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Knife sharpening
Oakie
Member Posts: 40,510 ✭✭✭✭
I cannot for the life of me, use a flat sharpening stone. Been trying to teach myself since I was 15. I just can't get the knack for it. I put a small drop of oil on the stone, and pull the knife towards me on a slight angle. The knife always comes out dull on one side. Usually the left side of the blade, looking down the spine. Why is it so hard to learn this??? I end up using a handheld, double stone sharpener . I bought several flat stones and different three sided sharpeners, and cannot get them to work. Can someone show, or tell me what I am doing wrong???? Oakie
Comments
I am not great at it either I believe the ones that are good at it have more patience than I do and hold the knife at the correct angle both directions
Keep the same angle on both sides(match the original grind of the blade, usually).
FIRST, what kind of stone are you using? Whet stone? If so, you need to soak it in water for several minutes before using. Never put oil on a whet stone.
Keep the same angle, use a motion like you are trying to shave the whet stone, light pressure.
This is the reason I use a Lansky. Much easier to sharpen with and not hard at all to get a good edge.
Mike is right. In addition, when I am cutting up deer, I am too lazy to keep sharpening with that stone constantly. So I use one of those sharpening steel rods. Forget what you call them. Like the butchers use. Careful now and don't mess up the beautiful finish on that knife. If I really want to split hairs I go to a old leather belt nailed on one end and stroke it like the barbers do. Been know to shave with my hunting knife when camped in the bush for a couple of weeks. -----------------------------------------------Ray
there is sharpening and there is honing. I suggest a rod that has diamond dust in it this takes off the smallest of bits of steel and leaves a sharp edge
https://shopknifepro.com/products/12-diamond-steel?variant=39601241096272¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=CjwKCAiAuaKfBhBtEiwAht6H78WfZFdgxMs__JGNQTPRnHUzNRbw_MiyCRiW6l7qRHYebQg2oNVgQRoCtFUQAvD_BwE
I have tried all of the sharpening methods and keep coming back to a stone. I bought a Norton tri stone, a bit pricey but work well. Don
Work Sharp belt sharpener. Works on a lot of tools too, like chisels.
Oakie, find a Chinese forum on the net and ask them, those guys sure know how to put an edge on a blade on those cheaply made knives. The edge they put don't last long though. That's the only compliment I'll ever give the Chinese.....😊
"Never do wrong to make a friend----or to keep one".....Robert E. Lee
I've done a fair job of sharpening knives using a green Japanese wet stone I paid a kings ransom for a few years ago. I bought it for chisels but found it did great on knives too. After the stone I give the blades a few passes on a homemade strop which is an old wide leather belt dressed up with Jewlers rouge.
What I cannot seem to get sharpened right are the couple of engravers I have dulled up! I have watched several videos on the subject but still manage to mess things up.
Tomz ,,,,,,,, ‘nuff said.
https://www.lumberjocks.com/threads/tomz-double-shaft-knife-massager.321886/
Yes, buy a QUALITY whetstone. NOT a cheap $5 one from online. I do NOT have any super nice ones, a quality one can be had for prob $50-$100. Arkansas whetstones are good. A REAL japanese would prob be best, but thats where the king's ransom comes into play.
Quality stone, quality knife, then practice.
My advice, take a semi dull knife...... one where you can still see the factor edge. Color that factory edge with a sharpie or similar, and start to sharpen. Check to make sure you are removing the sharpie EVENLY on both sides. The sharpie serves as a kind of wear indicator and shows how your angles are being maintained.
THIS^^^^
I work in a meat market and sharpening knives sucks........but you have to learn to do it. Proper angle and patience is key.
Stone is kinda like a piece of sandpaper. If you oil it up she's going to load up on you and you don't want that. Sometimes I take a little Dawn dishwashing liquid and scrub her down. Like starting over with a new fresh stone.
If I am wondering if I am getting there i drag my thumb across that edge cross ways. It's in the feel. Then a little later i spit on the hair on my wrist. If that hair slides right off by golly you are almost finished now. -------------------------------Ray
According to my grandfather years and years ago, the trick is to not think about it.
Hold the stone or steel in one hand and move the knife with the other. Let your muscle control do its thing
I also use the Work Sharp (Ken Onion Elite) belt sharpening machine; but more to shape and bevel the blade. After that it's nothing but a series of Diamond stones for me and I finish with a two sided leather strop.
Just remember that some blade materials and the blade angles are never going to be "razor blade" sharp. You can split a hair with a Spyderco Delica or you can split a log with a Ka-Bar Becker - sharpen accordingly.
That door you just kicked in was locked for your protection - not mine.
