Finding a local sharpener

[aTalkingWalnut]

I’ve got a handful of what I consider expensive knives, and I’m looking to find someone local to sharpen them. When I do the googles, I get places that advertise tool sharpening with a grinder. When I’ve asked about knives, one said, “Sure. We can try. Bring it in.” I’ve got a Worksharp Precision Adjust, but I worry that I’m messing up the blade, including—but not limited to—the tip. I hate using the WS because I feel like (i know) I’m doing it wrong.

 

[EngrSorenson]

Honestly, unless you find someone who uses stones- free hand or a jig- I’d personally recommend learning to do it yourself. Especially if they are expensive.

Edited to add, using stones of some variety is always what I recommend over power grinding.

 

[aTalkingWalnut]

Honestly, unless you find someone who uses stones- free hand or a jig- I’d personally recommend learning to do it yourself. Especially if they are expensive.

Edited to add, using stones of some variety is always what I recommend over power grinding.

I would love to learn how to sharpen my knives, but for some reason I get the same feeling as when I’m trying something new at the gym: “You’re doing it wrong. You’re gonna break something. You’re gonna hurt yourself. This is gonna cost you.” I feel like I would benefit most from seeing it done in-person. I live in northern NJ, which is a pretty densely populated area. I hate to say it, but do you think Facebook would be best for this? Maybe a local knife group?

 

[000Robert]

I agree with sharpening them yourself. Wicked Edge has the WE60 Go for sale for less than $300. It is a nice kit to get started sharpening your knives if you're on a tight budget.

 

[aTalkingWalnut]

I agree with sharpening them yourself. Wicked Edge has the WE60 Go for sale for less than $300. It is a nice kit to get started sharpening your knives if you're on a tight budget.

The worksharp precision adjust elite isn’t good enough for a beginner? I also think the problem would persist that I’d feel like I didn’t know what I was doing. Does the WE60 help sharpen the tip? Won’t I face the same issue with any fixed-angle system and a certain blade shape? I think I’m killing the tip of my Bugout currently.

 

[000Robert]

The worksharp precision adjust elite isn’t good enough for a beginner? I also think the problem would persist that I’d feel like I didn’t know what I was doing. Does the WE60 help sharpen the tip? Won’t I face the same issue with any fixed-angle system and a certain blade shape? I think I’m killing the tip of my Bugout currently.

I've never tried the WS Precision Adjust - it just looked too flimsy to me. You want your stone to stop when the tip is halfway on your stone. That is probably the rule with any sharpening system. You sharpen towards the tip of your blade till the tip is about midway into your stone, then pull the stone off of the blade. If you take the stone all the way across your tip, you'll start rounding the tip off.

 

[EngrSorenson]

I would love to learn how to sharpen my knives, but for some reason I get the same feeling as when I’m trying something new at the gym: “You’re doing it wrong. You’re gonna break something. You’re gonna hurt yourself. This is gonna cost you.” I feel like I would benefit most from seeing it done in-person. I live in northern NJ, which is a pretty densely populated area. I hate to say it, but do you think Facebook would be best for this? Maybe a local knife group?

I understand your anxiety, but it’s one of those things where the actual risks are less than what we imagine. I saw a guy with a grinding wheel offering a knife sharpening service at a local farmers market. The damage he could do with that grinder is far more than you could do with stones.

Ultimately you will have to do what you’re comfortable with, but my goal is to encourage you to try something most of us consider basic maintenance!

If you really want someone else to do it, you could probably send them to a craftsperson on these forums.

To put it in perspective, there’s a fair amount of people who do a poor to middling sharpening job on their kitchen knives. Those knives are way sharper than the ones that don’t get any such treatment.

 

[Bigfattyt]

I'm absolutely reluctant to have any one else sharpen my knives.

Typical "pro" sharpeners with a grinder are going to hand you back a wonky edge with a ruined bevel and questionable temper at the edge and tip.

I have a bench grinder, 1x30, 2x72 and about a dozen stones, diamond, and Ceramics, etc.

