How good are you at sharpening?

Wowbagger said:
The edges I produce are mind bogglingly good. It astonishes me EVERY time when I am done to see how sharp the edge is . . . AS LONG AS I USE MY EDGE PRO APEX. :D :) :D
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Same.

I can get a decent 'working edge' freehand on a DMT diamond stone, but its nothing like the mirror polished, single bevel keenness I get on my Edge Pro, and with alot less effort and time. There might be some highly skilled, well practiced folks who sharpen frequently that can put out a nice edge, but I'd guess for 95%+ of us, the WE or Edge Pro far surpass what we can do without the mechanical assist.

I'm not to proud to take the help considering the results.

Boss
 
I suppose it may seem obsessive but its the way I was taught long ago and it works well for me. I have Naniwa Chosera stones in 400, 1k, 3k, 5k, 8k, and 12k. I don't use all of them every time on my own knives as most of the time a simple stropping keeps them GTG, but I find when I sharpen others knives the 400 is a good place to start. I recently added "The Green Brick of Joy" 2k stone and found it pretty fun to work with.

I also have a double sided diamond plate in 150/600 but that gets used to flatten stones more than sharpening.
 
I have a few DMT stones, of which I've lost all but the super-fine. I can't hold the angle by hand. They really need some edge guides, even if they're just little ramps. I REALLY like the DMT diamond stones; how they just need water. None of this oil funny-business.

As a result of no edge guides, I've been using the Sharpmaker with medium and fine stones. I lost my coarse diamond rods for it, and they're so expensive, I think I'm going to just buy a Ken Onion Worksharp instead of more Sharpmaker rods. Be nice to be able to re-profile in a matter of minutes, rather than hours.
 
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i reckon im sharpenly challenged , my dad could , i need to go to maybe some knife shows here in nc and see if someone will visually show me , if i see it done i can do it . watching video im sketchy
 
I can get passable edges by hand with most abrasives that can cut the steel. With knives i can't do much with a sharpmaker. With an edge pro setup it's almost scary sharp. I'm prouder of my work when using files and stones to get a hand convexed edge on an axe that can shave. By hand, knives are easier than axes.
 
VicAlox74 said:
What grade stones do you own? I have become half way decent sharpening by hand. Finally.
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Not as good as I'd like to be, but I'm getting better. I've got a ton of stones laying around. My favorite thing to use is 3m lapping film though.
 
I use an Edge Pro to set my edges. Sharpmaker to maintain. Bark River, 2 compound kit to strop.

Using the strop paddle has kept me surprisingly adept at working flat stones. I was at a buddy’s house not long ago, and he brought out stones and asked me to show him how to sharpen his Endura. It felt more familiar than I expected. Got a very good edge on it in no time.

Having said that, my edges aren’t always cosmetically perfect.
 
Use a Wicked Edge to re profile. I stop at a good working edge, able to slice phonebook paper with a fairly coarse grit. I can reprofile with the set angles of a Sharpmaker , using the cbn rods before the coarse and fine ones. But do mostly touchups with the SM. Just an adequate sharpener.
 
I'm absolutely terrible. I only have a cheap water stone and a ceramic rod, my mom gave me both for kitchen knives. Still enough for a sort of "functional sharp" (testing with my nails).
 
At first I bought a Spyderco Sharpmaker, then I got serious and bought a Wicked Edge, then I started watching Michael Christy videos on youtube (shoutout to him if he sees this). For the past year and a half or so I have used the diamond stones from the WE, and the Ceramics from the SM freehand, then a strop. The more I learn the more minimalist my mindset becomes. I am very happy with the results I get nowadays. It is quite a nice feeling knowing that if all I had was my Fallkniven DC3, I would be just fine.
P.S one thing I have become convinced of is that a good finishing stone covers a multitude of sins. For me that is the Spyderco Ultrafine Ceramic. Your mileage may vary. Enjoy the ride of perfecting your craft, cheers to you my friends!
 
I'm not the best, and I'm not the worst.
My knives are sharp enough to cut everything I need to cut, and to clean a fish or skin and butcher a critter.

I have a gray Arkansas Stone.
 
BOSS1 said:
Same.

I can get a decent 'working edge' freehand on a DMT diamond stone, but its nothing like the mirror polished, single bevel keenness I get on my Edge Pro, and with alot less effort and time. There might be some highly skilled, well practiced folks who sharpen frequently that can put out a nice edge, but I'd guess for 95%+ of us, the WE or Edge Pro far surpass what we can do without the mechanical assist.

I'm not to proud to take the help considering the results.

Boss
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There is no shame in using a guided system!!! Man, I wish this notion would die. You want to sharpen your knives, BAM! Awesome.

Free-handing has its benefits but it is not a defining marker. Do what works for you.
 
Eli Chaps said:
There is no shame in using a guided system!!! Man, I wish this notion would die. You want to sharpen your knives, BAM! Awesome.

Free-handing has its benefits but it is not a defining marker. Do what works for you.
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Sounds like common sense to me.:thumbsup:
 
For the best of both worlds, the Work Sharp guided pivoted system is very good indeed, particularly at the price.

People see ‘Work Sharp’ and they automatically assume electric. Not so. This is the essentially freehand system which pivots as you follow the belly to the tip. Recommended. It allows you to build muscle memory, and get a very good edge into the bargain.
 
First, I would like to say greetings to all!! Just joned, first post, so hello to all.

i have a Ken Onion Edition from Worksharp (in Ashland, Oregon). I purchased a cheaper belt sharpener, also from WS, a few years ago after seeing it at work at a knife show (I liked it so much that I up-graded). if you want a sharp blade the KO edition is a fantastic way to get an edge sharp, fast and (if used properly) very easy. There is a leather strop belt availiable for the KO edition that I have yet to purchase (planned for after Christmas). At this time, I finish with a Chicago Cutlery fine steel hone. My edges tend to be shave-sharp in under 5 minutes, unless the blade has been abused, then i start with a med. grit on the KO. Usually, I just use the fine steel and in under 3 minutes I get an edge that is nothing to sneeze at but, that depends on the steel in the blade and whether or not the edge was really dull or just a "little dull".
 
Smaug said:
I have a few DMT stones, of which I've lost all but the super-fine. I can't hold the angle by hand. They really need some edge guides, even if they're just little ramps. I REALLY like the DMT diamond stones; how they just need water. None of this oil funny-business.

As a result of no edge guides, I've been using the Sharpmaker with medium and fine stones. I lost my coarse diamond rods for it, and they're so expensive, I think I'm going to just buy a Ken Onion Worksharp instead of more Sharpmaker rods. Be nice to be able to re-profile in a matter of minutes, rather than hours.
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You can make an edge guide with a 2x4 and compound miter saw, same with ramps.
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I sharpen for a working edge around the house and shop; EDC a Spyderco Gayle Bradley where sharpenings last quite a while. I use the Sharpmaker at 40 degrees. If I need to reprofile, or get the urge to turn a knife into a razor blade, I have an Edge Pro that I enjoy fooling around with. But for day-to-day edge retention I just can't beat the Sharpmaker using the basic rods that come with it. Occasionally I have to use the diamond rods if I'm talked into sharpening a friend's or neighbor's knife that hasn't seen a sharpener in its lifetime. Unless the knife has some value I will not spend the time sharpening cheap or really abused knives on the Edge Pro.

 
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