So, how do you folksy types sharpen your knives?

A little off topic, but I'm wondering just exactly what is a "Folksy Type"?

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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:
Click to expand...

There it is, Fausto. You're 'on the path' now; the same road I went down with the Lansky. Many will call it a 'crutch' for sharpening, and for some it might be. But if you let your hands 'learn' from it, there'll come a day when you realize the skill and muscle memory are simply 'there', when they weren't there before. The hands do actually learn these things by repetition, even when we might not realize it's happening; then all of a sudden, the newly-found skill in your hands just jumps up and introduces itself. Looks like you're already seeing that, so it won't be long now. :thumbup:


David
 
By the way, in my experience the cheap budget Chinese made bench stones in aluminium oxide and carbide perform extremely well in putting an edge on blades, as well as anything made elsewhere.that I have used.

It just shows that about anything will sharpen blades well.

Just saying LOL.
 
Kevin and David,
thank you both (along with other members here) for your help, suggestions, generosity and encouragement.
Hopefully someday my edges will make you proud :rolleyes:

Fausto
:cool:
 
Folksy-type...heh-heh, that's a first for me to be included in. I seriously doubt it in my case, but, on with the show. So whittling a lot of wood has caused a need for me to work on my sharpening skills. I have always used free-hand up until now. Lately, it seemed I was missing the mark more often than not. So, I rigged up a little wood fixture, that holds my stone, and allows me to sharpen vertically. This had made my edges much more consistent. I am still working on it, but I've gotten a couple quite sharp so far. Made a strop too while I was at it. Suggestions or comments always welcome!



I have a hard time getting a good closeup photo. My edc and all-time favorite, fairly sharp now.





I still seem to have a harder time getting the pile side edge right.:confused:
 
Interesting set up Brad. Im still learning myself.

In the mean time I am using a KO work sharp. I practice on stones with a few knives but Im really liking the KO.
 
Freehand with a Fallkniven DC4 (4" diamond/ceramic combo stone) mostly. But also bench diamond stones, DMT Duofolds, pocket rods. Whatever is handy.
 
I notice that I use the Norton Inida Combination ( 1x2x8) bench stone the most for non-supersteels. The fine side gets me pretty close to where I am comfortable in terms of sharpness and it's fast and easy. Norton India + WD-40 and sharpen away.

I use DMT diamond "stones" on the harder knives or for touch up after the Norton. I have coarse, fine, extra fine in those. Also have a number of Arkansas stones from hard to soft but I seldom use them anymore.
 
I´ve tried several systems over the years. Lansky doesn´t really work for me. Sharpmaker is alright, especially when I need a quick touch-up of the edge. I built two leather strops for my needs and they run very very well, as I tend to strop my edges more frequently than I use stones. Stones get used too much, imo.

When it comes to stones I like a set of water and oil stones. I have a very coarse skythe stone for badly used blades. When it is done, a 800 grit water stones does it just fine. A 1200 Arkansas oil stone for fine sharping or a "Belgischer Brocken" is used. Then the leather strop. I took some time to get me into this. I learned it very early from my granny; she tought me how to use the stone in the correct angle. Now the whole process went into my "flesh & bone" - as we use to say here. For all (!!) of my blades a 20° angle at each side is "my" way to go.

In case of emergency a coffee mug also works well for me :)
... or a leather belt.

I also carry a Victorinox pocket sharpener in my EDC bag, but it doesn´t get much use ... just in case ;)
 
My preferred stone is a Norton India IB8, suits my needs just fine. I also have 2 Fallkniven DC4s' which are quite good, I keep 1 of them in my tool box at work incase my edc needs a touch up.

Also have a fine Arkansas for when I can be bothered to put some effort in and actually polish up an edge.

Finally, I just bought a Victorinox pocket sharpener for field use during the shooting season, early indications are that it puts a decent working edge on a blade in short time.
 
a friend of mine up in Alaska uses an Edgemaker? i've never tried one out, might someday.
recieved some knives lately with no edge at all from the factory. used a diamond stone to make the bevel, finished with an Arkansas stone medium grit for sharp.
i like old stones, got a dozen or so from Soft Arkansas to Hard Translucent, even keep a few carborundum for beveling. i used them with or without water, sometimes with glass cleaner.
been known to use wet/dry paper on axes and machetes
ii i was just now to date beginning i'd most likely use water stones.
forgot to mention India stones, real good for bevels but i don't seem to use mine often

buzz
 
I use a Sharpmaker most of the time. I've also been known to get out the Norton combination India stone, which I've had since well before Norton got bought by the French in 1990. And I have a set of DMT diamond stones. I use the diamond stones to make major changes to edge angles (Mostly on Queen D2 blades.)
 
Not very folksky but I use a Sharpmaker most of the time and recently the KME sharpening system and on occasion will freehand some stuff.
 
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Talk about folksy. And I still havent mastered something so simple. (The stone, I mean).
 
I have a KME for major work and a Spyderco SM for maintaining edges at home.
When out I use a DC3 or similar sized ceramic or diamond stone.

It is more difficult, for me, but I have become used to sharpening with small slip stones.
 
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