gotta put an edge on some stuff.....

[41mag]

got the standard 53 kinds of stones/files/ceramics/powered thingies....

and granted a pocket knife needs a little different attention than a splitting maul....

Got fed up with the Lanski system; threw out a number of other stuff just outright too hoakie to even keep around another decade or 2 in the back drawer.......

mostly the fine sharp edge that needs touch up now & then;

I tend to prefer old style stones with different grit, yet the newer diamond 3"x 12" bench block seems to work.

And like others I've struggled for ~years~ to get to a decent edge with minimal effort;
don't care for the round pocket pucks; hate the notion another powered grindy thing is needed. "Kitchen Chef" works decent for the culinary stuff.

What's yore own best choice as "good enough" to put shaving edge on them Bowies & throwing hatches & gizzards & etc?

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[Joe13]

got the standard 53 kinds of stones/files/ceramics/powered thingies....

and granted a pocket knife needs a little different attention than a splitting maul....

Got fed up with the Lanski system; threw out a number of other stuff just outright too hoakie to even keep around another decade or 2 in the back drawer.......

mostly the fine sharp edge that needs touch up now & then;

I tend to prefer old style stones with different grit, yet the newer diamond 3"x 12" bench block seems to work.

And like others I've struggled for ~years~ to get to a decent edge with minimal effort;
don't care for the round pocket pucks; hate the notion another powered grindy thing is needed. "Kitchen Chef" works decent for the culinary stuff.

What's yore own best choice as "good enough" to put shaving edge on them Bowies & throwing hatches & gizzards & etc?

Stones and such will get a great working edge on just about anything.

If you want to shave with it then you need a leather strop with compound on it.

I have one of those diamond blocks on wood and use that till it's dang sharp.

After that I built a strop out of an old carpenter belt I found at a used store for $3-5 (I can't remember. Cut a piece of nice wood and glued it so the rough side (originally the inside of a pocket) was up. After it dried I made a paste with vegetable oil and green compound and covered it thick to sit out a few days.

Now I just add a little compound in oil once in a while and you pull the blade the opposite way you would sharpen it on a stone with the same motion.

Depends on how hard the steel is before you can shave with it.

I've done this with 1/4" spine 9" blades down to all of my pocket knives.

I keep a piece of printer paper over the strop cuz that green compound will stain everything.


Blades have a little green on the edge and I clean up with a tiny dab of oil on a paper towel.



Now your going to hear 50 different ways to do it

 

[The Heretic]

For axes and things like that (hatchets, machetes, etc.) I will take a file to them to get the notches and rollovers/etc. out of the edge. Then I will take one of those tungsten 'V' scissor sharpener thingies to put something of an even edge on it. The chopping tools, that is good enough. Machetes, brush hooks and things like that, then I may run a coarse stone on them, but I don't need to slice paper with those.

Knives I have a one of those things with stones on each flat side and then a ceramic on one edge and leather on another. I use that for my knives.

 

[mrblond]

hands down, if your going to use stones, use Japanese water stones

 

[Kruel J]

Worksharp Ken Onion Edition. Does well for me.

Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition Knife and Tool Sharpener

 

[Certaindeaf]

You could try licking some goat..
obviously didn't read
It seems like you have a problem child. what is that steel and state of that knife?

 

[The Heretic]

This is what I have/use:

Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener

And I have this:

 

[Natty Bumpo]

To be able sharpen steel to a keen edge is a skill that every man needs to be proficient in.

My preference is for Japanese water stones for knives, chisels, gouges, carving tools, etc. and always followed by stropping using various compounds, depending on the tool. Different types of edges are needed for different tools and for the differing jobs they need to do. And different steels require different methods, especially with some of the newer metallurgy used in today's knives.

