Opinions on the best Knife Sharpener

[Bowland blades]

Thanks. I've always used whetstone and get good results but it is all the soaking, flattening, sludge etc that has me thinking about buying some diamond stones. Surprised to hear such a good report on those cheap faithful ones

I have always found the brand junk but a mate of mine a very good joiner showed me his and I drove across and bought a set myself . They then sat in a cupboard a while before migrating to the truck for a "just in case" after a couple of touch up jobs i became impressed enough for them to enter the kitchen , then the workshop !
No slurry like whetstones , no kerosene type lubes dripping like oil stones and they hold well with the rubber feet on smooth granite

 

[PostmanPat]

I have always found the brand junk but a mate of mine a very good joiner showed me his and I drove across and bought a set myself . They then sat in a cupboard a while before migrating to the truck for a "just in case" after a couple of touch up jobs i became impressed enough for them to enter the kitchen , then the workshop !
No slurry like whetstones , no kerosene type lubes dripping like oil stones and they hold well with the rubber feet on smooth granite

I was looking at the naniwa diamond or atoma stones, now wondering if I am about overpay

 

[Bowland blades]

I was looking at the naniwa diamond or atoma stones, now wondering if I am about overpay

Industrial diamond grit is what it is whatever fancy name you give it i suspect . BTW a lot of sharpening kit ( some of it quite costly ) is the same grit with added gadgets for setting angles , with perfect practice you do not need to even know the angle so save your cash - the trick is maintaining the angle not setting it !

 

[norcan]

Value for money wise, these get my vote: AnySharp Classic. The Safer Hands-Free Knife Sharpener

For cheap kitchen knives, maybe.

For good knives, I would recommend avoiding these.

 

[Will the chippy]

I use one of these in my joinery shop. Its fab and great value.

 

[Bowland blades]

For cheap kitchen knives, maybe.

For good knives, I would recommend avoiding these.

Any set up pull through cannot work well or even at all without matching the primary edge angle that already exists on the knife . Re-setting the angle is super hard without the right gear and experience !
AVIOD such devices

 

[jthyttin]

A diamond stone is not a diamond stone. There are several ways of bonding the diamond to the "stone" and you an do a good or bad job on that. Do your research or take a more or less educated guess.

I took a quasi-educated guess and purchased "basic diamond" set with my Hapstone. Haven't really got on using it yet, since primary use was for Mora puukkos, and surprise surprise the blade holders I purchased are not a good match for that profile.

There are reasons I want a repeatable process for maintaining angle, but I'll get there eventually. Must say, I guided system is not a tool that works with no practice. You must develop and maintain consistent methods, the guiding part is only helping you not doing the work for you. That is, if you really want to make it repeatable.

 

[Bowland blades]

A diamond stone is not a diamond stone. There are several ways of bonding the diamond to the "stone" and you an do a good or bad job on that. Do your research or take a more or less educated guess.

I took a quasi-educated guess and purchased "basic diamond" set with my Hapstone. Haven't really got on using it yet, since primary use was for Mora puukkos, and surprise surprise the blade holders I purchased are not a good match for that profile.

There are reasons I want a repeatable process for maintaining angle, but I'll get there eventually. Must say, I guided system is not a tool that works with no practice. You must develop and maintain consistent methods, the guiding part is only helping you not doing the work for you. That is, if you really want to make it repeatable.

I have never used any guided system personally. I often get asked what angle should i sharpen the knife and all i can say " The correct one by feel " Putting the knife flat and then tilt till you have contact with the existing primary edge .
Mora are generally a scandi grind so using the technique mentioned of tilting from flat is really simple . A Scandi works just the same as a carpentry chisel " its easy" until you start over thinking and modifying ( the chisel grind is basically a half Scandi in principle) .

 

[User00035]

There are reasons I want a repeatable process for maintaining angle, but I'll get there eventually. Must say, I guided system is not a tool that works with no practice. You must develop and maintain consistent methods, the guiding part is only helping you not doing the work for you. That is, if you really want to make it repeatable.

This is very true of the Lansky system. Thin, tapering, almost stiletto types blades with a straight edge are easy, but deep bellied drop-points, sow-belly blades and very long knives are much trickier.
The guide bar forces a change in angle grind as the hone goes round the curve at the tip of the blade and you have to position the knife in the clamp very carefully to minimise this and make sure it's in exactly the same position every time subsequently or you'll be there for hours regrinding the angle.

 

[Bowland blades]

This is very true of the Lansky system. Thin, tapering, almost stiletto types blades with a straight edge are easy, but deep bellied drop-points, sow-belly blades and very long knives are much trickier.
The guide bar forces a change in angle grind as the hone goes round the curve at the tip of the blade and you have to position the knife in the clamp very carefully to minimise this and make sure it's in exactly the same position every time subsequently or you'll be there for hours regrinding the angle.

The reasons i do not rate systems as such is two fold 1. as you mention it is hard or impossible to use them on very many knives 2. setting them up real well will be longer than doing the job , then you need to take them apart to put them away !
Learning to free hand sharpen is very much worth the effort besides the obvious fact you can keep your knife sharp , you can also sharpen all your other knives ! Once ingrained it's a skill you have forever and that means a sharp knife forever.

