Buck Sharpening Methods

David Martin said:
At shows over a weekend of sharpening I may sharpen 50 knives. Of those maybe 1 will have s30v steel. A better steel. And not many stand and watch what I do. I take their name, knife, make & model. And I usually go home with a knife or 2 that the owner never came back. I may carry it for a year or 2 until the owner shows back up to claim it and pay me.
Now, ladies will come and hand me all their kitchen knives. And I will bet you my boots they will always come back for them. They don't dicker on the price. They are just sooo glad to find someone who will sharpen them. Scissors too. DM
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at your shows sharpening, Sir, ya use this method below quoted......

David Martin said:
A good idea..
I sharpen most all my knives on bench stones, starting on a coarse SiC stone. Then finish on the fine at 3-400 grit. For the vanadium steels I'll finish it on the fine diamond (maybe).
On kitchen knives I'll finish those on the fine India. DM
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On the coarse stone ( which is the most important stone) I set the edge angle and work most of the burr off. On the finer stone I work the rest of the burr off and give the edge SOME refinement. DM
 
When sharpening serrated blades this is one method you can handle them. Not my preferred but it will get it touched up. Take the knife to your fine stone, 300 grit and lay it on the flat side of the blade. Not on the scalloped side and rub it on the stone with no spine lift. As you rub keep your finger tips pressed on the scallops. This will remove burrs on the scallops and get it back in a working order. DM
 
The other manner I sharpen serrated blades is with a conical diamond rod. I work it in each scallop. Not just sharpening in the scallops but each point on the sides. Tedious, yes. But this helps the blade to cut better and last longer than the other method. It helps if you lay the blade flat on the edge of a table and work each scallop, looking down on it. For this I use a head light and a visor with magnification. Not for a beginner. DM
 
David Martin said:
The other manner I sharpen serrated blades is with a conical diamond rod. I work it in each scallop. Not just sharpening in the scallops but each point on the sides. Tedious, yes. But this helps the blade to cut better and last longer than the other method. It helps if you lay the blade flat on the edge of a table and work each scallop, looking down on it. For this I use a head light and a visor with magnification. Not for a beginner. DM
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A dremel with the appropriate size round diamond bit works great for this as well.
 
In the early 1980's I liked to go across the Rio Grande at El Paso and spend the day on the plaza in ciudad Juarez, Mex.. There was all sorts of things going on there, from Mariachis, dancing to native crafts. At most visits I could catch el Afilador (knife sharpener) making his rounds to shops and customers. He pedaled a 3 wheel bicycle around with a wooden box mounted on the back axle that held all his stones and gear. He called out with a chant as he pedaled, -- " yo soy afilo---, yo soy afilador".
People would come dashing out, bringing him their knives. Some would stand nearby and visit as he worked. Others would merely drop them with him and hurry back to their shop. In the plaza there were large shade trees but most were filled with visitors seeking relief from the SW sun. Thus, he worked, standing in the sun for hours sharpening everything from scissors, knives, hachets to machetes. He used water stones and drank from his canteen. He would wet his bandanna, wrap it back around his neck and keep working. I was amazed he would do this to make a living. Just the way it was in those days. DM
 
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Stropping works, even on bare leather. It works better with compound applied. It depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Burr removal, more refinement, polishing, convexing, ect.. Still, it works. For me I strop on just a piece of hardwood to fold a burr in line. This can get you by to finish cutting up another chicken or fish.
You can strop on the stone too. Edge trailing stroke. This will pick your edge up a step. Good luck, DM
 
The one blade that every man needs to know how to sharpen is a sabatier. Whether for Mom, girl friend or wife. They like that knife and use it. I'll add a paring in as well.
If you use a clamp sharpener adjust it accordingly.
For free hand sharpeners start by laying the knife on the stone and give the spine about a 1/2" lift. Yes, for a wide blade like a sabatier also called a chef knife. Then start working it on the coarse stone. Work up a burr, flip it over, work up a burr, then remove it. Go to the fine stone and do the same just with a lighter touch. It should slice paper easily once the burr is removed.
The paring knife sharpens like a 110 as their both about the same width. Your girlie will keep you around just for this talent. They have a saying, --- if you don't find your man handsome, -- then you should find him useful... DM
 
What equipment do you use for sharpening? I use water stones, and I guess that's because I started using them about 45 years ago for my woodworking tools. I do have an electric sharpener with three choices—coarse, medium, and fine. I use that for the kitchen knives since my wife doesn't like really sharp knives. She thinks I sharpen knives so she will cut herself.

If you use a couple of different types of sharpeners, let me know what you think are the advantages and disadvantages for each. I'm not too interested in brands, just the type of sharpener.
 
I use bench stones. At shows I carry my IM313- Tri- hone. Large stones and pricy but it can handle any knife up to a cheese slicer or machete. At home I use a Norton jb-8 and a IB-8, a 2 grit 8" oil stones. No power tools. It is a hassle to get power cords and lighting set up at shows.
I have a few diamond plates I'll finish a knife on. I also like using cbn plates, (carbon boron nitrite)The manner they attach the boron grit makes it very durable. I have recently tested a plate of this grit and I'm impressed. DM
 
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Recurve blades I work on the corner side of a stone. Using a light touch on the side of the stone. Work up a burr then remove it. A rod can be used as well. I'd get a coarse and fine rod. My coarse stones are from 80 grit to 150. The fines stones are from 180 grit to 2k grit ceramic stone. Which doesn't see much use but nice to have for a razor. Or for a speciality edge that a chef would like. Which I encounter some. DM
 
Knives over 6" filet, or a camp knife like a 119 or 120 become speciality knives. Like a long blade chopper, it will have a 10-12" blade and usually a convex grind. Be careful to maintain that using a slack belt grinder or sandpaper with a soft backing.
A beef slicer can be 10-12" and have no point. Just a rounded end. When you see one you'll know the owner uses it for
commercial or custom cutting work. These commercial knives may also have a scimitar blade shape. Take care in working that sweeping belly.
Don't become daunted by their size. Just work it with sweeping strokes or in sections on your 2" stone and blend in the grind lines. Work up a burr, flip it over and do the same. Then remove it. Then refine the edge with a finer grit.. I see these large carvers at barbecue restaurants and meat markets. A nice knife to own when slicing large items like meats or fruits. DM
 
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Ok, the cbn grit plates work nicely. They work great on high vanadium steels and remove the burr better than diamond grit. A 400 grit plate is coarse but produces a good utility edge. After working on these I think this grit will be more durable than diamond. I will be reading further reviews and testing done on these plates. As of today I can reccomend them for use. They are not cheap but wait a while and like most things the price comes down. DM
 
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