Knife Sharpening.

Cass

Anyone any good tips on knife sharpening.

I've a few knives that could do with a touch up. I have a honing stone, and other tools, but was watching some videos on Youtube and seen some "quick"" methods involving honing compound, etc.

Seemed to work, but i'm nervous of such methods for fear they wreck a blade as quick as sharpen it if done wrong.

So what do you use and do to keep your knife sharp?

Eddie B

A couple of short lengths of 3 x 2, and a couple different grain sheets of sandpaper.

And yes I still have my communion money! Lol

ezra_

Lansky system, but I'm rubbish with it.

If you look up 'Gough Custom lansky knife sharpening' on youtube, you'll see how it is meant to be done.

cookimonster

Eddie B wrote: »

A couple of short lengths of 3 x 2, and a couple different grain sheets of sandpaper.

And yes I still have my communion money! Lol

What with guns and ammo last week's wages are gone let alone my communion money.....

Similar set up except I use cork as a backer and very fine wet and dry. Keep the worn out sand paper for polishing and stroping.
My go to knives are Scandi grinds but I've used this technique on all my knives now.
Stand the blade perpendicular (90 degree) to the block, half the angle and half again - approx 22 degrees. Using a fluid motion and loose in the wrist stroke the blade towards you following the angle and shape. Do this slow and if you follow the correct angles your elbow of the knife arm should move upwards. People try to sharpen the blade in a vice like grip that does not allow them to follow its contour.
If the blade is very bad you need to use heavier grit but you must double the amount of strokes every time you reduce the grit.
Rough Grit - 50 strokes
Medium Grit - 100 strokes
Fine Grit - 200 strokes
This is just an example you would need many more degrees of grit if you start out with very course paper and the number of strokes are just figurative. Obviously ensure even number of strokes per either side of blade.
When your happy and this is relevant to your knife needs then finish on a very fine or worn out sand paper but reverse the stroke with the cutting edge facing you and your drawing the knife away, this is how I strop.
You should be able to shave your arm hairs, forget the paper cutting, if you can shave arm hairs with a Mora then you'll grolloch an animal.

Lastly people get hung up on knives sharpness and forget that the geometry of a blade effects it's ability to perform certain jobs. Moras designed for wood working but brilliant for field dressing, absolutely sh#t for thin slicing. Mora - wedge , Chefs knife - thin wide slicer.

Advantages to my way, cheep, once your blades are sharp that's it, it's all about the hone, generally self sustainable, move worn out paper down to next level ........spend more money on ammo.

Eddie B

cookimonster wrote: »

What with guns and ammo last week's wages are gone let alone my communion money.....

Similar set up except I use cork as a backer and very fine wet and dry. Keep the worn out sand paper for polishing and stroping.
My go to knives are Scandi grinds but I've used this technique on all my knives now.
Stand the blade perpendicular (90 degree) to the block, half the angle and half again - approx 22 degrees. Using a fluid motion and loose in the wrist stroke the blade towards you following the angle and shape. Do this slow and if you follow the correct angles your elbow of the knife arm should move upwards. People try to sharpen the blade in a vice like grip that does not allow them to follow its contour.
If the blade is very bad you need to use heavier grit but you must double the amount of strokes every time you reduce the grit.
Rough Grit - 50 strokes
Medium Grit - 100 strokes
Fine Grit - 200 strokes
This is just an example you would need many more degrees of grit if you start out with very course paper and the number of strokes are just figurative. Obviously ensure even number of strokes per either side of blade.
When your happy and this is relevant to your knife needs then finish on a very fine or worn out sand paper but reverse the stroke with the cutting edge facing you and your drawing the knife away, this is how I strop.
You should be able to shave your arm hairs, forget the paper cutting, if you can shave arm hairs with a Mora then you'll grolloch an animal.

Lastly people get hung up on knives sharpness and forget that the geometry of a blade effects it's ability to perform certain jobs. Moras designed for wood working but brilliant for field dressing, absolutely sh#t for thin slicing. Mora - wedge , Chefs knife - thin wide slicer.

Advantages to my way, cheep, once your blades are sharp that's it, it's all about the bone, generally self sustainable, move worn out paper down to next level ........spend more money on ammo.

