Best sharpening method

[etwinam]

I have 4 stones ranging from 400 to 8000 grit but I want to get the sharpmaker since I have recently picked up two 3 recurve blades that flat stones won't work on... I'm thinking of a sharpmaker next for them.

[DolphinFan]

Look for a sale on the Ken Onion WorkSharp knife sharpener.

[Zimbo]

Many years ago I bought a lansky with extra stones. It did a decent job but I got tired of having to use the clamp and the mess of the oil. I then bought the Spyderco sharpmaker which I have used for about 20 years to which I recently added the CBN rods.

I got a bee in my bonnet and decide to look at freehand sharpening. After lots of agonizing I bought the IB8 Norton combo India stone figuring that it's cheap enough to see if I was able to freehand. It took some time but I seem to have got it right using small amounts of mineral oil.

I then made a couple of strops, one smooth side up and one rough side up with green compound. I was happy with the results but found the edges a little toothy. Again I agonized forever before buying the 2k Shapton Pro KO703 hoping that it was not too much of a jump from the India stone. Taking the knives from the India stone to this and then to the strop has made a huge difference to the quality of the edges.

I also recently made a huge 12" bench strop with rubber base that also made stropping easier then the paddle strop.

[saki302]

The edge pro is great, especially if you want to try different edge angles.

It also lets you sharpen tired, without good focus

[MeatyMac]

Many years ago I bought a lansky with extra stones. It did a decent job but I got tired of having to use the clamp and the mess of the oil. I then bought the Spyderco sharpmaker which I have used for about 20 years to which I recently added the CBN rods.

I got a bee in my bonnet and decide to look at freehand sharpening. After lots of agonizing I bought the IB8 Norton combo India stone figuring that it's cheap enough to see if I was able to freehand. It took some time but I seem to have got it right using small amounts of mineral oil.

I then made a couple of strops, one smooth side up and one rough side up with green compound. I was happy with the results but found the edges a little toothy. Again I agonized forever before buying the 2k Shapton Pro KO703 hoping that it was not too much of a jump from the India stone. Taking the knives from the India stone to this and then to the strop has made a huge difference to the quality of the edges.

I also recently made a huge 12" bench strop with rubber base that also made stropping easier then the paddle strop.

I've always stopped on leather but last week I tried a rubber infused cork strop with a dried liquid green emulsion compound and it's better than leather...Not much better, just a little, but it might be the liquid emulsion compound, I want to try it on a leather strop but I'll need to get a new strop to do it.

Have you ever tried Flitz liquid polish on a leather strop? It really shines up the edge...

Let me ask this as a follow up: what's your standard for sharpness? I can get decent steel like 154cm to shave my arm hair and go through relatively taut magazine paper. All of that's to say I think I'm decent with a whet stone but no doubt could improve.

I rarely sharpen to 'Scary Sharp" but when I do I finish with a ~ 8000 grit natural Japanese wet stone and a strop.

Switch to newspaper...Take a full two-sided sheet of newspaper and cut it onto 4 squares about 18" x 14", when you can cut 2" sections off the 14" side in one stroke with a 10" Chef's you have a sharp *** knife, when you can slice off 2" sections of the 18" side in one stroke w/a 10" Chef's you have a sharper knife...Approaching Scary Sharp...

I'm not sure how to test "Scary Sharp”, it has a feel when you move your thumb perpendicularly across it, gives me the "Scary Sharp" willies sometimes...


Mac

[Zimbo]

Hi Mac.
I have not tried flitz but will give it a try. I have plenty of strops!
I do prep the leather before making a strop. Wetting it, rolling it for 5 or 6 minutes and then letting it dry. It really firms up the leather and supposedly brings the natural silicates to the surface.
Right now I can get a very reflective edge just going from he 2k stone to the strops.

I look forward to trying out your newspaper tests.

[MeatyMac]

The edge pro is great, especially if you want to try different edge angles.

It also lets you sharpen tired, without good focus

What's the set-up like? Do you soak the stones before using or apply water while moving the stone over the edge or do you use an oil?

[tomk556]

I've always stopped on leather but last week I tried a rubber infused cork strop with a dried liquid green emulsion compound and it's better than leather...Not much better, just a little, but it might be the liquid emulsion compound, I want to try it on a leather strop but I'll need to get a new strop to do it.

Have you ever tried Flitz liquid polish on a leather strop? It really shines up the edge...






I rarely sharpen to 'Scary Sharp" but when I do I finish with a ~ 8000 grit natural Japanese wet stone and a strop.

Switch to newspaper...Take a full two-sided sheet of newspaper and cut it onto 4 squares about 18" x 14", when you can cut 2" sections off the 14" side in one stroke with a 10" Chef's you have a sharp *** knife, when you can slice off 2" sections of the 18" side in one stroke w/a 10" Chef's you have a sharper knife...Approaching Scary Sharp...

I'm not sure how to test "Scary Sharpe", it has a feel when you move your thumb perpendicularly across it, gives me the "Scary Sharp" willies sometimes...


Mac

Interesting, thanks. I tried it and goes pretty well to 18" but no perfectly. I haven't figured out how to finish mine with the 8000 grit (mine might be 6000). What's the difference you see after you do the final honing on the 8000 or strop? I do some passes and I want to say the edge looks brighter, but I don't know that it cuts any better.

