Sharpening options? ...

[speedmaster]

What do you guys recommend for affordable sharpening?

[chuck_roxas45]

mousepad and sandpaper seems to be the cheapest. Sharpmaker seems to me to be the easiest to learn to use effectively for "Sharpening Challenged" individuals like me.

[bowarrow2000]

DMT benchstone or some of the other DMT products. The Sharpmaker is fine for maintaining a sharp edge.

[VashHash]

I prefer to freehand and i prefer the DMT stones as well. I drop things and i'm pretty hard on stuff. The DMT stones can be dropped without breaking. ceramic isn't so break resistant. I usually use the 4" pocket whetstone it comes with a leather sheath and fits nicely in the pocket. I prefer the coarse stone because it allows me to sharpen quickly and still get a razor edge on any steel.

[henk1966]

Sharpmaker works for me

[ChapmanPreferred]

For hand powered sharpening, I would go for the Sharpmaker if it was within my price range with the add on 204D rods. If not, then I would probably use sandpaper on plate glass and an old leather belt with some hardware store rouge or mothers mag polish for stropping until I could afford the Sharpmaker with diamond rods.

[Kuolema]

For hand powered sharpening, I would go for the Sharpmaker if it was within my price range with the add on 204D rods. If not, then I would probably use sandpaper on plate glass and an old leather belt with some hardware store rouge or mothers mag polish for stropping until I could afford the Sharpmaker with diamond rods.

+1

That's definitely your best bet. The SM with Diamond rods will sharpen any knife you could ever need to sharpen.

[FarmerSteve]

I'm still learning how to sharpen. I've found the sharpmaker is great for putting an edge on a knife, but make sure you don't drag the tip across the rods while sharpening. I found this out the hard way, but as long as you're careful, you'll be able to get a razor edge on just about any knife. I've been using the stones on the bottom of the sharpmaker as a bench stone recently. Like I said I'm still learning, but the sharpmaker is so versitle you can use the V's or do it the old fashioned way.

[nozh2002]

Sharpmaker is starting point for me as well as for many. I switch to DMT and Green Rouge, but many continue to use sharpmaker and learn how to do hair whittling sharpness too.

As yo may see here:

http://playground.sun.com/~vasya/SharpeningRecords.html

So Sharpmaker is enough to sharpen by anyone even new to sharpening (as I was few years ago, before found Sharpmaker) from first attempt knife with good edge (all Spyderco knives have excellent edge out of the box) to shaving sharpness - this is well documented fact, I almost cry when I did it first myself and this kind of emotions are common for someone who experience Sharpmaker first. it is just too shocking easy!

And with some patience and learning it is enough to shave very hair itself.

So I would recommend for anyone who never sharpen before to start with Sharpmaker.

Thanks, Vassili.

[unit]

I bet the Sharpmaker is probably Spyderco's best selling product when it comes to knife sharpening. It certainly is one of the most recommended "systems" on practically every knife-related forums I have seen. There is a good reason for that.

The thing I like best about it and the reason I recommend it, is because of its versatility. I felt like I "grew" into a free hand sharpener after learning from a "system". The Sharpmaker allows such "growth" by morphing from a V-sharpener into a bench stone so that you can learn free-hand sharpening (without buying extra gear).

The whole thing is really pack-able if you want to take it along on a camping trip, or if you are traveling really light you can just take a rod or two along. I often use a Sharpmaker rod freehand to touch up an edge. Check my videos below if you want to see.

[thebestnoobcake]

For the ability to get insanely sharp on a budget, you will need the following items:
☺ Wet/dry SiC sandpaper 800 - 2000 grit
☺ Something flat and hard; glass or a tile will do
☺ Something flat but yielding; leather, vinyl
☺ Stropping compound
☺ Water

To keep a bevelled edge, wet your flat surface and stick sandpaper onto it. Hold the blade so that the blade bevel contacts the sandpaper and away you go.

For a convex edge, just put your leather or whatever on top of your hard surface and start sharpening!

All up, you should be able to get the sandpaper and a large stick of compound for < $15.

This method has been working for me for years! (and it's really cheap)

[chuck_roxas45]

For the ability to get insanely sharp on a budget, you will need the following items:
☺ Wet/dry SiC sandpaper 800 - 2000 grit
☺ Something flat and hard; glass or a tile will do
☺ Something flat but yielding; leather, vinyl
☺ Stropping compound
☺ Water

To keep a bevelled edge, wet your flat surface and stick sandpaper onto it. Hold the blade so that the blade bevel contacts the sandpaper and away you go.

For a convex edge, just put your leather or whatever on top of your hard surface and start sharpening!

All up, you should be able to get the sandpaper and a large stick of compound for < $15.

This method has been working for me for years! (and it's really cheap)

sounds easy too! it's not. :D

[shouse]

For the ability to get insanely sharp on a budget, you will need the following items:
☺ Wet/dry SiC sandpaper 800 - 2000 grit
☺ Something flat and hard; glass or a tile will do
☺ Something flat but yielding; leather, vinyl
☺ Stropping compound
☺ Water

To keep a bevelled edge, wet your flat surface and stick sandpaper onto it. Hold the blade so that the blade bevel contacts the sandpaper and away you go.

For a convex edge, just put your leather or whatever on top of your hard surface and start sharpening!

All up, you should be able to get the sandpaper and a large stick of compound for < $15.

This method has been working for me for years! (and it's really cheap)

I LIKE IT! But I use Japanese whetstones (prob the most expensive option though)

[thebestnoobcake]

I LIKE IT! But I use Japanese whetstones (prob the most expensive option though)

Before I found out that I could get a perfectly INSANE edge with the old wet/dry and a strop, I spent ages on the forums, agonising over which wetstone I should fork out my hard earned (student and can only work 3 hrs a week) cash for. On top of that, I have to pay quite a fair bit to ship a rock from the US all the way down under (Melbourne).

btw in the end I haven't gotten one.. yet