I've seen so many good knives absolutely buggered up.

Use the systems you jave. Learn on cheaper knives and work your way up.

I've sharpened $2k plus custom knives on my basic setups. Just took a bit of practice.

This edge whittles free hanging hair. I think used less than $15 worth of sharpening equipment. Smith combo diamond stone and ceramic stick, then stopped on a home made strop with $5 aluminum oxide metal polish stick ( the strop made from a broken belt, and the stick of aluminum oxixde was $3 and has lasted me 17 years).

 

[gentleman_edc]

Buy a bunch of old carbon steel knives and start practicing.

A guided system is a great starting place. Lansky and dmt have reasonably priced sets. Or move up to a KME or go all the way to a $500+ system. Sharpening systems can be addictive as knives.


And once you learn how to sharpen, the old carbon steel knives become really enjoyable.

 

[Blade Lab]

There are tons of Youtube videos showing knowledgeable people using fixed angle systems, which would be a good resource if you're a visual learner. Other than clamping the blade and setting the angle, the process is the same for every fixed angle system, so it doesn't have to be WS Precision Adjust videos.

 

[Ourorboros]

I agree with sharpening them yourself. Wicked Edge has the WE60 Go for sale for less than $300. It is a nice kit to get started sharpening your knives if you're on a tight budget.

You can get a set of Chosera for less and a DMT coarse stone for only $20-30 over.

I would love to learn how to sharpen my knives, but for some reason I get the same feeling as when I’m trying something new at the gym: “You’re doing it wrong. You’re gonna break something. You’re gonna hurt yourself. This is gonna cost you.” I feel like I would benefit most from seeing it done in-person. I live in northern NJ, which is a pretty densely populated area. I hate to say it, but do you think Facebook would be best for this? Maybe a local knife group?

Korin in NYC would do a great job of sharpening your knives.
I learned from watching YT videos. It helps to see it in person, but it's not necessary.
A better analogy is a pool - you think of the temperature shock, but it's fine once jump in.

 

[Bing Gao]

From what I learned.. I have ruined so many good knives trying to free hand sharpening. Especially knives with thick edges. I recently bought a KME sharpening system and have been doing pretty well maintaining and putting new edges on my knives.

 

[kane22]

The worksharp precision adjust elite isn’t good enough for a beginner? I also think the problem would persist that I’d feel like I didn’t know what I was doing. Does the WE60 help sharpen the tip? Won’t I face the same issue with any fixed-angle system and a certain blade shape? I think I’m killing the tip of my Bugout currently.

With any decent fixed angle system you shouldn't have to worry about destroying your knife edge. You're not going to be taking a lot of steel off at once. Not like a belt sander, where one wrong move and things can get ugly fast.
Too bad we're not a little closer, I'm in PA

 

[old4570]

Google ? U should YouTube it !

 

[DeJure]

I have a pretty damn impressive grind system. It has two CBN wheels, a diamond wheel and a common grind wheel (four wheels). It came powered by a 220 volt, 1 horse motor. However, via the magic of garage sales, it's now pushed by a 3/4 horse DC motor and controller (complements of an industrial sewing machine). Now, instead of running a around 1,700 RPM, it runs at what I set it at, between 0 and 2,400 RPM's.

I use it to profile and sharpen my lathe knives, but it will NEVER touch any of my good pocket, kitchen or hunting knives, unless they had a huge nick and I wanted to start off with a straight line to work from. Said another way, there is no electric "sharpener" I'd risk my knives to, unless I did a lot of work setting up a jig and ran the grinder at around 300-500 RPM's.

I lack the ability to play the muscle memory game. So do most, if they get challenged to sharpen the fifty or so blades (draw knives, lathe knives, chisels, lawn mower, kitchen knives, and so on) found in my shop or house. All it takes is flipping the knife a degree or two and you set yourself back minutes.

In the end, I rely on a jig. My current one happens to be called an Edge Pro. The one I'm building borrows from the Wicked Edge, but flips everything around to solve some of its problems. And it cost me a lot less to build.