Sharpening - where to start?

W

wiiawiwb

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Sep 22, 2010
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Hi everyone. The purpose of this post is to get some direction, from seasoned folks like yourselves, where I should start when buying sharpening equipment. I've spent so many hours reading various posts, going to websites, watching youtube videos and am getting overwhelmed with all the options.

I only have a few knives (two Esee and several kitchen). I'd like to be able to keep the ESEE knives sharp and put an edge on older kitchen knives that are so blunt you could use them as ice skates. I've read about stones, leather strops, ceramic, paper wheels, kits, diamond boards, angle alignment systems, grinders, the ultimate this and the ultimate that.

At this point, I have really lost my bearing on the best place to start. I'd like to spend no more than $150-$200 but would obviously prefer something less expensive if it did the job well.

Any guidance for this lost soul would be sincerely appreciated.
 
The sharpmaker has always served me well. It works great on ESEEs too, as the 40* setting matches up very with well with the factory edge. If you do go this route, i would highly recommend you purchase the ultra fine rods too. They do wonders for the edge. The only down side to the sharpmaker is that it is not very good for re-profiling which is what you would need to do for those kitchen knives.
 
Take any and all free advice for what it is worth.

The best method is the one you like best, that suits your needs, that gives you the best results, that you enjoy the most. See the problem here is that everything depends on you.

I can tell you what I like, but honestly there are no guarantees that you will like it also or enjoy the same results. At this point you do not even know if you will enjoy sharpening or if it is just a necessary chore you must do to have sharp knives.

I suggest investing in what you think might be the best for your desires. If it is free-hand stones, get the biggest stones you can afford. You can sharpen small knives on big stones, but big knives can be more laborious to edge on small stones.

If you think you are a jig sort of guy, buy something that appears to be well built (if you get something flimsy, you will end up replacing it with something better and thereby increasing your cash outlay).

Keep reading/researching. Some method will stand out to you as something that appeals. Invest in that and start learning. Until you start using something you will have a really hard time developing preferences.

Sorry to give you a non-answer, but I think it would be a dis-service to you for me to insist that you buy the gear that I last used because I enjoyed using it and I can achieve really solid results with it.... If that is REALLY what you want...I used a set of 8x3 DMT plates...they are fantastic, but a full set will cost a bit more than your budget...so start out with a coarse and a fine.
 
Here's my decision path:

Manual Techniques:

If I go with the manually-oriented techniques, such as sharpening stones, I may find that I can never adequately learn the proper technique and then be out $100s and still have dull knives. If I thought that a knife-sharpening technique was "goof-proof" I'd probably pursue this route. It allows me to control the variables. The paper wheels have piqued an interest but not sure how difficult they are to do well.

Kits/Setups:

Many great things have been said here about the EdgePro and Wicked Edge systems. If I thought they were easily learned so I could produce excellent results then I would swallow hard and buy one of the two. Some here have raved also about the Spyderco Sharpmaker too at a significantly lower price.

Other:

I could send my knives to RichardJ and get phenomenal results but I would prefer to not have to mail, and insure, knives.

In the end, I'd rather spend more and be pleased with the results than spend less, become frustrated, never learn how to do something with good results and have dull knives.

I hope this sheds some light on my objective here.
 
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Do you see yourself becoming a sharpening nut that will enjoy time at the bench, or do you just want something that will result in a sharp knife with the least investment of time and practice? It is an honest, and neither answer is wrong.

If you are developing an new hobby, it really does not matter what you buy...any choice will only be the start.

If you just want a sharp knife and have no passion for the process then I might make different suggestions.

Personally, I like the ride, but I understand many just want the destination. Understanding this difference may save you some headaches when asking "which sharpening method" questions.
 
Unit,

My best guess is that I would want results but not be enamoured with the process. My life is too busy as it is and even though I may come to enjoy it I suspect I'd rather just get results.

Wiia
 
wiiawiwb said:
Any guidance for this lost soul would be sincerely appreciated.
Click to expand...

Get the DMT Diafold Magna-Guide diamond sharpening system: www.dmtsharp.com/press/dmgef.htm

First, its inexpensive, around $50. Second, its upgradable with the possibility of adding extra coarse and extra extra fine stones. Third, it is relatively precise...and it keeps the angle the same and you wont tire while using it since the diamonds make shapening easy. Unless you have very steady hands and can hold a constant angle, use a guided system.
 
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