Knife Sharpening

[M.Link]

Yep, the chain store, in the malls. Your experiance dosnt suprise me. I guess this is one upside to Gerber and Benchmade, they sharpen for free for life.

 

[Texfisher33]

Yep, the chain store, in the malls. Your experiance dosnt suprise me. I guess this is one upside to Gerber and Benchmade, they sharpen for free for life.

And Kershaw!

 

[M.Link]

I've had a few Kershaws, but never dealt with the company. Their designs never really caught my eye. I like simple and tough knives. Seems like Kershaw is more into "fashion" knives. Not saying that they are not good, just that I don't like their designs. This Veff guy is pretty close, I'm gunna give him a call this week.

 

[M.Link]

So I got prices fron Veff -

Spyderco Endura 4, full serrations - $10

Gerber Mk II, double edged, partial serrations - $20

Ontario 18" Saw-Backed Machete - $1 per inch

I didn't think they were too bad of price, he said he'd do the Spyderco while I waited so I wasn't without my EDC knife too. Probably gunna go for a drive on Friday.

 

[gunfreak]

The Original Edgemaker

I have all kershaw for carry knives and send them back on an annual basis but ten years ago I bought an edgemaker at the sportsmans show and it works great. The 4 step set was only $20 . The guy demostrated it by filleting a sheet of computer paper w/ a bowie knife. He said the set will outlast me and it has worn and treated me well.

 

[Bill Siegle]

Get a Spyderco Sharpmaker and watch the video that tells you how to use it. I have been using mine for almost 10years now and sharpen everything from scalpels to machetes on it. You can even sharpen serrations on it.

 

[Kimber Custom]

get a paper wheel set & a bench grinder.

+1

I got a paper wheel last Christmas and love it

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

Does every person who sharpen knives, they keep the factory edge angle or make their own angle?

 

[olyshoots]

I make my own depending upon usage. That may be different than the factory.

 

[herman76]

Hey take the gerber to the plant in tigard they charge 3 bucks and ask about sharp the others,they do a great job!

 

[oregonshooter]

I think the biggest point I'm seeing that is MISSED in this thread is... LEARN to do it yourself! It's a critical skill everyone should know. I can sharpen a knife to hair popping levels with good gear (APEX) or very good cutting levels with a stone & oil, or emergent levels that will get the job done with a rock and spit.

Knowledge is much more important and skill is the ability to use that knowledge... GET SOME!

 

[olydemon]

I use the Spyderco Sharp Maker and it does an ok job, but you do have to watch that your drawing the blade straight and not tipping it. After watching the demo video on that Apex Im going to have to order one... Looks like it does a great job.

To anyone who has used this, are the 220 and 320 stones enough for a good edge, or would having the set 120, 220, 320, 600, 1000 be better, especially if you have some old kitchen knives that need to be brought back to life (the sharpmaker didnt do well with them)

 

[Natty Bumpo]

Sharpening free hand and without jigs or gizmos is a skill that every man should have. And there is more to sharpening than just knives.

In order to understand sharpening you have to get beyond jigs, and you definitely have to get beyond the three minute YouTube presentations. You have to sit down for a few evenings and crack a book written by someone that knows what they are talking about and who is not trying to sell you his gizmo. You need to understand what steel is all about and what an edge is all about and what various tools require in terms of an appropriate edge and exactly what it takes to create that edge. Its not that hard to learn. It really isn't.

Here's a good book (there are probably others): Amazon.com: The Complete Guide to Sharpening (9781561581252): Leonard Lee: Books

I use a 1x30 belt sander for much of my sharpening, particularly for utility grade tools (kitchen knives, axes, drawknives, ordinary pocket knives, spades). I use it freehand. It is exceptionally fast, but freehand requires a bit of a learning curve. I don't need to spend ten minutes sharpening a machete. Thirty seconds is enough for what that tool needs. A wheel setup (jigged or not) also works fast. I use grinding wheels for mostly quick stock removal and reshaping edges, for woodturning tools and for very crude work, like lawn mower blades, where a polished edge is not needed. Slow speed water wheels can create a nice edge on some tools, but they are slow.

