something catchy...

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Dogzilla52

Joined
Apr 16, 2018
Messages
12
Hello again from a long time enthusiast but novice to the community.

I am extremely interested in learning how to sharpen knives and I concluded that this would be the best place to get strong, definitive answers/recommendations. As of now I have only acquired one 600 grit diamond stone that I have started practicing with under the recommendation of a storefront owner. I picked up keeping the angle rather quickly using the "sharpy on the edge" trick but feel as though something is missing. The knives I sharpened did get sharper but not anywhere near enough to be acceptable.

I have asked on social media outlets and done a fair amount of research. The result was a lot of information as to what different people use. However, I couldn't find anything thoroughly explaining what to look for while sharpening and furthermore, when to stop and move on or what have you.

So, I conclude with, is this one stone enough or do I absolutely have to get another stone to use after? When does stropping come into play and again, what am I looking for? Is there someone on Youtube or another site who does a thorough job teaching one how to sharpen properly?

I think I covered the bases but if I missed something please let me know!

Thank you for reading and I look forward to hearing from you.
 
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/what-is-sharpening-a-knife-about-2015-updates.1014274/

Go hang out in the maintenance subforum and you can learn a whole lot!

To answer your question, yes you will want to get stones or plates that are more coarse and more fine than the one you have. 600 does not cut very fast and will not leave you with a fine enough edge for what most people are aiming for. Stropping has been debated and discussed in many many threads. Essentially stropping is for refinement of the edge but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a refined edge without it.
 
jbarsquat said:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/what-is-sharpening-a-knife-about-2015-updates.1014274/

Go hang out in the maintenance subforum and you can learn a whole lot!

To answer your question, yes you will want to get stones or plates that are more coarse and more fine than the one you have. 600 does not cut very fast and will not leave you with a fine enough edge for what most people are aiming for. Stropping has been debated and discussed in many many threads. Essentially stropping is for refinement of the edge but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a refined edge without it.
Click to expand...

I totally missed that subforum, thank you! Yea I was told that a 600 was enough to get a good working edge and that may be right but I have a feeling not for as long as I desire.
 
I got both the diamond stones and the ultra fine rods for the sharpmaker when I was starting.

It still was not long before I abandoned the idea of using the sharpmaker for all my sharpening needs. Even with diamonds, it’s not great for reprofiling or fixing really dull edges on many steels. I still use the ultra fine rods when using the sharpmaker for touch ups.

But for the coarser stuff, I ended up using diamond benchstones and learning to freehand (on crappy kitchen knives first). I know a lot of others get different guided systems for reprofiling too. But few use the sharpmaker for it.

So I’d suggest to try the ultra fine rods but pass on the diamond rods, and think about diamond benchstones.

Edit: haha sorry, this was meant for another thread about sharpmaker rods! It still sort of applies to you too. You’re definitely going to need a coarse stone to shape the edge, but finer stones to refine the edge and put a microbevel on or knock off the final burr.
 
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Dangerously Dangerously you had me confused there like I clicked on the wrong thread haha!

600 will give you a great working edge but if your knives are dull it will take a good amount of time to get there. Also with a new 600 grit diamond plate you’re going to have a very aggressive tooth to the edge until you run a dozen or so knives over it to break it in.
 
Dogzilla52 said:
I totally missed that subforum, thank you! Yea I was told that a 600 was enough to get a good working edge and that may be right but I have a feeling not for as long as I desire.
Click to expand...

It depends on what you're sharpening, and to what degree. If the knives you're sharpening are relatively small/medium-sized with blades that aren't so heavy or thick or large, a 600-grit diamond hone could do essentially everything you need. If you get into heavier blades, like big fixed blades, you may want to look into something coarser and/or larger (bench stone size) to speed up the grinding process for heavier tasks like thinning & rebevelling.