That's an excellent post. Far beyond my capabilities, but never too late to learn how it's done properly.

extremetaz

ezra_ wrote: »

Lansky system, but I'm rubbish with it.

If you look up 'Gough Custom lansky knife sharpening' on youtube, you'll see how it is meant to be done.

I have a Lansky setup as well, with 5 stones, 60-1000 grit. Only tend to use the finer two for anything I have these days, but did use the rougher ones to fully recondition some edges when I got it at first.

It's a great setup.

ezra_

extremetaz wrote: »

I have a Lansky setup as well, with 5 stones, 60-1000 grit. Only tend to use the finer two for anything I have these days, but did use the rougher ones to fully recondition some edges when I got it at first.

It's a great setup.

I always get a great edge on one side of the blade only.
I can never get it sharp on both sides, and then of course it blunts quickly

sharkfox

ezra_ wrote: »

I always get a great edge on one side of the blade only.
I can never get it sharp on both sides, and then of course it blunts quickly

Try changing the angle your sharpening at, a working knife has a different angle edge than a knife for delicate work. There's a kind of trade off between the strength of the edge and the sharpness

Vegeta

sharkfox wrote: »

Try changing the angle your sharpening at, a working knife has a different angle edge than a knife for delicate work. There's a kind of trade off between the strength of the edge and the sharpness

Yeah was going to comment that make sure you're matching the angle of the edge already on the knife. If you start sharpening at an angle you pick off the top of your head then you may not match the angle of the knife.

ezra_

sharkfox wrote: »

Try changing the angle your sharpening at, a working knife has a different angle edge than a knife for delicate work. There's a kind of trade off between the strength of the edge and the sharpness

Vegeta wrote: »

Yeah was going to comment that make sure you're matching the angle of the edge already on the knife. If you start sharpening at an angle you pick off the top of your head then you may not match the angle of the knife.

The lansky is predefined though - it has the angles set.

When I'm sharpening the blade, I go until I feel a burr along the whole edge of the blade. Then I swap sides (and sharpen at the same angle).

However, when it comes to the final, smooth stone, I can get one side wickedly sharp, but never from both sides. It's always very sharp on the last side sharpened, if that makes sense.

Vegeta

ezra_ wrote: »

The lansky is predefined though - it has the angles set.

When I'm sharpening the blade, I go until I feel a burr along the whole edge of the blade. Then I swap sides (and sharpen at the same angle).

However, when it comes to the final, smooth stone, I can get one side wickedly sharp, but never from both sides. It's always very sharp on the last side sharpened, if that makes sense.

Apologies, I wasn't directing my comment at you. Just a more general comment and especially for anyone taking this one on without something to guide the angle they're using.

The Lansky has enough pre-defined angles that you're probably ok.

Any chance of having a little burr when you're finished that's hard to see or feel? Here's a video from a custom knife maker using a lansky. Go to 8 minutes in to see the final stages he uses

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlI5PaXsfOk

sharkfox

ezra_ wrote: »

The lansky is predefined though - it has the angles set.

When I'm sharpening the blade, I go until I feel a burr along the whole edge of the blade. Then I swap sides (and sharpen at the same angle).

However, when it comes to the final, smooth stone, I can get one side wickedly sharp, but never from both sides. It's always very sharp on the last side sharpened, if that makes sense.

It sure does, happened to me too. Try not to let the burr be too big before you change sides. I stopped using the very last stone and found the edge stayed for longer. Are you matching the angle you sharpen at to the angle on the blade properly?

clivej

I could never get my knifes sharp until I got a DiaFold kit. It's like the Lansky system but with Diamond hones that fold up to carry in your pocket if needed. Gets a keen edge on my Mora knifes. Easy to use and dummy proof

https://www.dmtsharp.com/sharpeners/guided-sharpening/magna-guide-kits/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxyr1GflzLM

Heavy handed

Lot of the old timers in the carpentry trade use different grade wet and dry sandpaper stuck to plate glass. Now they also have a pile of other equipment that can shapern knifes to scalpel like sharpened. YouTube Paul sellers, he's very good at explaining the does and don't. I've used lankys with limited success, now I use a mates tormek sharpening system and can change the angles with ease and get razor like sharpeness. Japanese wet stones are very good if you can pick one up.

cookimonster

ezra_ wrote: »

The lansky is predefined though - it has the angles set.

