So, how do you folksy types sharpen your knives?

Woodrow F Call said:
If it's a reprofile where it's a bunch of metal removal, I'll use a DMT aligner. Otherwise it's free hand using DMT stones or pocket stones.
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Same here. David (OWE) generously gifted me an old Lansky aligner that works better than the DMT for reprofiling small blades. The rest is freehand on stones or sandpaper on glass.
Not that my results are a great advertisement to my sharpening routine...but I'm getting better ;)

Fausto
:cool:
 
For blunt, dull and uneven edge bevels I use a 1x30 belt sander with 220 grit to set the edge, then use 600 grit diamond stone and steel to sharpen, and stropping to finish. All freehand, no gizmos for me.
 
It depends on the blade. For whittling blades,which are flat ground, I only use a loaded strop unless I nick the blade, at which time I freehand with a diamond then ceramic stone, then strop. If i do not nick the blade a strop is all I use, and frequently while I whittle.

For wood chisels I use old fashioned Arkansas stones with no lube, and then strop.

For everything else I use my Spyderco Sharpmaker, which takes about 6 strokes to bring bak a wicked sharp edge.
 
I sharpen most of my traditionals freehand on stones (ceramic, natural & waterstones) and strops (loaded and bare). If I need to repair or reprofile a blade I use either DMT plates or belt sanders before taking it to the stones and strops. I keep a Fallkniven DC3 or DC4 in my pocket and a small kit (strop, wet/dry paper, lube, polishing cloth) in my bag daily.
 
I free hand on a medium Arkansas stone if really dull or needing a profile and then switch over to a strop loaded with Bark River grey compound, move to the other side of the strop loaded with Bark River green compound, and then usually finish off by laying a piece of newspaper on the leather and stropping on the newspaper.

If all goes as planned the hair should jump off your arm in fright before the blade even gets to it. :D
 
I see they offer DMT stones in 220, 325, and 600. Would this be all I need to start with DMT stones or can I just buy 1 or 2 and which grit?
 
csisland said:
I see they offer DMT stones in 220, 325, and 600. Would this be all I need to start with DMT stones or can I just buy 1 or 2 and which grit?
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If just one, a 600, if two a 325 and a 1200. The 325 will take care of any nicks and the 1200 will put a fine toothy edge on most any knife.
 
At home I use my Lansky system to true up, and/or set up the initial bevel, I will then take the blade to it's final sharpness while the Lansky system is set up.

For touch-ups when at home, I go freehand using an old 6 inch Norton India bench stone, or perhaps a DMT diamond stone if I feel like it.

In both the above cases I will finish on an unloaded leather strop.

I usually finish my blades to 600 grit as I find a mirror edge unsuitable for everyday use.

For away from home free-hand touch-ups, I carry a fine grit DMT Mini-Sharp stone,(the red one), and will strop on my belt.

I am by no means an expert at sharpening, but this works for me.
 
quattromori said:
Same here. David (OWE) generously gifted me an old Lansky aligner that works better than the DMT for reprofiling small blades. The rest is freehand on stones or sandpaper on glass.
Not that my results are a great advertisement to my sharpening routine...but I'm getting better ;)

Fausto
:cool:
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Good to hear the Lansky clamp has been helpful, Fausto. :thumbup:

For me, it's 'whatever works' is what's best. The real fun is in figuring all that out, bit by bit. Lots of tinkering to adjust my method or touch to whatever tool is in hand; this is a great way to see differences in the character of individual steels vs individual stones, or other abrasives as used for stropping. Aggressive abrasives, such as diamond or SiC, demand a much lighter touch on simpler steels like 1095, whereas a simpler abrasive, like a definitively 'traditional' black hard Arkansas stone, can be used with more pressure to gradually 'massage' a polished finish out of a more wear-resistant steel like VG-10 or D2 (the black hard Arkansas works great for de-burring VG-10, BTW). So, at any given time, I may use a diamond hone, or a hardware store stone in SiC or AlOx, or sandpaper, or even some sandstone picked up from the ground. When taking the time to figure each one out, they've all worked well at times, with a wide variety of steels.


David
 
I use a Spyderco Sharpmaker. If I need to adjust a bevel angle I have a set of 3 DMT diamond bench stones in Coarse, Medium, Fine. (Blue, Red, Green, whatever those grit levels are). I use a leather belt with some Porter-Cable green polishing compound to strop. I am capable of putting an acceptable edge on a knife freehand with "field tools" like the bottom ring of a ceramic coffee mug or plate, and using cardboard/paper/magazine covers for stropping.

I am not a "folksy type" so perhaps I am not who you were wanting to ask.
 
Paper wheels. I've used them over 20 years, and won't use anything else unless I have to.
 
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