As long as you don't abuse your edges and as long as you don't wait until they get way too dull, you can maintain a good edge for quite awhile using just the strop. Eventually, though, you will need to re-establish the edge with coarser methods. In terms of the paper test, a good working edge on these tools should be able to AT the LEAST slice lots and lots of thin ribbons from a piece of copy paper and do so effortlessly.

For machetes, axes, hatchets and other items of softer steel, I start with a file and sometimes finish with silicon carbide sandpaper. The type of edge and the polish on the edge depends on the job the tool needs to do. Some tools are better with a rough, "toothy" edge from the file (like a machete) and others (like pruning shears) benefit from a finer, more polished edge.

There is nothing wrong with power equipment, provided you REALLY know how to use it. That could include grinders, belt sanders, paper wheels, and the like. I will often use a grinder or a belt sander to establish a basic correct bevel on a newly acquired but abused tool. Power is a quick way to save a lot of needless tedious work when the situation demands it. Some tools I sharpen exclusively with powered methods. It depends on the tool, the edge it needs, how fast it gets dull and how fast you need it re-sharpened in order to get back to the work.

It's worth taking the time to learn the range of bevels and the accepted methods of sharpening the various steel tools. But learning to sharpen a common knife composed of ordinary tool steel is the best place to start.

Gadgets and gismos are ok, and they really do have their place, if they allow the uninitiated to create a reasonably sharp edge on a much used common tool, like a kitchen knife. Or if they are used as a quick expedient in the field. But in the end, devoting the time to understand the basics of sharpening and learning a variety of methods is, I think, the better way.

 

[edslhead]

And then there's guys like me, Craftsman grinder.

 

[Pete F]

Years and years ago, I purchase a wheel type sharpener that uses water to cool and clean. It is only for knives, not chisels or axes. The angle is adjustable and the wheel is fairly soft. It works great and is fast. This was back in the day when you were laughed at for owning a stainless knife - carbon steel only. My pocket knife was a medium Case stockman that I lost after owning it for almost 20 years. Broke my heart. Can't find a new one that isn't stainless - not that there is anything wrong with many stainless blades. lol. I could shave with it. I also have a collection of stones, one of which looks opaque and is used to sharpen my straight razor - hard as a rock (Ha-Ha). I don't remember right off hand what it is made of.

 

[41mag]

I've spend considerable time/effort/research on the very subjects of bevel etc. I understand the theory of angles/tools/steel/etc.

What I really dislike, is the sad fact the final 'razor sharpness' tests continue to tattle tale on my efforts.

"Passable working edge" is not that hard, have managed to pick that one up for most chores. "Slicing paper" or the little hard gummie sticks that reveal your edge is inconsistent is where my performance begins to fail.

Know about the 'bead' & what to do. And studied with a natural master of making things sharp, old Idaho Clyde....who with a simple stone could turn any scrap horseshoe edge into something that could (and did) cut you 3 times before you even started to bleed from the little mistake you just made handling such an edge...

I've managed to produce adequate axe/adz/hoe/shovel/edges with simple file/grandpa's old scythe stone. I've used foot-pedal antique grindstone to good results but that was stolen long ago.

I can almost touch up my chain saw chisel bits enough to make the effort worthwhile yet still need to take 'em down to the shop.

Despite application of all those chapters & special instruction paragraphs, getting a really satisfactory edge on Gerbers or any hunting blade just escapes me.

I manage a decent touch up on my Kershaw using antique Case # 232 razor hone every now & then....but it goes away rapidly too.

My filet knives are barely passable, and granny's old Russel butcher knife would be hopeless without the Kitchen Chef. Seems almost like a waste of time....

The chefs knife needs close attention, as do the paring knives. They just ain't listening to me.

 

[Stomper]

When my blades go dull, I chuck them and just buy a new one.

 

[Pete F]

There are still people making a living sharpening implements - knives, chain saws, axes etc. Sometimes it is worth taking good knives and such to them to put an edge back on. After that it is easier to keep that edge. Like Stomper said - chuck them, but only for cheap tools. Take care of your investment tools.

