Knife Sharpening

[muddy42]

For a mora, i find the magnet in a vise technique is best. You then push down and sand it with various grades of sandpaper supported on a flat surface. This works better for me than any other technique and I have tried most of them! There is a video on youtube by Jacklore.

For small flat grind knives, lansky.

Then home made strop for both.

 

[Mungo]

I've found that no one system is suitable for every type of knife grind in my experience, for example, I have a lansky sharpening set, but it isn't at all suitable for a convex edge like on a Falkniven knife, I realised this after a few passes when sharpening and stopped before it ruined the edge profile. The Lansky is good for most other types of knife grinds though. I have other sharpening systems such as the EZE -LAP diamond stone and the Spyderco sharpmaker in addition to the Lansky system.

I like Falkniven knives and have an original F2, but I find a convex edge is the hardest to sharpen. It would like to buy a Falkniven R2 Scout but to be honest, I am reluctant to get it due to the convex edge. Most people will say to just keep it stropped on a stropping board with some stropping compound (which I have) but any damage to the edge will require more than that. I haven't tried the spyderco sharpmaker on it yet though.

Falkniven owners - please feel free to chip in with some advice!

So I have an F1 and recently got the R2 Scout (get it - it’s a really lovely little knife).

After years of buggering about and never really being happy, I’ve settled on a Fallkniven DC4 whetstone and a strop. With a fair amount of practice, it works as well as I need. My understanding from endless Utube watching is that doing it ‘free hand’ with the small stone means the angle is ‘sloppy’, and can follow the contour of the convex grind - like sharpening an axe but on a small scale. Apparently you naturally end up with a convex profile if you sharpen free hand. The logic works for me, and I get what I need.

Little and often!

 

[WellieP]

A very good article, thank you.

Would like to see a photo of the "Solingen-made straight razor" you mention.....

It’s one of these. Great value for money when compared with disposable refills!

Dovo Best Quality 5/8 Full Hollow Straight Razor|The Invisible Edge

This 5/8 Dovo Best Quality razor has a good quality carbon steel blade with a full hollow grind and a Solingen mark finished with black plastic scales

www.theinvisibleedge.co.uk

 

[Monarch Country Products]

More or less fool-proof:

Warthog V-Sharp Classic II Knife Sharpener - Monarch Country Products

The V-Sharp Classic II uses two 325 grade diamond grit rods which sharpen the blade on each side using calibrated […]

www.monarchcountryproducts.co.uk

Will have these at the Stafford Stalking Show

 

[dazz223]

I also use a Wicked Edge Knife sharpening system probably the top of the costing range but worth every penny

 

[Utectok]

More or less fool-proof:

Warthog V-Sharp Classic II Knife Sharpener - Monarch Country Products

The V-Sharp Classic II uses two 325 grade diamond grit rods which sharpen the blade on each side using calibrated […]

www.monarchcountryproducts.co.uk

Will have these at the Stafford Stalking Show

It is very good I removed the plastic vertical guide which works better for me anyway
Quick and useful tool

 

[JH83]

I’ve tried everything, some friends of mine mastered whetstones to great effect but I never got the knack.

I ended up getting my falky F1 and puma skinner sharpened by longstrider to set them up perfectly and then bought one of his long strops and compound. They are both easy to keep popping hairs, I don’t let them get too dull, at the most processing a couple of beasts before touching up. Stropping is really quick and easy, and better for convex blades.

For my larder knives (mora) it’s a bladetech

 

[Erik Hamburger]

I was surprised to learn, when I recently attended a 'tool sharpening course', that the preferred method for virtually every tool, including knives, was to use....sandpaper! In different grades, stuck on wooden blocks.
Wet & Dry will be just fine, or another branded products such as Hermes Abrasive Paper with a self-adhesive backing. I use 600, 1200 and 2400 Grits (Work through them in that order) which I stick on some wooden blocks of different shapes. You'll need some dexterity to do the sanding at the correct angle - I usually put the knives in a vice. But does it really matter if your edge is an 20, 21 or 22 degree angle...? No.

