Knife Sharpening Tips

[muzzlemike]

I have a wicked edge system and I love it.

 

[Hillbillyblood]

Just my experience, being patient has been the biggest struggle. Finally realizing it takes a good amount of time to get a good edge.

 

[Drail]

It's ALL in the angle. Interestingly the exact angle is really unimportant as long as you can maintain that angle for every stroke. Almost any angle will give you an edge if you can bring the two sides together until a burr starts to form. Low angles work well for kitchen knive and steeper angles for working shop knives that may be abused at times. Just hone the edges evenly until you feel a burr and then stone it off. Scary sharp.

 

[DadSmith]

Just seen this.

A trick I learned from a combat surgeon in 1987: Auto glass can sharpen a knife!

I was conscripted into the Soviet Army in 1986. After 1 year in uniform, I was permitted to carry a pocket knife. That was an Estonian knock off a Swiss Army...

youtube.com

 

[Max Volume]

I have tried many things to get a knife sharp and had good but not great results until using a KME sharpening system. The angle is key. Most sources say to use something like a 22 degree angle. I used the black marker method and even looked up the factory angle for my Buck 110. Buck says the factory angle is 17 degrees, less than that generally recommended. When using the black marker method on other factory edges I found them to be right around 20 degrees. My point being that although I was getting decent results my results got better using a more shallow angle.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

If you have one, finish up with a knife steel. I use the pocket steel by Razors Edge. https://shop.razoredgesystems.com/collections/steels/products/raz-r-steel
I often use the steel to dress the edge during or after use to maintain the edge.

If you don't have a steel, get one. If you've ever been in a meat plant and watched the people work they use a steel on their knives every few minutes or so.

 

[Bugzilla]

Guess I’ll hijack the thread but keep it on topic. Finished rebuilding the old wet sharpener in the photo. When I get a round tuit, I have a stand I will rebuild to mount it on. Looking at the picture, is it better to have the stone rotate clockwise, counterclockwise, or does it not matter. Will use it for lathe tools, shop knives, mower blades, etc. Thanks

 

[JTKelly]

Here is a tip. LEARN HOW TO DO IT, save money, look like a genius know it all, and make use of a useful skill the rest of your life.

All from a skill that isn't even close to as difficult as learning to write in cursive.

 

[Mij]

Here is a tip. LEARN HOW TO DO IT, save money, look like a genius know it all, and make use of a useful skill the rest of your life.

All from a skill that isn't even close to as difficult as learning to write in cursive.

To: JTKelly.

MAN!!!, Thank you sir.


From: The son of a butcher.

@JTKelly

 

[Mij]

I have difficulty getting my knifes as sharp as others seem to be able to get too. Any tips and tricks on how to get this done, or is the right sharpening kit 80% of getting it right?

OK.

Start with a good stone, n finish with your belt. Or even a piece of card board.

This knife is over 40 years old, cost 12 bucks when new. I’ve used it for - well 40 years, 24 years every day as a construction laborer, the last 20 years as a cattle rancher. It’s not the latest n greatest steel, it‘s carbon steel. Junk by some folks standards.

It will shave your beard, I know it will shave mine, I’ve done it.

Like the guy said up thread, learn how to do it. Spending money on the latest n greatest gizmo (my words) is like * , up a rope.

As always this is just my opinion.

 

[sadclownwp]

Let me make sharpening really easy for everyone. Get a Spyderco Sharpmaker. Trust me. It is the easiest system that there is, and it is hard to mess up. After that, you just have to keep up on the edge. That thing will put a shaving sharp edge on any knife as long as the edge is not completely rounded.

They are decently cheap for what they are. Seriously hard to screw up.

 

[Mij]

Let me make sharpening really easy for everyone. Get a Spyderco Sharpmaker. Trust me. It is the easiest system that there is, and it is hard to mess up. After that, you just have to keep up on the edge. That thing will put a shaving sharp edge on any knife as long as the edge is not completely rounded.

They are decently cheap for what they are. Seriously hard to screw up.

Sincerely sir, thank you. Not to be disrespectful. But there are a lot of blades that need sharpening. Not only knives. If you learn the feel of a sharp blade you can sharpen almost any blade. Any edge that should/needs to be sharp, saws, to razors, chainsaw, drill bits, chisels, axes, in my day a scythe. Sharpening a blade is a skill. A skill that paid money.

JMO. I’m out o here.

 

[sadclownwp]

Sincerely sir, thank you. Not to be disrespectful. But there are a lot of blades that need sharpening. Not only knives. If you learn the feel of a sharp blade you can sharpen almost any blade. Any edge that should/needs to be sharp, saws, to razors, chainsaw, drill bits, chisels, axes, in my day a scythe. Sharpening a blade is a skill. A skill that paid money.

JMO. I’m out o here.

I agree with you, but as the thread is "Knife Sharpening Tips" I only addressed that.

 

[Mij]

I agree with you, but as the thread is "Knife Sharpening Tips" I only addressed that.

Yes, and thank you sir.

Now I’m gonna go feed. Good day INGO

 

[w_ADAM_d88]

Is there anyone here in Hancock County or close that would be willing to show me the ropes on sharpening? I'd be willing to pay for the sharpening and lesson. I've seen the Spyderco Sharpmaker mentioned and interested in buying but if there's another method/tools I'm interested in that too. I've got about 4 knives that need sharpened.

 

[patience0830]

Sincerely sir, thank you. Not to be disrespectful. But there are a lot of blades that need sharpening. Not only knives. If you learn the feel of a sharp blade you can sharpen almost any blade. Any edge that should/needs to be sharp, saws, to razors, chainsaw, drill bits, chisels, axes, in my day a scythe. Sharpening a blade is a skill. A skill that paid money.

JMO. I’m out o here.

I still occasionally sharpen a scythe.

 

[JettaKnight]

Is there anyone here in Hancock County or close that would be willing to show me the ropes on sharpening? I'd be willing to pay for the sharpening and lesson. I've seen the Spyderco Sharpmaker mentioned and interested in buying but if there's another method/tools I'm interested in that too. I've got about 4 knives that need sharpened.

Just four?!

A day or two before Thanksgiving I put Dune on Netflix, grabbed all my kitchen knives, all my pocket knives, and my Sharpmaker and went to town. THEN had a cocktail.

It's not terribly hard to use, and comes with a DVD. Not the best sharpener, but far from the worst.

 

[Dentoro]

This skill has successfully eluded me my whole life. I can take a dull knife sharpen it and some how make it much worse! After I apply my patented sharpening technique I have fresh bar stock for making a good knife.

 

[Mij]

This skill has successfully eluded me my whole life. I can take a dull knife sharpen it and some how make it much worse! After I apply my patented sharpening technique I have fresh bar stock for making a good knife.

it is quite obvious to me that you haven’t spent enough money on gadgets, buy the latest and greatest 500 $ knife, then another 400-600 on the latest and greatest sharpening gadgets n you will be good to go.

 

[Kdf101]

I have at Least 6-7 different sharpening system, from stones to manual to electric. What I have found to be the most helpful are two things. First, you need to understand what you are trying to do. Getting a burr is important and you are basically trying to bring two edges together. The second is simply practice. Get cheap knives and ruin them. Eventually you will get good at it and then you can sharpen your more expensive ones. This applies to stones, clamp type systems, and electric ones as well.