You have heard the term, not the sharpest knife in the box, we’ll mine are the sharpest in the box. I hate using a dull knife, in fact I think your more app to get cut with a dull knife than a sharp knife.
If the knife isn’t that sharp to begin with start with a wet stone, if it’s a two sided wet stone start with the course side first. Use a circular motion on the stone on both sides of the knife, this is to get an edge, then use the smoother side to sharpen the edge, again using a circular motion. After I have it sharp I use an Arkansas soft stone, but I use a cutting oil and don’t use as much pressure on the knife, again using a circular motion. After that I will use ceramic sticks to semi polish the edge and smooth out any stone marks on the edge. I have a leather strap, but that is more to polish the edge, an works best on thinner knife blades.
Eventually you will get the knack of it with practice.
^This.^ Asked the same question here years ago and got the Lansky. The one thing I added to it is a set of the diamond stones to go with it.
Buy a copy of the book The Razor Edge Sharpening by John Juranitch. Best advice on sharpening I have ever read. Do it like he says makes an amazing edge on a knife .
I hate a stone. For me, it’s a diamond sharpener. The kind with a coarse side and a fine side. Coarse first, and then just touch it up with the fine side, and can get some really good results.
Been using one for quite a while, almost fool proof.
Almost blasphemy but the cheap harbour freight 4 sided diamond sharpening stones are actually decent . I have tons of more expensive natural and artificial stones and hones but these actually do a pretty good job . My favorite is a small 2 x 6 inch stone from my Father . It is a very soft almost talcum powder soft stone . Does a great job of final finishing of an edge. Never been able to find another one like it .
Should have asked before - are you asking about a specific knife (blade)? Some blade shapes and angles demand different sharpening techniques.
That door you just kicked in was locked for your protection - not mine.
I spent a month in high school agricultural mechanics learning to sharpening edged tools. A 17-1/2 degree angle between tool and stone will get you an edge that will shave the hair off your arm.
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If you can sharpen one of these, you're an expert.
@KenK/84Bravo said it best - "Keeping them Sharp is the key". That also includes maintaining the correct angle.
If you are sharpening kitchen cutlery then 16 - 20 degrees is generally recommend. Pocket (utility) and hunting knifes tend to have a 20 -22 degree edge if used as a cutter or skinner. Your typical Bushcraft / survival knife will have a 22 to 27 degree angle so the edge is not as razor sharp, but very durable. Once you move into machetes and cleavers you find a 22 - 34 degree works best.
That door you just kicked in was locked for your protection - not mine.
I have a three stone tri angle set and a crossed 2 stick ceramic set.
I have also bought nice electric sharpeners in the past. I won't do that again.
A diamond file works for me. They come course, medium and fine.
I learned to use a stone in Boy Scouts nearly 50 years ago. I have a Lansky, but still prefer my stones. I finish with Arkansas stones and a piece of an old leather belt mounted on a board.
At one point in my life, I made my living with a knife. At the time we sharpened our own knives with a tri stone. I only used the coursest stone on new knives to get it in shape. I used a smooth steel to touch it it up between hams. Believe me, a noob learned quickly what it took to keep a sharp knife or their hands, wrists and shoulders went to hell in a hurry.
thank you. I have been using oil
That is the one I bought at a show, because my friend recommended it to me. That is the one I cannot use at all. He makes it work just fine. 🤬
Buck 110
To keep your stone from clogging up with small metal fragments, which makes the sharpening properties of the abrasive grains much less effective, you can use either oil or water on a benchstone prior to sharpening. Water is less messy, but we recommend using oil as it is more effective than water at keeping the stones from loading.
A Guide to Benchstones: Sharpening Stone FAQs - Norton
Don
Nice folder. The 110 uses a 420 High Carbon stainless that is generally considered a soft steel. Be gentle sharpening it as you can remove a lot of material without much effort. Being a softer steel you can get it super sharp, but it won't hold an edge, if you get it that sharp. One trick, when sharpening 420 stainless is to take extra care to maintain the same angle while sharpening. If you allow the angle to fluctuate, even a little bit, you'll end up with a rounded edge.
That door you just kicked in was locked for your protection - not mine.
Yer pullin' our leg right? I kin sharpin a knife on my boot, a piece of paper or a chunk of wood. Slow down and take yer time.
MPistone nailed it. I carried a Buck 110 from the age of 12 unit I lost it somewhere 30 years later. Sharpened as necessary with oil on a tri-stone set up. Had take probably 1/4” off the blade by the end, but maintaining a constant angle during each stroke is key. Note that the angle of the handle will change as you rotate through the curve of the blade as you maintain that constant angle between the blade and stone.
Brad Steele