What sharpening method?

T

TouchOfRed

Joined
Aug 6, 2013
Messages
390
Hi Guys !

Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

Well, ive been thinking about getting another sharpeningsystem other than My Spyderco Sharpmaker since it can Only do two different angles.
Ive been looking on Edge PRO Apex and Wicked Edge, but i have getting more and more interested in freehand sharpening, looks very relaxing.
How hard is it to freehand? Ive been looking on Jdavis on youtube, and it doesnt look that difficult to do, but i might be very wrong by saying that.

If i were to buy some Stones, what Stones should i start out with? Chinese waterstones?

Thanks for your help Guys
 
Keep in mind free-hand sharpening takes a lot of practice...sometimes it's really satisfying as well, but other times it's easily more frustrating than calculating fifth roots by hand. :eek: If you want to invest the time, I think it's a worthwhile skill to have. If you have the money for a wicked edge or edge pro I would buy one and practice free handing on the side, that way you can get really nice edges right off the bat, and when you want to practice free-handing you can fix any mistakes you make. :)
 
A norton india or crystolon bench stone will set you back $20 and serve you quite well. Pick up some strop compound and experiment on making different strops and using it on different surfaces, it doesn't have to be fancy or expensive. Right now my preference is to use flexcut gold on a sheet of paper wrapped tightly around my norton economy silicon carbide (crystolon) stone on the coarse side for when I want to strop a blade. You can also pick up a DMT Aligner Clamp and use that as a guide to help you sharpen your knives as it can be used with a bench stone, and it also helps in reprofiling blades. It's quite handy for fixing the blade on your practice knife after you screw up the bevel so you have a fresh start when you first start learning.

Remember to use a jeweler's loupe to closely inspect your edges if you really want to get into this as it will tell you more information as what is going on. And use a sharpie to mark up your edges so you know where your removing metal. And a dedicated practice knife isn't a bad idea so you don't screw up one of your nice knives, you can find kitchen paring knives quite cheap and they have a simple blade shape which should make life a bit easier when your learning how to sharpen.
 
I am a huge fan of Arkansas stones. They have amazing tactile feedback, they are easy to use and maintain, they don't wear away like water stones, they cut and polish at the same time, and they are fairly inexpensive and will last you a life time. Out of all of the styles of stone I have tried (India, Ceramic, Crystolon, Diamond, and Japanese Waterstone) I like Arkansas stones the best, by a pretty huge margin. They don't cut as fast as the aforementioned but you can get some beautifully polished edges with them.

The grit equivalents are as follows (these are only estimates)

Washita: 400-600
Soft Arkansas: 600-800
Hard Arkansas: 800-1000
True Hard Arkansas: 1,200 - 1,500
Black Arkansas: 6,000 - 8,000

However when you are using the stones you will notice that the Soft Arkansas stone is much smoother than any other 800 grit out there, it also creates a more polished and refined edge. So I wouldn't take those numbers to heart. When working with a really dull knife I'll go Soft > Hard > Black, if the edge is really damaged I may have to start with a diamond stone then go Washita > Soft > Hard > True > Black. However for 99% of my sharpening tasks I just bust out the black and the strop. With green compound you can get a nicely polished edge. A lot of the straight razor guys like Arkansas stones (especially the translucent and black stones) because they create a beautifully polished edge that makes shaving much more comfortable. If you are going to get an Arkansas stone though, check out Dan's Whetstone or Sharpening Supplies. I actually think Sharpening Supplies sources from Dan's Whetstone anyway (but thats only a guess, seeing how they offer pretty much the exact same products), but they have some really good prices and sales.

Just my two cents though!
 
 
Get an Edge-Pro. Perfect edges very quickly. You can also use the stones for freehand, then when you're done, clean up the edges with the EP.
 
9blades said:
Keep in mind free-hand sharpening takes a lot of practice...sometimes it's really satisfying as well, but other times it's easily more frustrating than calculating fifth roots by hand. :eek: If you want to invest the time, I think it's a worthwhile skill to have. If you have the money for a wicked edge or edge pro I would buy one and practice free handing on the side, that way you can get really nice edges right off the bat, and when you want to practice free-handing you can fix any mistakes you make. :)
Click to expand...

Thats a great advice really. Would you pick the WE or Edge Pro? Ive heard that alot of people thinks that Wicked Edge is way overpriced. But i cant say if it is.

Thanks bro !
 
Bob6794 said:
A norton india or crystolon bench stone will set you back $20 and serve you quite well. Pick up some strop compound and experiment on making different strops and using it on different surfaces, it doesn't have to be fancy or expensive. Right now my preference is to use flexcut gold on a sheet of paper wrapped tightly around my norton economy silicon carbide (crystolon) stone on the coarse side for when I want to strop a blade. You can also pick up a DMT Aligner Clamp and use that as a guide to help you sharpen your knives as it can be used with a bench stone, and it also helps in reprofiling blades. It's quite handy for fixing the blade on your practice knife after you screw up the bevel so you have a fresh start when you first start learning.

