Photos Slippies, Stones and Strops!

No knife but here's an old picture of my Norton Crystolon combination stone. This stone is especially good to sharpen difficult stainless blades and works wonders for those that have difficulty sharpening D2.

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No knife but here's an old picture of my Norton Crystolon combination stone. This stone is especially good to sharpen difficult stainless blades and works wonders for those that have difficulty sharpening D2.

5PJSZ4c.jpg

Those are silicon carbide, you can sharpen pretty much anything with them. :thumbsup:
 
Great thread it is very interesting to see how all of you sharpen your knives. No pics right now but I was freehand sharpening for the last couple of years, I just purchased the Edge Pro and my edges are much better. I hope to use it to set a nice flat bevel and then freehand sharpen in the field and in between sharpenings with the edge pro. I still aspire to primarily sharpen freehand.
 
One of the great aspects of multi-bladed knives is being able to carry different edges on each of the blades. I typically like my main blade to be pretty course and will often just leave it stropped off a 300 grit diamond. Great edge for food stuff like the apples, radishes, etc. I cut up at work.

But I really like a more refined edge on the secondary blade, especially if it's a sheep's foot. Like this Large Stockman that has been worked all the way through the black Arkansas stone and then stropped. That refined edge is great for cardboard and such materials that respond well to push cutting.

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Great thread it is very interesting to see how all of you sharpen your knives. No pics right now but I was freehand sharpening for the last couple of years, I just purchased the Edge Pro and my edges are much better. I hope to use it to set a nice flat bevel and then freehand sharpen in the field and in between sharpenings with the edge pro. I still aspire to primarily sharpen freehand.

I'm a big proponent of using what works for you and see no shame in guided systems! Even those have learning curves. But I do love freehand sharpening as well. Be sure to peruse the Maint, Tinkering, and Embellishment forum and never hesitate to ask those folks questions. They are very generous with their knowledge.
 
I'm a big proponent of using what works for you and see no shame in guided systems! Even those have learning curves. But I do love freehand sharpening as well. Be sure to peruse the Maint, Tinkering, and Embellishment forum and never hesitate to ask those folks questions. They are very generous with their knowledge.

I check into that forum probably 5x per day. Everything I know is thanks to the knowledge from that forum. I do feel like I kind of took a step backwards going to the edge pro but wow my edges are so much nicer now I get decent edges freehand that will shave arm hair usually but it is just nice to have a consistent flat bevel
 
This is the wet stone my Dad used to teach me how to sharpen a knife, it's a U.S. Marine Corps issue 2-grit stone from the 1950's, I first used it in mid-1970's and I still use it sometimes, here's the story of the first time I used this stone,

"I remember a time camping in the northern Sierra with my Dad in the mid-1970’s, I wasn’t any older than 11 and one afternoon while sitting around camp Dad taught me how to sharpen a knife, I worked the edge on my Imperial Kamp-King and he the edge on his U.S.M.C. marked Camillus Ka-Bar, we used Dad's spit-stone that had different grits on each side, each of us adding our own spit to the stone as we honed away, him first then me. After we both had our edges sharp we had a grape cutting contest to see how many slices we could get out of a grape, Dad always got a few more slices with his Ka-Bar than I was able to get with my Imperial pocket folder...Good times, good times..."

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One more of my strops, the cork one in the back and a small leather one I use with Flitz Liquid Polish...

If you want a mirror edge try finishing on a new leather strop with Flitz Liquid Polish, apply a good coat of Flitz Liquid Polish to the leather and let it dry, then strop your edge, you'll be amazed...

That's my wife's Grandfather's Stanley square in the picture...

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This is the wet stone my Dad used to teach me how to sharpen a knife, it's a U.S. Marine Corps issue 2-grit stone from the 1950's, I first used it in mid-1970's and I still use it sometimes, here's the story of the first time I used this stone,

"I remember a time camping in the northern Sierra with my Dad in the mid-1970’s, I wasn’t any older than 11 and one afternoon while sitting around camp Dad taught me how to sharpen a knife, I worked the edge on my Imperial Kamp-King and he the edge on his U.S.M.C. marked Camillus Ka-Bar, we used Dad's spit-stone that had different grits on each side, each of us adding our own spit to the stone as we honed away, him first then me. After we both had our edges sharp we had a grape cutting contest to see how many slices we could get out of a grape, Dad always got a few more slices with his Ka-Bar than I was able to get with my Imperial pocket folder...Good times, good times..."

Thanks for the great story. I really don't think that parents often understand how many of these little stories, these small memories of the past, stick with us into adulthood, and help guide us into the people we become. The true love of a father often isn't measured in hugs and kisses or gifts, but in time taken and teachings such as these.

I have similar and very fond memories of my father teaching me how to fish for trout on Kinderhook Creek in Upstate New York. It was a bit of a trek to get there early enough in the morning for the fish to bite, but we did it. Now, 40+ years later, I live a stone's throw from that same stream, just to be close to those memories.
 
My dad showed me the basics of sharpening as a kid. It even got me a few stones and a Lansky kit. It was not long until he was nervous with my edges.

I keep my knives way sharper than he is comfortable with, even now.

I've moved away from clamp systems. I usually just a hand held diamond stone and then ceramic rods.

I have a home made strop, that needs replacing.

I also use sandpaper on a glass sheet, or a dense rubber strike pad if I am convexing or blending a grind, etc. I have a two sided silicone stone for removing more metal quicker.

I'm pretty low tech these days. Seems to be quicker for me than setting up for guided sharpening.

I am due for another diamond plate or two, as I have sharpened through my current one in several spots, and I have some slightly higher hardness steels with more carbide to deal with.
 
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