So, how do you folksy types sharpen your knives?

Butterchurn.

No, not really. I have an ancient stone my dad bought second hand in the early 70's that, although a lil wobbly, is about 80 yrs old and has SOUL. Its the final stone. I also removed a monster Norton Tri stone beast thingy from the unoccupied home of a then-recently deceased person. Also a lot of soul. I don't like sharpening stuff unless its with other stuff that has some kind of story, apparently
 
I use old fashioned vintage Spyderco benchstones and sharpen freehand.
I made some strops by glueing leather strips to a couple of wood blocks
and use stropping compound from Bark River. I used to sharpen my tactical
knives the same way.
 
I used to use a tri stone Arkansas set freehand. Anymore for most everything I use a KME system with their gold diamonds followed by kangaroo strop for it with CBN emulsion. If I really want to get fancy then I use the Chosera waterstones. But for pretty much any use I just do the gold diamonds and a 4 micron strop.
 
I have an arkansas tri-hone, but I haven't used it in awhile. For pretty much any knife and any steel, I use my shapton glass waterstones and strop either over glass or a heavyhanded washboard. I also have a small DMT coarse/fine stone that works great for more wear resistant steels or thin knives like slipjoints. As for my stropping compounds I've found black sic. carbide rouge, 1 micron boron carbide paste (pretty cheap and the amount in the bottle lasts forever), and 1 micro diamond spray. All of these have worked great on pretty much any steel. Not a fan of chromium oxide and the white rouge. Never seem to get good results from those.
 
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I use a mix of things. I can be pretty lazy at times and then I just use a medium/course diamond block. Its one of those rectangle 4 sided blocks that cost less than a pack of cig's and it has a table stand. But I still hold it in the hand! Lol im a hand sharpener allthe way, inßtinct does me better than fancy gadets.

For my nicer pocket knives I use my spyderco double stuff ceramic sharpener and the strop on backed leather loaded with autosol.

My work knife is a Mora, it lives in the tool box and although it used to be kept super sharp I actually use my kitchen steel to get those dings out! As i use it rough it isnt worth putting makeup on it, a quick freshen usually does it fine.

My machetes, slashers etc always get a going over on the grinder to clean them up and a going over with cheap diamond stones as theyre usually filthy!
 
I use a dual-sided 9" stone that was my grandfather's, unless I'm sharpening a straight blade. The stone is worn, and slightly wavy, but it's great for carbon steel blades that aren't straight.
 
I'm using KME's diamond set, it's the easiest way for me to get a consistent edge. Especially if you're re profiling. I like traditional knives but my freehand days are over, I'm sticking with a guided system from now on.
 
What guided system do you guys feel is the best for folders and small slipjoints? I am confident in my freehand sharpening skills and can get hair whittling edges with almost any blade geometry, but I do see the benefit and allure of perfect even edges. There is no way I can buy a guided system anytime soon, but maybe in the next few years or so I'd like to get one. WE is too expensive for me, I like the edge pro but I've read that it's not so great on thin blades. The KME is interesting as well, but I don't know too much about it.
 
True Hard Arkansas stones. Hand selected ones. Followed by an antique hand me down linen and horsehide hanging strop.
 
Bladenoobie1 said:
What guided system do you guys feel is the best for folders and small slipjoints? I am confident in my freehand sharpening skills and can get hair whittling edges with almost any blade geometry, but I do see the benefit and allure of perfect even edges. There is no way I can buy a guided system anytime soon, but maybe in the next few years or so I'd like to get one. WE is too expensive for me, I like the edge pro but I've read that it's not so great on thin blades. The KME is interesting as well, but I don't know too much about it.
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I don't know about the edge pro but the KME will work for most blades the exception would be the pen blades on small stockman and peanuts. They do sell a small jaw for those blades that works just fine. The system will put a better & more consistent edge on a knife than I can freehand. I even made my own strops for it, so I can reprofile, sharpen and strop on the same system.
 
Dean51 said:
I don't know about the edge pro but the KME will work for most blades the exception would be the pen blades on small stockman and peanuts. They do sell a small jaw for those blades that works just fine. The system will put a better & more consistent edge on a knife than I can freehand. I even made my own strops for it, so I can reprofile, sharpen and strop on the same system.
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I just checked out KME's website, looks pretty solid and at an affordable price too. Hopefully I can grab one later down the road.
 
polymerhead said:
I use a dual-sided 9" stone that was my grandfather's, unless I'm sharpening a straight blade. The stone is worn, and slightly wavy, but it's great for carbon steel blades that aren't straight.
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You can flatten and true up your old worn sharpening stone by laying a sheet of sandpaper on a sheet of window pane glass.
Lay the stone flat on the sandpaper and scrub until the stone is flat again.

Just use sandpaper that is coarser than the sharpening stone, this will bring that old sharpening stone back to new performance.

It is easy.

Cheers.
 
A DC4 stone and two strops. One with coarse compound and one with fine.

:)
 
festerfromnzed said:
PMEW....Arent those DC 4,s good?....I carry mine everywhere...

Fes
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They're superb. I always used to use my old bench stones, and still do for larger fixed blades and kitchen knives, but the little dc4 is great for wee folders.

paul
 
I use a variety of sharpening tools. Lansky, Arkansas stones, carborundum stones, ceramic crock sticks, etc. Depends on what I'm sharpening and how much, and if the blade needs rebeveling.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
Good to hear the Lansky clamp has been helpful, Fausto. :thumbup:

David
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It is helpful indeed. Lately I've been reprofiling the blade on my CSC lockback (in D2) and considering my current sharpening skills I don't think I would have been able to do it just freehanding. Also, the clamp is helping me achieve a muscle memory on stones. I noticed that I tend to keep a more stable angle when I sharpen totally freehand as well.
Now I "need" a Norton India or Arkansas stone for 1095 and such (diamond stones are a bit too aggressive for my skills to work on such steels), and sooner or later I will be able to do everything freehand. Anyway, clamp or not, I've come to enjoy and deepend the relationship between myself, my knives, and my stones, and I don't regret climbing the learning curve (and not going for a more "hi-tech" system :)

Fausto
:cool:
 
That is AWESOME!!! Yes, you will be able to freehand BETTER than those guided systems. It allows a finesse and level of manipulation otherwise unattainable IMHO.

Congrats my friend. When you get to feeling like you have the free hand down, let me know. I may send a fine little specimen to your island. :)

quattromori said:
It is helpful indeed. Lately I've been reprofiling the blade on my CSC lockback (in D2) and considering my current sharpening skills I don't think I would have been able to do it just freehanding. Also, the clamp is helping me achieve a muscle memory on stones. I noticed that I tend to keep a more stable angle when I sharpen totally freehand as well.
Now I "need" a Norton India or Arkansas stone for 1095 and such (diamond stones are a bit too aggressive for my skills to work on such steels), and sooner or later I will be able to do everything freehand. Anyway, clamp or not, I've come to enjoy and deepend the relationship between myself, my knives, and my stones, and I don't regret climbing the learning curve (and not going for a more "hi-tech" system :)

Fausto
:cool:
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I use a Lansky for major re-profiling. For general sharpening and touch up I free hand with a Smiths 4" diamond combo, the one that collapses into the handle. I also have one of those at work, and everyone comes to me for quick touchups, LOL.
 
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