Which is BETTER for slippies?

Knife Crazied

Knife Crazied

Joined
Apr 17, 2009
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I've been wondering this because one person will say this and the other will say that.

So my question is which is better for sharpening slippies.

A Spyderco Sharpmaker or tradional stones with oil.

I've only seen stones used but hey I'm from WV so what do you all use?
 
I find the Sharpmaker good for maintaining an edge/touch-ups but not much cop for major resharpening at all. Maybe I'm incompetent...
 
I use a Sharpmaker to touch up the edges on all my edc and kitchen knives. For serious sharpening (re-profiling a bevel etc) I give mine to a pro to do. I am simply not skilled enough to do it properly.
 
If I just want a sharp knife: Sharpmaker.
If I want some recreation: Traditional water stone .
It’s quite relaxing to concentrate on nothing else but a
blade and its angle for a while.
 
Stones.

I'm a biased old fart, I admit that, but I don't like sharpening gizmos of any kind. I see them as an answer in search of a question. I may even see them as a snake oil solution to the problem of getting your money out of your pocket and into the manufacturer's pocket.

I think a very great deal of the problem is that, a lot of people never had someone sit down with them and show them exactly how easy it is to sharpen a knife. There's no rocket science here, just a blade and an abrasive surface. That surface can be a stone, diamond hone, brick, coffee cup, or whatever. Exact angle does not even matter, as the material being cut won't know if its 22 degrees or 26 degrees, while it's sopossed to be 25 degrees.

For the past 20 years or so, I've used diamond hones by Eze-lap and DMT. Both have worked well, and I can't tell a difference in effectiveness. Once the knife shaves hair smoothly, it's a moot point. Most of the time I only use the Eze-lap model L that I cut most of the handle off and keep in the zipper compartment of my wallet. I strop on the back of my belt.

Any good flat surface will do. Too many people over complicate and over think the sharpening thing. All you need is a flat diamond hone or stone, a dry erase marker, and a knife that needs sharpening. Never use oil. It makes a mess, and is not needed.

I'll tell ya what; If anyone here that's anywhere in the Washinton D.C./Baltimore/Martinsberg W.Va. area has a video camera, I'm willing to make a video for the traditional forum on how to sharpen your knife anywhere, anytime, with just one or two items you have on you. Just for my traditonal forum buds. I'll even cover coffee cups for ya.
 
I do not have a Sharpmaker

I use the DMT Aligner jig from E Course to E Fine
It rebevels D2 with ease
I use it all the time on new Queen D2 knives

I use a folding E Fine DMT for all the touch ups for SS and Carbon.

As a kid, I learnt on Carbarundom stones and then purchased some small Arkansa oil stones.
I used them for years, but I hardly ever use them for preference to the diamonds
 
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I started with stones to sharpen with in the 60's, bought fancy sharpening system's in the 90's But stones were always in the mix and in the last 10 years I've come full circle back to stones with Mineral Oil.
After a while you'll find that you'll collect Stones like you do Knives. :D
 
I use traditional stones for getting the edge and the Sharpmaker for refining and polishing that edge.

I have 8 inch oil stones (washita, soft Ark, hard Ark, black Ark) that I bought from Woodcraft almost 20 years ago and a Case soft Ark stone that I carry around with me at work in my car.

I also keep cardboard and some polishing compound handy for stropping. I turn the cardboard up and use the edge to strop instead of stropping on the flat. Seems to work for me.
 
I think the answer to your question is what sharpening method are YOU most proficient at?
 
I've tried several gadgets, but always go back to flat stones.
Really, though, it boils down to what you're most comfortable with (as some have already said).
 
jackknife said:
Stones.

I'm a biased old fart, I admit that, but I don't like sharpening gizmos of any kind. I see them as an answer in search of a question. I may even see them as a snake oil solution to the problem of getting your money out of your pocket and into the manufacturer's pocket.

I think a very great deal of the problem is that, a lot of people never had someone sit down with them and show them exactly how easy it is to sharpen a knife. There's no rocket science here, just a blade and an abrasive surface. That surface can be a stone, diamond hone, brick, coffee cup, or whatever. Exact angle does not even matter, as the material being cut won't know if its 22 degrees or 26 degrees, while it's sopossed to be 25 degrees.

For the past 20 years or so, I've used diamond hones by Eze-lap and DMT. Both have worked well, and I can't tell a difference in effectiveness. Once the knife shaves hair smoothly, it's a moot point. Most of the time I only use the Eze-lap model L that I cut most of the handle off and keep in the zipper compartment of my wallet. I strop on the back of my belt.

Any good flat surface will do. Too many people over complicate and over think the sharpening thing. All you need is a flat diamond hone or stone, a dry erase marker, and a knife that needs sharpening. Never use oil. It makes a mess, and is not needed.

I'll tell ya what; If anyone here that's anywhere in the Washinton D.C./Baltimore/Martinsberg W.Va. area has a video camera, I'm willing to make a video for the traditional forum on how to sharpen your knife anywhere, anytime, with just one or two items you have on you. Just for my traditonal forum buds. I'll even cover coffee cups for ya.
Click to expand...


