Your Favorite Sharpening System?

[DancesWithKnives]

So what do your prefer?

I have an entire box full of everything from diamond hones to leather strops, with about a half dozen stones and ceramic sticks in between. For quick touch ups in the kitchen, I like ease of the V sticks (Spyderco Sharpmaker being one of the best). For convex grind knives, you obviously need a strop or some wet/dry paper on a mouse pad, etc. In the field, a small diamond sharpener is pretty convenient.

How about you?

DWK

[Bushman]

Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker is all that I have used in the last 25 years. I used to work for a converting OEM where one of the machines used a serrated cut off blade to cut polyethylene. I recommended that same sharpener to a bunch of customers because they could re-sharpen those wavy edge blades and get them sharper than what our new ones were. That didn't do much for our blade sales, but keeping a guy who could swing a 200k machine happy kept me happy.

[dave-t.]

Medium course wet stone, fine wet stone, ceramic stick for polishing and quick touch ups.

[Sidekick]

I've had the same set of Crock Stix sitting on the kitchen counter for over twenty five years. Other than having to clean the stix once in a while it just seems to keep working. I've worn the blade off of several knives with it. I bought a Lansky once. I'm not saying it doesn't work but convenient it is not. Too much trouble unless you just like to make a production out of knife sharpening.

[DancesWithKnives]

A friend of mine asked me to get him a Lansky because he was concerned that he couldn't keep edge angles correct on stones or sticks. It worked pretty well for that purpose but, as you say, it was a PITA compared with the ease of a Sharpmaker or the like.

DWK

[Altjaeger]

Three stone systems.

[DancesWithKnives]

That's certainly an old reliable approach. I have a few of those Dan's Whetstones in various types of Arkansas stone. The black and translucent hard Arkansas stones put a pretty impressive polish on an edge.

DWK

[DaveHawk]

I use the Tormac with a medium stone and leather strop. I also have a very fine and fine Japanese wet stones. I looking to buy one of the Japanese wet stones for the Tormac. From what I know about those stones , I think my knives and chisels are sharp now. They will be awesome after they get touched by that wheel.

[DancesWithKnives]

I don't have a set of really fine Japanese waterstones. I've watched Murray Carter apply his insanely sharp edges to steel with them. I'd like to have a set but I know that the best ones are quite expensive. Maybe when I recover from the purchase of the new residence....

DWK

[gailt]

I use a spyderco sharpmaker for maintaing the edge of my knives.For reprofiling,or sharpening a really dull knife I use the apex edge pro.It gives a nice even grind,I usually sharpen,or reprofile to 15 degrees on each side for a 30 degree inclusive edge that I can easily maintain on my sharpmaker.

[DancesWithKnives]

I've heard that the Edge Pro does a nice job but have not used one myself. 15 degrees sounds about right for general purposes. I think many knives do not have a "thin" enough edge for routine cutting tasks. Cutlery companies seem to put a hatchet grind on a lot of knives. Probably because they don't want chipping problems with people who employ the knives for chopping things. I sometimes go closer to 10 degrees on filet knives and kitchen knives meant for fine slicing.

DWK

[gailt]

With todays premium steels 30 degrees edge doesn't seem to chip that much,at least I haven't had any problems so far.I've been carrying a blade tech pro hunter for a good while,and I reprofiled the edge to 30 degrees .It hol,ds its edge very well.I also carry a vg10 calypso jr for light chores,they compliment each other very well.

[DancesWithKnives]

That Calypso Jr. is a nice size and blade shape. Got one for a friend to carry a few years back. They certainly come out of the box with an impressive edge!

DWK

[gailt]

The calypso jr,is my favorite knife.Nothing seems to take its place,I carry it clipped in my shirt pocket.

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

Wow! You guys go all out. I've got lots of stones, some of them are just rocks. Literally. Periodically I'll find a nice rock with a flat side and I'll drag my knife blade across it to see how it feels. A lot of times they turn out to be pretty good at putting a good utility edge on a blade. I've got crocksticks, and diamond hone things and lots of oilstones, water stones, arkansas stones, etc. It all boils down to a cheap whetstone that I use for sharpening everything from fillet knives, kitchen knives, to pocket knives and a small credit card sized diamond stone that I carry in my wallet. I like a coarse edge on my knives and having a fine super sharp edge only means two things to me. Blood and Band-Aids.

Y'all keep up the good work though.

Alan

[ncboman]

I use a diamond stone mostly.

I've got a couple buckets of raw novaculite for flintknapping and although very hard, some of it could be used for sharpening I'm sure. Really interesting stone.

[DaveHawk]

I don't have a set of really fine Japanese waterstones. I've watched Murray Carter apply his insanely sharp edges to steel with them. I'd like to have a set but I know that the best ones are quite expensive. Maybe when I recover from the purchase of the new residence....

DWK

DWK check this site out http://www.buycheapr.com/us/result.jsp?q=japanese+water+stone

[Twanger]

I use a medium coarse sharpening stone to get the edge at the angle I want and then polish it with a very fine oiled Arkansas stone.
Sometimes I'll take the ehavy metal off with a diamond hone ala NCBowman, but I can't get it shaving sharp without the Arkansas stone.

[DancesWithKnives]

That presents another good question: Whether to employ water or oil when using a stone? I personally like a fine oil, even though it takes a bit more effort to clean the stone when it loads up.

DWK