[MeatyMac]

Interesting, thanks. I tried it and goes pretty well to 18" but no perfectly. I haven't figured out how to finish mine with the 8000 grit (mine might be 6000). What's the difference you see after you do the final honing on the 8000 or strop? I do some passes and I want to say the edge looks brighter, but I don't know that it cuts any better.

The edge hairs are so small after using a 8000 grit wet stone the strop isn't doing much if anything at all, but I still do it...

So if I'm going for "Scary Sharp" I'll use the ultra fine stones on the Spiderco Sharpmaker, then a 5000 grit wet stone then a 8000 wet stone then strop. The difference after using the 5000 & 8000 grit stones is newspaper folds away like butter, the cut is effortless without any slight jerks, it's a small difference but it's noticeable.

For those in the Bay Area I highly recommend Josh Donald's sharpening classes at Bernal Cutlery in San Francisco. Josh is a master knife sharpener, he wrote a great book on the subject called "Sharp: The Definitive Introduction to Knives, Sharpening, and Cutting Techniques", he sells it on his Website.

Here's Josh's sharpening class schedule, https://bernalcutlery.com/classes


Mac

[J.R.W.]

I have been using a gatco edgemate system .& am really happy with it's consistency on a lot of different quality of blades .
Over the years I have lost my knack for sharpening with a stone .

[tomk556]

The edge hairs are so small after using a 8000 grit wet stone the strop isn't doing much if anything at all, but I still do it...

So if I'm going for "Scary Sharp" I'll use the ultra fine stones on the Spiderco Sharpmaker, then a 5000 grit wet stone then a 8000 wet stone then strop. The difference after using the 5000 & 8000 grit stones is newspaper folds away like butter, the cut is effortless without any slight jerks, it's a small difference but it's noticeable.

For those in the Bay Area I highly recommend Josh Donald's sharpening classes at Bernal Cutlery in San Francisco. Josh is a master knife sharpener, he wrote a great book on the subject called "Sharp: The Definitive Introduction to Knives, Sharpening, and Cutting Techniques", he sells it on his Website.

Here's Josh's sharpening class schedule, https://bernalcutlery.com/classes


Mac

Ah I think I've heard of him before. Maybe I'll spend an evening there some time- I am cautious about sharpening my japanese knives.=. I'll keep playing with my finer grit stone and see what I can figure out. One of my problems is I'll get bored and sharpen some pos throwing knife or something and expect halfway decent results haha.

[MeatyMac]

So this knife, my wife's knife, it has her initials in the handle rivets, it's old J.A. Henckels before Zwilling got ahold of them, it was given to her in culinary school in '84, it's the sharpest western knife in our block, really scary sharp...



I hold the print with all my fingers and pinch the paper with my index finger and thumb next to where I start the slice, when it starts I don't have to move it much, it slices through the 21" length quickly, the 8" slicer passes through in one pass, no sawing.





Rubberized cork strop from Bernal Cutlery (I am not affiliated with them, just a customer)

[Fjold]

I bought a Lansky set over 20 years ago and never felt that it needed to be replaced.

[tomk556]

So this knife, my wife's knife, it has her initials in the handle rivets, it's old J.A. Henckels before Zwilling got ahold of them, it was given to her in culinary school in '84, it's the sharpest western knife in our block, really scary sharp...



I hold the print with all my fingers and pinch the paper with my index finger and thumb next to where I start the slice, when it starts I don't have to move it much, it slices through the 21" length quickly, the 8" slicer passes through in one pass, no sawing.




Rubberized cork strop from Bernal Cutlery (I am not affiliated with them, just a customer)

Ahh okay, we're in business. I did a quick few passes with my 1000 grit and then about a minute on the side with a 6000 grit. I'm never good at starting the cuts, but once it grabs it'll go through the whole length with minimal moving (like an inch of blade). I'll have to read up on strops.

Appreciate the write ups and the proof of concept. I read about how people don't feel comfortable getting the angle by hand, or whatever, and always wondered if I was missing something. I'm sure I can improve my angle, but good to know I'm not in left field.

[MeatyMac]

Ah I think I've heard of him before. Maybe I'll spend an evening there some time- I am cautious about sharpening my japanese knives.=. I'll keep playing with my finer grit stone and see what I can figure out. One of my problems is I'll get bored and sharpen some pos throwing knife or something and expect halfway decent results haha.

I've taken the first two of his sharpening classes, they're a lot of fun. I will go back for the Deba single bevel class as soon as he schedules a date for it.

I have yet to purchase my first Japanese style knife, I'm still researching which one I want first, I'm leaning towards a 240mm WA-GYUTO.

Ahh okay, we're in business. I did a quick few passes with my 1000 grit and then about a minute on the side with a 6000 grit. I'm never good at starting the cuts, but once it grabs it'll go through the whole length with minimal moving (like an inch of blade). I'll have to read up on strops.

Appreciate the write ups and the proof of concept. I read about how people don't feel comfortable getting the angle by hand, or whatever, and always wondered if I was missing something. I'm sure I can improve my angle, but good to know I'm not in left field.

For 45 years I've pursued the knife, for the past 7-months I've pursued the 'crazy sharp' edge. Applying the right angle is important, but learning the feel of the edge as it progresses to sharpness, not just across the top, but up the sides, is key, you want each side to be equal as you run your thumb up the side looking for any curl and trying to get rid of it. When I think it's sharp I wet my thumb and run it over the edge's top, if it still feels sharp when my thumb is wet I know I'm on the right track; water feels different than spit, spit's too smooth, I use water to wet my thumb.