What's your sharpening set up?

C

ChrisTopherloaf

Joined
May 16, 2012
Messages
43
Here's mine, a 1990s Smiths Tri Hone with some Lansky (or what ever I have) oil. Then for quickie jobs I use a Smiths hand sharpener. Most of the time I just use an Arkansas stone or another whetstone for small jobs or when I'm camping.

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Belt sanders, paper wheels, various stones, guided systems, strops and wet/dry paper.
 
I have just about every sharpening device known to man. They all work. Some better for certain things than others. I am 50. If i had to do over, time is money. I like fast & efficient. Get you a HF 4"x36"/6" disc belt sander & a 1"x30" belt sander. These 2 items along with some good Diablo Belts from HD. They will save you hours & hours vs doing it all by hand. I get the burr, then finish with a swipe on each side of my Dexter-Russell 14" Butchers steel. Practice with cheap blades first. Machetes on sale are good practice. I can sharpen 3 super dull CS Machetes in under 10 min & have them shaving paper & hair. Yes, you CAN use machines without destroying the edge or the knife, a gentle touch is needed. Once i have thinned the edge to where i want it, i have never had to take any of my blades to the sander again, one swipe on each side with the Butchers steel keeps them where i want them. Easy peasy.

Just thinned the edge today on my Old Hickory Cleaver & put a choil/finger loop on back side of blade (with my Dremel) so my finger don't slip/slide into blade, all in about 10-15 min tops. That included getting tools out & putting them away & getting water to keep it cool. Right tool for the job = quick, easy with good results. :D
 
TwinStick said:
I have just about every sharpening device known to man. They all work. Some better for certain things than others. I am 50. If i had to do over, time is money. I like fast & efficient. Get you a HF 4"x36"/6" disc belt sander & a 1"x30" belt sander. These 2 items along with some good Diablo Belts from HD. They will save you hours & hours vs doing it all by hand. I get the burr, then finish with a swipe on each side of my Dexter-Russell 14" Butchers steel. Practice with cheap blades first. Machetes on sale are good practice. I can sharpen 3 super dull CS Machetes in under 10 min & have them shaving paper & hair. Yes, you CAN use machines without destroying the edge or the knife, a gentle touch is needed. Once i have thinned the edge to where i want it, i have never had to take any of my blades to the sander again, one swipe on each side with the Butchers steel keeps them where i want them. Easy peasy.

Just thinned the edge today on my Old Hickory Cleaver & put a choil/finger loop on back side of blade (with my Dremel) so my finger don't slip/slide into blade, all in about 10-15 min tops. That included getting tools out & putting them away & getting water to keep it cool. Right tool for the job = quick, easy with good results. :D
Click to expand...

It can't be that easy, can it? ;)
For machetes, I have no doubt that motorized sharpening is the best.
 
I keep my water stones (chosera and Sigma, currently) in a drawer in the kitchen and sharpen over the sink. I use the Edge Pro from time to time, but it's been a while since I used my sharpmaker. I also have a couple of strops.
 
I've got a lot of stuff. I might set it up for a "family photo" to post, that sounds interesting. Nice tri-hone, by the way. Looks well-used!
 
I've had and tried a bunch of stuff over the years, but this is my current setup.

Freehand:

-Norton 8x3 Crystolon x 2 (coarse, fine)
-Norton 8x3 India x 3 (coarse, med., fine)
-Strop made from piece of 8-9oz veg. tanned leather with Matchless white compound
-Another piece of same leather with various grits of wet/dry paper for convexing

Guided:

-KME system with regular stone set + DMT 4" diamond plates in coarse and fine, and JewelStik made for system for recurves, etc.
-Lansky turnbox x2 (one two-rod diamond, one 4 rod ceramic)

Other:

-Harbor Freight 1x30 belt sander/grinder with various belts (mainly used for putting convex edges on machetes these days).
-Super Stick (I think that's the name) 1" diameter ceramic "steel" (a gigantic crock stick with a huge wooden handle on one end)
 
I have been using the KME system over the past year or so with great success. I have the diamond stone sset with the KME jewel stick for the reccurves on my ZT's. After working up a burr with the coarse stone then working the fine and extra fine I have an incredible edge. Then I strop black, green, white and my blades will fall through phonebook paper with their own weight. Quick and very effective system.

Drew
 
Here's my current set-up:

Hardwood base.
Oil bottle from Romy AK - mineral oil with hint of juniper.
Eraser for cleaning sandpaper.
Silicon carbide and AlumOx compounds for finer edges.
Washboard.
Several sheets of 320 and 600 grit sandpaper, and few sheets of copy paper rolled up inside, for final stropping on the board.
240 Grit SiC Norton Jointerstone (thing is great for heavier stock removal and working edges).
500 grit SiC Tyrolit Jointerstone (refines closer to 800 grit).

I use the sandpaper for convenience and quick touchups beyond what can be done on the board with compound - also handy for taking with me outside the home because it weighs nothing. I use the Jointerstones for when I want to grind with oil and mud, and backhone on a hard stone with a little more precision than the sandpaper allows - works just like a JWS. I do everything from paring knives right up to machetes with either set-up.

Not pictured, I also use a single cut mill file with oversize dowel for a handle when doing bigger repairs on softer steels - machetes, ditch knives, mattocks, root axes...

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Wicked Edge system. It's the only thing that consistently puts a killer edge on for me. I have no sharpening talent whatsoever and this just seems to be a perfect fit for me. Maybe someday i'll work on freehand sharpening but for now its all WE for me.
 
Y'all have some great gear! I would probably go to a wheel eventually. Not sure when though. At 31 I still enjoy the time it takes doing it on stones, peace and quiet in my home. Then there's also the reason I have the hand sharpener...I'm lazy sometimes.
 
Cheap $5 coarse/fine stone from ace hardware, ceramic coffee mug, leather belt but no stropping compound (I don't know where to buy it), knife steel from my wife's kitchen knife set.
It works, but I really need a real system. I'd love an edge pro apex, or even a lansky system.
 
Norton IB8 stone
Spyderco Ceramic, fine
leather strop with some buffing compound
steel (for touching up kitchen knives)

The fine side of the Norton stone sees the most use.

Ric
 
Edge Pro, "Professional." Barber strop, and Horsehide strops. CBN and Diamond compound from Chef Knives To Go.
 
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