Best sharpening stone for 1095

B

Blackie Scantling

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Dec 26, 2013
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I think I found a technique to freehand sharpen my ESEE and want know whats the best stone, diamond, wet stone or other. I want it to be dual sided, one 400 and the other fine. I'd like to keep it S and S, one stone to carry in a backpack for field sharpening rather than a bag of stones or a sharpening gadget assembly.
 
That's like asking what the best knife is. There's no real answer. Besides that, a dual sided Norton India oil stone will serve all your needs for a good price:thumbup:

Edit: What do you mean by keep it s and s?
 
I use a dual grit India Oil Stone for my Beckers and I guess I would use it for my ESEE. It leaves a slightly toothy edge which is a good everyday use sharpness. I also have DMT bench stones in varying grits that I use for knives.
 
There is an entire section devoted to these questions FYI:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/794-Maintenance-Tinkering-amp-Embellishment

On average 1095 is going to be softer than most stainless steels, so you can use everything from a wicked edge to the bottom of an old coffee mug to sharpen it with. Your technique will have just as much if not more impact on the edge as the media you chose to use. I also see more people complaining about difficulty in sharpening stainless than carbon, so not so simple it would seem.
 
Compact double sided stone for sharpening 1095? That seems to be the perfect application for the Spyderco "Double Stuff" double sided med/fine ceramic (303MF). 5x1x1/4" and comes in a nice little leather pouch that you could put stropping compound on. I do not have one; however, I sharpen my 1095 blades almost exclusively on a Spyderco ultrafine ceramic stone. In combination with a strop, that single stone pretty much covers all of my 1095 sharpening. I cannot imagine you'd need anything more unless you planned on reprofiling it.
 
False Cast said:
Compact double sided stone for sharpening 1095? That seems to be the perfect application for the Spyderco "Double Stuff" double sided med/fine ceramic (303MF). 5x1x1/4" and comes in a nice little leather pouch that you could put stropping compound on. I do not have one; however, I sharpen my 1095 blades almost exclusively on a Spyderco ultrafine ceramic stone. In combination with a strop, that single stone pretty much covers all of my 1095 sharpening. I cannot imagine you'd need anything more unless you planned on reprofiling it.
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Bingo. "The Double Stuff is a 303F and 303M bonded together and packaged in a leather pouch..."

I assume 303M means Medium (more of that code language) and 303F id Fine.

Curious what the M is equal to compared to say 400 sandpaper? I just got my ESEE-4 shaving sharp using 400 grit on a desk top as opposed to having a mouse pad underneath. With a Sharpie marking the edge, I was able to put exact point load on sections of the blade starting from the tip. I finished on a dry, leather belt strop.
 
I am not an expert but I would go with tue double stuff like other have suggested... Here is a video I did showing one...

[video=youtube_share;XwUg7EGDFnw]http://youtu.be/XwUg7EGDFnw[/video]

You could also looked and the Work Sharp Field Sharpener...

[video=youtube_share;3GVKrWLaumo]http://youtu.be/3GVKrWLaumo[/video]
 
If one already has the Sharpmaker, since the stones are the same as the Double Stuff, is the Sharpmaker just as effective if you use the stones flat on the underside?
 
Falkniven DC4 is a good field sharpener, once worn in will get hair shaving but thats about it, I think the finer side is about 1k in japanese rating.
 
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Out of all the sharpening equipment I have which is a pretty short list diamonds, norton economy india and silicon carbide I find norton india works best for my softer steels. With that in mind I have no issue with siding with everyone else when they say pick up a norton india combo stone. It just works and it works dang good.
 
I think I'm going to try the India Combo as some have suggested. I got good results finally with sandpaper and a Sharpie but now I've got sheets of half used sandpaper of varying grits mixed in with new of unknown grits piled on a desk and laying on the floor...who needs that? Thats C and S (code for Complicated and Stupid).

Plus, when dressing game such as feral hogs in the field for a guest hunter it looks more cool to lay a classic whetstone stone on the tailgate of a truck then set up a Sharpmaker for resharpening.

I have to ask, what about the stones with the screen of diamond on it?
 
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Blackie Scantling said:
I think I'm going to try the India Combo as some have suggested. I got good results finally with sandpaper and a Sharpie but now I've got sheets of half used sandpaper of varying grits mixed in with new of unknown grits piled on a desk and laying on the floor...who needs that? Thats C and S (code for Complicated and Stupid).

Plus, when dressing game such as feral hogs in the field for a guest hunter it looks more cool to lay a classic whetstone stone on the tailgate of a truck then set up a Sharpmaker for resharpening.

I have to ask, what about the stones with the screen of diamond on it?
Click to expand...

For a blend of classic whetstone and sandpaper, you could take a look at the sharpening block I sell through the link below in my signature. For field work it has the advantage of not needing any sort of oil, just an old eraser or crepe rubber if its going to be a bigger job. Is light weight and very versatile - at home anywhere. It does a great job in a number of ways that are not common to other means - is way more than just a block to wrap sandpaper around.

For a combination stone I'd use silicon carbide over an India stone, as the India will plug and glaze if used too much with no lube. The SiC stone will too, but is much more tolerant and restores itself with a bit of use after the fact as long as some oil is used. Diamond plates are a good choice as well, though I don't like using them much they are effective.

Martin
 
HeavyHanded said:
For a combination stone I'd use silicon carbide over an India stone, as the India will plug and glaze if used too much with no lube. The SiC stone will too, but is much more tolerant and restores itself with a bit of use after the fact as long as some oil is used. Diamond plates are a good choice as well, though I don't like using them much they are effective.

Martin
Click to expand...

You also sharpen knives by putting silicon carbide compound on the norton? First time I'm hearing of this method. What grit do you use on the india stone?
 
I like India stones for carbon steel, but they do require oil or kerosene to keep from plugging up. A combo fine India stone is excellent and inexpensive. The advantage of the Spyderco ceramic stones is that they can be used dry. I would get two stones, one for home use and one for the field, with the small Spyderco for the field, and a larger combo India stone for home.
 
jcmv4792 said:
You also sharpen knives by putting silicon carbide compound on the norton? First time I'm hearing of this method. What grit do you use on the india stone?
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I'd use silicon carbide over an India stone
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Should have been more clear, I meant I'd choose a stone made from silicon carbide vs the durable aluminum oxide of the India stone. ACE, Sears, Home Depot, all carry SiC stones, some in smaller "pocket" sizes. The silicon carbide is more friable, and if it becomes impacted with swarf etc it can be restored fairly easily just by using a handful of times with a bunch of oil. The India will slowly plug and glaze over time and need to be lapped to restore good function.
 
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