What is the cheapest way for a novice to obtain a truly razor edge?

H

Happy Placidity

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Dec 31, 2012
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My apolgies if this question has been answered before, but I can't find an answer to this question after a few hours of searching. So, what is the cheapest way for a novice to put an edge on a knife that rivals a straight razor's edge? More specifically, I'm looking to sharpen a few knives, ranging from a small CPM-S30V knife, a 7-inch SK5 knife, and a few high-carbon Moras and carving knives. I'd like to achieve the sharpest, most polished edge that I can as cheaply possible, although without re-profiling the knives to a small-angle full-hollow ground edge. I understand that I don't -need- to have a straight-razor-sharp edge on these knives, but I -want- these knives to be as sharp as I can get them without spending over $100.

Currently, I'm looking at the Lansky Deluxe System plus a Saphire finishing stone, or a DMT DMG-4 Magna Guide quad kit. The DMT setup goes down to finer grits, but it's twice the price and I've read a few reviews that the quality control on the extra fine / extra-extra fine stone isn't very good. After using either of these I plan on finishing on pasted balsa/leather strops.

I understand that free-hand sharpening is recomended around here, but I am a complete novice, and while I plan on learning this skill eventually, I don't think I'll be able to achieve razor-sharp edges on my knives free-hand for quite a while. As I see it, a guided sharpening system followed by pasted strops is the cheapest way for a novice to achieve the sharpest edge possible (plus, of course, learning more about sharpening as you go along). Am I right here? I'd really appreciate any suggestions, ideas, or advice.
 
Ive heard lots of good things about the spyderco triangle sharpmaker. Mine is personally on order. I chose it for its ease of use and it was only 60$ in canada and ive seen plenty of videos for using it. But ive also heard its not good for reprofiling knives because it does not take away that much metal. but if you just need it to resharpen id recommend it.
 
I've read that you really want the coarse diamond and ultra fine stones in addition to the medium and fine that come with the Sharpmaker to have a complete set. At around US $15 each, that brings the total cost of the whole setup to around $120, and I'd still need to buy the strops and pastes after that. At four times the price of the Lansky, I don't think it's what I'm looking for.
 
sandpaper is gonna be your cheapest option and will teach you to free hand , just a few blocks of wood and some 3m wet dry sandpaper, get all the grits you can find and use the sandpaper to sharpen, good cheap way to get a good edge, wolly world has 2,000 grit paper, which will give you a screaming sharp edge.
 
I hadn't even thought of sandpaper. I am researching the method a little further, and it seems like a good replacement for a set of bench stones. It should get me to the point where I can progress to pasted stropes. One thing that I am considering is rigging a 'V' shape out of a pair of wooden boards to replicate a Sharpmaker type of setup. I haven't heard of anyone doing this, but it seems fairly idiot-proof. In addition, I've read that if you use mousepads under the sandpaper you can create a convex edge profile if you wanted.

I do have a question about progressing to pasted strops, though. Assuming I finished with a 2000 grit abrasive (and also, if I decide to by the Lansky, with a 1000 grit ultra-fine stone), what is the proper progression of abrasives from that point? Right now I have a balsa strop pasted with green CrOx, and a spare leather strop that I could put some extra CrOx on if I wanted too. I don't think I can go straight to green CrOx without a progression, though.
 
i finish with 3,000 grit tapes, then strop with white compound which brings out the mirror polish to the edge, then to get the hair whittling edge I go to my green knives plus strop and get screaming sharp knives., thats just my method.
 
Happy Placidity said:
(...) I do have a question about progressing to pasted strops, though. Assuming I finished with a 2000 grit abrasive (and also, if I decide to by the Lansky, with a 1000 grit ultra-fine stone), what is the proper progression of abrasives from that point? Right now I have a balsa strop pasted with green CrOx, and a spare leather strop that I could put some extra CrOx on if I wanted too. I don't think I can go straight to green CrOx without a progression, though.
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With the Lansky, if your progression is complete through all the stones, up to and through the 1000 hone, then going straight to the green compound on a strop should be fine. Both the 'Fine' 600 and 'UltraFine' 1000 ceramic hones from Lansky are capable of starting to polish (600) and very nearly finishing with a mirror (1000) on the bevels. Used with water in particular, they do well.