When I'm sharpening the blade, I go until I feel a burr along the whole edge of the blade. Then I swap sides (and sharpen at the same angle).

However, when it comes to the final, smooth stone, I can get one side wickedly sharp, but never from both sides. It's always very sharp on the last side sharpened, if that makes sense.

I'm not familiar with the Lansky, but it sounds like your over working one side. Anything I've been taught always talks about even numbers of strokes per side, working on both sides consecutively if you grasp me. The reverse honeing / stropping is perfect for removing burrs.

Try not to allow your blades to become too dull or blunt as this is where most of these sharpening kits come into play. I believe that people don't realize how little work needs to be done to a dull blade and how a very fine grit will resharpen the eadge with the minimal removal of material. I touch up my blade after each day of heavy use, but this usually is a few strokes on some worn wet & dry. I stroke my professional knives on a worn steal as I work but I still use the reverse stroke method to 'stroop' even with a steal.

MarcinG

Im using lansky crockstick/ turnbox. And im finding it very easy to get semi decent knife decent sharp. Im done when i can shave my arm or slice paper held in other hand without tearing it.
Imho:
Holding same angle of the blade (i mark cutting edge of my knives with whiteboard marker before sharpening -it gives you direct feedback on what is going on). Im usually using 20 degree
If my knife has different angle than my lansky i go for few beers and diamond rods or discard knife.
To get rid of burr i always go for 25 degree and just gently use it few times.

I dont like idea of those systems with vice as angle will change depending how you clamp blade , it wont follow curve of the blade etc....

Deise Musashi

However, when it comes to the final, smooth stone, I can get one side wickedly sharp, but never from both sides. It's always very sharp on the last side sharpened, if that makes sense

That sounds like a burr flipping sides, try lightly drawing your edge through some wine cork (Champagne cork for you Sir) or soft end grain pine.
Stripping off the burr leaves a coarser edge, but strop it on the fine grits some more, and keep the sides even, finish stropping on newspaper, cardboard or some suede side leather with Autosol/Smurf Poo.

Colour the edge with marker to make sure you apex the edge, stop when your fingers get numb :-)

jap gt

I have a tormek t4, i can get a decent enough edge with it but nothing ss good as i should, anyone here use one, any tips or videos

Kiltris

I have a small edging stone that I got from my father years ago, it does the trick, nothing fancy but lord does it put an edge up...

Grizzly 45

Bought the Spyderco triangle knife sharpening kit.Is a bit more than the others,but it is a dry kit and you aen't messing around with oils and clamps which I found on the Lansky to be a pretty fiddly affair.
Only thing I dont like about it is sharpening serrations on it. Going by their instructions I managed to ruin one of their own Spyderco knives![Which they replaced].

Thinking when funds are available of getting this sharpner.It's made in Russia,but it looks like a lifetime investment and somthing in design and materials that puts Lnsky and the rest to shame

http://new.tsprof.com/en

Rosahane

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Bought the Spyderco triangle knife sharpening kit.Is a bit more than the others,but it is a dry kit and you aen't messing around with oils and clamps which I found on the Lansky to be a pretty fiddly affair.
Only thing I dont like about it is sharpening serrations on it. Going by their instructions I managed to ruin one of their own Spyderco knives![Which they replaced].

Thinking when funds are available of getting this sharpner.It's made in Russia,but it looks like a lifetime investment and somthing in design and materials that puts Lnsky and the rest to shame

http://new.tsprof.com/en

It seems to be a copy go the Edge Pro system http://www.edgeproinc.com with the addition of the Lanky type clamps. It would work perfectly well and give great results.
Only worry I might have would be the continued availability of the stones although they may be the same size as the Edge Pro and other copies of that system.

Heavy handed

jap gt wrote: »

I have a tormek t4, i can get a decent enough edge with it but nothing ss good as i should, anyone here use one, any tips or videos

Have you got the knife jig for your tormek. Invest in the Japanese wet stone wheel.

Deise Musashi

The Russian system looks good, I like my Edge Pro Pro Model and Spyderco Kit, with my wet stones.

Anything can work, especially wet and dry abrasive papers and appropriate backing.

It's all about the geometry of the blade, abrasive grit used, refining the edge, and apexing the edge.

Stropping is fine for maintenance, as long as the edge is set properly.