Spyderco Forums

I originally got into Spyderco 4+ years ago because of the out of the box sharpness and quality build for the price.

After almost 4 years of belonging and contributing/inquiring on this forum I'm finding that I can achieve most any edge I want on my own with pretty simple and affordable tools, the DMT aligner with 5 stones, Sharpmaker, and a 2u loaded strop.

Has anyone else had the same journey? Post a pic of your sharpening success........

For those who are still challenged as I once was, stick with the forum and get the right tools for you. There is a great satisfaction in making your knives sharp :D

I too followed a similar progression because of this forum.
My sharpening systems were as follows:
Gatco Guided Sharpener (with 5 grits and honing oil)
DMT Aligner (5 stones originally and now 7 stones)
Spyderco 701 profile stones (my first real experience with free-handing)
Stropman loaded strops (black and green compounds)
Spydeco 302 Benchstones (polishing my freehand skills and learning more each day)

future..... Possible Apex EP possibly.

I started out with a $20 Smith's sharpening system from Walmart. Started getting pretty decent edges with that, so after a while I jumped up to the Lansky diamond kit with a few extra high grit stones added in. After really learning the ins and outs of sharpening with that system, I took the plunge and got an Edge Pro and haven't looked back. I've spent a ridiculous amount of money on several stones for it, but have found that my favorite edge finish is a simple 400-600 grit 30 degree inclusive, then lightly micro beveled with a 16k stone. This gives a nice clean toothy edge that will push cut phone book paper and slices aggressively.

1-Smiths cheapo
2-traded a buddy his gatco 5 stone kit for a minigrip. Added a coarse diamond and ultra fine ceramic.
3-standard 2" mounted leather strop from lee valley with green compound.
Never actually tried the SM, but my gf just got a serrated df so i might bite the bullet. I tend to resharpen the entire bevel as opposed to micro beveling so i dont see much point in the SM, but who knows...maybe id like the convenience...

Ok.. :)

Started with pen sized diamond rod knowing nothin about sharpening. Then when to a warthog sharpening system. Also sucks. Maybe could get my knife sharp enough to get 2 hairs off my arm. Then went to the Edge Pro a Apex 4. Great system! Did the polishing edge thing. Whatever.. Bought a UF Spyderco stone. Great stone! Sold it :) . Decided about 6 months ago to try convexing. Glued some mousepad to some wood and banded some sand paper to it and when to work and haven't looked back.

Sharpmaker was my first Spyderco. I also got UF stones along with a base set.
After spenting couple hundreds dollars for various inexpensive reprofiling methods, I bought WE Sport & Field. Happy at this moment, especially after reprofiling my Forum Native.

I started out with a Lansky guided system, but I got so frustrated with it that I bought an Edge Pro Apex a few years ago. It works great for reprofiling, or resetting a bevel, but I find its a bit fiddly for routine touch-ups. For those jobs I added a Sharpmaker, which works really well for quick and easy touch-ups.

I have some other kit ( DMT diasharps, diafolds, profiles, strops etc) which I rarely use.

I find I normally set a bevel on the EP, and add a 30' micro bevel with the SM, and maintain that edge for a long time with the SM. Quick and easy.

In terms of sharp edges, my sharpest are Superblue or M4.

I started freehand, and still freehand. I've tried an edge pro and waterstones, but I still use sandpaper and diamond paste on paper, with sharp make medium rids for microbevels.



















Sorry about the bomb lol. All pics are sandpaper then diamond paste on paper :)

Your freehand edges are magnificent!

:)

Sometimes I wonder if the mirror finish is just for looks? I'd take ugly that cuts than Purdy. But I use mine to cut materials.

Bigwill857 wrote:Sometimes I wonder if the mirror finish is just for looks? I'd take ugly that cuts than Purdy. But I use mine to cut materials.

If you can't produce pretty edges that perform, why trash those who can?

I've been freehand sharpening since i was 10 or so. I've always gotten my edges shaving sharp. I used to use those carbide destroyer sharpeners and finish with a ceramic gas choke my father got from offshore. I sharpened with strictly ceramic for about 11 years and finally went with diamonds. I've bought some of the clamp systems but only to get the stones. I mainly use a 4-5 yr old dmt blue stone and it's worn to the point of producing a near mirror finish. It was only in the past 3-4 years that i really started changing edge angles. This produces a different kind of shaving sharp. My sharpest knife would be my ZDP-189 CF stretch which i have used several times to shave my face. I will never use a clamp system. I don't own a sharp maker and i only bought the lansky crock stick box to use the sticks on curved blades. FREE hand for life.

In general aren't mirror edges ideal for push cutting too?

I sharpen freehand on DMT stones. The ones I use are a bit small, though, so I'm going to get one or two of the large bench stones.

People, don't confuse a mirror bevel with sharpness.

In most case (technically correct), the mirror bevel is actually a relief bevel, with an actual mocro bevel on TEOTE (the edge of the edge), of whatever grit to your fancy - the micro bevel is the actual contact making cutting surface with the item to be cut.

That means that the relief/back bevel serves as thinning the blade for a better cutting performance - the micro bevel adds edge strength & durability.

In my case the actual cutting edge (micro bevel) is finished at 500# Shapton Glass stone, which is just an amazing slicer/cutter.

Just to clarify any misconceptions.....


:)

I started off the the sharpmaker and then bought a wicked edge sharpening system and I love it. I had a phase of trying to put a mirror edge on all my blades, but now I have started to stay around 400-600 grit bevel with a 1000 grit micro bevel. Love the aggressiveness of the toothy edge. I find the easiest steels to get super sharp are M4 and SuperBlue

Beautiful edges :D

Everybody is different in their edge preferences :) The process of learning through the forum with Spyderco knives is what has been most rewarding for me :) The understanding of what you're doing is the most important :) Edge independence is the most enjoyable thing for me No one has to sharpen the knives for you, rather, I sharpen their knives courtesy of Spyderco indirectly

Well, after almost 20 years sharpening knives freehand on those (still) wonderful ceramic rods I made up my mind for a step further.
I considered a couple of guided systems and finally chose Wicked Edge. I was always able produce supersharp edges but this is really frightning, how sharp you can sharpen your edges. Really fixating a knife in a good vise is whole different sharpening experience.....highly recommended, although I still sharpen convex edges freehand....

I did this one using the stock edge pro 1000 grit stone.


Native 5 S110V by senorsquare, on Flickr

It took years of practice to freehand properly, but that's the only way for me. Working in a kitchen with a big ol' stone gives you practice. Lots of it. I actually am in the minority here - I hate sharpening. I can do it well, but just don't like it.

I prefer a fine edge with a light pass at a higher angle to remove the wire edge, then a bit of a strop. Mirror edges are useless to me, except on my wood carving knives. Try sliding one of those across a rope - good luck with that, unless there're some micro teeth still on it.

I think my ZDP's are the ones that take the best edge, but I make them all sharp, or they're useless.