Sharpening your outdoor knives

I thought I was decent at sharpening. I could get a great, long lasting edge on the buck knives and a puukko I had. Then I tried sharpening a mini ritter grip that I had mucked up and I was getting nowhere forever. I had to switch to diamonds from the old stones + loaded strop I was using, b/c I couldn't get a decent edge on the S30v steel.

The falkniven DC3 and DMT diafolds have both worked for me on the harder steels. I'm still not splitting hairs, but I'm not that patient, and I can cut what I want to cut, so... good enough for me.

I've tried the sandpaper convex thing and I can get it to work on carbon steels, but not on my stainless. Maybe I'm too heavy handed. I probably just need more practice.
 
I probably am doin it wrong , but I found that I can put a respectable edge on most blades I try to , I prefer using my personal stones , no particular brands , just ones I have found over time that work really well for me .. but I can manage with most stones I have worked with , for me its simply a matter of keeping a steady angle , and sticking with it till I get a bur along the whole edge .. flip it over and repeat .. I have a tendancey to be looking for a good edge way too soon .. especially if Im working on a really blunted blade . I do prefer my own stones , but I have had good results using a concrete bench top , a brick , a ceramic tile when I didnt have much else to use .. I just treat them like varying grades of sharpning stones , vary the pressure I use accordingly , keep the angle steady and work it up to a even bur along the edge .. its kind of important to work the whole edge evenly , keep the angle uniform .

to give a kinda impressive edge I like to finish by stropping on a glossy magazine cover or if Im feeling really cashed up Ill waste a sheet of photo printer paper to strop on , not joking , it works :)
 
if you're used to high carbon, hard steels can really be a PITA, and be hard on your sharpening kit. The few pieces I have that are harder than 59 Rockwell get a block of wood and some wet n' dry... that and alot of patience.
 
I look at sharpening outdoor knives as a two stage process. I sharpen them at home with a paper wheel system. In the field I carry a falkniven DC3 and a Schrade Honesteel for touch up.
 
I use wet/dry sand paper and 3M polishing paper over plate glass at home and a DMT credit card sharpener in the field. I used to be horrible at sharpening until I bought a bunch of Mora knives with the scandi grinds and worked for hours and hours and hours at holding a consistent bevel. So friends and relatives ended up with some very sharp Moras and I have found the the skills have transfered to sharpening my pocket knives and kitchen knives and other outdoor knives with different grinds. If you keep a consistent bevel on your knives they should come out sharp.
 
I also own a Sharpmaker and using it as a bench stone doesn't work that well. The narrow stones move on their groves changing the angle. And since the grooves are placed in the middle of the plastic base (when using it upside down) you hit the edge of the base with your fingers.

I think that the best you can do is getting the biggest and flattest stones you can get. Probably DMT Duosharp of the biggest size. With the base they also sell. They should last for a lifetime and the solid base will prevent the stone for sliding arround on your table, bench or whatever. It also raises the stone so there is plenty of room for your knukles. If it moves, clamp it or bolt it to the table.

You will get the hang of it if you use the sharpie trick. And after that you will be able to sharpen whatever you need to put an edge on.

Mikel
 
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