Sharpening your knives, what do you use?

Hello, folks!

Me again, been looking at some multi tools recently and finally decided that its time to buy me some sharpening tools to sharpen my knives.

Ive looked through 3 sharpening threads through Google search, the ones that came in first according to Google, but those were too much about everything and so Im asking some questions again.

What Im looking for are simple, cheap sharpening tools that last forever to sharpen all kinds of knives, all kinds of blade materials, ofcourse without ruining blades.

I remember when I was a kid my old man used water stone by simply spitting on it and sharpening that way lol, so I have some sort of idea that grit/fineness and angle and precision are the main 3 things to sharpening different blades.

I dont care if its either fixed sharpening system where you set the angle on the tool and then sharpen your knife, much like Taidea sharpening kit from Exduct or just stones from whatever material as long as it doesnt require oil to be used, I want to keep it super simple in this regard and be able to sharpen anywhere, anytime if need arises.

I need one or two setups for home based sharpening, so the size doesnt matter that much in this category, only reliability, I want them to last forever so uber cheap systems with poor stones/diamonds that might wear out quickly and cant be replaced later on are out of question, if there are no such tools on budget, then its simple stone/rod setup for me, no fancy angle tools and what not if it cant deliver for the price.

I will also need one good sharpening tool that lasts forever and that I will be using as camping/tripping sharpening system in case Im outdoors for longer and cant get to my main sharpening tools, so it should be effective but versatile too, not ruining my blades. Imagine apocalypse tool, one that you will have to use for the rest of your life and will have to trust your life and survival upon :wink:

And finally, urban EDC sharpener, something small, pocketable to either drop into my pants/coat pocket or simply in my backpack that doesnt take up much space and can be used to touch up on blades if need arises, it doesnt have to be anything fancy, but again, should last forever and be cheap and not ruin my blades!

Given my requirement Im probabling looking at stones/rods?

To sum up my question:

  • one or two home sharpening tools to sharpen everything one could think of and that lasts forever and is rather cheap and is good for the blades, number of tools in this kit isnt important.
  • one outdoor/camping tool that meets the same criteria as home based tool’s except that it shouldnt be too big so I cant stash it into sort of EDC set or pants pocket/holster and should consist only of one tool/stone.
  • one small EDC tool for urban carry that doesnt take up much space and doesnt ruin my blades when used

I hope you folks will be able to help me directing at the right numbers regarding 100s/1000s of how fine the tools should be and what brands/resources are carrying the best bang for the buck.

I dont live in USA, but if the tool is worth it I will do my best to try to source it because I want my sharpening setup to be simple, cheap yet quality.

Price points? Well, home system could be up to 30$ shipped?
Outdoor version could be the same, at the beginning it could be main main do-it-all sharpening system and I really want it to be quality.
EDC urban sharpener should stay within 10$.
All prices are with shipping.

Perhaps I dont need complicated multi stone setups for each carry need, perhaps only one simple sharpening tool/tool combo will serve me great for all of my needs, home, outdoor-survival and urban EDC? Ok, urban EDC still needs to be very small, so it doesnt kind of fit, but what about home/outdoor?

You may also suggest what grit numbers on sharpening systems should be used as most universal ones, how fine they should be and what should be preferred, natural, synthetic or diamond tools.

I might as well end up buying locally if I find out whats the best tools and they happen to be available here.

Youre welcome to share you observations, experienes or links regarding the universal truth in choosing right sharpening tools, systems, materials and grit, youre not obliged to post product links if you dont happen to know of any :stuck_out_tongue:

THANKS!

I have good luck with the Lansky sharpening system for most things.

They start at around $25, but I would highly recommend getting the Ultra Coarse (for complete edge reworking) and Ultra Fine (for the final edge) stones to go with them.

I also recommend the “C” clamp stabilizer, which makes things go quicker HERE

They are highly modular, and you can add diamond stones or replace individual stones should you need to.

That being said, there are a lot of the clamp style offerings, and most of them work. SAMPLE

Knifecenter is not the cheapest place, but they have good customer service and an amazing selection. Not affiliated in any way other than they have gotten a lot of my money over the years.

For my “Urban sharpener”, I use a DMT credit card that I have had in my wallet for the last 10 years or so.

I have glued a piece of fine grit wet/dry sandpaper to the back, and it works great for touch ups, especially on the Scandi grind stuff I usually carry.

Let me know if I can clarify anything. Good luck.

The key to not messing your knives up is to stay way from something that takes away a lot of material in a hurry.

