Which sharpening system/set-up????

BostonBull said:
Which stones would you recommend, and which grit? It seems 3 stones are needed generally.
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I use two stones for 95% of my sharpening. DMT Dia-Sharp 6X2in. in coarse and fine. I glued them on a peice of wood cut to fit the stone to make a cheap small bench stone. $19.99 for each at Smokey Mtn Knifeworks. Right now they're shipping for free too. I really take pride that my knives are super sharp. They might not be able to whittle hair but they have a good working edge so I really don't think you need to spend hundreds on stones or sharpening devices. Give hand sharpening a try. You learned the art of sharpening a chain saw, no different with knives I think.

http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?A=&range=21&Brand=36&Mode=Brand&SKU=D6C

http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?A=&range=21&Brand=36&Mode=Brand&SKU=D6F
 
Now this was the best thread I've read in a couple days !

armilite,
 
I use a clamp system for reprofiling and a Sharpmpaker for sharpening and touching up. For the clamp system I use a Lansky clamp with DMT diamond hones.
 
I imagine if you were considering the Edge Pro you probably read my thread on my initial experiences. If not I've been very happy with it so far. One option I'll toss out there- consider buying the cheapest set. I've seen it online for $125 with just the 220 & 320 stones. You can add stones as you need them or can afford them. To be honest, I've gotten some wicked edges using only the 320, and few knives need anything coarser than the 220. Plus, you could always attach some polishing tape or other abrasive to the blank they provide.

That said, I plan to buy a Sharpmaker to try out, too. I agree freehand is great if you're good at it, and a good skill to learn. I can freehand but not as quickly as I can sharpen with the Edge Pro. And I think I'm getting sharper edges with the Apex, too.

A last thing to consider- be on the lookout here and at Knifeforums for used ones for sale. It seems lot of guy & gals are so impressed by the Apex that they immediately order the Pro. I myself would buy the Pro next week if tuition wasn't due on the 9th of Jan.:jerkit::D
 
Hello All
Just thought I would interject an opinion. I have a Sharpmaker and it is the second best system that I know of, the first being a set of DMT course and fine diamond stones followed by a Spyderco fine bench stone. The sharpmaker is limited only in its ability to remove metal quickly (and some would argue it's ability to easily convex an edge,..... anything is possible). I think the bench stones are the superior method because I can control the amount of polish on the micro serrations from very course to very fine polish.

I find this ability allows me to tailor the edge to the knife, such as a slicing kitchen knife, I would leave course and toothy, a small folder or chopping blade I would finish with a semi-polished to very polished edge as best suited to the task. Hope this helps.

Shane;)
 
Lansky's good, but freehand all the way. Ive gotten my best results from the cheapest method: sandpaper on mousepad, and a strop. If you dont have a strop you can just load the green compound onto a piece of paper and put that on the mousepad.

I even got my axe sharp enough to shave the the very light hair on the back of my hand, while maintaining its convexed curve.
 
I like the look of the GATCO, and the Lansky......tell me more.

How does the Sharpmaker work? is it similiar to the Lansky, GATCO, and EdgoPro? I couldnt find a demo on the Spyderco site.
 
Thanks for the link!

It seems as though the Sharpmaker is still freehanding, right? The GATCO and Lansky seem a little more idiot proof for now........or am I wrong?
 
In a sense, yes, the Sharpmaker is freehanding, but the difficult part of freehanding is keeping a consistent angle (at least for me). The SM takes the difficulty out of this because all you have to do is maintain a vertical angle on the blade... the sharpening angle is built into the tool. Trust me, I can't freehand, and I'm even having a hell of a time getting convex sharpening right, but I can get knives scary sharp on the Sharpmaker.

If you want to kind of practice this, just hold a pen or something at an angle, and try running the spine of your knife down it while keeping the blade vertical. It's very easy to keep the blade oriented like that

Another advantage of the Sharpmaker over the Lansky/Gatco type is that it's much faster to set up. Just open it, pop in the stones, and go. There's also no clamp to scratch your blade up, if that concerns you. The only beef I have with it at all is that it doesn't remove material quickly... which is why I have the Edge Pro.
 
DMT hones are an excelent choice. I have a set of 3 and I love them. They can be used dry or with water, but not oil. This makes clean-up super easy. The only thing even close to a complaint that I have is that the tip of the knife sometimes sticks in the holes of the stone, but this is easily overcome as you get used to using them. Freehand sharpening is not that difficult to master, once you learn the theory and basics behind it. I sharpen all of my knives freehand, but I did use a Lansky for several years. I switched back because freehand is easier and faster for me. Also, I found that I couldn't sharpen freehand as well, as I had gotten too used to the Lansky. For me, it was largely a matter of principal, and not wanting to forget an almost forgotten skill. If you need any help, or advice, feel ree to E-mail me : smitty0331@msn.com
 
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