The "Wives and Knives" thread got me thinking....

I am also pretty touchy about keeping knives sharp. I am good at tuning them up wih a sharpening steel.

My problem is that many of my knives are getting worn beyond where a steel is helping and I need to buy an actual sharpening stone or kit, etc.

Here's my question...
What is a good stone and/or kit to buy that won't break the bank? I'm not afraid to spend good money on a decent set, but I also don't have tons of money.

Also, using a stone.... Wet or dry?

Thanks for any insight.
Hillbilly

The sharpening steels will certainly wear a blade down in a hurry, stones are much easier on knife blades. I believe any moderately priced stone will do just fine. I like the kind with three stones (course, medium and fine) mounted on a stand, mine is a Smiths' tri-hone. I have had it for a lot of years and it has many more left. Sharpen with a wet stone I like honing oil but some folks just spit on it. That prevents metal from getting imbedded in the stone and making it slick. Knife sharpening is becoming a lost art and it takes a lot of practice to get it just right. Good luck in finding just what you need.

There are real stones and ceramic sets. I have both but usually use the real ones. My real set is a two stone set -- one large medium stone and one smaller Arkansas polishing stone. It will last a lifetime and I sharpen or hone the edges of the knives here about once a month.

The only knives I have that I can't sharpen are the ceramic ones. The Kyocera's need to be sent to the factory for sharpening but, they last over a year between sending them off. With multiples, it isn't really a problem.

There's nothing more dangerous than a dull knife.

If you want to use a stone, look at the Norton with 3 stones and the oil bath carrier. That's what I used when I was a butcher and still have today. Recently I purchased a sharpening system from a company called Work Sharp. This thing is so easy it's not funny. They both have pros and cons.

Sharpening with a stone is certainly becoming a lost art.

Use a steel to dress an edge, not sharpen.

Nothing like a good sharp knife for the job.

You can actually sharpen the ceramic blades yourself. You have to have a diamond impregnated "stone." Lansky sharpeners has them and you can also find a small handheld "stone'"

I have quite a few sharpening stones, but I bought a diamond hone for about $35 and I prefer it over the stones. All I do in the kitchen it wet it under the faucet and a quick hone. The softer the stone the quicker the cut. Mine is made by Smith's.

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Luke 22:36

How about a woman with a sharp one?

Long ago, like probably 51 years and it was summer, too, I decided I needed to know how to sharpen a knife. I had grass to cut and things to do on sunny days, but on the rainy ones I kind of dedicated to learning the manly skill. It was probably my father and grand fathers fault. But I'd heard them say not very nice things about men folks who couldn't even sharpen a knife. But I did have a pretty good resource in my fathers collection of old American Rifleman magazines, plus dozens of Outdoor Life and Sports Afield. So I started reading one miserable June day. Then I even continued into the evenings and some weekends, too. Everyone was kind of relieved I was reading and keeping out of trouble.

So then one day I decided I needed hands on practice. So I got out all my mothers kitchen knives. They were all dull because no one ever bothered with them. And I began making each one a work of art. Gawd were they ever sharp, better than I could ever hope for. The best advice from back then was to use a magnifier as I went along. That way I could see what I was doing. In later years I progressed to using a magic marker on the edge to improve what I could see. But I'd sharpened most of them and it was getting late, so I put her entire drawer full of knives back in the cabinet and went out to do something else. Before supper I came home and Mom was out doing woman's work in the kitchen.

All of a sudden we heard the most awful scream. Dad was up running. It seems that some women have a bad habit of cutting against their thumb. It works OK with a dull knife. The sharp one cut right through the veggie and into her thumb. It wasn't a bad cut, but through the skin. And guess who's fault it was? So Dad was mad at me, Mom not so much. He took the drawer full of my handiwork out on the concrete back step and proceeded to unsharpen each on the step. It really only took a few strokes against the cement and any hint of sharp was just a memory.

So much for constructive learning in the summer. I dedicated the rest of the month to setting off fireworks and not getting in trouble. When you're young you can't win no matter how hard you try.

