Just curious to how everyones keeps their knives nice and sharp?

 

I personally like my knives to be razor sharp... When I can get the edge sharp enough to shave the hair off my arm, when I test it out... Then it's good enough for me. I use the Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker system... And it works great for me. Simple, quick, and very effective.

 

What do you all use to keep your blades sharp?

Medium Arkansas Stone that's it.

medium + hard arkansas stones

Lansky. It's the only way for me.

Just curious to how everyones keeps their knives nice and sharp?

 

I personally like my knives to be razor sharp... When I can get the edge sharp enough to shave the hair off my arm, when I test it out... Then it's good enough for me. I use the Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker system... And it works great for me. Simple, quick, and very effective.

 

What do you all use to your blades sharp?

 

I am the proud owner of about 25 chef ,butcher,fillet knives ranging from German stainless to Chinese carbon steel and I actually love the Spyderco sharpening system. While the application is very specified, I use the system to also sharpen my EDC., which is the Kershaw Zing this year.I found that submerging in water for 20 minutes before honing your knives is essential.

I am the proud owner of about 25 chef ,butcher,fillet knives ranging from German stainless to Chinese carbon steel and I actually love the Spyderco sharpening system. While the application is very specified, I use the system to also sharpen my EDC., which is the Kershaw Zing this year.I found that submerging in water for 20 minutes before honing your knives is essential.

 

You submerge the stones in water? I might have to try that... What does submerging them do, to make them work better?

For you guys with the Arkansas stones.... What method do you use to ensure you're using the correct angle to get the best results on your edge? I find it hard to get the right angle on a flat stone, which is why I went with the Spyderco system.

For you guys with the Arkansas stones.... What method do you use to ensure you're using the correct angle to get the best results on your edge? I find it hard to get the right angle on a flat stone, which is why I went with the Spyderco system.

 

Tony you are so right! Different steels and different designs require different angles. That's why I use the Lansky, it has a guide that holds the angle. If somebody has a link to the Spydeco system please post it.

 

Here's the Spyyco link: http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=77

This last Christmas my wife bought me the Wicked Edge. Hands down the fastest and sharpest my blades have ever been. A little pricey though,and not to portable. but all in all pretty wicked!

http://www.bestsharpeningstones.com/Wicked-Edge-Knife-Sharpener.html

Quick/dirty jobs I use this:

 

Accusharp knife sharpener

http://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307320541&sr=8-1

 

For a better job I use a stone I picked up in boy scouts... over 10 years ago.

You submerge the stones in water? I might have to try that... What does submerging them do, to make them work better?

I learned in culinary school that you can go 2 ways with stones,honing oil or water, water is cleaner,more effective and cheaper so immersing the stone essentially loads the porous stone with a lubricant {water} and as long as you hold the angle {20 degrees} for standard knives and 12 degrees for some Japanese knives on the cutting edge, and keep track of the passes, you can't go wrong after stropping. I use a steel each time before using . For your EDC the simple paper or thumb nail test will tell you if you have done a good job.

Just curious to how everyones keeps their knives nice and sharp?

 

I personally like my knives to be razor sharp... When I can get the edge sharp enough to shave the hair off my arm, when I test it out... Then it's good enough for me. I use the Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker system... And it works great for me. Simple, quick, and very effective.

 

What do you all use to keep your blades sharp?

 

I also use the Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker. Works well for me. I haven't tried using these stones with water. I thought you were supposed to use them dry, but I'm not a sharpening expert.

Have the lansky system. Don't like it one bit. I don't see the point as it's not like it has tight tolerances. If I have to have good technique to get it to give me the right angle, I might as well just use a regular bench stone.

 

Currently I make do with the spyderco sharp maker, a mouse pad, and a pack of wet sanding paper. The pad and paper are for anything that you want a chopping or push cut kind of edge on. The spyderco takes care of a slicing cut type of edge.

 

You can shave all the arm hair in the world with an improperly done edge as wire edges will shave just fine, but roll over the second you ask them to do any real work. As for the fingernail test, you can make that look like you have a good edge just by trying it at differing angles. The paper test is harder to misread, but can still be done. The reality is a shaving sharp edge isn't necessarily appropriate for anything but shaving.

Have the lansky system. Don't like it one bit. I don't see the point as it's not like it has tight tolerances. If I have to have good technique to get it to give me the right angle, I might as well just use a regular bench stone.

 

Currently I make do with the spyderco sharp maker, a mouse pad, and a pack of wet sanding paper. The pad and paper are for anything that you want a chopping or push cut kind of edge on. The spyderco takes care of a slicing cut type of edge.

 

You can shave all the arm hair in the world with an improperly done edge as wire edges will shave just fine, but roll over the second you ask them to do any real work. As for the fingernail test, you can make that look like you have a good edge just by trying it at differing angles. The paper test is harder to misread, but can still be done. The reality is a shaving sharp edge isn't necessarily appropriate for anything but shaving.

Agreed. My chef's knives have to have an edge that pulls slightly on a fingernail or is useless to me in the kitchen, as for rolling, the amount of rolling depends on the actual makeup of the steel,how it was sharpened and obviously how it was used and on what. One of my favorites right now is a Global which is stamped as opposed to a forged blade from Japan, Very hard and brittle blade sharpened at 12 degrees on the business end and resists rolling because it's so hard however you don't hack away at bones and it has been known to chip or crack if abused or dropped on a hard surface.

