sharpening system superiority

J

johned

Joined
May 25, 2010
Messages
58
To me Edge Pro looks to e the best every blade type sharpener. I had a rather dull Shrade folder don on one and it took him 45 seconds, used 3 grits and it was magnificent.

Gave my little Schrade SS to a guy with apaper wheel andhe handed me back a razor in one minute.

The wet stones on cutlery with a full bevel look to be superior on that type blade.

So, Edge pro, wet stones or paper wheel??????
 
It depends.

I have a friend who has an Edge Pro, which he uses to sharpen his knives. However, what he considers sharp, I consider dull. For a while I was using a Spyderco Sharpmaker and a diamond stone to sharpen my knives, and I could get them shaving sharp. About six months ago I started sharpening free-hand, and now I can all my knives hair whittling sharp.

I think it really depends more on the skill of the sharpener than the system.

Secondly, it may have taken those guys only a minute or less to sharpen your knife, but how polished was the back-bevel? I've found that polishing the back-bevel to a mirror finish really improves how well the knife slides through tough material when cutting. Polishing the back-bevel usually takes me about an hour to work through all the different grits.
 
Cynic2701 said:
I think it really depends more on the skill of the sharpener than the system.
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+1 :thumbup:

If you look around here long enough, you'll likely find somebody who's found a way to produce excellent/stellar results with just about any 'system' you can think of. It comes down to perseverance and learning to make the most of what you've got. Too many people will give up too early, and wrongly assume that the system/tool/gadget they tried to use 'just doesn't work'. Sometimes, you just need to keep at it. Keep a very close eye on the work you're doing, and then figure out how to modify your methods & technique to produce the desired result with the tools you have.
 
How I started:

Basic stone (OKAY)
Lansky System (Great edges)
Paper Wheels (awesome, Richards method)
1"x30" belt Grinder to Leather Strop (FTW, hair poppin and still working at it)

The 1"x30" belt grinder came from my work, the switch was broken so they purchased new 1"x42" grinders, I received a butt load of belts for free
 
i had a super hard arkansas stone that was pure white and smooth as glass. it even had a translucent look to it. i used it for years when i was sharpening by hand to finish off the edge. when i bought my wheels and learned how to use them, i compared the edge sharpness between the wheels and the stone. to me the stone didnt even come close and i ended up giving my cousin the stone to sharpen his broadheads on along with my ez sharp which i used too.
 
I've tried them all. I really should have just rented them, I burned through so many systems. In the end, for me, which is best is a combination of the skill of the operator (that's me), and the type of knife.

On scandi edges, waterstones all the way. I finally upgraded from Arkansas stones, and I'll never go back.

On convex, I still can't find anything better than the stupid little mousepad/sandpaper method, followed by leather with black then green compound. I really want the 1x30 belt to be better, but it's not. It's just faster with a higher probability of operator error. The belt is better at turning any blade into a convex edge (see operator error above), and it can't be beat on axes.

For everything else, the Edge Pro is tough to beat, though I still can come pretty close with Arkansas stones. But I'm really not that good at these, not when compared to the guys on this board who do it for a fee.
 
richard j said:
i had a super hard arkansas stone that was pure white and smooth as glass. it even had a translucent look to it. i used it for years when i was sharpening by hand to finish off the edge. when i bought my wheels and learned how to use them, i compared the edge sharpness between the wheels and the stone. to me the stone didnt even come close and i ended up giving my cousin the stone to sharpen his broadheads on along with my ez sharp which i used too.
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That will work. :thumbup:
 
If I don't let my knives get very dull a couple swipes on my strop with green compound is all I need. I know people can get a dozen knives done faster with paper wheels than I can do one or two but I like fooling with my knives. It's calming to me taking my time and getting the edge screaming sharp. If it was a business for me paper wheels all the way but all I need is a bench stone and a strop.
 
Sharpening a knife, for me, is a zen experience. It is a relaxing and focusing exercise. Before what I think will be a stressful experience I like to sharpen freehand for a few minutes. Takes the edge off me and puts it on a knife. I use Arkansas stones mainly, sometimes a little leather but I'm not very good with it yet.
 
The ability too get a edge sharp and do it correctly comes from experience and quality tools. The quality of your sharpening tools, the types of abrasive, and the types of steel you are sharpening all play a part in how your edge will end up.

Systems IMO give a false sence of security and can lead to bad habits that will be hard to correct in the future. You can't replace the knowledge of sharpening with a tool its still something you must take the time to learn.
 
A belt grinder, good stones and a loaded strop with lots of pratice give me good results . DM
 
I have watched a vid on using the wet stones over the sink. It seemed that they were using the flat ground kitchen knives and they laid them FLAT ON THE STONE and pressed lightly on the blade edge. They didn't strop anything and they only used two grit stones. Is the bevel on the blade supposed to be the bevel on the blade cutting edge.

In life I have come to the conclusion that when you want to learn something you find a Master and he saves you a lifetime of hit and miss.

Thanks for all the comments. Seems I am hearing that a Edge Pro can be beat but it is the best system....true?

John
 
It doesn't matter if you're using benchstones, sandpaper and mousepad, or whatever. The most important factor is your patience for learning how to use your sharpening tools the right way.
 
after many years of hand sharpening on stones, sandpaper on top of glass and using an ez sharp took their toll on my hands. there isnt anything wrong with hand sharpening or learning how to hand sharpen but if there is a method that can give equal or better results and not make your hands cramp i'm going to go with that method. i have put convex edges on a knife with my belt sander going from a 400 grit down to a 9 micron belt. the knife was sharp but i still finished off the edge with the paper buffing wheel to give it the edge i was looking for.
 
I know y'all are going to hate this, but for kitchen knives I go edge to edge with another of my knives for a few seconds and I know I'm done when I can shave the hair off of my arm. It the knife needs more than a honing, I use a diamond steel, then knife to knife. I've been a chef for 20 years, so it works! Like they've been saying, it's the skill of the sharpener, not necessarily what you use!
 
Still, for my other knives, I would like to know what grinder works best, and with which wheels. Is a flat grinder, with the wheel surface facing up, better than a regular grinder with the edge (normal grinding wheel position) facing up? I don't use one now, but I would like to purchase one soon. Or is it just necessary to have a variable speed whatever, and put your money into the wheels? Thanks! ~F~
 
knifenut1013 said:
The ability too get a edge sharp and do it correctly comes from experience and quality tools. The quality of your sharpening tools, the types of abrasive, and the types of steel you are sharpening all play a part in how your edge will end up.

Systems IMO give a false sence of security and can lead to bad habits that will be hard to correct in the future. You can't replace the knowledge of sharpening with a tool its still something you must take the time to learn.
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Yeah, I agree with this. I even think the quality of tools is not extremely important. I had a knife with a recurved edge to sharpen once. So I bought a 2x4, sanded a big belly up on top, and then glued various grits of sandpaper on to redo that knife.

I don't really think it even takes that much knowledge to make a basic-sharp edge that will cut just about anything you need it to with reasonable effort--that doesn't include push-cutting newspaper. However otherwise, I think you can pretty much match and exceed most store-bought knives just by making sure you raise a burr on each edge before moving on.

As far as systems go, I like my water stone and my angle guide. It's all the system I need.
 
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