Most times when your blades need sharpening they aren’t that dull anyway and just a finer stone or stropping will do the trick.

You really don’t “need” anymore than a simple two-sided sharpening stone. I use mine with oil most times but sometimes I use it without oil. You could even use water I suppose as long as you let it dry (and not rust).

For a home system just get a decent sized cheap synthetic stone from the hardward store and either make or buy a leather strop with some compound.

For camping just take a smaller stone.

I like free handing better than using the “systems” but that is a personal preference.

Hah, nice, gcbryan, thats what I was secretely thinking about, given that I dont own any expensive knives, it would be hard for me to mess up something and be sorry about it :D!

BUT, Im still looking forward regarding what other members can say about my initial post :)!
Awesome opinions guys, keep em coming!

Sharpthangs, thanks, Lansky is something, that has stuck in my mind from other threads, also diamond stone/rod is also lingering in my mind, Fallkniven DC4 for example, but its expensive tho :smiley:

As for urban, that card looks interesting, will look into it, its either this format or small rod or one of those plastic “bat(animal)” shaped sharpeners.

I also have the Landsky ceramic rod (Crock box) system. You could carry that outside with you as well. You can even glue a leather pad to the bottom to use as a strop.

The good thing is that it’s inexpensive (<$20). I’ve also got some wet/dry sandpaper 220-2000 grit.

It’s interesting to be able to cheaply try out a few things to see which you prefer.

Stropman

Thanks guys, but I dont intend to use leather strops, not at least now, but thanks for recommendations, one day I might go that route for a final touch on my blades, but at the monent Im not planning to acquire leather strops in foreseeable future :slight_smile:

Oh, you should definitely get one.

I'm using a two-sided Korund stone (EW280/EW120) and I can get the knives really sharp.. but after a few strokes over a leather strop with some grey stuff on it, they get razor sharp. The difference is even visible when I look at the edge of the blade.. it looks smoother, shinier.. and you can feel it.

I use mine with a little water and its small enough to be carried everywhere. 20*5*2,5 cm.

I’ve learned the hard way about sharpening and learned that my hand will never keep the blade onto stone as even as the factory cut it. Many of my much older knives look like a whittled stick from too much sharpening. So before it gets dull I use cardboard and sometime a little polish paste to polish up the little micro nicks blades get. This is just like the old leather straps the barber used before shaving. Blades get little dings that grab instead of cutting. You can’t see them but they get there. This usually keeps my blades razor sharp. If I ever use a stone I set my finger tip into the back of the blade and let the side of the finger drag across the stone as the blade does. This keeps the angle as near the same each time.

I now use a Smith’s Sharpening Kit that I won from Chicago X.

Thanks again Chicago X!

You're welcome - please don't cut yourself using it, as I did !!!

This system is very good, and there's a larger version available for home/kitchen use for about $10USD more.

I wouldn't recommend it for reprofiling, but for maintenance of a non-convex edge, it's tops.

It is also the only non-powered system I plan on keeping after acquiring the Work Sharp WSKTS. :)

spyderco tri-angle sharpmaker

For home use:

King Combination Stone grit 1000/6000 with Holder
Can use also an old belt with some polishing compound to strop, or just use plain newspaper.

For outdoors:

Axminster Premium Double Sided Diamond Stone

For edc:

You can glue a piece of sandpaper to a popsicle stick. You can have two grits if you want.

For Would-Be Professional Knife Sharpeners

I was cruising Amazon and came across this equipment. Given the ridiculously unaffordable cost, not to mention the lack of a place to put the equipment, I became frustrated and started searching for the really well-rated knife sharpening services. It seems the going rate in the Boston area ranges from about $1 per inch to $5 for blades under 6” and $8-10 for those over 6” – still pretty hard to swallow.

Anyway, I thought people might get a kick out of seeing this equipment:

The Tomek T-7 sharpening system seems to be the ultimate on Amazon.

The Tormek T-3 Sharpening System is a the little brother to the T-7

Oh – of course, you’ll need all kinds of attachments and accessories to work with either of the above but I bet they can sharpen knives!

Meanwhile, I just saw something that looks suspiciously like the $40 Harbor Freight belt sander and it claims to be the ultimate knife sharpening system as well.

The Knife-Masters Pro Sharpening System has an impressive ad with a video embedded that shows a fellow that seems to be about sharpen tons of knives. They’re charging $190 instead of the $32 or $40 that Harbor Freight charges but I’m not convinced. It still does convex and there is nothing to help you hold an angle. Oh well.

Regards,

Bob