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Sharpening A Knife


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We have as few guys on here that make their own knifes.

And we have all seen the equipment out there on the market to sharpen them.

Im wondering how many people do it by hand.

No machines just a stone.

Has any one built something to maintain the angle while sharpening.

What do you use to sharpen the blade with.

Next what angle did you choose to use.

Its an open question to all that sharpen a knife.

Be it by machine, steel, stone, file or brick.

cheers.

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Id love to see what people come up with

should be a very interesting read.

The way I sharpen my knife is take it out of the sterile wraping and click it in :D

Although ive got another knife and i have to get a sharpener for it. was thinking a very fine steel diamond plate. (on the list of gear still to get :lol: )

i sued to use one at work to sharpen my gasket scraper.

just by hand with thin oil wd /rost off

and adjust the angle so i could see the oil mound up a bit.

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for my chisel-grind blades, i use a small hand sharpener from ebay, $10.

it has two tungsten carbide blades in a v @ 20 degrees for forming the main angle

then on opposite side it has two ceramic rods in a v for a nice smooth sharp finish

its use depends on what angle your knife blade has been cut at as the sharpener blades are non adjustable

for my convex-grind blades, i use a double sided leather strop and two stropping compounds - course and fine ($50 total off ebay)

this lets me attain the right angle by hand (usually about 15-20 degrees)

this way can take ages to get a knife sharp, but i can get a RAZOR edge on a 6mm thick camping knife (fallkniven s1)

for your info - drag the knife along the leather, spine first, so you dont cut the leather to pieces

if u want more info on this ask away...

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I got a broom out and found bits of the prototype lol.

Thats what got me to start this thread.

Im about to make the real deal and i thought i would just ask what others have and so.

Already tika has come up with the same angle that i use 15deg.

Also 600 grit was mentioned, thats what i use prior to stone.

Im real curious to see if any one has made up something thats easy to use and friendly to fingers.

fenring how do you maintain the right angle?

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I made this jig a couple of years back for sharpening kitchen knives and machettes. I have been planning to make a better one with rollers and proper clamps as i have a milling machine now but it does the job for now. I use a lansky sharpener with diamond stones for smaller knives.

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aahh right'o

I saw an add in the recent deer hunting austrlia mag im pretty sure and theres a good looking sharpener.

dont know who makes it but its the same system as yours.

with and angle gauge and a clamp to hold the knife running on a pivot thingamybob.

i'll try to find it and get the name for some ideas

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I do it by stone (a soft Washita stone) by feel and then finish off on a leather strop impregnated with fine valve grinding paste. Gets them shaving sharp.

Do you have any idea what angle you run them along the stone at?

I am experimenting myself but yet to find the right angle.

Edited by ShadowAssassin
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Life is too short for some long technique. If the edge is really gone I just grind it up by hand on a wet carborundum stone coarse then fine , end off with a few carving edge slicing type strokes then dress it up a bit more on a steel.

When it got a bit blunt in the field I would dress it up again on the steel . Sometimes you can dress up your knife a bit on a Roos foot pad as it acts like a strop.

My Roo knife has the steel built into the sheath on special ferrules so you can actually dress it up as you go without needing to take the steel out but eventually at some point you have to go back to the stone .

Lots of different ways to sharpen an edge. For a skinning knife I like a sharp mostly non feathered edge but for cutting through meat I like the feathered edge of a steel or diamond steel.

Edited by Happy Jack
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For me i use 15 deg some guys use 20, or in between. And to get the 15 deg i use a magnetic protractor to set it up. I found this angle in the Engineers hand book. (BIBLE)

Your invention is pretty much the same as mine Shadow/A.

Its the same principle.

A clamp like yours but i use a ball joint with a bit of SS bar through it.

I was toying with the idea of using a good pair of plate vice grips with the ball joint mounted on them, may still do on type 3.

Right now its mounted to a piece of hard wood 75x19.

I also use diamond stones however the new stones are in a block with one on each side of a different sized grit, off ebay cheap.

All i do is rest the block on the knife and hold the diamond block to the SS bar.

Like you i can also sharpen a 400mm length blade.

The ball joint lets me maintain the angle and in any direction the same angle over the full length.

I also use a spray of kero on the blade while working it.

Any other inventions out there boys?

Good one S/A

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I do all sharpening by hand, on a stone with a bit of motor oil for primary sharpening, then maintain the edge with a steel.

The angle i use? no idea, i just keep sharpening until the knife will dry shave the hairs off my arms.

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not one mention of those electronic sharpeners, i'll just keep using the stone

+1, slaving over a stone is not too bad a way to spend a day thats no good for shooting. ;)

Edited by ShadowAssassin
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I do all sharpening by hand, on a stone with a bit of motor oil for primary sharpening, then maintain the edge with a steel.

The angle i use? no idea, i just keep sharpening until the knife will dry shave the hairs off my arms.

+1 .

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I use one of these units.. smithsedge.com/products/product.asp?id=32&cid=21

I grew up sharpening my knives on a stone. This was a ethical decision for me :unsure: Giving away the old method for a modern, quick and effective method. I tell you what I dont look back every time I use it. Its awesome! Will be hiding it from any future off spring.. they can learn the hard way ^_^

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LOL ok you guys that just keep going till you can shave your arm.

I use a bit of spit to help.

Now be honest, how many of you roll the edge over and break it off?

Now i say that because its a problem of mine, and you can see the edge flopping about.

And there lies the reason why i sharpen to 15 deg.

You dont roll the edge over.

I can still shave with it in fact i can strip off 1mm strips of paper from an A4, with no fury bits on the cut. They will cut through under their own weight.

Now who rolls the edge over, i do if i dont control the angle.

Nice bit of gear Cam but a bit iffy mate.

I think mine cost me 20 bucks lol. :thumbsu:

And the diamonds come with a free carbide sharpener.

Which i used for the first time in my life on a brand new knife.

The bloody thing works it can even strip off paper.

Im not into powered sharpeners. Im after the home brew stuff.

Keep it coming boys.

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