Where do I start with sharpening?

J

johnnyKnives

Joined
Sep 21, 2008
Messages
144
How do I get started with sharpening? What do I buy first? Are the walmart sharpening stones on the cheap bad? Thanks.
 
I would start with a Spyderco Sharpmaker. I do believe they still come with a CD showing Sal using it and teaching you how to use it.
 
+ 1 on the sharpmaker, it is very easy to learn with the supplied instructions and can be converted to a Benchstone by placing the rods in slots on the bottom. It is a bit pricy though.
 
If you are wanting to learn freehand on stones, I would (and did) start with a book. I used "The Razor Edge Book of Sharpening", and learned a lot. I'm sure there is nothing wrong with the sharpmaker, and intend to try one one day. Just another way to skin the metaphorical cat.
 
The Sharpmaker is a thing every one should have, even people who dont have an interest in knives :D

Dont bother with cheep stones or a make do just now set up.
Just spend the money on a good set up like the Sharpmaker and then your set for a long time to come. :thumbup:
 
Sharpmaker , just dont get creative with the instructions .

If you want to learn freehand with a flat stone , get a decent bit not too pricey paring knife ( Victorinox or Henkels ) and practice . A sharpie marker is good , it shows you what area you are actually working .

Chris
 
I really enjoy using my Spyderco SharpMaker. It's very easy to use and it breaks down simply into a small package for ease of storage. The medium and fine rods that come with it are great, I went even further and got the diamond and UF rods for it as well. Mr. Glesser did an excellent job of designing and manufacturing an effective and low-cost system. :thumbup:
 
My opinion if you want to learn to sharpen knives you need to learn to freehand sharpen either with bench stones or the sandpaper method .Once you have free hand down then you can move on to more advanced techniques with beltsanders and or paper wheeels. Sharpmaker is good for maintaining an edge, its quick and easy to use but does not teach you how to sharpen knives.Just my opinion.
 
The Sharpmaker is a great tool for making knives scary sharp. And it's easy to use even for an amateur like my self.
 
Chiller2 said:
My opinion if you want to learn to sharpen knives you need to learn to freehand sharpen either with bench stones or the sandpaper method .Once you have free hand down then you can move on to more advanced techniques with beltsanders and or paper wheeels. Sharpmaker is good for maintaining an edge, its quick and easy to use but does not teach you how to sharpen knives.Just my opinion.
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Novice here, I don't understand. Isn't the Sharpmaker really sharpening a knife? I know what you mean by maintaining but if I took S30V, dull, would the Sharpmaker sharpen it?

(I only read that S30V is hard to sharpen. I really have no idea.)

Thanks.
 
richard j said:
+1 on the wheels. here is what the wheels can do once you learn how to use them. and it can only take a few minutes compared to a longer time with other methods. i have done over 30 knives in just over a half hour before. http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=43364157
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Thanks that is amazing, but can a absolute new person to knives use this effectively? I have a 1/2 hp grinder but I don't want to ruin my knives. Am I cheating myself by not doing it "the old fashioned way"?
 
a member just sent me a pm saying he just bought a set and is using them, he said they work very well. just as long as you follow the instructions that come with the wheels you will be ok and you wont ruin your knives. it takes some time to learn how to use them. some people learn quick, some it takes a little longer. i suggest for anyone to either use a cheap kitchen knife to practice on or an old hacksaw blade which is what i practiced on. once i could go all around the curved end from one side to the other then i was ready to try a knife. i offer to call anyone who buys a set and answer any questions or help them with any problems. if you want a set of 10" wheels you can get a discount when ordering direct. if you want an 8" set of the wheels you can order them from grizzly imports. there are cheaper immitations but thats exactly what they are. i have been using them for about 17 years with no problems.
 
johnnyKnives said:
Novice here, I don't understand. Isn't the Sharpmaker really sharpening a knife? I know what you mean by maintaining but if I took S30V, dull, would the Sharpmaker sharpen it?

(I only read that S30V is hard to sharpen. I really have no idea.)

Thanks.
Click to expand...

For a dull S30V knife, I'd invest in the Sharpmaker diamond hones in addition to the 4 hones that are included in the kit.

It can take a good long time to sharpen a dull knife only using alumina hones; the Sharpmaker's or otherwise.
 
Spyderco sharpmaker and an old belt. I am able to restore a hair popping edge on my Ritter Grip with both. It also helps to have knifemakers nearby ;).
 
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