At gunshows there are often tables set up that will sharpen your knife. Some of the vendors are even pretty aggressive. No one else touches my knives, particularly my pocket knife. I have the feeling that the skill level of the guys vary from expert to dangerous. And if you've got a good edge and a jig based sharpener, you can usually put the edge back to really sharp in just a few seconds. If you allow a hack to work on your blade, it may take a week to get it back to where it was. Just using the ultra fine (its about as coarse as glass) I can do what I want.

Of course I never let anyone use my pocket knife, particularly my loving wife. One time she used it to cut a steak against a nice plate. By the end of the meal (picnic) it was so dull and rolled over my mother would have approved! My feeling is a sharp knife doesn't need pounds of pressure to do its job. If you use a plate as a backstop, you'll really mess up the edge. So we have a truce. My wife doesn't ask and I don't lend. She really has a fine collection of pocket knives these days. I keep buying them for her so she isn't even tempted to ask.

Remember, knives are now outlawed by all politically correct fools. On vacation this spring we were in Utah for a Jeep Safari. My son, grandson, son's best friend and his son were all along. We returned to the motel to get un-dirty and then changed clothes and headed out to supper. A group of us. My son's friends son stopped dead. They'd bought them knives (hey, they're 14) and the young one was afraid he'd get in trouble for carrying a knife in town! What has this generation of teachers done to damage our kids? So my son's friend said look, I've got a pocket knife.
And then my abusive son took over the questioning. He asked everyone if they had a pocket knife. And then my wife said "Look, I've got one too!"

If he'd left his behind, the young kid would have been the only one without a knife. Isn't that Gibbs rule #9? Always have a knife.

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Dick Burg

What is to be cut determines what you sharpen with and the cutting edge angle. Kitchen knives work best if they are slightly 'saw like' rather than being straight razor sharp. IMHO, go to any quality hardware store and buy an artificial combo stone. Use lots of honing oil. Shape the edge with the coarser side and then put the finishing edge on with the finer side of the stone. Purchase a quality large Arkansas Black Fine stone to finish your pocket knives with. Finish your pocket knife blades with a leather strop or just use a piece of hard finished leather placed on a firm surface. When shaping a new blade edge I clamp my course stone in a padded shop vise and work with both hands on the knife. Used whet stones can be purchased at garage sales, etc., that have been 'cupped' thru usage. Find a rock polisher hobby person and get them to flatten out the cupped whet stone back to a flat surface. I have found some really expensive stones for next to nothing and had them re-dressed by my rock polisher friend to like new condition. The angle of the cutting edge varies with the job. A wood splitting axe does not need to be as shallow of an angle as a fine pocket knife blade. Just remember, the shallower the cutting edge is the quicker the edge will dull. .......... Big Cholla

No matter what you are sharpening, you need to maintain a constant angle. If you cant free hand it, get something that helps. Use magnification to inspect your work.

I never was so good about keeping a proper angle on my knives try as I might.
I finally was given a Lansky System sharpening set that sets the angle and use that for everything now. It's pretty fast too.

I use smiths because my uncle works for them and I get everything free. Even my Kershaw knives. The sharpeners from smiths are very good and even if I didn't get them for free, I'd buy them anyways

A couple of years ago I did a lot of homework and decided on the Lansky Sharpening System. I am also a nut about sharp knives and I think this setup does an excellently job. The system allows you to keep a consistent angle.

Paging The Tourist . . . .

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Now go make God proud...

I started out with lansky sharpeners but I prefer my spyderco sharpmaker any more.when repro filing a blade I just use the diamond hones on the sharpmaker,works like a charm! I still use the lansky on occasion but can't remember the last time I used it.

I am definitely old school. I use an old 8-inch Norton hard Arkansas stone. It'll put one heckuva an edge on a knife if you just take your time and are patient.

If I'm working on a particularly dull knife, I'll just sit and watch an old B western or some other form of mental chewing gum while sharpening the knife. Then I usually finish it off on a ceramic stone, then a few strops on a leather strop with polishing compound embedded, and call it good.

