Knife Sharpening

Ghostrifle

Well-Known Member
Hi Folks

I am new to the forum and still a novice. Just wondered what you guys recommended for sharpening stalking and butchering knives. I am a bit useless with a steel.
 
Hello Ghostrifle.

In the past I have used Oil and stone, especially with the more harder steel knives.
The knives I have at the moment have got plastic handles and sharpen up really well on a steel and were brought back from Sweden by a college pal, they cost me a fiver each.
When I was in Spain one year, I bought one of those joker knives back with the gut hook on, but have to say that these cheepies are much better.

wadashot

P.S Practice makes perfect with the steel.
 
As wadshot said but both methods need plenty practise. But why dont you get a blade tech sharpener? I carry 1 at all times and if I blunt my knife then a stroke or 2 through the sharpener and its like a razor again.

http://www.bladetech.co.uk/


cheers
nutty
 
i use a lansky system it's very good and so easy to use you can't fail to get a razor edge every time.
 
i use a bladetech on my hunting knives and hav a chantry sharpener in the larder
both easy to use and the bladetech is small and light to, so you don't notice it in your pocket
 
Bladetech is awful...awsolutely butchers your edge. OK for emergency use in field but better for your pocket is the Fallkniven DC3 and DC4. Combination diamond and ceramic stones give good results on both quality and cheap knives.

If you've got time and patience you won't beat a Japanese waterstone. You'll need a lot of practice and a good tip is a marker pen to colour in the bevel. You can see that you are removing metal in the right place. Another useful bit of kit is a hand lens to study the edge before you start...you'll see exactly how the bevels lie.

Having said all that, persevere with the steel, it gives the best edge for meat work...a micro-serration. You won't find butchers and slaughtermen using much else (I'm sure I'll be proved wrong now). A big old lump of cold beef is about the most difficult thing to cut there is!

What about knife choice? Easiest to sharpen - Frosts of Mora Clipper. Best choice if you've no money? Frosts Clipper. Best choice if you've loads of money? Frosts Clipper. Why? Perfect edge, great steel, non-slip handle, cheap as chips, you won't weep if you loose it!

PS Gordon Ramsey uses his steel wrong!
 
I use an oil stone for all sharpening - both knives and also chisels, plane blades and carving chisels. But only for primary sharpening. Always use an oil stone wet - 3in1 oil, turps , olive oil all work well.

I then use a leather strop - a piece of leather, rough side up glued with contact adhesive to a piece of plywood to use as a strop, with a mix of jewellers rouge and the slurry of a whetstone applied to the surface.

Strop away from the edge - one stroke per side until you no longer get a glint from the edge - then the edge is truly sharp.

I learnt the above method from a wood carver and you can get a carving chisel sharp enough to cut across walnut or even oak without tearing the grain. I can get an spinal knife sharp enough to save with.

If I am to use the knife on meat / food then I wash it with a bit of washing up liquid before use.
 
Got everything, use everything

To get a really good stable edge I now use japanese water stone which are faster and cleaner than either the lansky or oil stone where the surface chokes quite quick. Also no smelly oil mess.

Mark
 
What a fantastic thread thank you all. I have enough knives to start a shop but clearly not the faintest idea how to sharpen them. Am off to investigate all the options mentioned. :D
 
while we are on the subject of sharpening knives what are peoples veiws on an electric sharpener as i am tempted to get one for the larder?
stone
 
Electric knive sharpeners ? IMHO they are knife wreckers except in skilled hands, I use a Spyderso Triangle Sharpmaker, which is 2 sets of ceramic sticks and good for everything, and quick for a normal hone up after gralloching a beast.

ATB
 
Stone Ive used an electric sharpenerer but only as a last resort in the kitchen I used to work in. Again in the wrong hand they will ruin a knife big time, I know Ive done it to a Sabatiar! I hope this lanksy crap is good a Ive just bought the diamond set as to be honest the blade tech will put a razor sharp edge on but after reading the comments and looking at my knifes I can see the wear! it may be ok for the pocket incase but unless it is a cheap knife which mines is £20 I wouldnt run the risk!
 
ok so an electric sharpener goes on the back burner for a while so back to the bladetech for now
good job i only use frost knives at £10 a go ,may hav to invest in some proper gear soon
many thanks stone
 
People often try to sharpen a knife with a very fine stone although the edge has a complete wrong angle to start with. I try to get about a 25 deg
angle with a water cooled belt machine and then use a Aluminiumoxide
rod sharpener at about 30 deg. I somewhere found a very fine sintered siliconcarbide rod which is my favorite for finishing.

In emergency the underside of a cup or saucer will do. The not glazed bit.

The tip with the marker pen is very good.

edi
 
sharpening knives is not as easy as some folk make out. The type of blade you have will dictate how you sharpen it. It's not a matter of just wacking it thru a steel, or belt etc.

Study the blade first so as to determine WHAT type of blade you have, Convex, Flat Scandi grind,Back Bevel, Hollow Ground....They all need to be treated differently, that is unless you want to end up with a SPOON.

Read up first is my advice, it may stop you messing up your pig sticker,
other than that take it to someone who knows what they are doing.
 
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