The knife in the pic below was re-bevelled using a Lansky Deluxe kit, and finished with the 600 and 1000 Lansky hones (included in that kit). At the time, the only stropping I was doing was with green compound on leather, so I'm sure I used it with this blade. Steel is ATS-34:
 
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sandpaper with a mousepad or leather backing will give you excellent edges for the lowest cost and is quite forgiving to the inexperienced hand. Green compound works great off of a 1 or 2k edge, you can of course do a progression of compounds too and then bare leather to give you the finest edge.
 
Up until about a week ago when I got my belt sander(only about 60 bucks including belts, makes hair popping edges from edges that have chips in them in less than 5 minutes), I used a Smith Trihone. It has an Aluminum Oxide coarse stone(about 400 grit) for working out chips. Then Medium arkansas stone, along with fine one. The cool thing about arkansas stones is they don't dish like waterstones(well, not for many decades) and they polish. It's hard to describe, the bevel will be a hazy mirror polish from just the medium stone(hair popping here). Then I use some chromium oxide and black emery from amazon(like 4 bucks a bar). And strop for maybe 100 strokes total on each. I just rub them on a piece of cardboard. Remember not to use alot of pressure.

But if your willing look into a belt sander. And if you do get one, try the linen belts instead of leather for the final stages. The linen belts are basically the regular sanding belts without grit. They don't stretch out like leather does, and they are about 2 bucks each.

Really the key with any sharpening is to spend time and be consistent. And don't be afraid of using the low grits. If you think your finished with the coarse grit, and you feel your edge and it still feels kind of rounded, keep working on that for a few more minutes. There's not point in moving up in grits to refine the edge if you haven't fully apexed the edge.
 
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Surprised noone's mentioned it... but you can get a set of Sharpening Wheels and a grinder for well under $100, that'll put an edge on a knife that you're looking for.
 
+ 1 ^^
With a H F buffer (about $40) and a set of paper wheels from the big ol bear place for about $50, you are set to go for scary sharp knives.

Omar
 
namodio12 said:
@Sintro Where do you find the linen belts? Also, what kind of belt sander do you use?
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The only place I can find them is here http://www.woodworkingshop.com/product/sb26865/ Over at knifeforum there's some posts on the linen belt, in the keeping sharp section two of the top members there, ken schwartz and ytreich like the belts alot.

And I use a Harbor freight 1x30 belt sander. Do you have one yourself?
 
Firstly, using a guided system might not match your knives' factory bevel. You'll end up reprofiling them.
Second, since rebevel is unavoidable, cheapest is to learn freehand with sandpaper + strop made from cardboard, newspaper, etc with or without compound.

Using belt is similar to freehand, and it's faster, including mistake too.

So there's no good, fast and cheap way for you. You need to choose two out of three factor. I suggest choosing good & cheap, taking it slow with a life rewarding learning experience.

This knife is sharpened with cheap Daisho 320 and 400 grit stones (5$ each), followed with 1000 and 1500 grit sandpaper (1$) and stropped on cardboard (free) with MAAS compound (9$).
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Depends how you define a "straight razor's edge." I've been a bit amazed that folks here shave with a straight razor edge finished on a fine oil stone and a bit of stropping with compound. For me, a straight razor's edge conjures up an edge finished by a honemeister on Coticules and lots and lots of careful hanging strop stropping until the edge is basically like glass. And then there's everything in between...
 
namodio12 said:
Not yet, I've been looking at getting one here real soon.
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Don't believe all the bad stuff about them. Just use light pressure. My tips are actually sharper than when I was doing it by hand, like they are perfect. And it might have to do with me sharpening in a garage that's 20 degrees, but my edges never get warm. If you're wondering where to get the cheapest belts with a big variety just ask.
 
sintro said:
Don't believe all the bad stuff about them. Just use light pressure. My tips are actually sharper than when I was doing it by hand, like they are perfect. And it might have to do with me sharpening in a garage that's 20 degrees, but my edges never get warm. If you're wondering where to get the cheapest belts with a big variety just ask.
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Thanks, I've found some places that explained how to make your own belts. I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions along he way! lol
 
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