the Economy stone for setting bevels, and the sandpaper can last a long time for refining & maintenance chores. Leather & wood for a strop block can be found for cheap (or free), and some basic stick compound can be purchased for maybe $7 as well. These days, this is the stuff I use the most, only occasionally going to something like a diamond hone to set a bevel quickly. On pocket-sized knives, that can even be done with a $12 DMT 'credit card' hone (what I reach for the most).

It's easy to spend a lot more when first trying to figure it all out (I did). But if I'd known how much can be done with only the materials above, I'd have saved a ton of $$ over the long run.


David
 
RP13 said:
Hey Folks

I just received my GEC Pemberton today and it seems to be a great little knife, however it came pretty dull. I have a Lanksy pocket sharpener that I used on it, but it didn't seem to do any good. I was just wondering what sharpener is good for a beginner that will get good results, don't need it splitting hairs but passing the paper test would be nice. I have a budget of 30 dollars what would you recommend any info would be great.

Thank You
Click to expand...

To start with you can get a Norton coarse/fine stone at Home Depot for $6 and it works pretty good as I picked one up to practice freehand with. I think HeavyHanded has some videos out using thet exact stone! Buy alittle honing oil and maybe some really fine sandpaper to wrap around it and do some fine finish work!

Good luck! :)
 
Thanks for all the info guys. I ended up spending 50 bucks and got a Lansky Sharpening System. it has a coarse medium and fine hone and uses a jig for different angles. I used all three stones on a 25 degree angle, the edge is now sharper, I may still work on it some more but overall I'm happy with the sharpening system.
 
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