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Show your EDC sharpening system
- Thread starter dizos
- Start date
Well I have a seriously bent out of shape Lansky system with all the stones from diamond extra-coarse to ultra fine.
In addition I use cardboard with sandpaper clamped on it to shape and convex blades (sharpen angles with the lansky and strop on the paper to smooth the convex).
I also have some flat diamond stones that are too small for easy jobs.
I plan on acquiring a sharpmaker to replace the Lansky in the sear future.
I also have a steel built into my zermatt SAK sheath that I use when I need touch ups.
All this stuff can fit in the lansky box (besides the cardboard), but the truly portable item is the sharpening steel.
In addition I use cardboard with sandpaper clamped on it to shape and convex blades (sharpen angles with the lansky and strop on the paper to smooth the convex).
I also have some flat diamond stones that are too small for easy jobs.
I plan on acquiring a sharpmaker to replace the Lansky in the sear future.
I also have a steel built into my zermatt SAK sheath that I use when I need touch ups.
All this stuff can fit in the lansky box (besides the cardboard), but the truly portable item is the sharpening steel.
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2001
- Messages
- 32,359
EdgePro Apex with a customized case with lots of little tools and stuff to go with it.
I use a Lansky with diamond hones when things get really dull, or I need to re-cut the edge on a knife. In between, I use a great big ceramic crock stick to keep the edge sharp. I have a Henckel's butchers steel, but haven't used it much.
A knifemaker friend used to sharpen free-hand on arkansas stones and was pretty good at it, but gave those up once he tried the Lansky system.
Word of warning on the Lansky method...be careful. You stroke toward the blade using a fairly small hone and it is too easy to slip off of the hone and into the knife edge with one or more fingers. Don't ask me how I know that (only cost me three stiches).
Jeff
A knifemaker friend used to sharpen free-hand on arkansas stones and was pretty good at it, but gave those up once he tried the Lansky system.
Word of warning on the Lansky method...be careful. You stroke toward the blade using a fairly small hone and it is too easy to slip off of the hone and into the knife edge with one or more fingers. Don't ask me how I know that (only cost me three stiches).
Jeff
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2004
- Messages
- 44
Step1:Aluminum oxide for the hard work. Step 2: A medium composite oil stone for smoothing out the reprofile work. Step 3&4: Spiderco dry stone, (I don't remember the nomenclature, sorry), that has a medium and fine side, I use both sides then step 5: A St. Louis hardware, pre-WWII razor hone to polish the edge. Step 6 I finish with a leather starp, (not strop...Strap), and step 7 my pant leg to get rid of any burr that might be left. I also have a set of ceramic sticks, a couple of files, about a half dozen different types of and hardnesses of stones in the 'ol kit. These are just the ones I use the most.
I do step 5, 6, 7 after each light use. I'll use cardboard and pant leg for a quick de-burr after use, (draw backwards please, pushing forward will result in blood loss). I'm pretty fanatical about the edge being as sharp as humanly possible so I never let any knife get so dull that I can't shave with it.
I hear a lot about "scary sharp" in here...I think that is what I refer to as a surgical sharp. I sharpen at between 10 and 15 degrees. If the steel in the blade can handle that shallow an angle, (some can't and just crumble), it'll cut to the bone before you know you've been cut. Which makes it very interesting when I miss the stone and hack into the back of my thumb or overshoot the end of the stone lop a fingertip off.
Yes...I keep bandaids in my sharpening kit. 
Charlie
I do step 5, 6, 7 after each light use. I'll use cardboard and pant leg for a quick de-burr after use, (draw backwards please, pushing forward will result in blood loss). I'm pretty fanatical about the edge being as sharp as humanly possible so I never let any knife get so dull that I can't shave with it.
I hear a lot about "scary sharp" in here...I think that is what I refer to as a surgical sharp. I sharpen at between 10 and 15 degrees. If the steel in the blade can handle that shallow an angle, (some can't and just crumble), it'll cut to the bone before you know you've been cut. Which makes it very interesting when I miss the stone and hack into the back of my thumb or overshoot the end of the stone lop a fingertip off.
Yes...I keep bandaids in my sharpening kit. Charlie
CRH said:
That thing is an inclined plane that holds a hone at 20 degrees from the horizontal if used alone or 15 degrees if the lower end is raised with that other piece of wood, or about 17 degrees when raised with a thinner piece.
I lay a stone over and draw the knife keeping the blade horizontal. The Sharpmaker works because it is intuitively easy to move the blade vertically, this inclined plane works because it is intuitively easy to move the blade horizontally, to me this is better because I can use any hone, I have a better view of the blade and I find bellies easier to do.
I have tried a lot of different stuff and since getting a sharpmaker all the rest just collect dust. As far a portable, I have a mini DMT keychain unit in the fine grit with the red plasics removed which makes it smaller and thinner than even their credit card sharpeners.
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2001
- Messages
- 4,689
I used to use a homegrown system I made to hold DMT stones combined with a sharpmaker and it worked great for me.
The jig would hold the stones at the same angle as phase-one of the sharpmaker.
Since I purchased an EdgePro I sold off the DMT Jig and all of the stones that went with it.
Now I sharpen once with the EdgePro all the way through the polish tape at a slightly larger angle than phase-one of the Sharpmaker. Then I go through phase one and two with the sharpmaker finishing with the white stones. (sometimes gray depending on the knifes primary use)
Maintenance can then be done on the edge with the Sharpmaker for quite a while.
This process creates sort of a convex edge and backs the polish off the cutting edge down to what the white stone will produce leaving a primary bevel with some teeth and a polished secondary bevel that will glide through the material.
I've done about 20 knives with this process and have had the best results I've ever personally achieved. Amazingly hair popping sharp with an edge that will bite into harder materials.
The jig would hold the stones at the same angle as phase-one of the sharpmaker.
Since I purchased an EdgePro I sold off the DMT Jig and all of the stones that went with it.
Now I sharpen once with the EdgePro all the way through the polish tape at a slightly larger angle than phase-one of the Sharpmaker. Then I go through phase one and two with the sharpmaker finishing with the white stones. (sometimes gray depending on the knifes primary use)
Maintenance can then be done on the edge with the Sharpmaker for quite a while.
This process creates sort of a convex edge and backs the polish off the cutting edge down to what the white stone will produce leaving a primary bevel with some teeth and a polished secondary bevel that will glide through the material.
I've done about 20 knives with this process and have had the best results I've ever personally achieved. Amazingly hair popping sharp with an edge that will bite into harder materials.
Cirptle, thats a great idea you had there. Man I just love sharpening threads. I always learn something new. I use a Edge Pro and a Sharpmaker. I uselly double bevel (like Razor Edge Systems says works best) and I use a smooth steel alot. I have tried stropping many times and I never get good results. Convex edges kick my ass. I uselly end up flat grinding them on the edge pro.