ouch...this article seems like a bad joke to me. two days ago while cleaning off a foot of snow from my car i lost my 10 year old Swiss Army Knife i got when i was 13. still cant find it. now that i'm in the search of a new one any recommendations?
Brett McKay
· 9 months ago
@ Brett C. Sorry to hear about your loss. I'm a fan of Case Pocket knives. High quality and made in the good ol' U.S. of A.
Chris Wilcox
· 9 months ago
I've happily owned (and used practically daily) a "Benchmade" folding knife for over a year now and it's almost as sharp as it was when I received it.
David
· 9 months ago
The article gives a great way to sharpen but sometimes freehand can be really tough and inconsistent. This means you need a guide or some kind of system and I would recommend the Spyderco Sharpmaker to all you gents. It's a little pricey but the results speak for themselves.
mac
· 9 months ago
Spyderco Sharpmaker is an ideal way to get into sharpening. Sharpen your pocketknives and kitchen knives!
After that, I'd go with diamond stones. They're synthetic, relatively cheap, and last a very long while. The ones I use are a set of 3 different grits I got at Harbor Freight for less than $25. Beyond that, I'd use a fine to very fine grit stone. This will help remove the wire edge that the rougher stones just bend back and forth.
If you want a blade that needs fairly minimal care, buy a decent ($50+) Spyderco/Benchmade/Kershaw. in general, cheap steel doesn't hold an edge well and is difficult to sharpen.
RagPicker
· 9 months ago
I use a modified 1" belt sander with 5 different belts plus a set of cardboard sharpening wheels.
Run the knife edge along your skin without touching your skin and it will "pop" off hairs, yet it's a sturdy edge.
The Spyderco Sharpmaker is a great choice too. Some may be happy with the Lansky system too. Watch out for cheap knock-offs though.
Brett C, get a good case. It's a thing of joy.
Desi Quintans
· 9 months ago
@ BrettC: I highly recommend Columbia River Knife And Tool's K.I.S.S. skeleton folding knives. They don't have handle scales, which makes them incredibly thin. The only parts of the knife are the frame with pocket clip, the blade, and the pin that connects the blade to the frame. The blade is chisel-ground (ground on only one side) and when the blade is folded it is uncovered (no handle scales), but the blade and frame fit together so snugly that you simply cannot get cut.
Regarding knife sharpening, if anyone ever has the opportunity, buy a knife with a chisel grind. Only one side of the blade is angled (the other is left flat), which simplifies sharpening since you simply lay the top of the blade flat on a stone and rub gently. I also have this strange multi-sided tool for sharpening secateurs which comes with a hard steel edge and a soft ceramic edge. In a pinch, I cut an edge with the steel and smooth it with the ceramic.
Mike
· 9 months ago
Good article. As an office worker I carry a plastic handle single blade knife. The blade is less than 2 inches, so I don't have to give it up when going through government security. ( I don't take it on airplanes.) I sharpen it the lazy man's way. I am right-handed, so I take either a sharpening steel or small whetstone in my right hand and run it across the blade held stationary in my left hand.
Desi Quintans
· 9 months ago
I forgot to mention that you can easily make a rounded multi-bevel edge that is tougher than ordinary single-angle edges by putting a fine belt on a belt sander and rocking the blade very gently back and forth along its cutting edge. The blade should not be raised higher than 20 degrees and the cutting edge should be towards the directing the belt is moving so that the burr is 'thrown out' of the edge, and not forced underneath or cut off entirely.
Paul Manogue
· 9 months ago
Something else that will help with keeping your sharpening to a minimum is to stell or strop your knife daily if you use it a lot, or weekley if you dont. A kitchen steel works well for a basic blade with medium steel, but if you favor a hard steel or acute edge I reccomend a leather strop like for a stright razor. I have a japanese carpenters knife ( http://www.japanwoodworker.com/product.asp?s=Ja...) I like, but the steel is so hard on the edge that a sharpening steel is too harsh, the strop works best for that. If you do this regularly real sharpening will only occaisionally be needed.
Scott King
· 9 months ago
Good stuff, and as both a knife collector and publisher of Cutlery News Journal, an online knife collectors news source, allow me to interject a healthy perspective- knives lose value, from a pure collector's perspective, once they are used and or sharpened.
I know we are talking about using knives here, hence the need for sharpening, but I am thankful we still have excellent examples of 100 year old "working knives" in excellent and some even in unsharpened condition.
As you can imagine, excellent unsharpened condition old knives bring a fortune nowadays. I know of several selling for $4000 to $5000. I'm talking hard core work knives too, of course they are 90- 100 years old now though.
Keep up the good work and thanks for keeping pocket knives a friendly topic. Scott
Mike
· 9 months ago
I use the same method for my pcket knives and kitchen knives.
AFTER preforming the author's standard sharpening process:
Start in the auto department of you local big box store, or by the paint, and look for a package of assorted black sandpaper in 600, 800, and 1000 grit. If you do NOT have a hard FLAT surface in your house [I use the granite kitchen countertop], then also buy a piece of glass or small mirror.
If necessary, separate the sandpaper sheets into pieces that fit on your glass or hard surface.
Wet the sandpaper with water, lay flat on the glass.
Keeping the edge at a constant angle [some say 10 degrees, I use 7] sharpen forward along the paper. Use 4-5 strokes on the 600 grit, 3-4 on the 800 and 1-2 on the 1000. Rinse/dry/oil the blade, then rinse/dry/store the paper for next time.