If found the old Norton stone at a gun show a few years back. It was only fifteen bucks. One heckuva deal.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

Pretty sure he was banned

Sad but true.

But he was not a sharpener he Polished!

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Still Running Against the Wind

I can turn a semi-sharp knife into a dull knife in no time at all. I finally ordered a ceramic set that has two rods and a block with pre-drilled holes that hold the rods at the best angle for sharping. It's quick, easy to use, and puts a decent edge on a blade. I've also found that it's easier to keep a blade sharp than it is to have to re-sharpen a dull blade.

Never give the wifes's' sharp object's'!

I have a little kit with ARkansas soft and hard stone's' and some can of oil. I can sharpen most knifes' on them but it is slow for say a big 8" Chef, Chief Knife.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Oops - looks like no Chico post will be forthcoming. I'm a Lansky guy as well, myself, and have been perfectly content with the system for years. I've often thought about one of those fancy knife sharpener systems, but just never can get beyond the whole issue of what-I-have-works-fine/don't-I-have-other-things-to-spend-money-on.

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Now go make God proud...

I have an old 3 stone set of Smiths that I have used for years (soft Arkansas, hard Arkansas, and Wa****a) and it has served me well. I have many other sharpening devices including steels and a ceramic rod I use for touchups. I also have a few various grit diamond sharpeners. If the knifes are real dull I go with a coarser grit diamond to reset the edge, them move to the Smiths.

Edit: so I should have written WaDoDoa????

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Even older, even crankier....

I can not believe that no one had mentioned the suggestion:

Use a SMOOTH Steel First.

After wifey uses knife against plate the edge is more likely rolled over than worn off.

Using a smooth steel can straighten out many a bent/rolled edge without removing valuable/expensive metal.

Removing metal is a last resort for me.

I use and cherish the smooth steel rod that my grandparents had long long ago.

Years ago I met an OLD Italian gentleman who kept the edge on his scythe by tap tap tapping the blade
with a small hammer that was always in his pocket when using the scythe. When taking a break
he would check the edge and pull out his hammer.

He told of learning this method at an early age "in the Old Country". Never saw anyone else using this method.

Bekeart

I have a 3 stone/wooden triangle set up with a hardwood base that I got from Orvis at least 30 years ago. I see they still offer it but it is a mind-blowing $89.00 now. I pull it out around Christmas time and sharpen everything in sight. It works like a champ but it's tedious and a lot like manual labor. They all last 'til the following year with a touch-up or two . I see Amazon has couple of similar ones in that (more realistic) 40 buck range.

I also keep a plastic-handled sharpener with 2 "V" stones in the kitchen for those quick touch ups. It runs about $20 (at Amazon as well). It does a great job and will easily bring a blade back from "car bumper dull" with a few swipes.

I might suggest one of those 20 buck plastic twin "V" stone units or similar and see how it works for you. If you feel you need to go hardcore afterwards, I'm sure you'll still find plenty of use for the the other one.

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paws for friendship

+1 on the Lansky system. 4 angles to choose from. I finish off with a few passes through ceramic sticks in a "V" block.

x1000 on the leather strap when done if it can't shave hair its not sharp lol

Paladin suggested the Lansky System, and I used that
on my K-bar from WW2. Otherwise, I use a medium Arkansas
stone for dressing kitchen knives. Steak knives get that stone too,
since I can't eat off the cutting board. Looks like I should be
trying the sharpening steel on the steak knives. I touch them
up before every meal.
Medium and fine Wa****a for my Buck 110. Haven't done
anything with the 6042 yet. (#9 is my 2nd Rule, Sean Connery
said it best!)
TACC1

I've retired my various grit/hardness stones in favor of the Lansky system, long since, for sharpening knives. Along with the stones and "wands" or whatever they're called, I have a Lansky apparatus that C-clamps to the edge of a kitchen counter, etc., clamps the knife blade safely and securely, and holds all the components in proper relationship, making short and precise work of touching up, or even restoring an abused edge. This isn't the right tool for dealing with heavier cutting tools such as machetes or axes, but is, in my experience, the ideal knife sharpening system.