 

[Joe13]

And then there's guys like me, Craftsman grinder.

I still sharpen drill bits with mine.

Had a guy take an entire day while we were supposed to be pulling wire and had me sharpen every bit on the job site. Was fairly good at it for a long time, now I'm just passable.

 

[FullMetalJerk]

I've always been able to get a shaving sharp edge on Lansky stones. You'll get better results by not using the guide clamp, that thing will give you an uneven edge. For super steels I like the diamond stones but for the last step it's always good to end with a fine or medium stone. Depending on the steel, the technique required to get a good shaving sharp edge will vary a little. Things that work on some steels won't on others. The harder steels aren't as easy to sharpen but once you get them sharp they'll stay sharp much longer. This is why some of us "waste money" on the higher end steels. If you get more than twice the life out of a blade it's worth paying more. Sharpening is b-o-r-i-n-g.......... I used to enjoy it when I was learning. Not anymore, now it's just a mindnumbing repetitive chore. Aus6 & Aus8 are some of the easiest to sharpen steels and the best to learn on. Aus6 is only good for a dagger or self defense knife, get a harder more durable steel if you want a utility knife. Aus8 is easy to touch up and folded edges are easier to repair. For a short pocket knife I like hard (brittle) steel, because it holds an edge. The kind of steel that isn't suited for swords because it's brittle. Stuff like D2, CPM440V, S30V, S60V,.. Usually knives don't come from the factory with the right edge angle or geometry. They usually need some reprofiling to get maximum performance. Some edges are too shallow, some too steep for the particular steel.

 

[Ura-Ki]

I do it old school with files on the chopping and slashing tools, and India wet stone on the fine edged tools. I find the quality of the edge is as much about the stone work that goes into them and the steel they are made of. Any of the good "Made in Oregon" knives and tools tend to be fairly good steel and they tend to take and hold an edge pretty well. stone technique comes from practice and I can usually get surgical sharp in little time, and if carefull with my blades, can dress them quickly! Get a good strop and learn to use it, and you can turn out razor sharp edges in little time! Better then the grindy things on smaller tools!

 

[41mag]

[strike]years[/strike]decades ago I got pretty good restoring proper edges to the fire tools in my warehouse job. Not all that demanding, but somehow satisfying.....sweating in the summer heat up there at now-defunct Ripplebrook Ranger Station.

Never have worked much with a leather strop. Yet.
And I too hate them little grindy things, especially if they do manage any kind of edge.....

 

[Jamie6.5]

I went clear around the block and came back to an Arkansas oilstone for my knives, followed by a mounted stop rubbed thoroughly with red jewelers rouge.
For axes, mauls and machetes I use my belt sander with a worn belt.
But I wish I could get an emery belt that would fit.

 

[Dungannon]

This is a subject that generates a lot of fierce opinions in the [hand tool] woodworking community. General observation: pick one method and work at it to get excellent results. Endlessly chasing every suggested approach in the expectation one will magically produce razor sharpness with little effort is a fools errand. Water stones, oil stones, diamond 'stones', sandpaper on a float glass, etc., etc. - just pick one and stay with it.

I use a file to dress a chipped edge on outdoor tools and one of those puck shaped stones to finish it off: then back to work. [I use water to float the swarf off the puck] The only exception: a couple Swedish carving hatchets which only work clean wood, and get a final edge finish with a 1000 grit water stone.

For chisels, plane and spokeshave blades, etc. I run the gamut from 1000 to 4000 to 8000 grit water stones when the edge needs it. But the best way to minimize the need to do so is to keep a leather strop handy and regularly polish the edge of your tools as you work - not waiting until they get dull. I use a piece of horse butt leather glued to plywood, and charged with rouge to do the polishing.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

i use a lansky sharpener and an old leather carhartt belt to sharpen my knives. used to use an old car chamois stapled to a 2x4 that my dad gave me after puttin the stone to it