A EDC or hunting knife with a razor's edge is indeed possible but hard to maintain under normal use without honing IMO and the only pocket knife I have ever seen with it's own small steel was a Laguiole.

I just ordered this

I just ordered this

That is a good one and Ive used quite successfully for my carbon steel blades, bought it at Lowes several years ago.It came with small plastic angle guides and a small bottle of honing oil but I prefer to immerse in water for 20 minutes before using.

I use the Spyderco sharpener too.

 

I usually keep one of these handy for quick and dirty sharpening:

http://www.sterlingsharpener.com/

Won't make anything razor sharp, but in a pinch, it works.

 

I've read some good things about the Edge Pro Apex:

http://edgeproinc204.corecommerce.com/Apex-Model-Edge-Pro-System-c3/

I don't sharpen knives that often, so I've never been able to justify the cost.

I stop at Pep Boys and get the 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper. I tape that temporarily onto a mouse pad and strop my blade on it. Only takes a few passes and I'm done. I used to do the Japanese wetstone thing but I've got more important stuff to do.

Tri stone. Metal file if the wife has done something stupid with the kitchen knives.

 

I use my calibrated eyeballs for the angle since I use a different one for food knives vs. pocket knives.

Tri stone. Metal file if the wife has done something stupid with the kitchen knives.

 

I use my calibrated eyeballs for the angle since I use a different one for food knives vs. pocket knives.

 

I remember my mom using the concrete curb in the back yard....drove my old man crazy.

I just ordered this

Last time I was at Lowe's they had a nice selection of Smith's. I use a stone.

You submerge the stones in water? I might have to try that... What does submerging them do, to make them work better?

 

 

I can't hold my breath that long.

I stop at Pep Boys and get the 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper. I tape that temporarily onto a mouse pad and strop my blade on it. Only takes a few passes and I'm done. I used to do the Japanese wetstone thing but I've got more important stuff to do.

 

Like I said, I do too. But it works poorly for anything hollow ground or serrated. Also, for kitchen cutlery I find I don't like it on paring and utility type knives. But it is what I do to my large chef's knife and things like ulus or cleavers.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hunting/Knives-Tools/Knife-Sharpeners%7C/pc/104791680/c/104740380/sc/104560380/Smiths174-3-in-1-Field-Sharpener/714367.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fhunting-knives-tools-knife-sharpeners%2F_%2FN-1100168%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104560380%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104791680%253Bcat104740380&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104791680%3Bcat104740380%3Bcat104560380

 

I was recommended this buy the guy who makes the Iron railroad knives over on NJH.

 

Will probably order one in when I get my railroad knife

I can't hold my breath that long.

 

You've been attached to a 30 too long, try free diving.

I recently acquired one of these...Worksharp...basically a slack belt system which give a convex edge contour. Gotta tell you guys this thing gets blades sickeningly sharp in a matter of seconds. Yes I know it wears down the steel over time as it is strips of sandpaper, but by the time it wears an edge down too far I'd probably be replacing the knife anyway due to breakage or bending the tip or something to that effect.

I recently acquired one of these...Worksharp...basically a slack belt system which give a convex edge contour. Gotta tell you guys this thing gets blades sickeningly sharp in a matter of seconds. Yes I know it wears down the steel over time as it is strips of sandpaper, but by the time it wears an edge down too far I'd probably be replacing the knife anyway due to breakage or bending the tip or something to that effect.

 

All sharpening wears the edge down, it just probably gives you the ability to do it much faster than by hand.

For you guys with the Arkansas stones.... What method do you use to ensure you're using the correct angle to get the best results on your edge? I find it hard to get the right angle on a flat stone, which is why I went with the Spyderco system.

 

I use the "Sharpie" method. Basically, take a sharpie marker and color the edge of your blade. Then start to sharpen. Look at the coloring, if you are sharpening at the correct angle, the entire colored should be rubbed away evenly. If you're rubbing just the front of the edge, you're coming in too steep on your angle. If you only see the back of the colored edge, you're too shallow.

 

Try it a couple of times and you'll get the hang of it.

Btw, I use a 6" DMT Diamond Sharpener Fine grit for all of my knives. It's large enough for bench use and small / light enough to throw in my pack when I go hiking or camping. I like the biting edge that the fine grit puts on a blade. It doesn't look super pretty like a mirror polished edge, but then again, I like to have some bite on my edges. The bite aids in slicing (try slicing a ripe tomato with a mirror polished edge...) and other tasks, like cutting rope, etc. I usually follow up with a bit of stropping on the dense cardboard back of my notebook. Nothing fancy, but it works.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hunting/Knives-Tools/Knife-Sharpeners%7C/pc/104791680/c/104740380/sc/104560380/Smiths174-3-in-1-Field-Sharpener/714367.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fhunting-knives-tools-knife-sharpeners%2F_%2FN-1100168%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104560380%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104791680%253Bcat104740380&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104791680%3Bcat104740380%3Bcat104560380

 

I was recommended this buy the guy who makes the Iron railroad knives over on NJH.

 

Will probably order one in when I get my railroad knife

 

I have one of these sharpeners, and love it!