 

[User00035]

The reasons i do not rate systems as such is two fold 1. as you mention it is hard or impossible to use them on very many knives 2. setting them up real well will be longer than doing the job , then you need to take them apart to put them away !
Learning to free hand sharpen is very much worth the effort besides the obvious fact you can keep your knife sharp , you can also sharpen all your other knives ! Once ingrained it's a skill you have forever and that means a sharp knife forever.

I'd like to master water stones but have yet to do so, partly because of the mess it makes. Trouble is most people buy their ideal knife and then try to learn to sharpen it. When they fail free-hand, they panic as the edge vanishes before their eyes and they resort to guided systems. Better to have a practice knife for learning free-hand sharpening.

On the other hand, a good blade that's well maintained rarely needs much honing. My favoured Boker has only seen the Lansky once - and that was to polish away the factory grinding marks when I first got it. Stropping after use keeps it keen as long as I don't hit bone or a stone of something.

 

[Bowland blades]

I'd like to master water stones but have yet to do so, partly because of the mess it makes. Trouble is most people buy their ideal knife and then try to learn to sharpen it. When they fail free-hand, they panic as the edge vanishes before their eyes and they resort to guided systems. Better to have a practice knife for learning free-hand sharpening.

On the other hand, a good blade that's well maintained rarely needs much honing. My favoured Boker has only seen the Lansky once - and that was to polish away the factory grinding marks when I first got it. Stropping after use keeps it keen as long as I don't hit bone or a stone of something.

I dont use waterstones , though i have used those belonging to others . Mainly i have used the same . old worn oil stone Recently as i have recently posted i have been using a diamond stone set that used to live in the truck ( only cheap 300# 600#100# ) from Faithfull tools , They really work pretty good

 

[User00035]

I dont use waterstones , though i have used those belonging to others . Mainly i have used the same . old worn oil stone Recently as i have recently posted i have been using a diamond stone set that used to live in the truck ( only cheap 300# 600#100# ) from Faithfull tools , They really work pretty good

I like water stones because they're so fine you get a fully polished edge with no stropping. And they just feel so "right" against the blade. Creamy smooth. But I really need to set up a purpose built bench with a seat and a water trough to get to grips with them. And I don't like those rubber vices they tend to come with. They get in the way. One day, I'll set up a proper sharpening bench with a jig for the stone and a seat, potter's wheel style.

 

[pete evans]

The reasons i do not rate systems as such is two fold 1. as you mention it is hard or impossible to use them on very many knives 2. setting them up real well will be longer than doing the job , then you need to take them apart to put them away !
Learning to free hand sharpen is very much worth the effort besides the obvious fact you can keep your knife sharp , you can also sharpen all your other knives ! Once ingrained it's a skill you have forever and that means a sharp knife forever.

Do you have a recommendation for an oilstone? I see them from fairly cheep to quite expensive

 

[Bowland blades]

Do you have a recommendation for an oilstone? I see them from fairly cheep to quite expensive

Mine has no brand i inherited it , Just remember its not engine oil etc you use but honing oil ( kerosene) . If your starting out i am going to mention those cheap Faithful tools brand set of diamond stones ( dont put anything at all on these )

 

[PostmanPat]

I'd like to master water stones but have yet to do so, partly because of the mess it makes. Trouble is most people buy their ideal knife and then try to learn to sharpen it. When they fail free-hand, they panic as the edge vanishes before their eyes and they resort to guided systems. Better to have a practice knife for learning free-hand sharpening.

On the other hand, a good blade that's well maintained rarely needs much honing. My favoured Boker has only seen the Lansky once - and that was to polish away the factory grinding marks when I first got it. Stropping after use keeps it keen as long as I don't hit bone or a stone of something.

There's loads of good splash and go whetstone nowadays so they're that messy. Naniwa pro, Shapton glass etc.

 

[@theroedeerguy]

Falkniven DC521 gets my vote, no soaking oiling or faff, just easy to use consistent results, plenty of reviews available online.

Fallkniven Diamond Ceramic Whetstone DC521

Fallkniven Diamond Ceramic Whetstone DC521: Combination diamond/ceramic whetstone which contains a fine diamond stone (25 micron) and a ceramic stone made of synthetic sapphires. Dimensions: 32 x 100 mm

uk.knivesandtools.eu

 

[User00044]

Value for money wise, these get my vote: AnySharp Classic. The Safer Hands-Free Knife Sharpener

I bought one of these at a show , they are far far too aggressive. Run a knife through and it produces swarf along with a jagged edge .

I would add a caveat to using a steel , it takes a lot of practice and I've witnessed a lot of knives lose there tips and shape in the hands of over zealous commis chefs . If you do want to try , buy a fine diamond one . I could shave with my salmon knife , which had a very light flexible blade .

Personally , if I were the OP I'd be taking Bowland Blades advice. He knows his onions on the subject.

 

[Ratel]

Diamond ceramic stone when blunted followed by leather belt strop.on good knives.
Front doorstep or handy rock for opinels.

 

[billgatese30]

Spyderco sharpmaker and a longstrider strop with some of his smurf poo polishing compound. I've used those for over 10 years and they work fantastic on just about any size knife despite how basic or exotic the steel is.