Best way to sharpen a knife

J

jonsforeal

Joined
May 28, 2009
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So I'm trying to figure out the best way to sharpen a knife. I'm think about buying a Lansky sharpening system, but they offer it in differant types of stone. I really dont know what the differance is between all these stone and I have know idea what works best. I was thinking about getting the arkansas stones. What do you guys think?
 
What type of steel will you be sharpening? Does the blade have a recurve to it? Are you planning to stick with the factory bevels, or do you plan on altering them?
 
it really depends on -you- different systems work for different people, also keeping in mind what SPX said you may need some special hardwear and or a specific sharpening set.

However, I would recomend trying the Lansky system (it's what I use and it works great) or the spyderco sharpmaker, which i'v never used, but it's a popular choice for people learning how to sharpen.
 
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I plan on getting here soon a SOG Seal pup Elite and its made of AUS 8. I also have a case knife, and a Gerber fairbairn applegate. I have know idea what kind of steel is used in these knives, I'm sure its stainless of some sort.
 
There is no best way to sharpen a knife, many people here go through phases where they discover new sharpening equipment till they find the right sharpening system that works for them.

A lansky jig sharpener is decent and will work for small pocket knives for putting a working edge on, you should also consider the DMT magna-guide which is very similar but uses diamond abrasives and is a little more pricey, another option would be a spyderco sharpmaker, it works well for touchups and is pretty much fool proof.
 
convex seems to combine good sharpness with durability, and can be easily learned.
 
I like my DMT benchstones. And if you need a guide, get the DMT Aligner clamp with them (you can get the clamp separately).
 
I have to suggest the Sharpmaker to learn the basics on. It's very easy to use and the ceramic (especially the ultra-fine) leaves a great edge. With the Sharpmaker, you can experiment with different edge angles and finishes to find out what you like most.

If you then wish to progress to benchstones, you'll have all of the basics figured out.
 
Just got this system and after a little practice it is very easy and quick.
 
I like knives sharp but am a lazy sharpener, so I keep it simple. I use Edge Pro when knives are very dull(to reprofile) and Sharpmaker to keep them up.
 
The knives you're getting are made of regular steel (as opposed to "super steel"). I always believe in starting simple and cheap, so Arkansas bench stones will work just fine for you.

Once you learned the proper way to sharpen your knife, there are many different options out there.
- If you're only interested in keeping a sharp edge and maybe increase it a little, you can get Spyderco Sharpmaker.
- If you want to actually increase the sharpness by reprofiling the edge angle, there are Paper wheel, Edge Pro Apex, Japanese water stones, DMT, and Lansky systems. To get a convex edge you need a mouse pad or leather strop and a whole set of sandpapers.

My personal preference is DMT Aligner because:
- It's made of diamond, so it will have no problem working on super steels. Because diamond is the hardest natural material, it's the fastest cutting of all material.
- DMT is the standard of quality for diamond stones against which everything else is compared to.
- It's a guided system, so I'm guaranteed to get a consistent angle.
- It has the widest range of grit of any diamond system, from extra extra fine (3 micron) to extra extra coarse (120 micron). The coarsest grit is currently the fastest manual way of reprofiling an edge, while the finest grit is comparable to the finest Japanese water stone and gives me a hair splitting edge.
- It has a special accessory rod to work with serrated edge. It's also the only diamond system with a curved stone designed to sharpen recurved blades.
- An adequate DMT Aligner system (6 stones and 1 rod) is half the price of Edge Pro Apex 4, and only slightly more expensive than Spyderco Sharpmaker plus ultra fine rods.
- It's quite compact. The entire system will fit in your coat pocket.
 
DMT Diafold, coarse/fine (blue/red), or a DMT Diasharp bench stone with blue/red and some practice is all you need to sharpen almost anything other than serrations/recurves.

I've messed with a number of the "systems," and finally just decided to learn to freehand. It was worth it.

If you want an extra polished edge for push-cutting, you can finish with an extra fine ceramic stone or charged leather strop. A diafold will fit in your back pocket, and you can sharpen any time anywhere.
 
i didnt have very good results with the lansky system, its hard to keep the steel rods straight in my opinion which can change the angle every time you switch to a dif stone
 
While it's true that different people have different preferences, I truly believe that freehand sharpening is the only way to go, I use a coarse DMT, a med. Spyderco alumina ceramic, and finish off with a fine Spyderco alumina ceramic. The alumina ceramic stones are amazingly smooth, and require no lubrication. Freehand sharpening requires no set-up time, and you can do it anywhere. Do yourself a favor and learn it now, I promise, you'll never be sorry you did. Many of us here can help you through the learning curve too. Good luck in your decision, I hope this helped.
 
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