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Post by kutkota on Aug 15, 2012 23:09:19 GMT -7
OK, what is the best out there.. I have a few more days until I get back into the swing of crazyness with working, school, and playing army. What is the best set of stones to get to keep that razor edge.
I am wanting to purchase a custom knife from our favorite knife expert and woulld like to be able to keep that mirrored finish on the blade. I understand it will cost a bit but let me know what everryone has and what the best is please and thank you!
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Post by kutkota on Aug 15, 2012 23:22:20 GMT -7
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Post by kutkota on Aug 15, 2012 23:23:37 GMT -7
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Post by swamprat1 on Aug 16, 2012 2:08:38 GMT -7
i prefer a norton stone myself, cost me all of $15. But I have always sharpened freehand. Some folks prefer the fancy setups with all the guide rods and diamond stones and such. You just have to find what works for you.
I will say that the only time you really have to have the diamond type stones is when sharpening the more exotic stainless steels. A normal stone can do it, but you better have a lot of time on your hands.
Also, if you are new to sharpening, go down the the flea market or check yard sales and find a cheap junk knife to learn on.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2012 4:57:00 GMT -7
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Post by pathwinder14 on Aug 16, 2012 6:11:40 GMT -7
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Post by crashdive123 on Aug 16, 2012 13:45:07 GMT -7
While I have a few of the carbide bit sharpeners (bought them quite some time ago) I prefer not to use them. Learning how to use a good set of stones is the way to go IMO and then finish it off with a ceramic rod or leather strop. That being said --- I cheat and use a 2" X 72" grinder.  |
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Post by pathwinder14 on Aug 17, 2012 4:32:28 GMT -7
While I have a few of the carbide bit sharpeners (bought them quite some time ago) I prefer not to use them. Learning how to use a good set of stones is the way to go IMO and then finish it off with a ceramic rod or leather strop. That being said --- I cheat and use a 2" X 72" grinder. Cheater!  Seriously though, I have thought about using stones. I know they provide a far superior edge, but how heavy are they? How much space do they take up in your pack? How long do they take to use? How log does set up and prep take? Can you use them with one hand while standing? Was that last one a silly question? I look for everything I use to be lightweight, effective, and portable. My Smith's are small, weigh next to nothing, do a great job,do it fast, and let me do it while on the go; allowing me to get back to using my knife. The edge they give will shave a few hairs off my arm, but it takes a couple of strokes. Heck, most of the time I just use the ceramic side to hone the blade. Is that extra 10% difference for "shaving sharp" worth it? I guess it depends upon what the knife is for. If it is a pure bush craft knife used for hacking wood and cutting cordage then the carbide sharpeners are great. If it's a fine detail knife, or one with a fairly long blade (10 inches plus) I may need to go with stones. |
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Post by mud on Aug 17, 2012 6:08:23 GMT -7
In a pinch i have used poecelin light fixtures and sandstone to freehand but mostly i use a variety of stones depending on what i am working on. For my hatchet it is a rough ceramic from harbor freight followed by a ceramic stick. For setting a profile like a double bevel or scandi grind its a lansky guided set oe freehand arkansas stone for convex. I have two poket pals in my bags but only rarely use the carbide. For hard steel its a double sided diamond stone. I also carry a couple small fine mill files to make fast work of dings in the blades
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Post by woodyz on Aug 17, 2012 16:05:40 GMT -7
I have always had good luck with the three stone lansky. The tell me the trick is keeping a consistent angle and progressing from a course to a hard stone. It has worked well for me for years. lansky.com/index.php/precision-sharpening-kits/ |
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Post by crashdive123 on Aug 17, 2012 17:24:49 GMT -7
While I have a few of the carbide bit sharpeners (bought them quite some time ago) I prefer not to use them. Learning how to use a good set of stones is the way to go IMO and then finish it off with a ceramic rod or leather strop. That being said --- I cheat and use a 2" X 72" grinder. Cheater! Seriously though, I have thought about using stones. I know they provide a far superior edge, but how heavy are they? How much space do they take up in your pack? How long do they take to use? How log does set up and prep take? Can you use them with one hand while standing? Was that last one a silly question? I look for everything I use to be lightweight, effective, and portable. My Smith's are small, weigh next to nothing, do a great job,do it fast, and let me do it while on the go; allowing me to get back to using my knife. The edge they give will shave a few hairs off my arm, but it takes a couple of strokes. Heck, most of the time I just use the ceramic side to hone the blade. Is that extra 10% difference for "shaving sharp" worth it? I guess it depends upon what the knife is for. If it is a pure bush craft knife used for hacking wood and cutting cordage then the carbide sharpeners are great. If it's a fine detail knife, or one with a fairly long blade (10 inches plus) I may need to go with stones. If you put a good edge on your knife at home, then maintaining it in the field is easy. In the field I carry a very small Arkansas stone and either a diamond or ceramic stick. The carbide sharpeners remove too much steel. Don't get me wrong - I'd use it if it was all I had - I just prefer stones and ceramics. |
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Post by pathwinder14 on Aug 22, 2012 5:48:10 GMT -7
If you put a good edge on your knife at home, then maintaining it in the field is easy. In the field I carry a very small Arkansas stone and either a diamond or ceramic stick. The carbide sharpeners remove too much steel. Don't get me wrong - I'd use it if it was all I had - I just prefer stones and ceramics. Oh I agree totally. Like I said earlier I only use the Carbide to put an initial edge on teh blade. Most of the time I'm using the ceramic part of the sharpener to maintain my edge. I also carry a small 2" porcelain tile (from any hardware store) with me as well. |
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Post by alex on Aug 22, 2012 15:45:53 GMT -7
I've got both a Lansky set and I've got a Smith's tri-hone. I use the Lansky to get the angles I want then I use yellow, white and then green rouge on a leather strop...I use the Tri-hone more than the Lansky but that's cause I use it to touch up my Old Hickory knives before use.
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