What is the best sharpening kit/system for a layman?

[Winnie]

This is where I DO need some help, don't ask me how I can do it, but I take an edge off a knife when I try to sharpen it. I'm OK putting an edge on garden tools but my kitchen knives are pitifully dull. Anyone got any photos, video that can help??

[hoosierarcher]

KME Sharping system is my favorite. Watch the videos about them here.
http://www.kmesharp.com/kme_video.html

[Winnie]

Thanks HA I can't access the vid.
Just Googled it and it's not for sale over here! hey ho.

[hoosierarcher]

Thanks HA I can't access the vid.
Just Googled it and it's not for sale over here! hey ho.

I don't know why the vids won't work for you; but I think a youtube search of KME Sharpening will show the vid. The owner is a friend of mine. I'm pretty sure I could get him to ship you a kit.

[your_comforting_company]

Winnie, there is a fundraising knife catalog over here we use to raise money for the boy scouts. It's called RADA Cutlery and they have a sharpening doohickey that even my wife can use.
http://www.radamfg.com/Product.asp?S...6&SRCH_ID=R119

although I still prefer my rocks

[Winnie]

Oooo that looks Winnie-proof YCC. I've collected several doodahs over the years, but none have held up to their promise and I still end up taking my knives to the butchers once a week for him to sharpen them How much does it cost? I couldn't find a price. My "to buy" list is getting huge!

[rwc1969]

My favorite sharpener was simialr to this one. http://www.lanskysharpeners.com/LCS5D.php except it had 10 to 12" porcelain rods. I don't remember the mfg. name. It put a perfect de-burred edge on all my knives in short order. The only down side was after years of use the rods got sloppy in the holes and it threw off the angle.

I suppose a sharpener like this wouldn't work for a scandi edge or similar. You only get one angle of attack with these.

[preachtheWORD]

I'll be getting my dad some kind of sharpening stone for Christmas this year. He is VERY experienced at sharpening, but needs a new stone. What would any of you "experts" suggest as the best stone for someone who has sharpening down to an art?

PS - He has always favored a stone that can be used freehand, i.e., without guides, etc.

[crashdive123]

Why not ask the "expert"? Just tell him you've been thinking of getting some sharpening stones and ask what he'd recommend.

[lucznik]

How specifically do you guys sharpen your knives? How long does it take you? What angles do you like, and why?

I know very few people who have the ability to truly sharpen a knife. I know even fewer who are willing to learn. If you are one of those who is willing to learn, then plan on following the advise already given of, "practice, practice, practice."

I tend to prefer the medium grit diamond sharpening stone from EZE-LAP.

For me, the length of time to accomplish the initial sharpening is going to be dependent on the type of blade being worked on. New blades from stores usually have a poor edge with a bad angle that must be reshaped. This usually means at least 30 - 60 minutes of work for me. A blade that I am sharpening for one of my friends or family and that has been abused for awhile might take more time.

After putting the initial work into the blade, I can resharpen/touch up the blade in a matter of mere moments.

I don't actually know what angle I sharpen at. My hands just know what feels right to me. I do know that I prefer a somewhat narrower angle with resultant finer edge than do many.

However, even if you don't have the ability, the time, or the interest to learn and practice "proper" sharpening techniques, then you still can have a wicked sharp blade. You just have to cheat a little. Here is a link to one of the best sharpeners around. I have found this to be a great little tool to have in my pack, especially when hunting with others who invariably seem to have knives so dull you could ride them bare-a$$ed to Boston.

http://www.alaskabowhunting.com/Broa...el-P88C17.aspx

[lucznik]

I'll be getting my dad some kind of sharpening stone for Christmas this year. He is VERY experienced at sharpening, but needs a new stone. What would any of you "experts" suggest as the best stone for someone who has sharpening down to an art?

PS - He has always favored a stone that can be used freehand, i.e., without guides, etc.

I agree with Crash here. If your dad is really "VERY experience at sharpening" he will undoubtedly have some very strongly held preferences and biases about what makes for the best tool.

[oldsoldier]

What sort of kit or system do you guys think would be best for me? Thoughts?

Get yourself a Hoosierarcher, Non electric,works on any blade, no hard work on your part, fairly easy to use, one of the best sharpeners I've ever seen

[cranky1]

i use a lansky to get the angle right and then i use the 'crok' sticks for ever more. works great for me. for most new knives i just use the 'crock' sticks. mine are made by gatco. once they are sharp it just takes a few strokes to maintain the edge. good luck

[sgtdraino]

My buddy got me the deluxe diamond Lansky kit. Pretty cool so far, I just tried it out for the first time. Fairly intuitive, although the knife edge does not look as smooth as what I'd get from a professional with a machine. Is that normal?

