Recommend a knife

[dryan]

I admit that I’m crap at sharpening knives, I have a stone, sharpening devices that you pull the knife through and a steel. I never seem to be able to get anything shaving sharp.

I think this may be due to the knives that I’ve bought- moras, opinels and various other stainless models.

Do I need to spend more to get an easy to sharpen tool or do I just need to buy a fool proof sharpening system like Lansky etc?

 

[JH83]

Buy a decent knife, buy a long strop and learn how to use it, then send it to @Longstrider every 12/18 months to get it touched up/reground. That is, after 20 odd years of messing, the best advice I can offer.

A good knife is subjective but a flat/sabre grind (anything but scandi), decent steel at 59+ RC, with an easily cleaned handle and sheath seem optimal to me.

Snakes knives on here do one heck of a good blade for, in the grand sceme, good money.

 

[.25-06]

Outdoors55 on youtube can explain how to sharpen with ease.

The manufacturers you mentioned make knives that will take an edge you require. but nearly right can be a frustratingly long way from really right.

I cringe at the thought of most of the pull through devices, just not for my knives.

A surprisingly coarse diamond stone will get the edge sharp in a few minutes. Then you can polish it up from there.

OUTDOORS55

Welcome, Alex here, this channel started as an outdoor channel and grew into an all things knife channel. I still do the occasional backpacking/ outdoors related videos ,but primarily, this channel focuses on KNIVES, KNIFE MAKING, KNIFE SHARPENING, and just making stuff in general👊...

youtube.com

 

[Bowland blades]

I was quite surprised as my offer to teach folks hand sharpening hands on was not taken up by more folks at the stalking show . It really is very simple once you get the basics . Remember that a knife will feel blunter once you create the burr , this is because it shields the edge - it needs striking striking off ! A going over with a strop will achieve this.
I have done a few live demonstrations on the bowland blades Facebook account if folks wish to find "how to"
Oh its hardly ever the stones fault but I recommend the faithfull tools branded three different grit stone set ( its very cheap) start course , meduim then fine . Don't worry about how sharp it is till you have gone through all three and stropped the burr off

 

[Bowland blades]

Outdoors55 on youtube can explain how to sharpen with ease.

The manufacturers you mentioned make knives that will take an edge you require. but nearly right can be a frustratingly long way from really right.

I cringe at the thought of most of the pull through devices, just not for my knives.

A surprisingly coarse diamond stone will get the edge sharp in a few minutes. Then you can polish it up from there.

OUTDOORS55

Welcome, Alex here, this channel started as an outdoor channel and grew into an all things knife channel. I still do the occasional backpacking/ outdoors related videos ,but primarily, this channel focuses on KNIVES, KNIFE MAKING, KNIFE SHARPENING, and just making stuff in general👊...

youtube.com

Yep just a flat stone with enough grit to correct things , then go through with each stage after , then strop !

 

[HonestJohn]

One of the most frustrating things in life, but master it and it becomes one of the most satisfying. The lanky system is designed for idiots (sorry to many on here ), and is a waste of money. Yes, I’d had one!!!!

The best I found for doing all my tools, is the DMT set of three stones, and old leather belt as a strop, and learning how to control your angle when sharpening, AND, making sure it is the correct angle!!!

I think, could be wrong, but it’s the same system Longstrider uses.

Once you’ve practice enough, you can shave your beard for a wedding with you felling axe

 

[Mungo]

Edge Pro Apex knife sharpener.

Removes the guess work involved with a stone, substantially more flexible than a lansky.

Sure, learning to use stones is all very zen and obviously where the pure in heart must aim. But if your soul is already irredeemably corrupted and the thought of spending tens of hours blunting your blades fills you with gloom, then a kit is a liberating revelation.

 

[Tdes]

The same as you, I am crap at sharpening... but I have found the solution that works for me!

Lansky turnbox sharpener, use course and then fine, followed by a strop (I have a piece of leather glued to some ply and use flex cut gold polishing compound).

Obviously the knife steel has to be something semi decent to start with, but it gives me amazing results!

 

[Bowland blades]

I recommend learning only on cheap knives and forget about super fine grits , A knife sharpened well will often feel blunt as the burr rolls back and forward so protecting the sharp edge. Strop it to strike the burr off and then test it !

 

[Klenchblaize]

Call the man:

K

 

[weblyish]

Since this seems to be a knife sharpening thread now, does anyone have any experience with the rolling knife sharpener - Horl, Novara or similar


I enjoy sharpening manually on Japanese stones by hand for my knives but I have about 40 Moras and a bunch of sundry bushcraft knives from scouts to get through so I need a quick and repeatable solution

I find the lansky types a bit faffy if you have a lot to get through and usually end up using a coarse oilstone by hand but would love to make it easier

 

[Will the chippy]

Since this seems to be a knife sharpening thread now, does anyone have any experience with the rolling knife sharpener - Horl, Novara or similar


I enjoy sharpening manually on Japanese stones by hand for my knives but I have about 40 Moras and a bunch of sundry bushcraft knives from scouts to get through so I need a quick and repeatable solution

I find the lansky types a bit faffy if you have a lot to get through and usually end up using a coarse oilstone by hand but would love to make it easier

Robert sorby belt linisher with knife grinding jig. It's expensive but excellent and fast. I bought it for doing chisels but I use it for all sorts of stuff now.

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

I admit that I’m crap at sharpening knives, I have a stone, sharpening devices that you pull the knife through and a steel. I never seem to be able to get anything shaving sharp.

I think this may be due to the knives that I’ve bought- moras, opinels and various other stainless models.

Do I need to spend more to get an easy to sharpen tool or do I just need to buy a fool proof sharpening system like Lansky etc?

Victorinox bush craft knife, the last 2 years I have beat the living hell out of this knife cost £65 from what o can remember, all I’ve done to keep the edge so far is sharpened it on a steel.

That knife has seen well over 150 carcasses

Victorinox Venture 3.0902.3 Black, bushcraft knife

Victorinox Venture 3.0902.3 Black, bushcraft knife: null

www.knivesandtools.co.uk

 

[25 Sharps]

I admit that I’m crap at sharpening knives, I have a stone, sharpening devices that you pull the knife through and a steel. I never seem to be able to get anything shaving sharp.

I think this may be due to the knives that I’ve bought- moras, opinels and various other stainless models.

Do I need to spend more to get an easy to sharpen tool or do I just need to buy a fool proof sharpening system like Lansky etc?

Hate to say it but if you can’t get an opinel sharp you are pretty doomed!

 

[25 Sharps]

Since this seems to be a knife sharpening thread now, does anyone have any experience with the rolling knife sharpener - Horl, Novara or similar


I enjoy sharpening manually on Japanese stones by hand for my knives but I have about 40 Moras and a bunch of sundry bushcraft knives from scouts to get through so I need a quick and repeatable solution

I find the lansky types a bit faffy if you have a lot to get through and usually end up using a coarse oilstone by hand but would love to make it easier

Not sure they’ll work well on a scandi grind as they’d have to match the angle perfectly

 

[RCS Deer Management]

Iv got a mora that must have 2000+ deer under its belt. I touch it up several times a week and can shave hair off my arm effortlessly with it. They might be cheap but they are still good knives. I sharpen with a whetstone and strop it on my belt, the stropping is the most important bit

 

[stalker58]

I admit that I’m crap at sharpening knives, I have a stone, sharpening devices that you pull the knife through and a steel. I never seem to be able to get anything shaving sharp.

I think this may be due to the knives that I’ve bought- moras, opinels and various other stainless models.

Do I need to spend more to get an easy to sharpen tool or do I just need to buy a fool proof sharpening system like Lansky etc?

In my opinion if its just for gralloching..A small Opinal is perfect,I only do a short gralloch in the field

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

In my opinion if its just for gralloching..A small Opinal is perfect,I only do a short gralloch in the field

That’s fact

 

[caorach]

I admit that I’m crap at sharpening knives, I have a stone, sharpening devices that you pull the knife through and a steel. I never seem to be able to get anything shaving sharp.

I think this may be due to the knives that I’ve bought- moras, opinels and various other stainless models.

Do I need to spend more to get an easy to sharpen tool or do I just need to buy a fool proof sharpening system like Lansky etc?

Join the club

One thing I will say is that the less expensive knives might, in some cases, have steel that is a little easier to sharpen and so they might be better to start on than something that takes 4 years to sharpen My Mora gets really sharp and is a good knife but my Falkniven F1 takes much, much longer to sharpen and as I don't really know what I'm doing to start with this isn't helpful as doubt and confusion can set in. My Swiss Army Knife seems to have really soft steel and takes a very sharp edge very quickly so it is a great knife to practice on, of course it also loses the edge quickly but for learning sharpening I think it is good.

I got myself one of the WorkSharp sharpening devices and must say that I'm very pleased with it, it makes up for my incompetence and while I'm sure there are better and more sophisticated options it gets the knives more than sharp enough. I also experimented with some of the lapping films - they can be stuck on over the highest grit stone in the WorkSharp set - and they should remove the need to strop as the grits are so fine that you are just polishing the edge really. If you are struggling with sharpening, like me, then something like the WorkSharp lets you see good results almost instantly. I have the basic one and for me it just works:

Precision Adjust™ Knife Sharpener

Fixed Angle. Full Control. The Work Sharp® Precision Adjust™ guided sharpener makes it easy and affordable to get surprisingly sharp edges every time. Eliminate the struggle with dull knives. Backed by 3-Year Warranty.

worksharptools.com

 

[25 Sharps]

In my opinion if its just for gralloching..A small Opinal is perfect,I only do a short gralloch in the field

Only if it’s sharp!