For tools requiring an exceptionally fine, honed and polished edge, such as chisels, plane irons, jointer knives, I use waterstones or silicon carbide sandpaper with a indexed honing jig.

There is nothing wrong with jigs. Jigs for knives (like the spyderco, the apex, the lansky, etc) enable the user to create an edge with a minimum of steel removal. There are many of these around and they all are designed to hold either the knife or the stone in a consistent, fixed position, eliminating the human error that can result in a rounded edge in freehand work. The nicer ones cost more. They all work, some good, some better. I have tried a few, but have only a ceramic spyderco in the kitchen for quick touch-ups between sharpenings.

These systems are relatively slow but consistent and repeatable results are much easier to get. Like shooting a pistol in a Ransom Rest. They are good for expensive knives where you really don't want to squander as much steel as you might with a motorized system. These systems are also quite good for beginners or for those that really don't want to learn quicker (and often better) ways of performing the work on a larger variety of tools.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

I'll have to pick up that book and practice on some cheap knives. I think my biggest problem is keeping a constant angle to the stone or steel.

 

[gunslinger1911]

I think the biggest point I'm seeing that is MISSED in this thread is... LEARN to do it yourself! It's a critical skill everyone should know. I can sharpen a knife to hair popping levels with good gear (APEX) or very good cutting levels with a stone & oil, or emergent levels that will get the job done with a rock and spit.

Knowledge is much more important and skill is the ability to use that knowledge... GET SOME!

+1

 

[salmonriverjohn]

Originally Posted by oregonshooter
I think the biggest point I'm seeing that is MISSED in this thread is... LEARN to do it yourself! It's a critical skill everyone should know. I can sharpen a knife to hair popping levels with good gear (APEX) or very good cutting levels with a stone & oil, or emergent levels that will get the job done with a rock and spit.

Knowledge is much more important and skill is the ability to use that knowledge... GET SOME!

I have been rolling my own since I was a kid, no jigs,, and boy was that a long time ago! Some of the stones I have, have been passed down from my father and are very valued to me. I also use leather to get that super fine edge when needed. keep in mind that it's a fine line between sharp and too sharp. A blade that one can shave with will dull much faster due to the edge that is "folded" to a thin fine cutting surface. Although there are many applications where a razors edge is preferred, for most field uses it isn't required. It doesn't take long to learn how to sharpen a knife the "old fashioned way" if one tries. A good stone isn't cheap either, but when used correctly will last a long time. In my opinion, "and it's just my opinion mind you" one good double sided stone in your hunting pack is far more handy.
Oregonshooter is right on the money when he states that it's a skill everyone should learn, and there's no substitute for knowledge when you need it.

 

[pdxjohann]

For straight knives, the chefs in town quite miss George's in Portland. A tip for you all, my barber, Ivan, Ivan-the-Hairible, makes side dough sharpening knives. He does a quality job for only $4 a blade. Plus, he's about the best barber around. SW 35th Av between Multnomah and Capitol Hwy.
Regards

 

[abbadon]

Buy from a big name local brand and you can usually get cheap or free sharpening. I send my Benmade knives if in batches to get sharpened, just pay shipping. Also if I'm at a gun show I alway look for the knife guy, he'll do the seration which Benchmade won't (at least not for free).

Call me crazy, but the local Ace Hardware does a damn good job of sharpening for $1-3 a blade depending on complexity, anything from kitchen knives to scissors or axes. While I wouldn't trust my REAL knives to them, they do a pretty good job and ther're cheap and convenient. No reason excuse for a dull steak knife or yard trimmer anymore. Even bought in my lawn mower blades for the hel of it and damn did it make a difference, I was about to throw it out!

 

[Mandodoc]

Anyone ever use a Byrd Duckfoot knife sharpener?