What do you sharpen with?

[T. Erdelyi]

Sorry I forgot to attach the poll to the other thread.

Here it is.

What method of sharpening do you use most often?

 

[T. Erdelyi]

I forgot Edgepro, and probably a few more if any of the moderators out there see tis please feel free to add any system to the poll I missed.

 

[Josh Feltman]

For the most part, I use a sharpmaker, but for my khukuris, I use wet/dry sandpaper on a mouse pad.
--Josh

 

[glockman99]

I generally use my Spyderco 204 Sharpmaker, but sometimes I'll break-out my Smith's Tri-Hone, and really go to work.

 

[Coonskinner]

It depends on the knife. For carbon steel blades with relatively low hardness, I use a Norton Fine India, or if I really want to produce a fine push-cutting edge, I'll finish it on the Sharpmaker's white stones. Then if I'm really ambitious, I'll break out the Black Hard Arkansas and get the hairs on my arm trembling in fear.

For harder to sharpen steels, (which I am getting less and less enchanted with) I use a DMT. I also use the DMT if there is signigigant edge damage to be repaired.

 

[KBR]

The Spyderco Sharpmaker 204, of course.

Although, I do also occasionally use my DMT Diafold.

 

[Matt Shade]

Free hand
Arkansas and ceramic stones. Finish off with a strop and some microfine honing compound sometimes.

 

[Rifter]

I have 2 DMT 6"X2" benchstones one in Coarse and the other one is Fine for giving the knife a new angle edge or totaly reprofiling it and then after that i do the upkeep with a sharpmaker, i could do it with the fine stone but that sharpmaker is so much faster and easy. Then to put a nich finish i strop it with some cardboard, and some polishing compound. I like to keep all my knives shaving sharp and always shapen them all every saturday to keep them sharp. If you keep them sharp then you never have to spend more than 30 seconds touching it up every week.

 

[corwin99]

most of the time i do a free hand but i use crock sticks and a lansky as well.. the lansky is a pain in the ass to set up, but its really nice to use when its mounted... usually use it on harder to sharpen steels because i'm worried about losing my angle freehand when i've been sharpening for too long at a time.

 

[Jack142]

I got so many sharpening systems its pathetic !

BUT I mostly use a Lansky's with 4 different stones, and a Spyderco sharpmaker with the white and grey stones
And if needed I have a gerber "pen" sharpener which is nothing more then a round diamond rod.

At work, I keep 2 or 3 small pen knives for opening mail etc.
I have small hand held grey and white crock stick hones and a eze lap diamond hone.

I really only use the eze lap on a small Buck pen knife. The thing is harder to sharpen then anything I have ever had to do. Worse then my Cold Steel blade.
Good Luck
Jack

 

[NGK-Webmaster]

204 Sharpmaker for most jobs and for those knives that need a touchup. Been using the the Razors Edge System from the book some and just bought the Rzors Edge kit to try it out. The Razors Edge kit works well it has a natural feel to it and is nice because you can watch TV or something and keep working the blade without paying so much attention to keeping you angle perfect like when doing it by hand. I think the 204 Sharpmaker works best for all around though, quick and easy unless the blade is just real bad or the angles are way off and then the diamond stones come in handy for it.

 

[Don Powell]

I have been sharpening free hand for all my life. My belt grinder
turns very fast and I am reluctant to use it on steels that have
a low tempering temp. I have used it on 3V, 440V and ATS 34. I
hope to have variable speed soon, so I don't have to worry about
ruining the temper. I use a variety of diamond, stones, and alluminum oxide devices to sharpen knves.

 

[Mr.Clean]

Freehand with spyderco bench stones including the 10,000 grit ultrafine stone.
I have a full set of DMT stones in my sharpening box if I gouge out a piece of steel or take off the very tip of a knife. I follow up with a canvas strop. I can get my knives stupid sharp with my setup. I'm probably one of the few people who can get a Emerson commander scary sharp using the existing emerson angle.

 

[ZENGHOST]

Majority of the time I use the Sharpmaker, but I've been doing more freehand lately. I have a variety of DMTs and Japanese Waterstones in addition to my Sharpmaker.

 

[Buzzbait]

I use mostly convex ground knives. That means the old mouse mat and wet/dry paper for sharpening.

 

[gordyt]

Sharpmaker often, 'cause it's always on hand and easy to setup. Also have an EdgePro, DMT, and Razor Edge system...what can I say, just love to experiment!

--gordon

 

[Ming65]

freehand with diamond stone and steel to maintain. Lanskey to repair.

 

[Keith Montgomery]

Freehand. I have just never felt a need for anything else. For the kind of knives I have, stones do everything I require.

 

[BurkStar]

I'm just starting to get the hang of the Edgepro, when not experimenting with it I use Lansky stones, freehand and finish them up on a leather strop.

 

[PWork]

Freehand. I prefer a four inch stone...Arkansas, diamond, or ceramic.

Paul