What Is The Best Sharpening Device?

E

Edge

Joined
Apr 9, 2000
Messages
47
I am sh!te at sharpening knives, all of them go next door to my neighbour so he can do it, it gives him a chance to drool over them, but I feel I am not a real "knifenut" till I can sharpen them myself, any help.

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Hunting? Don't be a wise guy, what do you hunt with a knife?

Name it!
 
I'll suggest a good magnification aid, and next any coarse grit method that works for you. Once you get the desired coarse finish any number of methods seem to 'work like magic'. A 50mm camera lens can work as a decent 5x or so loupe, and the eyepieces out of typical older cheap binoculars are often 25mm Kellners which work ok as 10x or so loupes. Even a simple magnifyng glass is better than nothing, and for extended close observation strong, like 3 to 4 diopter, reading glasses work nicely as low power magnification aids.
 
I'll definitely second PhilL's post.

Spyderco Sharpmaker 204. If not the ultimate BEST, then certainly the best VALUE. Works great, and the instructions are second to none. Get one, and be sure to read the sharpening faq here.

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Spyderco, DMT, or Norton Bench stones. Dont bother with gadgets and sharpening aids....

learn how to use a bench stone, freehand, it takes more work but at the same time its more rewarding.

I personally like the spyderco bench stones the best, especially like the fact that you can use them dry.

Don Foggs web site has a very good section on sharpening....best ive found.

Matt.

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"Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty"
Thomas Jefferson

www.lameyknives.com
 
A very, very steady hand. I have great results with the Lansky Sharp Stick. It's like a butchers steal, but a ceramic stick instead, and comes in three grits - fine, med., course. A good idea is not to let the knife get to dull. Good Luck
 
Spyderco sharpmaker 204. I get better results with it than anything else I have tried. I sold all my other sharpeners when I got my 204.

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Dennis Bible
 
Go to a library! My library has some great books on sharpening! There are two books on how to make knives that say how to sharpen (and of course, both methods are different). Also, there is the BIBLE of sharpening- Razor's Edge Book of Sharpening by John Juranich. This is a must read. Also at my library is a book on sharpening by Leonard Lee (I don't know the title off hand.) He is the head of Lee Valley tools, and advocates using water stones. His book is great because it contains electron microscope pictures of edges sharpened using different stones, as well as pictures of the different stones!! They are awesome to see.

Oh, and then there is the obvious. Buy a bottle of Jameson's (I hope I spelled that right), give it to your neighbor and ask your neighbor to teach you how to sharpen. Make sure you open the whiskey AFTER the knives have been sharpened and put away!!!!

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"Come What May..."
 
When sharpening a knive with a stone how do you get the exact same angle with every stroke? When you are moving the angles around doesn't that not sharpen the blade as best as one of those ceramic sticks that have set angles?
 
Skill. That's why sharpeners like the EdgePro have an advantage; they firmly lock the blade ata set angle to the stone. It takes a lot of practice to develop the skill to sharpen freehand well, but you still can't match what a machine can do. Not that freehand isn't useful for when you can't carry the machine with you, or when you have an oddly-shaped blade to sharpen.

--JB

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e_utopia@hotmail.com
 
It is no way to tip up the best sharpening device like it is no way to tip up the best knife, the best car, the best gun or the best wife
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If you are looking for better sharpener it would be a good idea to specify - better for what and in what price limit. Advanced highly specialized professional sharpening systems allow sharpening knives with ease and obtaining great results but they are pretty expensive and sometimes a bit difficult to set up. If you have few knives and you are sharpening them not frequently it is not too sensible choice.

For beginner I could recommend SPYDERCO Tri-Angle Sharpmaker 204, it is really exceptionally fast to set up and easy to use. It also has very well made and easy to follow users manual in nicely printed brochure and on videotape. You can't to go wrong with it. I don't remember who said this: "The man who can't to sharpen knife with Sharpmaker should not to have knife at all!" - but this is pure truth
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When you would learn the basics and want to experiment with free hand sharpening go to SPYDERCO Bench Stones 302 and ProFile 701.

You also can't to go wrong with DMT diamond sharpening surfaces - this is very fast and effortless way to sharpen knives. If you would support the DMT Diamond Whetstones with Aligner clamp you will have reasonable priced and nicely working set to sharpen your knives with pre-set angle. And you can switch to free hand sharpening just in a moment.
DMT Double Sided Diafold is the best field sharpener I can imagine - lightweight, easy to carry, allows to sharpen knife or axe holding it free-hand (without working bench) and offers you two different grits in the single compact package.

Just my opinion
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Sergiusz Mitin
gunwriter
Lodz, Poland

[This message has been edited by Sergiusz Mitin (edited 04-16-2000).]
 
I've been meaning to post about this.

In the past, I've used bench stones, a Lansky system, and a Firestone wheel sharpener. I was never able to achieve consistent, quality results. Plus, each of these methods has it's own little "flaws", like the time it takes to set up the Lansky.

This week, I got a Spyderco Sharpmaker 204.
Friends, I kid you not when I say that this thing is the real deal. My left forearm is SMOOOOTH. Hey, you've got to test them somewhere, and paper cutting is for wussies!

Not a single knife has slipped by the 204 without a shaving edge in minutes. Many of my blades are the sharpest they've ever been.

I'm a yutz. I can't hold a consistent angle to save my life. The Spyderco Sharpmaker 204 WORKS.

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AKTI Member #A000832

"Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes, the bear eats you."

[This message has been edited by Brian_Turner (edited 04-16-2000).]
 
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