What are your 3 most-used manual sharpeners?

FortyTwoBlades

FortyTwoBlades

Baryonyx walkeri
Dealer / Materials Provider
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I'm curious--what are your three most-used manual sharpeners, and why? What are you using them on, and your preferred approach? Dual grit sharpeners count as one, but things like different grits of sandpaper or different stones on a guided system count as individual.

Up until recently my most used have been a combo-grit silicon carbide scythe stone (a Zische "Silifix Duo") from Germany, a fine single-grit silicon carbide scythe stone (Falci of Italy "Original Carborundum" model), and a combo-grit 8" Lansky silicon carbide bench stone. I used the bench stone mostly for at-home coarse bevel shaping and scratch pattern setting on conventional pocket and household knives and then finish on the fine scythe stone, or I'd use the two scythe stones on...well...scythes...as well as grass hooks, corn hooks, machetes, and pocket knives/fixed blades when out in the field.

Recently I've mostly switched to an "American Mutt" 8" bench stone that has mixed grit sizes in aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, and diamond all in the same stone. Cuts super fast and puts a heck of a tooth on a blade almost like it's an abrasive file but you're taking the blade to the "file" and it leaves a finer surface finish than one would expect thanks to the inclusion of finer grit. Then I've been finishing on an "Arctic Fox" scythe stone (extra fine aluminum oxide) or using a coarse aluminum oxide scythe stone (Angelo B. "Milano" stone, old red type before they switched the style for the item number) instead of the "American Mutt" bench stone, then finishing again with the "Arctic Fox".

When honing push-cutting tools like my spoke shave iron, etc. I have a huge fancy alumina ceramic plate that puts a marvelous edge on such tools, but since most of my work involves more slicing cuts I'm able to use the combination of a coarse and extra fine stone to set an appropriate degree of aggressive tooth to my blades, using the coarse stone to remove damage and/or set the scratch pattern, then the extra fine stone to "temper the tooth", using either just a couple light strokes per side if I want to just true up the apex and keep it super toothy or with a bit more work if I need a bit more push-cutting ability.
 
I use a smiths smooth and course diamond. The steel kind that the cover becomes the handle. I like it because it works quick in on the lake in In the field. I have a flexx double sided field strop I use with green compound on one side and black on the other as well.
I use files on my axes. I think its quicker than a puck and I can"follow" the convex edges better that way. If that makes sense.
So1. Cheap diamond steel.
2. Cool leather field strop.
3. Files.
 
DMT coarse/fine diafold, goes in my pack with me to work and back. Naniwa Chosera 800 or 3000 depending on knife for touchups, and a denim strop loaded with either CBN or Diamond (for s30v and up) or white BR compound for A2 and down. Really starting to get a hang for my system and what works for me, and these seem to be the most used/oft carried.
 
Sharpmaker, strop, arkansas stone. Rarely use the arkansas stone.
 
DMT C/F Diafold pretty much exclusively. Norton C/F Crystalon for heavy work, Spyderco Profile set when I'm feeling frisky.
 
Maintenance not 'sharpening'

1. Strop white compound
All the time to keep an edge before the DMT

2. DMT EF Diafold
Over 20 years old
Used 90% for all blades to touch up and maintain the sharpness
A couple of swipes type sharpening
(not Scandi they go to the flat Waterstones)

3. Lansky folding paddle EF/F that is like F/M in DMT
I use it on my cooking knives that are very thin less expensive SS and Victorinox paring knives
It is aggressive and puts a screaming edge on these knives, but these edges only lasts for one cooking session
Medium for a toothy cut for tomatoes
Again 5 to 10 swipes of the medium then 5 to 10 swipes with the fine


Real sharpening:

1. DMT Alignment Jig, EE Course to EF (Counts as one as it is a system)
New small bladed knives, slipjoints for first sharpening to establish a new bevel

2. EE course DMT continuous and a set of Chorsha waterstones (Counts as one as it is a system)
All larger knives for new bevels and Scandi grinds for zero grind and maintenance

3. Selection of canoe stones (Counts as one as it is a system)
For machetes, the BK4 kukri,

I look at my sharpening with in a system to step down not an individual stone
Queen slipjoints in D2 alway need rebeveling, I use the DMT Alignment jig
A Scandi that I want a zero grind then waterstones
A dinged machete will get two stones aggressive to a finish edge
 
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Sharpmaker, edge pro clone, strops, and number 4 would be my glass smooth steel I got from HandAmerican when they were still around.
 