Remember to use a jeweler's loupe to closely inspect your edges if you really want to get into this as it will tell you more information as what is going on. And use a sharpie to mark up your edges so you know where your removing metal. And a dedicated practice knife isn't a bad idea so you don't screw up one of your nice knives, you can find kitchen paring knives quite cheap and they have a simple blade shape which should make life a bit easier when your learning how to sharpen.
Click to expand...

Thanks dude !
I think i may do as 9Blades said. So i can take the time to learn how to freehand. :)
Also i can use this skill to sharpen kitchen knives. :)
 
JCKT said:
I am a huge fan of Arkansas stones. They have amazing tactile feedback, they are easy to use and maintain, they don't wear away like water stones, they cut and polish at the same time, and they are fairly inexpensive and will last you a life time. Out of all of the styles of stone I have tried (India, Ceramic, Crystolon, Diamond, and Japanese Waterstone) I like Arkansas stones the best, by a pretty huge margin. They don't cut as fast as the aforementioned but you can get some beautifully polished edges with them.

The grit equivalents are as follows (these are only estimates)

Washita: 400-600
Soft Arkansas: 600-800
Hard Arkansas: 800-1000
True Hard Arkansas: 1,200 - 1,500
Black Arkansas: 6,000 - 8,000

However when you are using the stones you will notice that the Soft Arkansas stone is much smoother than any other 800 grit out there, it also creates a more polished and refined edge. So I wouldn't take those numbers to heart. When working with a really dull knife I'll go Soft > Hard > Black, if the edge is really damaged I may have to start with a diamond stone then go Washita > Soft > Hard > True > Black. However for 99% of my sharpening tasks I just bust out the black and the strop. With green compound you can get a nicely polished edge. A lot of the straight razor guys like Arkansas stones (especially the translucent and black stones) because they create a beautifully polished edge that makes shaving much more comfortable. If you are going to get an Arkansas stone though, check out Dan's Whetstone or Sharpening Supplies. I actually think Sharpening Supplies sources from Dan's Whetstone anyway (but thats only a guess, seeing how they offer pretty much the exact same products), but they have some really good prices and sales.

Just my two cents though!
Click to expand...

That sounds great, i'll defintley will take a look at the Arkansas stones. Thanks for the tip !

I live in Sweden though, and the knife interest isnt that big here so i'll think wont be able to buy these stones over here.
So i hope the ship internationally. :)
thanks !
 
 
Ben Dover said:
Get an Edge-Pro. Perfect edges very quickly. You can also use the stones for freehand, then when you're done, clean up the edges with the EP.
Click to expand...

How are the quality on the stones in Edge Pro? How often do i have to buy new stones, depends on how much i sharpen my knives ofc.
Ive seen that after much(?) use, or i guess it had much use on the stone since the stone was concave in the middle, so the angle got all messed up?
Also ive seen stones that were uneven, thicker in the other end, also so the angle got messed up.

Edge Pro Apex 4 here in Sweden, or where i order from, Finland. It cost 350$. Is it still worth it? Thanks
 
If you have a good interest in freehand sharpening, I'd go with that over a jig. I have a lot of respect for those that are capable of putting on nice and refined freehand edges. Plus, you're able to take a stone with and you sharpen wherever you are. I use a jig just because I'm OCD and like ease of repeatability, and no jig is perfect as there are tricks and workarounds you have to do with each one to make them work to their full potential.
 
TouchOfRed said:
How are the quality on the stones in Edge Pro? How often do i have to buy new stones, depends on how much i sharpen my knives ofc.
Ive seen that after much(?) use, or i guess it had much use on the stone since the stone was concave in the middle, so the angle got all messed up?
Also ive seen stones that were uneven, thicker in the other end, also so the angle got messed up.

Edge Pro Apex 4 here in Sweden, or where i order from, Finland. It cost 350$. Is it still worth it? Thanks
Click to expand...

Here is a Dealer in Sweden.

VESTRO GOTHIA ENTERPRISES Stomvagen 4 514 43 Langhem Sweden

Daniel Persson
Phone: +46 (0) 325-400 66
daniel@vestrojakt.se

www.vestrojakt.se
 
Or you might contact EKA, the knife manufacturer from Sweden. They might give you tips on where to get stones.

Alternately, get Heavy Handed Washboard. It has great learning feedback (sound, pressure, etc.) and you can replace the sandpaper with any Wet/Dry bought locally.
 
Or you might contact EKA, the knife manufacturer from Sweden. They might give you tips on where to get stones.

Alternately, get Heavy Handed Washboard. It has great learning feedback (sound, pressure, etc.) and you can replace the sandpaper with any Wet/Dry bought locally. It also will never dish (concave).
 
Recently got into hand sharpening myself. Have 350grit diamond, 750grit diamond, and a hard Arkansas stone. For me it's very relaxing and rewarding sharpening by hand and am able to get a sharper edge than I ever could with a worksharp. Looking to get an 8000 grit stone soon for final polish.
 
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