Knife Sharpening Stone Recommendations
09-04-2003, 09:34 PM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Saskatchewan Canada
Posts: 6,921
RE: Knife Sharpening Stone Recommendations
For easy of use the Lansky rates right up their and does a nice job without taking to much steel! Wet diamond stones for free handing are another good option for one who is used to hand honing. Really depends on your previous sharpening skills.
If you want something that is easy and takes the guess work out of sharpening(yet does a nice job) I would suggest a lansky set. They come in all variations but the set with coarse, med-coarse, med & fine is good one. I would suggest buying a fine diamond stone to finish the edge or use a leather strap. Also a bench mount can be purchased for like 10 bucks and many friends who aren' t sharpening guru' s swear by it.
Yes I have and use a lansky, but mostly free hand with a diamond wet stone. The lansky is great to take to camp and everybody can use to get an edge on!!!
Good Luck!
If you want something that is easy and takes the guess work out of sharpening(yet does a nice job) I would suggest a lansky set. They come in all variations but the set with coarse, med-coarse, med & fine is good one. I would suggest buying a fine diamond stone to finish the edge or use a leather strap. Also a bench mount can be purchased for like 10 bucks and many friends who aren' t sharpening guru' s swear by it.
Yes I have and use a lansky, but mostly free hand with a diamond wet stone. The lansky is great to take to camp and everybody can use to get an edge on!!!
Good Luck!
09-04-2003, 10:25 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hot Springs Va
Posts: 1,206
RE: Knife Sharpening Stone Recommendations
The simple truth about knife sharpening is; you have to get a little time under your belt to be any good at it.
When you buy a knife,,, any knife, from a two dollar kitchen knife to a three hundred dollar hand made knife, it already has an edge on it. The confusion comes when you try and duplicate what " angle" was put on it in it' s original sharpening.
There are as many opinions to what angle should be on a knife as there are hunters. But the truth is, use whatever angle works best for you.
I mention all that because of what I' m gonna say next.
When I buy a knife, the first time I sharpen it, it' s gonna get a lot duller before it starts getting sharper.
I use one of those big old NORTON tri-stone monsters that has an oil sump as big as a small car. But I know that I consistantly sharpen at a twenty five to thirty degree angle. So....No matter what angle is on the knife when I buy it, I grind off enough metal so that I can use the same " stoke" on every knife I own.
I have a couple of very high grade steel knives that I even took a belt sander to before I could get the angle right for " my" angle of sharpening.
With all that said, here is what I recomend; Start simple. There are hundreds of knife sharpening " systems" out there, but just like anything else...you gotta know the basics before you can use all the new stuff.
Go buy a " multi-stone" usually they are made by NORTON, but any manufacturer will work. It has one side that is medium to coarse...and another side that is fine. When you buy the stone, pick up a small can of sewing machine oil. Your total investment will be about fifteen dollars.
It' s pretty difficult to explain all the details in sharpening a knife, but the chances are good that the stone will come with some pretty good starting directions.
As I said, I prefer a pretty low angle like twenty five to thirty degrees for my sharpening, but as you learn how to " stroke" your stone, your own personal angle will just happen. Many folks like a steep angle all the way up to forty five degree' s.
Take your new stone, saturate it in oil, and practice with a bunch of old thin bladed kitchen knives. You will find that you will get quicker results with a thinner and cheaper knife...It' s also much easyer to make changes in your technique with a cheap thin knife.
Once you have sharpened some cheap knives, move on to one of your good ones...But remember, Your angle, and the angle it already has are most likely not gonna be the same. So you might make it duller before you start making it sharp again.
Just remember to be consistant.
Consistancy is the key to using a stone.
A knife is a tool. You must learn the best ways to make that tool work for you. It' s all to easy to get caught in the trap where you must be at home in front of a hundred dollar machine in order to make that tool functional again.
If you learn to use a stone, You will always have a sharp knife no matter what your surroundings are.
When you buy a knife,,, any knife, from a two dollar kitchen knife to a three hundred dollar hand made knife, it already has an edge on it. The confusion comes when you try and duplicate what " angle" was put on it in it' s original sharpening.
There are as many opinions to what angle should be on a knife as there are hunters. But the truth is, use whatever angle works best for you.
I mention all that because of what I' m gonna say next.
When I buy a knife, the first time I sharpen it, it' s gonna get a lot duller before it starts getting sharper.