Strops, dmt fine for Pocket knives, shapton 6000 glass, touching up work knives...
Russ
 
The answer to this question changes from time to time. I recently picked up a Zandstra Foss combination SiC stone and have been using that to set bevels lately. It works great with a long soak in water and the coarse side is very fast, the "fine" side is close to a 1K JIS. I'm able to refine further using the Suehiro SiC 8k and keep the entire progression water-based silicon carbide. Though that is a big jump for surface finishing on most steel, it works well for a microbevel.

For a while now I've been using my Norton Waterstones on a lot of stuff too, but tend to only use them in a sequence 1k,4k,8k - not sure if that counts as multiples or a single.

I finish pretty much everything on a Washboard, often with just plain paper or a smear of left over waterstone mud. Works well as I finish if I just don't wipe off the edge and use whatever is still clinging to the blade. For maintaining a lot of my tools, or finishing off edges in a quick progression I'll use the stock honing compound on it as well.
 
I'm always tinkering with a variety of stones, just to keep my perspective fresh in how each can work for my edges, and also in how I need to adapt my own technique for each. I keep noticing improving results with each as my own skills improve over time, which is what motivates me to keep retrying them from time to time; it's a great way to gauge real progress in sharpening skills. So, since I keep changing things up, it's hard to pin down which would be my most-used stone or method. But to some degree, my tinkering mostly revolves around my diamond hones (DMT, Eze-Lap), SiC and AlOx hardware store hones (Norton, ACE and Sears) and a few Arkansas stones. For high-carbide steels, I pretty much stick with the diamonds exclusively, as I'm convinced they work the best with those steels with the least effort. For everything else, I'm always rotating through diamond, SiC/Alox and/or the Arkansas stones (limited to simpler carbon and low-alloy stainless like 420HC, 440A, etc).

If I were strictly limited to utilizing only one type, it'd likely be the diamond hones. They've become virtually effortless, consistently predictable and worry-free in my own uses, no matter which steel I've used them for. Within that group, I prefer Fine/EF for the simpler steels, and the Coarse diamond for steels like S30V. Diamonds aside, I do enjoy using the others when time and circumstances permit.

I haven't used sandpaper in a while for sharpening, as it's a little more tedious to set up for the best results. But I think it warrants revisiting as well.


David
 
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Obsessed with Edges said:
If I were strictly limited to utilizing only one type, it'd likely be the diamond hones. They've become virtually effortless, consistently predictable and worry-free in my own uses, no matter which steel I've used them for. Within that group, I prefer Fine/EF for the simpler steels, and the Coarse diamond for steels like S30V. Diamonds aside, I do enjoy using the others when time and circumstances permit.


David
Click to expand...

1) That is where I am at too, however my favourite diamond stone is the DMT coarse, well broken in. I have not used diamonds on good japanese cutlery but I noticed that they don't work well in my hands on cheaper "stainless steel" knives - the dollar store ones. Maybe I should try David's approach with a finer stone!?

2) Recently I have been tinkering with waterstones, more specifically SPS II 240, Chosera 1000 and 3000. I will get the SPS II in 1000 and 3000 as well to compare. The SPS II 240 has now replaced my Norton crystolon oil stone! I just like the feel of waterstones more and more and they just have character - fun to use. I still don't get the most out of it I guess, still not really sure how to finish on them ...

3) Chosera 1000 ending with edge trailing strokes, then Mother's Mag on hanging denim, then hanging leather strop with 0.5 diamond spray. The sharpest edge I have ever achieved. Most recently on my hefty Japanese Deba knife. Would be good for shaving.

Generally I try to avoid stropping more and more, sometimes I still need to "fold over" the burr on a wooden stick, on my VG10 kitchen knife for instance. Always works!

Finally, I wanted to order the Arctic Fox stone from Baryonox, I was hoping that it could be a good finishing stone edge leading given the apparently hard bond. Shipping unfortunately is more than the actual stone - something that really kicks me off here in Canada.
 
I use a 6" C/F Diasharp and a Spyderco Double Stuff. Own a bunch of other stones, but this is all I need.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
 
awestib said:
1) That is where I am at too, however my favourite diamond stone is the DMT coarse, well broken in. I have not used diamonds on good japanese cutlery but I noticed that they don't work well in my hands on cheaper "stainless steel" knives - the dollar store ones. Maybe I should try David's approach with a finer stone!?

(...)
Click to expand...

