Who here still "eyeballs" the angle?

[BigE]

Am I one of few who don't use Sharpmakers or Lanskys, etc? I always eyeball the angle on my knives and get them shaving sharp. I've never even thought of trying something to assist me to get the right angle. I was taught at age 10 how to properly sharpen a knife on a stone. Now I'm nearly 44. I use DMT blue, then red diamond hones the most, sometimes Arkansas stones, sometimes croc sticks, all always followed up by stropping. Sound off on what you use normally to sharpen your most used-knife or EDC if you don't mind.

 

[440hard]

You mean there is another way besides eyeballing freehand?

My EDC's are BM 710D2, 907D2 & a 943 154CM

India-Black-Translucent Arkansas stones handle D2 well.
I like the small Fallkniven DC3/4 stones on the road.
For profiling an abused knife, I'll use a diamond first.

 

[siguy]

since i got my 1x30 belt sander i use that alot...

but i often sharpen with sandpaper over mousepad for in between major sharpenings.

sometimes, mostly for the scandis, i break out the old two sided silicon carbide stone.

i recently bought blue, red and green DMT credit card sharpeners, which have been working really well so far to keep up an edge on all sorts of knives and tools. i'd like to get some big DMT benchstones for doing scandis and other flat-bevel tools like chisels or plane blades.

my EDC is a large Case stockman with bonestag scales and CV blades.

 

[BigE]

You mean there is another way besides eyeballing freehand?

Thanks, I don't frequent this discussion area, but I was starting to think I might be the last of a dying breed with all of the sharpmaker talk going on everywhere.

I EDC a RAT Cutlery RC-3, and Kershaw Needs Work. Then Spyderco stainless handle Delica VG-10 and sometimes RC-4 for weekends.

 

[richard j]

when i first started out as a teenager sharpening i used sandpaper and a ceramic stick. in the early 80's i bought an ez sharp and used that until the early 90's when a local knifemaker showed me the paper wheels i now use. i'm putting a half convex grind on the chisel grind knives i make with a low speed belt sander and finishing off the edge with the paper buffing wheel. i can sharpen just about any type of edge including recurves in minutes and even sharpen serrations. i have a method for doing scandi grinds by hand that works very well for me. i can get any knife with good steel as sharp as the one in this video http://www.myculpeper.com/richardj/MLNA0018.AVI

 

[Blues]

I freehand for the most part but avail myself of a clamp system for re-beveling where I want to get the job done quickly and cleanly.

I use diamond and ceramic hones for most every application.

 

[Jason B.]

I got a smith's medium and fine arkansas stone set for my 10th b-day, my uncle showed me the basics on sharpening by hand and I have learned the rest through research and trial an error. I cheated last month and picked up a DMT magna guide, it produces real nice bevels and takes a lot of time out of sharpening, but still can't get a knife as sharp or have that mirror like finish as when I do it by hand.

I do most of my sharpening with spyderco ceramics followed by stropping on leather with diamond paste. I would list everything but a pic is worth a 1000 words only thing not pictured is a HF 1x30 and a variable speed mini-grinder with leather "V" power strop.

 

[mhawg]

At about age 10 I bought a Carborundum stone w/ 2 grits at the PX and a little later a Smith's Washita stone. I had some real sharp $2 folders. Freehand and Eyeballing the angle will get you farther than all of the gadgets will. I've got a few angle set rod type systems and if they are out I will touch-up a hard used blade if I'm in a hurry. If you can get by in the woods with a 3" medium stone you've got it made. I've been sharpening 'bush axes', 'swing blades', sickles, scythes, mower blades and splitting and felling axes with a bastard file since I was 13 years old. After a while you don't even have to think about it.

 

[jlfletcher83]

I used a sharpmaker for a long time and just recently did I teach myself to hand sharpen. I strop my EDC every day on a leather strop before I leave the house.

 

[orca8589]

A couple of years ago, I bought a Lansky, mainly for sharpening our kitchen knives. I was going to become a stay-at-home dad, and the budget reduction was going to mean cooking at home more. After using it a few times, I realized that all those years of my free-handing, eye-balling, amateurish effort had paid off - I could sharpen free-hand about as well as that Lansky could.

however, having the Lansky is nice when I need to "recover" an edge, either on a well-used knife, or a beat up old used knife from Goodwill. (Those old Chicagos clean up & sharpen up real nice on a Lansky.)

IMHO, a fine/coarse grit stone, then emery cloth on a mouse pad, that's really all you need. Maybe a strop, too, if you whittle like I do, and need a super-fine edge.

thx - cpr

 

[kelbro]

I started off free-handing and did it that way for 30 or more years. Got a Lansky about 10 yrs ago and thought, wow, this is quick, easy, and semi-mindless. With a 'system' I don't have to focus so much on the sharpening process. So yes, I do free-hand very well but the ease of using a system can sometimes be attractive. You know, that was about the same time that I bought my first truck that had an automatic transmission too Maybe I'm getting lazy

 

[Roger999]

diamond stones, coarse then fine, then 2000grit sandpaper, then 2500grit, then strop on CrO.

 

[jpvjr]

I freehand everything. I also tell folks get some crocksticks till they learn what they're doing.

 

[brino11]

I use the Smith's 3-in-1 Sharpening System. Still getting the hang of it but, I can get most of my knives shaving sharp and the angled ceramic rods make touch-ups nice and easy.

 

[general38]

Am I one of few who don't use Sharpmakers or Lanskys, etc? I always eyeball the angle on my knives and get them shaving sharp. I've never even thought of trying something to assist me to get the right angle. I was taught at age 10 how to properly sharpen a knife on a stone. Now I'm nearly 44. I use DMT blue, then red diamond hones the most, sometimes Arkansas stones, sometimes croc sticks, all always followed up by stropping. Sound off on what you use normally to sharpen your most used-knife or EDC if you don't mind.

I use exactly that combination and it works ok for me in most instances. The only time i have issues is when sharpening a large bowie where the relief angle is inconsistent. Getting the relief angle right on tougher steels over a large area can be challenging when doing it by hand. This is when in my opinion its best to use some sort of guide - Edge pro or wet wheel, and then go back to hand sharpening once the relief is created.

 

[rangerover_95]

I am a faithful hand sharpener, as you get the most freedom to choose your angle, and if anything its a more intimate time with the knife. Its a valuable skill to master and the best part is that you can sharpen your knife anywhere, anytime. I tend to use the DMT green ultra fine card for everyday touch-ups on the blade as I keep it in my wallet, followed by a ceramic hone if I'm at home (bottom of a coffee cup if I'm at work.) For the more serious fixin, like when I drop on of my balis on the ground,, I generally will use a medium grit diamond card, followed by an Arkansas stone, then to the aforementioned DMT ultra fine, and finish with the ceramic. Now sword sharpening, thats a whole new party.

 

[sm2]

How raised - what you do.-me

 

[Kaizen1]

I love freehand. And I think that for the most part, if a person knows how to freehand, he/she will be more likely to prefer it as well. One exception might be for time savings or constant sharpening.

 

[theonew]

I eyeball but also use sound and feel when freehand sharpening. Actually the feel, the feedback from the edge as it slides across the abrasive, is almost more important to me than how the angle looks as I hold the knife.

 

[BigE]

I eyeball but also use sound and feel when freehand sharpening. Actually the feel, the feedback from the edge as it slides across the abrasive, is almost more important to me than how the angle looks as I hold the knife.

Exactly theonew - along with constantly stopping to inspect the edge for results as I work.:thumbup: