Best practise when sharpening your blade?

**madako** · 03-10-2010, 12:13

I have always resisted buying "gadgets" to sharpen my knives and still uses the old oil stone.

Lately however, I am struggling to keep the angle on the edge constant and am contemplating buying something like the Lansky tool. I am however not sure about the precise use of it. Yes, I know roughly , but surely the place where you would clamp the blade is going to vary from one use to the next and that will also change the angle of the edge (even if you use the same hole)??

Any other suggestions? Or are you guys still using the old wet or oil stones?

Tx

**marthinus** · 03-10-2010, 16:44

I use a stone to reprofile my edges and then apply a microbevel with a lansky crock set with fine rods I bought as extra. I also have a diamond paddle (fine) and do not use the medium stones on my edges, but I do have harder steels where diamonds just make it so much better. Microbevels are easier to maintain as well. You can be hitting the shoulder of the edge and therefore are not achieving the results you want. I love mirror edges so I use a leather strop.

Check your pm, sent you a link regarding microbevels.

---------- Post added at 16:41 ---------- Previous post was at 16:27 ----------

My setup for micro bevel maintenance (leather strop not in picture).

---------- Post added at 16:44 ---------- Previous post was at 16:41 ----------

O yes, remember that after time your edge angle changes as you build up the shoulder on older knives, so you have to reprofile to remove the shoulder.

You are correct on the lansky clamp, works, but if you do have a larger knife you have to move the clamp. Say you have the clamp near the handle, you will have a good edge near the handle, but at the tip it will be much thinner and therefore you will need to move the clamp. Sharpmaker for maintaining the edge (or a lansky turn box kit) and reprofile with the old stone gets my vote.

**maverick5571** · 03-10-2010, 21:39

I used to use a Lansky and to maintain the same angle I used to make a note of where the the clamp was placed, how many mm from the spine etc to duplicate the action every time.

Male sure all the stones are attached/screwed on the exact same way so you don't vary from stone to stone....and if possible leave the stones attached to the guide rods when storing the kit. And finally, not too much pressure...let the sones do the cutting and fininsh lightly.

I now use a Spyderco sharpmaker which is simple, Diamond bench stone for moving lots of metal and a loaded strop for fininshing/maintaining.

Hopefully I be freehand soonish.

**madako** · 03-10-2010, 22:33

Thanks for the replies. It does look as if the Spyderco is the more practical one as it does not require any setup. But it still requires you to keep the right angle (straight up).

Looks like personal preference will come into play! LOL.

Marthinus - do you think that polishing the edge to a shine like that makes the knife sharper? Does it have any practical use?

**marthinus** · 04-10-2010, 00:27

Well, sharpness depends on the person. I like it that way because I often shave with my knives when my beard is out of hand.

There are many factors to consider when you decide to keep a plain edge toothy or sharpening it to a mirror polish. This is a post I found that generally sums up how people feel:

"In both my experience, and what I have read of the experience of others, a slightly rough edge can work a bit better for utility type tasks like cutting rope etc.

A mirror polished edge with glide through finer slicing tasks (food prep, etc.) a bit easier, and many claim a polished edge will hold the edge a bit longer.

I polish all my edges as per the quote above (1200grit and strop), and they cut everything I ever need them to cut.

IMO you may fiind a rougher edge will continue hacking through rope etc. a bit better than a polished edge after it dulls a bit.

Thinking on a microscopic level, a rough edge will grab and chew on a material, a polished edge will tend to slice and glide through a material.

You may find this an interesting read. The microscopic edge pics are at least interesting.
http://sharpeningtechniques.blogspot.com/

Looking at the very rough edge surfaces, you can see that particles would break away with use, thus supporting the claim that a rough edge will dull quicker. However, if it remains a microscopic rough, jagged, edge it will retain some ability to "saw" through a material, but would not perform as well for finer slicing duties where some finese is desired."

For me this works great form opening feed bags, cutting irrigation pipe to food prep. I started out with a toothy edge, but became more and more intrigued by mirror polished edges. Then I found that I could shave with it that sharp! Now I just do it like that. I want to cut cleanly through paper as you can see here (sebenza insingo reprofiled to about 17degrees with micro bevel, there was a slight role in the edge that I missed, but the micro bevel sharpening took that out after the video)

http://www.youtube.com/user/mwvanwyk.../1/I_Q0COScaV4

DS · 04-10-2010, 08:21

I have Lansky, Gatco, EdgePro and Spyderco sharpening systems.

For me it works well to re-profile the edge of any new knife with the Gatco (I prefer it over the a Lansky) to my preferred inclusive edge of around 40 degrees. After that I regularly "touch up" the edge on the Spyderco Sharpmaker set at a 40 degree inclusive edge angle.

Imo the Sharpmaker alone is just too much work on average to get a new knife's edge re-profiled to the required edge angle.

**johnny99** · 04-10-2010, 16:10

I am an old scool when it comes to sharpening a knife.This means I use a flat stone.Here are a cuple of hints.Make sure the surface that you have the stone on is flat and sturdy. Any movement in the stone makes it difficult to get a constant bevel.The other issue is the flatness of your stone, if you stone is cuped it is alomost impossible to get a good edge.It helps to have a have a good honeing oil ( the right consitancy ),if not the oil won't lift the steel partcles and your stone will not cut cleanly.
In the beginning sharpening on a flat a stone takes practice to get a feel for it.To develope a feel take a magic maker and blacken the bevel.It will make it easier to check the bevel and also to see if angle is constant Hope this helps

LyleNesbitt · 04-10-2010, 17:32

There's nothing wrong about the old oil stone.. in fact, I am still using it until now. Just add a microbevel with a lansky crock set with fine rods.. its set now..

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