I would like to sharpen some knives around the house, including kitchen knives, standard pocket knives, and a fixed blade Buck camping knife. I have read good reviews for the Spyderco Sharpmaker system and I am considering getting it, but I am not entirely sure this is the best choice.
Would I be better off getting a run of the mill “block” whetstone? I have used whetstones/sharpening stones before but I am not that practiced and have never really developed a superior edge. Plus, I am obsessed with getting the right angle and am always afraid that I am ruining the blade.
Bladesmen, what are your recommendations/suggestions?
Knife sharpening systems for the most part just allow you to get more consistent grind angles so if you are pretty good sharpening a knife by hand they won’t improve things much.
As for the angles there is nothing magic about a particular angle. Shallower angles make for an edge that cuts easier but may be more fragile while steeper angles are more durable. You wouldn’t ordinarily sharpen an axe at the same low angle as the castrating blade on your Case stockman. Now the difference of half a degree between the spyderco and what Buck reccomends is splitting a pretty small hair so to speak.
If you want to control angles precisely I personally prefer something like the Lansky system which clamps onto the back of the blade as you can tailor it to your needs.
Kitchen knives are a different matter as I don’t like to use a super fine stone on them. For the most part I use a coarse synthetic stone which leaves enough texture in the edge to make for an easy slicing cut. When I need to dress up really dull knives I give them a couple of quick passes on a one inch belt sander with a coarse blade then touch them up with a
I agree with Padeye that the Lansky system works well. But it’s somewhat easier to hurt yourself with the Lansky than with some other systems. With the Lansky you are pussing the stone toward the edge of the blade. :eek:
But if you follow directions and keep your fingers on the top of the stone, you shouldn’t have any problems. Take it slow at the start. Most accidents occur when folks think they know exactly what they are doing.
I have two Lansky units. One has the diamond stones while the other has the regular stones. The diamond unit is mine, while the other had been a present for my Dad. I also have their stone for serated blades. If you buy the Lansky unit you might want one of these.
Lansky also makes several styles of “mounts” for the blade holder.
You amateurs, I do my kitchen knives on a bench grinder!
Seriously I’m a toolmaker and can sharpen any knife or lawnmower blade with a file and a stone or two. Much better control than with powered equipment. It helps if you have drawers full of stones and files of every size, shape and composition.
With a lot of experience and trial and error you can get good at doing it by hand. A drop or two of oil on the stone is always a great idea. It keeps the stone from loading up from the steel dross.
Angles are tricky. Padeye has a good point, an axe is sharpend blunt, your pocketknife very shallow. The biggest thing to learn is the edge. If you sharpenen a blade to a razor like edge it will break down very quickly. When I do my axe heads I put a flat on the end like this
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That’s exagerated a little, I’d say 1/16"
Try to do the same thing on a knife blade, just a whisper of a flat about as thick as a sheet of newsprint. One light pass against a fine stone will do. Those corners break down first and leave a keener edge longer. If you are doing a small kitchen knife for slicing tomatoes you want the razor edge but will have to sharpen it a lot more often.
The best advice I have is go slow. Sooner or later there will be an AHA! moment and you will be the envy of friends and neighbors and whisk off an edge effortlessly.
The Spyderco system is the bee’s knees. Spend the extra $$ and get the diamond-coated extra coarse rods. They speed things up tremendously when you are trying to sharpen an extremely dull blade or reprofile an edge. I’ve had one teny years or so and, even though I know how to use a whetstone and get a good edge, I prefer the Spyderco. I tried the Lansky system and found it more of a pain in the arse than it was worth.
I always like hand sharpening because theres something so immediately physical about it. One trick I’ve found is that if you sharpen in an area with a single, bright light source, then you can use the reflection from your knife to guide your sharpening angle. Just construct a 22.5 degree paper guide (fold a piece of paper in half twice) and then work out the ligt spot for your desired angle.
I’ve got a Tormek http://www.tormek.se/index_gb.htmgrinder that I use for all my turning tools, as well as chisels and plane irons. I sometimes use it for knives as well. It does a fine job.