[Ole WV Coot]

I get mine the way I like and have done it for 55 plus yrs and it boils down to practice and plenty of it. A medium and a hard Arkansas stone is all you need. The real trick is don't let the blade get very dull. When skinning or using a blade keep touching it up. That way you won't have to do anything radical to get the blade back to shaving sharp.

[pocomoonskyeyes]

IMO a good stone or diamond board and lots of practice.

Practice, practice, practice.

i like a mouse pad and some sandpaper.

I have a Lansky but rarely use it. I prefer a flat stone free hand especially for Moras and other scandi grind knives. IMO all of the gimmicks and contraptions are simply trying to eliminate the skill factor of hand sharpening. It isn't that difficult to Learn.

Learn to convex using a mousepad and sandpaper. There is very little investment and it travels well.

I do all of my sharpening with a Smith's Tri-Hone as mentioned above, an EZ-Lap fine diamond stone, and a wooden block covered with leather as a strop. I use a white buffing compound on it that may be a tad too aggressive but it works for me.

Mac

I use the smith's stone kit. comes with a medium and fine arkansas stone, blade angle guide (which I no longer have) and oil. The angle on the guide I believe was 22½º, but anywhere between 20 and 25º. then lots of practice. Don't remember where I got it, but I've had it a long long time and I remember it was inexpensive, maybe 15 bucks.
I mention something about technique here: 5 strokes one way, 5 strokes the other, working your way down to 1 and 1 at the end. This helps eliminate the micro burr that will form. you should be able to place your fingernail at a right angle to the blade, and slide it off toward the edge without a burr catching. I've seen lots of folks spend a lot of time sharpening, only to leave a burr on one side, that doesn't cut real well. I can make a dull blade shave hair in about 15 minutes with regular stones.
For my reworked blades (old hickory I found in an old toolbox for example, that was broken and abused) I have different grits of sandstone for shaping them up. I don't like for it to be razor sharp tho, cause I use it for face fleshing and other detail hand work where it nicks my fingers often.

I had one of those diamond grid things that just didn't give me the results I get with stone. I passed it on to someone else. In a pinch, I've used a small wood block and a piece of 300 grit paper.

All these guys and myself seem to prefer freehand. With so many different "Grinds" today You will always convert those grinds to a beveled edge,Always! I have bought the gimmicks kits and have tried numerous stones Some work better than others. They all work though. Learning the freehand method and PRACTICING it is by far the preferred method.Especially if you get a custom made knife that has one of the Various Grinds. You will end up converting that Grind to a beveled edge,which in the long run,ends up defeating the purpose of that particular Grind. Start out easy and slow, Concentrate on doing the best you can on duplicating the angles of the knife's Grind you are sharpening. All you are trying to do really is "Bring back to life" the original grind.

How do you guys sharpen the curved forward part of the blade? I never feel like I get a good uniform edge on the curved part.

Keep the angle of the blade the same as with the rest of the blade and "Sweep" the edge on around following the curve of the blade. It really is simple once you get the hang of it. Sharpening is really a lot like slicing. All you are really doing is Slicing when you are sharpening a blade,you just don't "see" the results of the slice. Key is keeping the same number of strokes and same angle on both sides of the blade. If you can do basic carpentry you can sharpen a knife. It is all about matching angles and "balance" of construction/sharpening. Some knife steels seem harder to sharpen than others but that just isn't true. The harder steels just take more work as they are just that - harder, so less metal is removed at each stroke.

[pocomoonskyeyes]

Just to show the different Types of Grinds so that everyone can more clearly understand what I was referring to;

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

1)Hollow Grind (what most "store bought" manufactured blades have)
2)Flat Grind
3)Sabre Grind
4)Chisel Grind
5)Double bevel
6)Convex Grind

[Swamprat1958]

My buddy got me the deluxe diamond Lansky kit. Pretty cool so far, I just tried it out for the first time. Fairly intuitive, although the knife edge does not look as smooth as what I'd get from a professional with a machine. Is that normal?

If it is not as smooth as you think it should be it means you are not through sharpening yet. Be sure to start with a coarse or diamond stone and get the bevel cut like you want it, then work through the other stones until you get it finished with the finest or hardest stone. The first time on a Lanski may take an hour or longer to get the edge you want, but subsequent sharpenings are relatively quick.

[warrigal]

Best looking bloke on the 'net.LOL
*******************
Carl

[crashdive123]

Carl - it's ok to post a link to your youtube video as long as it doesn't advertise your site or try to sell something, but you cannot post a link your your site in the body of your post. You can however include a link as part of your signature. Thanks for understanding.