Don't forget boot tops, the top of your car window, and the back of your hand!! Or am I pushing it a little here? LOL.
 
I prefer bench stones, but the type of stone I like depends on the steel. For traditional knives in steels like 1095 or even 440C, I like the old fashioned India, Lilly white Washita, Hard Arkansas stone combinations. I may even get out a Norton translucent stone on occasion.
I like the Spyderco bench stones for harder, more wear resistant steels, like D2 or VG10. I have the full set - medium, fine, ultra fine.
When I am in need of significant work on an edge, I start at a 1X30" belt sander with a fine belt. I finish the edges on a stop with 1200 grit valve grinding compound on one side, and a fine Norton diamond paste on the other.
 
Doesn't matter, sharp is sharp. I use sandpaper to sharpen most of my knives.
 
jackknife said:
Stones.

I'm a biased old fart, I admit that, but I don't like sharpening gizmos of any kind. I see them as an answer in search of a question. I may even see them as a snake oil solution to the problem of getting your money out of your pocket and into the manufacturer's pocket.

I think a very great deal of the problem is that, a lot of people never had someone sit down with them and show them exactly how easy it is to sharpen a knife. There's no rocket science here, just a blade and an abrasive surface. That surface can be a stone, diamond hone, brick, coffee cup, or whatever. Exact angle does not even matter, as the material being cut won't know if its 22 degrees or 26 degrees, while it's sopossed to be 25 degrees.

For the past 20 years or so, I've used diamond hones by Eze-lap and DMT. Both have worked well, and I can't tell a difference in effectiveness. Once the knife shaves hair smoothly, it's a moot point. Most of the time I only use the Eze-lap model L that I cut most of the handle off and keep in the zipper compartment of my wallet. I strop on the back of my belt.

Any good flat surface will do. Too many people over complicate and over think the sharpening thing. All you need is a flat diamond hone or stone, a dry erase marker, and a knife that needs sharpening. Never use oil. It makes a mess, and is not needed.

I'll tell ya what; If anyone here that's anywhere in the Washinton D.C./Baltimore/Martinsberg W.Va. area has a video camera, I'm willing to make a video for the traditional forum on how to sharpen your knife anywhere, anytime, with just one or two items you have on you. Just for my traditonal forum buds. I'll even cover coffee cups for ya.
Click to expand...

I would love to see a video you made of how to sharpen best. I'm from WV so everyone here uses stones. That is the only thing I knew till I started getting into forums. I myself think stones are better but I have people telling me Sharpmaker is better. So I think I'll stick with the old stones.

BTW jackknife if you ever make it into the bottom of the northern panhandle of WV look me up. I would love to learn the ends and outs from a guy who knows traditional and how to use a stone.
 
I prefer two-sided Arkansas stones (medium and fine). I was using a medium-grit pocket stone exclusively for the past few months and it did the trick, but I find it easier to use a larger-sized stone. I do use honing oil.

Not a fan of diamonds. Maybe because mine is a tiny pocket-sized thing that is hard to grip, but generally, they feel too aggressive.
 
jackknife said:
Stones.

I'm a biased old fart, I admit that, but I don't like sharpening gizmos of any kind. I see them as an answer in search of a question. I may even see them as a snake oil solution to the problem of getting your money out of your pocket and into the manufacturer's pocket.

I think a very great deal of the problem is that, a lot of people never had someone sit down with them and show them exactly how easy it is to sharpen a knife. There's no rocket science here, just a blade and an abrasive surface. That surface can be a stone, diamond hone, brick, coffee cup, or whatever. Exact angle does not even matter, as the material being cut won't know if its 22 degrees or 26 degrees, while it's sopossed to be 25 degrees.

For the past 20 years or so, I've used diamond hones by Eze-lap and DMT. Both have worked well, and I can't tell a difference in effectiveness. Once the knife shaves hair smoothly, it's a moot point. Most of the time I only use the Eze-lap model L that I cut most of the handle off and keep in the zipper compartment of my wallet. I strop on the back of my belt.

Any good flat surface will do. Too many people over complicate and over think the sharpening thing. All you need is a flat diamond hone or stone, a dry erase marker, and a knife that needs sharpening. Never use oil. It makes a mess, and is not needed.

I'll tell ya what; If anyone here that's anywhere in the Washinton D.C./Baltimore/Martinsberg W.Va. area has a video camera, I'm willing to make a video for the traditional forum on how to sharpen your knife anywhere, anytime, with just one or two items you have on you. Just for my traditonal forum buds. I'll even cover coffee cups for ya.
Click to expand...

My parents live in Hollywood, MD, so when I go visit them this summer I'll remember that and see about coming so you can make a video. That would be interesting.
 
If I'm in a hurry, I use a Sharpmaker. If I have time on my hands, I use a stone.
 
The cool thing about a sharpmaker is that you can also use it as a flat stone (grooves on the bottom of the plastic case)
 
Stones and strops... that's the way my father sharpened his knife and his father and his father... His father probably used just a stone... but you get the picture. Nothing wrong with lansky crocksticks or sharpmaker. I just like to sharpen with stones and such. If I am hurry to have good user edge, lansky's sticks are very nice for touch up.
 
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