Teach a newb about knife sharpenin'

A

ASharpCanadian

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Sep 12, 2011
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Illl be the proud papa of an esee junglas and an RMD soon here. I know the junglas has a high sabre grind, the RMD im not sure ill have to figure out. Ive never sharpened anything in my life though, must I drop $200 on a set of whetstones? Anyone have any good youtube videos on how to sharpen these grinds? As well, what do you guys do for sharpening on the go- is there a portable option?
 
I make sure my knives are sharp before I leave the house, no need for me to sharpen on the go. A good portable sharpening tool is the Sharpmaker, it will keep your knives sharp. Jst make sure you watch th DVD and pay attention to the instruction being given. Youtube is a good source for sharpen videos and how to information.

The best advice I can give if for you to read the threads in this subforum. There are thousands of posts on equipment, techniques, tools, tricks, etc. Browse through some threads, find some kind of equipment that interests you, read up on it, then you can ask more specific questions. Best of luck.
 
I would recommend a simple set of waterstones and a DMT diafold for field touch-up.
 
wowwww- im checking out whetstones and had no clue what this stuff cost. How well would I be served with a double sided diafold for $40?
 
You are probably looking at large sets or generally expensive stones. A decent 1k & 6k (I favor the Arashiyama) would be around $100 and a C/F diafold is $25-$30. A diafold is great for light use but would be labor intensive to use as a main sharpening tool for large blades. It's not a must have item just a often recommended one because of its usefulness, a ceramic rod for a few dollars from the next gun show will do the trick too.
 
I would recommend the Worksharp Knife & Tool Sharpener. An extra P400 grit and 1800 belt is recommended. I've sharpened an ESEE Junglas with no problem on mine. Total cost might add up to $100 depending on how many extras you get(belt cleaning eraser is recommended as well).

Attempting to sharpen a big blade like that on a DMT Diafold is tedious to say the least. I would just recommend a small ceramic rod for touch ups on the field and sharpen it when you get back home.
 
The Wicked Edge Precision Sharpener is the way to go. Seems expensive in the short term, but in the long run it is excellent value for the dollars spent and you will always have razor sharp knives.
It will do your ESEE Junglas in a trice and after it will be easy to touch up with a few strokes back on the WEPS rig or just with a strop. You will not have to worry about getting the correct, even and accurate angles on your various knife edges ever again.
I have had one for over a year now and I don't need anything else for my precious knife collection.

All the best
Leo
 
Take the time to learn to sharpen freehand, it is worth the effort in the longrun.

In my opinion good basic set to start with would be a coarse/fine diamond stone, the bigger the better and a leather strop with compound. A black sharpie and a magnifing glass are also real handy. Add a 6000 grit waterstone later. I have a big drawer full of sharpening supplies but these are my go to items.

Greg
 
Freehand on an ESEE Junglas? Good luck with that one:thumbup:. I know it's carbon steel and all, but I don't think a 10" blade helps any, particularly one that thick and heavy.
 
Actually, freehanding a BIG blade might be just the ticket to really learning something about sharpening. Patience is a HUGE part of the process. Master that part, and the rest becomes a lot easier.

Having said that, selecting the right abrasives will make a big difference too. One could make an appropriately large hone, using a block of wood and some wet/dry sandpaper. Coarse grit (220 - 400) to re-bevel if needed, and regular touch-ups could easily be done with any grit, according to preference, even with a smaller hone. With the appropriate grit selected, it shouldn't take much time. Personally, I could see myself using a 'paddle' type hone (sized around 6" to 8" length, and 1-1/2" to 2" wide), made with sandpaper, with the blade fixed in a stable position. Think it'd work quite well.
 
I did something similar for sharpening my machetes, but sized it up a touch and used a heavy base so i can hold the blade like I would with a smaller knife. Took some 3x21" silicon carbide bonded sanding belts and glued them to brass plates. With the seam cut out they're still over 18" long. Kind of surreal sharpening a 16" machete on an 18" "stone", I feel like a munchkin - but it gets the job done so much nicer than I can do with the sander. Made some 20" strops to go with it. And since the belts are bonded, I can grind in both directions without fear of cutting the sandpaper. I use it for my larger kitchen knives too - very fast and easy. Grit ranges 120, 220, 400, and 800. Then I strop 'em on 1200 grit SiC powder. Something a little intimidating (to the user) about a machete or corn knife that you can shave your face with. Very easy to wreck your sheath tho...
 
hmm. alright looks like ill have to buy a couple japanese whetstones and a portable diafold sharpener. Im patient enough- trust me. If I can teach myself how to reload I can definitely handle this, knives dont blow up in your face. all hail youtube, thanks folks
 
A 10in blade sharpened on a 8in stone is not difficult, a 20in blade is another story but really just a change in technique.

Practice and ask lots of questions, you'll have it down in no time.
 
I would recommend single stones they are thicker and last longer. Are you limited to where you can buy?
 
no theres no problem shipping things into canada as long as they dont go blam blam and shoot. just dont know a place that sells japanese stones and what coarseness of stones I want for a 2 stone system
 
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