TC Carbide sharpeners

J

JD Spydo

Joined
Nov 20, 2004
Messages
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About a year ago I bought 3 Tungsten Carbide sharpening devices out of the Garrett Wade catalog. I have been experimenting with them from time to time for the past year. I have had some very interesting results with them. It seems as though they literall "whittle" the steel away. I have never up till now seen anything that works in the same fashion that these tools do.

I was just wondering if any of you all have also used these newer sharpening tools and what kind of results with. For instance I have a carbon steel bowie knife ( nothing fancy) that I find it's really easy to use the "straight edged Carbide sharpener" to go from the heel ( tang) of the blade out to the tip and it honestly seems like a great way to keep it in good cutting condition while in the field.

Also I bet some of you have some tips on various uses for them you may have discovered. I would also bet that the type of grain in which a certain steel has would determine whether these sharpening tools would be proficient to use. I am all ears at this point.
 
JD Spydo said:
About a year ago I bought 3 Tungsten Carbide sharpening devices out of the Garrett Wade catalog. I have been experimenting with them from time to time for the past year. I have had some very interesting results with them. It seems as though they literall "whittle" the steel away. I have never up till now seen anything that works in the same fashion that these tools do.

I was just wondering if any of you all have also used these newer sharpening tools and what kind of results with. For instance I have a carbon steel bowie knife ( nothing fancy) that I find it's really easy to use the "straight edged Carbide sharpener" to go from the heel ( tang) of the blade out to the tip and it honestly seems like a great way to keep it in good cutting condition while in the field.

Also I bet some of you have some tips on various uses for them you may have discovered. I would also bet that the type of grain in which a certain steel has would determine whether these sharpening tools would be proficient to use. I am all ears at this point.
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Yeah, supposedly Ted Nugent swears by one of these things. Or that's what one of the ads states.

I use them to roughly sharpen and align things like hoes and really dull axes, etc., before final aligning/sharpening.

There certainly better than nothing on a knife, and will set a rough bevel, but I use more appropriate and less brutal (from a metal removal standpoint) sharpening devices on my quality steel tools. Like the sharpmaker with diamond hones (if necessary), followed by a light stropping on a strop block.

All of my knives will literally pop the hair right off your arm. Far beyond what a carbide sharpener alone will achieve.

I suppose one could use a carbide 'V' to set a rudimentary bevel (if necessary) then use a sharpmaker, strop, etc. to finish the blade. Definately cheaper than diamond triangles or diamond hone. But I have no done this and would have to experiment before I felt comfortable doing it on more expensive steel blades.

One very good sharpener/aligner on the market, that few have talked about, and one that I use on my machetes and axes is the Fiscars roll sharp (cheap). It does an admirable job at keeping heavy use tools shaving sharp. But alas, like the stock sharpmaker is a little less than ideal at sharpening or beveling very dull, or damaged blades/tools.
 
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