With the cheaper and/or 'softer' stainless, the lightest-possible touch and a finer diamond grit work best for me. I trained my hands for these by sharpening with a DMT EF on a Victorinox paring knife, which is right in the middle of that softer/simpler stainless knife category. As 'soft' as the Victorinox steel is at mid-50s HRC, it's still high quality, in that it responds beautifully to most any diamond grit, from Coarse through EEF at least. The really cheap dollar store knives are always unpredictable in how they'll respond to anything, so no guarantees there. But in general, anything that can cut these soft steels most cleanly without heavy burring will work best, and done with an extremely light touch. I have another cheap paring knife in Japanese steel (unknown type) that gave me fits for a very long time; it simply wouldn't hold a fine edge, if I could manage to create a fine edge on it in the first place. After finally learning how to handle such steels lightly with a diamond hone on the Vic paring blade, I adapted that technique to this cheaper paring knife, after which results improved markedly.

And because such knives are often so 'soft', a toothier finish usually works better on them. High-grit & polished edges just won't retain any slicing aggression for longer than the first few uses on such knives. A diamond hone is the champion for 'toothy' bite and minimal burring across a wider range of grit sizes, and that's partly why I prefer them for sharpening these knives. Junky steel is junky steel though, so they'll still need frequent touching up. But the toothier bite will work a bit longer in the short term, on these steels.


David
 
At home I enjoy using my early Norton 313 Tri-Hone. With standard stones. The fine India puts on a really good working edge. In the shop I have a JUM 3 that I like using for axes, chisels and knives. The fine side being 280 grit which is plenty. Then in my truck (my portable stone) I carry a old Norton IB8. I've had this stone since the 80's and it gives very predictable results. On these I sharpen all steels from 01 up to S60V with no problems. I rarely use one of my diamond stones. DM
 
awestib said:
Finally, I wanted to order the Arctic Fox stone from Baryonox, I was hoping that it could be a good finishing stone edge leading given the apparently hard bond. Shipping unfortunately is more than the actual stone - something that really kicks me off here in Canada.
Click to expand...

As a note, we can ship via First Class International--you just have to write for a quote since it's subject to weight/dimensional limitations. Usually the most cost-effective method of shipping. :)
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
With the cheaper and/or 'softer' stainless, the lightest-possible touch and a finer diamond grit work best for me. I trained my hands for these by sharpening with a DMT EF on a Victorinox paring knife, which is right in the middle of that softer/simpler stainless knife category. As 'soft' as the Victorinox steel is at mid-50s HRC, it's still high quality, in that it responds beautifully to most any diamond grit, from Coarse through EEF at least. The really cheap dollar store knives are always unpredictable in how they'll respond to anything, so no guarantees there. But in general, anything that can cut these soft steels most cleanly without heavy burring will work best, and done with an extremely light touch. I have another cheap paring knife in Japanese steel (unknown type) that gave me fits for a very long time; it simply wouldn't hold a fine edge, if I could manage to create a fine edge on it in the first place. After finally learning how to handle such steels lightly with a diamond hone on the Vic paring blade, I adapted that technique to this cheaper paring knife, after which results improved markedly.

And because such knives are often so 'soft', a toothier finish usually works better on them. High-grit & polished edges just won't retain any slicing aggression for longer than the first few uses on such knives. A diamond hone is the champion for 'toothy' bite and minimal burring across a wider range of grit sizes, and that's partly why I prefer them for sharpening these knives. Junky steel is junky steel though, so they'll still need frequent touching up. But the toothier bite will work a bit longer in the short term, on these steels.


David
Click to expand...

Yup--usually on softer steels it's best to set a coarse scratch pattern and then a quick touch to the apex with a fine stone just to true things up. Diamond stones tend to have very high grit protrusion and so cut very aggressively for their grit size, but as they fracture over time they'll become increasingly fine. I have a DMT coarse/fine Diafold that's really more like a fine/extra fine now.
 
I use a Wicked Edge Field and Sport and a Sharpmaker.

(I have a DMT Aligner and Ken Onion Worksharp too)

What I use my WE for is to set the angles to 18* per side. Then I use my Sharpmaker 40* setting (20* per side) to put on a micro bevel. This also makes touch ups super easy.
 
For EDC ...
1. Strop - after a day's use
2. Sharpmaker - when the strop is not enough
3. DMT Aligner - when the Sharpmaker is not enough

For Kitchen ...
1. Sharpmaker - as needed
2. DMT Aligner - when the Sharpmaker is not enough

Large fixed blades ...
1. Homemade 18" cross-stick sharpener with sandpaper.
 
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