How do you sharpen?

[thebestnoobcake]

I just touched up my blades yesterday and as I sat there slowly grinding away, I began to wonder how other people sharpen their knives.

Personally, (cos I'm a cheapass =) I use sandpaper, an old broken tile and a desk lamp.

So.. how do you do it?

[The Deacon]

Considering where this is posted, I think you forgot one very important category, jigs like the Sharpmaker. To me, there's a big difference between freehand and jig sharpening, even if both ultimately involve stones.

As for me, I use DMT diamond stones.

[ozspyder]

Sharpmaker, or Byrd Duckfoot, or benchstones. All done freehand cos I'm too lazy to do to much setting up. Sharpmaker is about the only thing that is closest to setting up and doing properly hence why I don't use it as often as the Duckfoot.

[thebestnoobcake]

gaah! I forgot the sharpmaker! I counted the right number of spots for the poll.. and then had to go elsewhere and ... forgot .. so I listed "magic" as an option =p

[bh49]

Sharpmaker. It was the first Spyderco I ever bought.

[2cha]

+1 for adding another category for jigs, seems worth it to pull that category out especially considering the host of the forum. After reading some knifemakers' comments, I recently switched from waterstones to Norton 8" x 3" oilstones. I still use either 8000 grit japanese waterstone or strop for final polish (and have on occasion added an intermediate grit waterstone into the mix). On blades with any kind of inward curve I use sharpmaker, but find benchstones faster for "normal" blades, plus I use handplanes/chisels so large benchstones just about necessary.

[2cha]

Add--I've used sandpaper spray glued onto old surfacing plate, really great for bulk sharpening chisels and plane blades with a rolling jig, 'cause the plate is big enough to mount about 8 half sheets going all the way through the grits. Never got used to it for knives.

[dsmegst]

I'm using a combination of paper wheels and the Sharpmaker.

[spoonrobot]

+Norton bench stones
+Sharpmaker
+Lansky w/diamond hones

[razorback1595]

i have a piece of leather with 400 grit sandpaper and 1500-12000 micro mesh, i use not much force on the leather wich than gives me a v edge,

[araneae]

Considering where this is posted, I think you forgot one very important category, jigs like the Sharpmaker.

Yeah, how did you forget that?

I use the sharpmaker for maintenance, the lansky for reprofiling, sand paper for polishing and touching up. And sometimes stones.

[addylo]

Sharpmaker has already been mentioned but don't forget the Lansky. May as well throw in the Edge Pro as well. All three are popular.

[kbuzbee]

I have and use at various times:

hard & soft Arkansas bench stones
Spyderco bench stones in M,F,UF
DMT diamond plates in 800/1200 &8000 grit
Sharpmaker w/ diamond/m/f/uf rods
sandpaper/films in 400, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000, 1µ, .5µ and .1µ
Pasted strop @ .5µ & .25µ
leather strop
lansky keychain sharpener
various files

Different items respond better to different media and I sharpen everything from axes to straight razors so.....

Ken

[JaM]

Depends on the knife.

Opinel and other "carbon-blades" : sandpaper.
Cheap axe: old (wet)stone
Most other knives: sharpmaker

Just bought an arkansas stone, a white one. I want to go "freehand" again, I'm practicing on my Tenacious. :)

[lilbuj]

I use

Spyderco Bench stones in M/F/UF
DMT Diamond Stones in XX Coarse / Coarse
Strops with Bark River Compounds

all of the above fit on jig I made so that the stones are held at what ever angle I set it at.

Sometimes if something is bad I will touch it up with the 1x42 Delta belt sander.

[vampyrewolf]

Lets see... what have I sharpened on...

benchstones, files, sandpaper (flat or around a dowel), dremel, 6-30" grinder, car window, coffee mug... aligned my edge with metal counter tops a few times...

My usual sharpening is done freehand with 200/300 & 500/800 stones, spydie 303mf, 2.0 (rough side) and 0.5 (smooth side) micron paste on my strop.

[JBE]

Magic!...I just send mine to Chuck Norris and have him stare at the edges.... :D


Just Kidding!

(Sorry Brad...I had to use that one!)

I use an old 203 Sharpmaker for the most part and an occasional stropping. I tried a DMT Aligner once or twice but went back to the Sharpmaker. I've also used the unglazed bottom of a ceramic coffee cup to touch up the edge when nothing else was available.

[The Mastiff]

I use DMT's mostly, freehand. I occasionally will get out a Spyderco flat bench stone, real Arkansas stones, Diamond files, sandpaper, and various strops, both loaded and clean.

Depending on the steel, hardness, geometry, and expected use I can go anywhere from 800 grit, to 8,000, plus various diamonds on the strop. I always work my way up and don't skip steps/grits

Mostly I end up around 1200-2000 grit, and from 30 degrees inclusive, down to 17-23 degrees inclusive.

I have little need for hard use knives but I have some 5160, 3V, Vascowear, L-6, 1084 and o-1 and A2 knives that go from 40-45 degrees inclusive. A couple are convex ground.

The right tool for the job when possible.

[defenestrate]

I use my sharpmaker almost exclusively on knives - on longer blades, I have some other sharpeners that are a little easier to use in the capacity but I still might touch up on the sharpmaker. I've sharpened old axes on bricks and other stones, whatever was available and shaped and textured right for the job.

[gaj999]

Edgepro to reprofile and Sharpmaker to touch up the micro-bevel. I guess I need to vote for magic.

Gordon