Been sharpening knives on stones for close to 50 years. Rough stone to get rid of the burrs,nick and other damage. Then progressively finer stones to put a shaving edge on it. I had this one old foreman who used to pay his taxes in quarterly installments bring in the same old cheap knives year after year. Think the blades must have been made out of tin cans. My wife was the same was. Chucked all the junk and bought a set of carving,and steak knives. Heavy steel not too hard and will take and hold a good edge. Last year at a gunshow this guy was selling these short knife steels held together with some heavy duty plastic. So now she can sharpen her own knives. Frank

There are two important things when sharpening a knife.

1. Remove material up to the end of the edge.

You must remove enough material from the edge so that you can feel a curl has formed on the other side. You can use your nail to feel for the curl. When one side is done, do the other.

If you have trouble here, mark the whole length of the edge with a black marker pen so you can use a magnifying glass to see if you have reach the tip of edge.

I have found a coarse diamond stone to be the best tool here. This can be done totally freehand, there is no magic. Use force to remove material faster.

2. Remove the curl you formed in the previous step.

This is the most delicate part. You have to carefully remove the curl and not spoil the edge in the process.

I use a fine diamond stone for this, with a light touch, alternating from side to side. Then I give the final finish to the edge on a ceramic kitchen sharpener where I draw the edge between two rollers. I have not learned to consistently final finish an edge freehand, yet, that is why I resort to the kitchen sharpener.

This is what my sharpening tools look like.









The Swedish diamond sharpener has two sides, coarse and fine.


These tools are all I need to keep our kitchen knives, my hunting, pocket and utility knives sharp. Oh, sometimes when a knife's edge is totally ruined, sometimes even on a new knife from a factory, I use an even coarser sharpener to straighten the edge angle, but this is fortunately rare.

I highly recomend this Smith's diamond sharpener. Amazon has it for $13.75 w/ free shipping ! Amazon.com: Smith's DCS4 4-Inch FINE & COARSE Diamond Combo Sharpening Stones: Home Improvement@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31K613TDTKL.@@AMEPARAM@@31K613TDTKL I think I will order a couple more! It is coarse on one side and fine on the other. It is absolutely flat and it stays that way. It is portable it pulls apart and fits into it's own handle which is nice. It can easily handle all your sharpening needs. I use mine all the time. Stop using the steel on your knifes it will ruin them. You end up with a wavy edge eventually.

Then start saving your money for the BIG Smith's stone, Amazon.com: Smith's DBSC115 11-1/2-Inch COARSE Diamond Bench Stone w/Micro Tool Sharpening Pad: Home Improvement@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41X7G854V9L.@@AMEPARAM@@41X7G854V9L you won't regret it.. ED

The DMT system is also very good and it comes with an aligner for precise setting of the angle.Mine came with three stones plus a diamond rod for serrated blades.
Regards, Ray

bought a Lansky 5 stone set about 25 years ago-still works
Not too sexy doesn't have the new fangled diamond stones-smelly, oily-but it still works like a champ.

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Forum consigliere

Yeah, what's up with that old sharpening oil? It's the worst smellin', odiferous stuff known to man. Once it's absorbed into the stones and ferments a few years, it's there forever and flat out eye-waterin', nasty!

It's a far cry from the aromatic euphoria provided by a good whiff off the ol' #9 jar, that's for dang sure.

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paws for friendship

I though lawyers don't need knives, you cut with your tongue. But I probably got you mixed up with mother-in-laws. My bad.

Spyderco sharpener.....get the set that includes both the course and fine ceramic sharpeners. I follow with a homemade strop impregnated with chromium oxide. Use a hair dryer to infuse it into the leather.

There are some kits you can buy that hold round steel rods and ceramic rods. They fit into the holder at certain angles. You use the steel ones first then the ceramic. They work really well. I would strongly advise against using any kind of motorized kitchen sharpener. They use a grinding stone or steel. They will sharpen alright but will remove too much material.

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Tom
NRA Pistol Inst