Who make a good sharpening stone?

TCW

Joined
Nov 16, 2001
Messages
29
If you needed a good portable stone (not a Sharpmaker system) which would you get? On a budget.

Thanks!
TCW:)
 
TCW.......Personally, I would geta DMT folding diamond sharpener. They fold up like a butterfly knife, and fit quite easily in a pocket.

IMO, I'd go with a red one (Fine grit...they're color-coded), as it puts on an aggressive, toothy edge.

When I buy my next one, I'm going to get a double-sided one - Fine on one side, and extra fine (Green colored) on the other.
 
I've heard good things about Dan's Whetstone which can be found at

http:danswhetstone.com

Dan seems to have a better selection of natural Arkansas stones than any other place I've found.

I'm about to order a 8" hard Arkansas (extra fine) from him, I'm just trying to decide if I go hard black or translucent, and whether to get the 1/2" thick or the 1" thick model.

As to DMT, I've also looked at and like the DMT Duo Stone. An 8" model can be had with coarse (360 grit) on one side and fine (600 grit) on the other side for around $100.00. DMT uses mono-crystaline diamonds which are suposed to past longer than most of the other diamond sharpeners on the market. For smaller and less expensive, the Duo Fold, the double sided one Kwaiken mentioned, is available at less than $40.00. I'd get one in coarse/fine as 360/ 600 grit is way more useful than the 600/ 1200 grit model he posted about. A 1200 grit stone is for a much finer polished edge than most folks need for everyway use. It's much more useful to have a 360 grit (not really coarse in my opinion, more like medium) to smooth out or mildly re-profile an edge and then finish it off with 600 grit. If you aren't pretty good at freehand sharpening already, a 1200 grit stone is almost useless.

I also can't recommend the Spyderco Sharpmaker 204 enough. While I've been freehand sharpening for a couple decades now and was taught by a decent knifemaker, I use the 204 for most of my daily maintainance these days. I'm looking for the new extra fine stone to go that last step after the 204.

Remember, these are only my opinions.

jmx
 
If you want to teach yourself to freehand sharpen, buy a Lansky system and throw away the clamp. Their stones are narrow and have good grips on them for holding by hand. Then just take your blade, hold your index finger along the edge of the blade, if your edge isn't totally gone you'll "feel" the proper angle and just go from there. It won't be long before you start to get the hang of it. Get the full Lansky system, if I remember right it costs about $45.
 
For $1.99 this can't be beat. Shipping will get you though. (Add a knife to the order so you won't feel so bad about the shipping). I gave $10 for mine several years back, and I feel it was a deal then.

Lansky Triangle @ SMKW
 
I have a Lansky system and for %90 of my sharpening I could get by with using just the 600 grit ceramic freehand. Wish I would have known better and just bought that single stone for ~$7.00.
 
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