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Sharpening Knives...

Rascal
Rascal Posts: 3,923
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
There was a brief thread on the subject yesterday but it was mostly geared towards specialty honing in the Atlanta area. Most recently, I learned the proper use of a whetstone, and after years of mediocre results with upteen devices, I finally have a collection of knives that are truly sharp; done with just a stone (2-sided), water and a steel. Perhaps this topic has been hashed over before but I just wanted to relate how easy it was to learn (with the help of a few, on-line, videos). Perhaps others might share their techniques and/or tips...
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Comments

  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    Grillmeister put me onto this setup from Spyderco a few years ago. Even my cheap knives are sharp.

    SpydercoSharpner.jpg

    It runs about $50 now but I think I only paid about $25.

    Spring "Older But Still Sharp As A Tack (Hammer)" Chicken
    Spring Texas USA
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Last year, after finding I could no longer maintain a good edge on my trusty old Sabatier/Hoffritz 10" chefs, using some old (cupped) Arkansas stones, I read around, and got an Edge-Pro Apex. Its a good tool, being able to be set for 12 to 20 degrees, and having 4 grits of water stones, and 2 grades of super fine grit finishing papers. I also got a set of magnifying goggles to ease the strain on my less than keen eyes.

    Its a little hard to use on really curved blades. I spent a few hours bringing the edges back on some of my old Chicago cutlery knives. Then, spent a few hours on the Sabatier. First I inspected it under the goggles, and the accumulation of small chips and uneven slopes was rather sad. By the end, I had it back to hair shaving sharpness.

    I've spent more time with Goodwill $1 knives, and gotten some of them to slice paper. Those blades have mostly been only worth the money for practice. Most have such poor steel that they will dull cutting through a single roast.

    For my better new knives, I use the Apex just to brush up the still quite sharp edges. It will be awhile before I feel confident enough to get a really fine blade, and keep it sharp.

    Another note. A young fellow working with me a few months ago let his mother use his nice Henckels chef knife. She chipped it in several places, cutting into bone. With his good eyes, and a set of DMT diamond hones, he was able to restore the edge. After he was thru, I brought in my goggles, and we inspected his work. I was very impressed with the consistency of the angle he applied.
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  • troutman
    troutman Posts: 498
    I use the same Spyderco as Spring Chicken (I feel so honored and humble!). I've been pleased with it, but haven't used it on my two expensive Japanese knives (no need at this point).
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  • icemncmth
    icemncmth Posts: 1,165
    I have one like that ..it is a little older. It came in a fancy "cloth" cover. I have used it for probably 10 years. Just remember to clean the stones and an easy way is to use an old red eraser!
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 34,585
    i dont like the devices, always just used a stone. i use a 600 grit diamond stone for my carbon steel knives, a 1200 grit japanese wet stone on my single sided high end knives and have a 8000 grit natural corticle hone for my razors. :) also have three strops, a diamond pasted honing strop, a black latigo strop, and a silky smooth horsehide strop. my straight razors will split a hair under there own weight. i dont like steels, would rather give three or four swipes (carbon steel knives on the diamond stone, the japanese knives dont need regular touch ups)on the stone which i leave accessible on the counter. something ive never seen in a sharpening writeup on stones is to have a second in the same grit, when you wet the stone rub the other stone against it, it creates a slurry of finer grit on the stone that helps polish the knife edge as it sharpens it, never saw this until i started sharpening straight razors.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Bordello
    Bordello Posts: 5,926
    LOL :whistle:
    With all those strops available I'm glad I'm not your misbehaving kid. :(

    Sounds like a fine collection of sharping gear, way to go.

    Cheers & Beers,
    Bordello
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  • SoonerChris
    SoonerChris Posts: 302
    Spring Chicken wrote:
    Grillmeister put me onto this setup from Spyderco a few years ago. Even my cheap knives are sharp.

    SpydercoSharpner.jpg

    It runs about $50 now but I think I only paid about $25.

    Spring "Older But Still Sharp As A Tack (Hammer)" Chicken
    Spring Texas USA

    Will this work on non-serrated Cutco knives as well?
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  • Matt_inSC
    Matt_inSC Posts: 80
    Another benefit of running two (water) stones together is flattening. As stones are used they normally wear towards the center and the rubbing together does some 'flattening'.
    My experience comes from woodworking but the fundamentals should be applicable. We were taught to rub the coarse with the medium and then the medium with the fine. The coarser of the pair is abrading the finer of the pair.
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 34,585
    thats really important with the razor stones, i think they wrap a plate glass or ground granite block with abrasive paper and rub the corticle stones on that til flat, i can see it with wood tools being needed as well. need to be careful imbedding a coarser piece into the finer stone though, not sure how they get around that
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    Yes...

    Along with axes, sissors, pinking shears, fishhooks, tin-snips, and just about anything else.

    It has two angles for knives: 30° and 40°. The 40° is recommended for most utility and kitchen knives. 30° bevels will not stay sharp very long. The sissors use a 12° edge.

    The process starts with getting the blade back to the right angle. Then you go through the subsequent steps. In all, about 20 strokes for each of 4 steps. You should then be able to shave with it. After the initial sharpening you should find that it stays that way longer. At least on the better knives. Cheap knives can be sharpened but dull quickly. I just hit mine on a steel a few times and they are sharp again.

    Spring "Cheap Meat Needs Sharper Knives" Chicken
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  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    By the way, if you click on the link below you will find a number of YouTube videos regarding the Spyderco system.

    http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+use+spyderco+sharpmaker&search_type=&aq=3m&oq=Spyderco+sha

    Spring "It's All In The Seeing" Chicken
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  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    Oh shucks.... Now I'm blushing.

    Spring "Time For A Nap" Chicken
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  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
    lansky has a decent system and several here use tormek and there is a cheaper version of that style available..
    i almost bought the tormek but went for waterstones instead ,, abrasive sheets and micro abrasives can also be put on plate glass and used ,,
    lee valley tool has a nice selection of abrasives.
    japanwoodworker also ..

    lots of info here

    http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/26036-knife-maintenance-and-sharpening/

    and more in his book link on left side of page

    http://www.chadwrites.com/#
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  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
    Ben is the man when it comes to serious sharpening. thumbup.gif


    PS - Since you own an Edge-Pro, don't underestimate your Chicago Cutlery.
    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
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