Enthusiast III
Knife Sharpening
- Thread starter Zdorf
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Influencer II
Advocate II
Oh no. There’s so much more out there! My experience with those style tools is that they barely form a usable edge.
I have a range of Japanese wet stones, a couple of diamond plates, and a couple of homemade leather strops. In my opinion, the best field setup is simply having well sharpened tools BEFORE going out. Maintenance is completed with a worn out medium red Smith’s diamond block, and a strop. I don’t do the whole polished edge, splitting hairs razor edge thing. But I like any blade I’m using to have a thinned edge that will smoothly shave arm hair, and cleanly slice printer paper.
Using a sharp edge is a joy. Using any well maintained tool is a joy. Also safer, and more effective.
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Influencer II
I don’t disagree but that’s my field/overland setup. If you know what you are doing then there are better ways as you have shown especially if you have the time and skill. It also depends what you are trying to keep sharp? A good knife or a cheap blade.
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Enthusiast III
I use a Lansky system and leather strops at home. Getting and maintaining a edge is essential before taking with me.
Enthusiast III
For convex edges, I use sandpaper and a strop with green compound. Start with 400 grit with a magazine or mouse pad underneath. Do 10 strokes on one bevel and 10 on the other side. Try to match the original angle of the bevel as close as you can. It takes some practice. You can use a black magic marker on the bevel to check that you are evenly removing metal. Don't put much pressure on the blade, usually just the weight of the knife is plenty. Repeat until you have a decent edge, and then move to the 1000 grit and repeat. Use the strop to knock off the burr caused by the sandpaper and polish the bevel. You should achieve a nice razor edge with not much effort.
With proper knife care you really only need to maintain your edge. I bring a small strop on trips and use it regularly to maintain the edge. A Falkniven diamond sharpener with course and fine sides comes along too for keeping the axe tuned up as well as any sharpening required by accidentally damaging my knife edge.
This video sort of shows the technique I use.
With proper knife care you really only need to maintain your edge. I bring a small strop on trips and use it regularly to maintain the edge. A Falkniven diamond sharpener with course and fine sides comes along too for keeping the axe tuned up as well as any sharpening required by accidentally damaging my knife edge.
This video sort of shows the technique I use.
Enthusiast III
Being a welder, I always have a piece of tungsten in the truck or my jeep. It'll put a hell of an edge on a knife, even my stainless blades. Nothing fancy or pricey and gets the job done
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Off-Road Ranger I
I glued two pieces of leather, 1.5 x about 5 inches long to both sides of a piece of polycarbonate cut to look like a paint stick. Then loaded one side with white cutting compound and the other side with chromium oxide. That takes care of normal dulling for me.
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To set the angle I use a cheap sliding knife sharpener such as this one . These take some fiddling, but with proper setup they are accurate and easy to use. As a bonus these can also be used to put a very sharp edge on an axe or a hatchet.
Once the angle is established I use a Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker and a homemade leather strop to maintain the edge. The Sharpmaker is small enough to pack on trips, but I never bring it since as long as the knife was properly sharpened before leaving home there is no need to re-sharpen it on a trip.
I also have a set of Japanese wet stones I use to sharpen woodworking planes and chisels, but I'm not skilled (or patient) enough to use these to get a consistent edge on a knife.
Once the angle is established I use a Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker and a homemade leather strop to maintain the edge. The Sharpmaker is small enough to pack on trips, but I never bring it since as long as the knife was properly sharpened before leaving home there is no need to re-sharpen it on a trip.
I also have a set of Japanese wet stones I use to sharpen woodworking planes and chisels, but I'm not skilled (or patient) enough to use these to get a consistent edge on a knife.
Member III
I use this same setup. It's a great inexpensive set up that does the job. I don't take it with me. I'll sharpen all my stuff again after the trip.
Enthusiast III
Right on!!!! I also like my Smith's Tri-Stone setup. It works really good. Thinking about the Work Sharp system but want some people to let me know how they like it. I'd think a cheap belt samder from Harbor Freight would work just as good.
Agree w this and a leather belt w compound for the field, Japanese wetstone for home... with the belt strop.
Influencer II
A nice antique wet stone I purchased from a garage sale with a leather strap for curing the edge after sharpening. The kit looks like its from Germany but has worked wonders for my bushcraft blades and tomahawk.
Enthusiast III
Add some green polishing compound to that leather and your blades will be like razors!
Influencer II
Off-Road Ranger I
Green polishing compound is Chromium Oxide. Knowing that might make it easier to find.
At home its the Japanese water stone. Gets me blades scary sharp. I'm talking Roseanne Barr off her meds with no makup scary.
But in the field I have some small diamond sharpeners that fit into my fixed blade knife sheath as well as one of those quick sharpeners as seen in post #2 only to get out any major dings quickly if that happens God forbid .
But in the field I have some small diamond sharpeners that fit into my fixed blade knife sheath as well as one of those quick sharpeners as seen in post #2 only to get out any major dings quickly if that happens God forbid .