I use one of those big old NORTON tri-stone monsters that has an oil sump as big as a small car. But I know that I consistantly sharpen at a twenty five to thirty degree angle. So....No matter what angle is on the knife when I buy it, I grind off enough metal so that I can use the same " stoke" on every knife I own.
I have a couple of very high grade steel knives that I even took a belt sander to before I could get the angle right for " my" angle of sharpening.
With all that said, here is what I recomend; Start simple. There are hundreds of knife sharpening " systems" out there, but just like anything else...you gotta know the basics before you can use all the new stuff.
Go buy a " multi-stone" usually they are made by NORTON, but any manufacturer will work. It has one side that is medium to coarse...and another side that is fine. When you buy the stone, pick up a small can of sewing machine oil. Your total investment will be about fifteen dollars.
It' s pretty difficult to explain all the details in sharpening a knife, but the chances are good that the stone will come with some pretty good starting directions.
As I said, I prefer a pretty low angle like twenty five to thirty degrees for my sharpening, but as you learn how to " stroke" your stone, your own personal angle will just happen. Many folks like a steep angle all the way up to forty five degree' s.
Take your new stone, saturate it in oil, and practice with a bunch of old thin bladed kitchen knives. You will find that you will get quicker results with a thinner and cheaper knife...It' s also much easyer to make changes in your technique with a cheap thin knife.
Once you have sharpened some cheap knives, move on to one of your good ones...But remember, Your angle, and the angle it already has are most likely not gonna be the same. So you might make it duller before you start making it sharp again.
Just remember to be consistant.
Consistancy is the key to using a stone.
A knife is a tool. You must learn the best ways to make that tool work for you. It' s all to easy to get caught in the trap where you must be at home in front of a hundred dollar machine in order to make that tool functional again.
If you learn to use a stone, You will always have a sharp knife no matter what your surroundings are.
09-05-2003, 08:34 AM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: meridian idaho USA
Posts: 429
RE: Knife Sharpening Stone Recommendations
www.bladeforums.com
Check out that site for everthing you ever wanted to know about knives, including sharpening.
They highly recommended the Spyderco Sharpmaker set for sharpening, for novices. That would include me when it comes to sharpening, just never got the hang of it and don' t have the patience for it.
I take mine to the local custom knife maker (Chris Reeves shop)and he sharpens them for $3.00 a piece in about 15 minutes.
Check out that site for everthing you ever wanted to know about knives, including sharpening.
They highly recommended the Spyderco Sharpmaker set for sharpening, for novices. That would include me when it comes to sharpening, just never got the hang of it and don' t have the patience for it.
I take mine to the local custom knife maker (Chris Reeves shop)and he sharpens them for $3.00 a piece in about 15 minutes.
09-09-2003, 09:00 PM
#6
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,052
RE: Knife Sharpening Stone Recommendations
I agree with Skeet, the Lansky System is TOPS IMO. I have had one since I was a kid and I am known for having " shaving sharp" knives. Buddies are always bringing me their blades for sharpening. When I shot Zwickey and Bear Razorheads I " prepared them for surgery" on the Lansky as well. The angle bracket assures consitency and a true edge. I recommend getting the additional rough diamond stick as it saves time when cutting an entirely new blade angle (I prefer the heavy 30degree for my skinning knives and I dont think any new knives have such a angle cut from the factory, thats typically reserved for carpet cutters and boxblade work). It also saves ALOT of time when dealing with a really dull 440C Stainless or harder blade. The regular coarse stick just takes alot of time on such tough steel, but once you cut the angle properly with the diamond it is easy to polish the edge properly with the medium and fine sticks. I also bought a ceramic " finisher" stick and it will polish the edge to a a mirror like shine...
I can typically field dress 3-4 deer on one edge with the 30 degree edge before I have to resharpen the blade. Or I can typically dress then capeout two bucks with the same setup.
LOVE em,
RA
I can typically field dress 3-4 deer on one edge with the 30 degree edge before I have to resharpen the blade. Or I can typically dress then capeout two bucks with the same setup.
LOVE em,
RA
09-11-2003, 09:13 PM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: golden co
Posts: 852
RE: Knife Sharpening Stone Recommendations
Firestone Broadhead sharpener. Cheap, light, fast and puts a hair shaving edge on a knife with no skill required. My wet stone went in the can after I discovered how fast and easy getting a knife razor sharp can be.