I first started learning to sharpen (more seriously) using pocket-sized or portable diamond hones at 600-grit. I undertook that mission with the goal of figuring out if it was 'enough' for most or all of my sharpening needs on my folders, both modern/tactical and traditional. I also wanted something portable enough that it'd be available (in my pocket) whenever or wherever I needed it. I found out it was up to that task. It's true, coarser and larger hones can work faster; but, a 600-grit diamond is reasonably fast enough for doing most everything. For thinning or rebevelling, which only needs to be done ONCE if it's done right, it can get the job done. Once good geometry is set up, the follow-up maintenance is a breeze on such a hone; think ~ 1 - 5 minutes for touch-ups, maybe as little as a pass or three on the hone, per side. And with improved technique on a 600-grit diamond hone, working edges can be great, and not just 'good'.

In a pinch, if I were allowed only one hone for all my sharpening needs on the knives I actually use & carry, it'd be either a 600 (Fine) or 325 (Coarse) DMT diamond hone. I've already proven to myself I can do everything I need with either of them, so I know it's a realistic solution for me. My very first use of a 600-grit diamond 'credit card' hone (DMT) was for thinning the edge on a Queen pocketknife in D2 steel. It worked, and I proved to myself how good it worked in drawing some of my own blood in the exercise, with a vicious edge coming off that hone. Great learning experience, about both the hone and the steel.

If you're like most others who become more interested in sharpening in general, I'm sure you'll find good use for many other options as well. Nothing wrong about that. But a lot can be done with just one, if you choose smartly and make a commitment to learning how to use it to it's fullest capability.
 
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I sharpen freehand using DMT red (600 mesh) for 90% of the time, and green (1200 mesh) maybe 10%. Some high carbide steels like S30V seem to cut better with a slightly coarser edge. A coarser hone is useful when re-profiling an edge. An angle guide helps maintain the correct angle and will result in a sharper edge in my experience.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
It depends on what you're sharpening, and to what degree. If the knives you're sharpening are relatively small/medium-sized with blades that aren't so heavy or thick or large, a 600-grit diamond hone could do essentially everything you need. If you get into heavier blades, like big fixed blades, you may want to look into something coarser and/or larger (bench stone size) to speed up the grinding process for heavier tasks like thinning & rebevelling.

I first started learning to sharpen (more seriously) using pocket-sized or portable diamond hones at 600-grit. I undertook that mission with the goal of figuring out if it was 'enough' for most or all of my sharpening needs on my folders, both modern/tactical and traditional. I also wanted something portable enough that it'd be available (in my pocket) whenever or wherever I needed it. I found out it was up to that task. It's true, coarser and larger hones can work faster; but, a 600-grit diamond is reasonably fast enough for doing most everything. For thinning or rebevelling, which only needs to be done ONCE if it's done right, it can get the job done. Once good geometry is set up, the follow-up maintenance is a breeze on such a hone; think ~ 1 - 5 minutes for touch-ups, maybe as little as a pass or three on the hone, per side. And with improved technique on a 600-grit diamond hone, working edges can be great, and not just 'good'.

In a pinch, if I were allowed only one hone for all my sharpening needs on the knives I actually use & carry, it'd be either a 600 (Fine) or 325 (Coarse) DMT diamond hone. I've already proven to myself I can do everything I need with either of them, so I know it's a realistic solution for me. My very first use of a 600-grit diamond 'credit card' hone (DMT) was for thinning the edge on a Queen pocketknife in D2 steel. It worked, and I proved to myself how good it worked in drawing some of my own blood in the exercise, with a vicious edge coming off that hone. Great learning experience, about both the hone and the steel.

If you're like most others who become more interested in sharpening in general, I'm sure you'll find good use for many other options as well. Nothing wrong about that. But a lot can be done with just one, if you choose smartly and make a commitment to learning how to use it to it's fullest capability.
Click to expand...

I would really love to learn the ins and outs and be able to sharpen like you have described. Can you provide me any more information or point me in a more specific direction?
 
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