 

[Cottis]

I was surprised to learn, when I recently attended a 'tool sharpening course', that the preferred method for virtually every tool, including knives, was to use....sandpaper! In different grades, stuck on wooden blocks.
Wet & Dry will be just fine, or another branded products such as Hermes Abrasive Paper with a self-adhesive backing. I use 600, 1200 and 2400 Grits (Work through them in that order) which I stick on some wooden blocks of different shapes. You'll need some dexterity to do the sanding at the correct angle - I usually put the knives in a vice. But does it really matter if your edge is an 20, 21 or 22 degree angle...? No.

Everyone should learn to sharpen by using this method and a scandi grind knife like a cheapo Mora.

It helps to introduce muscle memory and theory to the process, as the large bevel of scandi grind knives really are impossible to sharpen incorrectly unless you are a total dunce.

Or maybe a plane iron is a good method or a chisel. They all have very obvious bevels that need to remain squarely in contact with the adhesive.

If someone gives me a Mora to sharpen, I always do it on a piece of flat granite with wet & dry paper duck taped to it. Works great. I start as low as 120 on really knackered blades. Most Moras are knackered with people dragging them through those stupid pull through sharpeners which introduce multiple bevels meaning that loads of meat needs to be hogged off the bevels to make them apex perfectly once more.

 

[David.evans]

I just take mine to my butchers, and there done , and very sharp , if there good enough for him there good enough for me

 

[hybridfiat]

Here you go, watch this.
Ive bought several items on his recommendation and always been happy.
My last was a pair of scissors that defy belief.

 

[Mike L]

What's best to sharpen an emberleaf?

 

[Heym SR20]

How deep / thick is the hardening temper on a typical knife blade as after a while you will eventually wear this away with sharpening. I suppose it will depend on the techniques used by the blade maker.

 

[WellieP]

What's best to sharpen an emberleaf?

Same method as a mora presumably. Hold the bevel/grind flat to an oil stone or a wet stone and sharpen. I assume emberleaf are zero ground? Then strip on a piece of leather.

 

[WellieP]

How deep / thick is the hardening temper on a typical knife blade as after a while you will eventually wear this away with sharpening. I suppose it will depend on the techniques used by the blade maker.

Most knives will be through hardened so in theory you will never run out of hardened material. A differentially hardened knife with just the cutting edge at full hardness will still have plenty to go at, the owner will likely expire before the knife runs out of cutting edge.

 

[WellieP]

The wet and dry taped to a granite block is ok for the work shop, but IMO it’s a faff, wasteful and doesn’t do anything a wetstone doesn’t. It’s also not a method that works in the field (unless you pre prepare small slips of card with wet and dry on).

 

[geoffw]

Fool proof? I think you're chasing your tail unfortunately!

What you choose depends on how deep down the rabbit hole you want to go. I own countless whetstones, oilstones, ceramic steels, "steel" steels, paddle strops, polishing pastes, polishing blocks, a Lansky system, a WorkSharp Ken Onion belt-thingy and a Tormek. Each will see use depending on the blade, the state it is in, what I want to achieve, what I want to use it for and, usually over-ridingly, how much effort I can be bothered to put in to sharpening it!

I try to keep on top of my knives regularly. Little and often is the key, the more often you touch them up the less that needs doing. Usually a blade will see a strop or steel after every single use.

If it is a cheap "working" knife (in the stalking sense) then I most regularly use the Lansky system if it is in need of a going over.

My kitchen choppers? Different kettle of fish entirely. If I have been remiss and let them get in a state then the process would start with the Tormek and end with various strops, taking in everything in between.

Whatever system you choose however will need it's own technique and lots of practise. Your end result is directly related to how much work you put in.

I now feel so much better about myself, thank you.

 

[WellieP]

Might prove to be an unpopular opinion, but a knife doesn’t need to be as ‘scary sharp’ as a chisel, plane or indeed shaving razor. It’s not doing the same work. A reasonable edge stropped regularly and some user dexterity will always suffice.

 

[muddy216]

Spyderco sharp maker has treat me well over the years

 

[Kernow_Stalker]

I've got a Work Sharp Ken Onion that I rate very highly. Can get screaming sharp with minimal effort. There is a learning curve at the start so practice on some knives you dont care about. But once youve got the hang of it you can get really good results