You now have one scary sharp blade.
Jason
· 9 months ago
Another nod to the Spyderco Sharpmaker for knives. It can sharpen plain edge, serrations, fish hooks, fingernail clippers, scissors, arrow heads and almost anything else; But the best thing to use is a friend who knows how to sharpen a knife. I think I keep about 10-15 knives sharp for friends and family.
Britt
· 9 months ago
First off, I own no stock in Spyderco! Secondly, I am not related to anyone there and don't know anyone there personally!
I do highly recommend their Sharpmaker product, I have found that if you just can't get the hang of sharpening that that product will ensure you always have a good, shaving sharp, edge on your knife. It comes with a video that shows you just what you need to do to sharpen just about anything you need to sharpen!
If you find you just can't get a stone to work for you for one reason or another, or want a tool that is great for knives as well as scissors and other things, try a SpyderCo Sharpmaker.
Rick aka nifenerd
· 9 months ago
Here is the simple test I use to see if my knife needs sharpening or if my sharpening job is complete. Just hold your knife blade at 90 degrees to your thumbnail and rest it lightly on the nail. now try to move the knife gently to the left and to the right. If the blade tries to stick it is a good sharp edge. If it slides freely you have a flat spot or a rolled edge on the blade in that particular place. Test the entire length of the blade in both directions to see where touch up s are needed. This is a really easy test to perform, but correcting the angle of the edge to make the blade stick on your nail is often difficult. But once the entire blade passes the test you have an edge that should actually shave the hair on you forearm (the 'real' man test) with ease and hold an edge for a long time if you have a good quality steel in your knife. PS: On the issue of steel, if you but a cheap knife and get what you pay for then you may find it impossible to get it to pass the 'nail drag' test. The edge on these cheap steels will rollover on you as they get thinned out by the sharening stone. If you want to keep a sharp knife that is not difficult to sharpen then I suggest a good German 'high carbon' (non-stainless) steel knife like those still made by Eye Brand and some others. They will rust but not if you keep them dry but it only take a few swipes on the stone to get them sharp and they hold and edge very well. Just remember that whatever method you use to sharpen your knife, the real key is holding exactly the same angle everytime you drag the blade over the sharpener. If you cannot do this invest in a sharpening system that maintains the angle for you. I beleive it takes years to develop a hand to hold the edge at the proper angle, but once you get it, you will be revered as a man for your ability to keep a sharp tool/weapon at all times. You may also get swamped with request for you to "just touch up my knife a bit" by your friends. Just wait until you see there faces light up when you finish sharpening and testing their knife and then stick out you nearly bald forearm and easily roll off the remaiing hair in front of thier unbelieving eyes. It's a definate wow factor! Have fun with it!
nifenerd
Jack McNiel
· 9 months ago
I find that a butcher's steel is handy for returning your knife to razor sharp after light use. Or after a round of sharpening by Brett's method to fine tune the blade to razor sharp.
Jerrick
· 9 months ago
Another shout out for the Sypderco Sharpmaker. Stupid easy to use and can sharpen anything you that will hold an edge.
After getting my Sharpmaker, there isn't a blade (knives, scissors, pruning shears) that haven't received some much needed TLC.
Scott McRae
· 9 months ago
A dull tool is a dangerous tool, so I was glad to see this article. Just to give a bit of a different perspective: though I have my favourite methods, the process of sharpening matters way less than the end result. Dull is just a way to say 'rounded edge', while sharpness is nothing more than two planes intersecting at a point. When sharpening all you are doing is removing metal until the bevels on both sides of the blade meet at a point. This can take six strokes, sixty, or six hundred depending on the condition of the blade and the type and grit of stone you are using.
To check if you have come to a point you can:
* look directly at the edge with a light behind you: rounded areas will catch the light. Keep sharpening until no light gets reflected;
*sight along the blade: the image reflected in the shiny sharpened section should disappear cleanly at the edge, not bend or distort slightly. Distortion indicates that the edge is still rounded;
*take a marker and draw down both sides of the edge; this way you can see where material is being removed and where it isn't
*_carefully_ feel the edge with a finger. Does it feel rounded? Is there a burr? Are the bevels even on both sides of the blade? Your fingers will pick up a surprising amount of information.
Once you have established a point, you can make the edge sharper by polishing it with higher and higher grits. I sharpen my tools until I can pop off an arm hair with no pressure. It's a satisfying feeling.
jason
· 9 months ago
i use a pair of sissors for my blade and it works fine almost to fine i have to type with 1 hand because there is 4 cuts on the other 1
Jim
· 9 months ago
Great post! As a professional sharpener, I always get excited when I see others interested in sharpening too.
mythago
· 9 months ago
Great post, guys. I highly recommend talking to folks at a good cutlery store, or a professional sharpener like Jim, if you're buying a stone (and perhaps a knife).
Chad
· 9 months ago
I will second the Benchmade knives. If you are in search of a real good American made knife they are it. They have a life-sharp program so you can send it back anytime it gets dull and they will sharpen it like new. I have owned four of their knives and have only sent two back one time each to be sharpened.
Chad
· 9 months ago
Oh yeah stay away from the Benchmade Red Class as they are foreign made knives and not as good of quality as the Blue and Black classes. Gold class is for collectors.
Tre
· 9 months ago
I bought the CRKT M21-14 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WBECHO?ie=...) during my deployment to Iraq in 2007. It has served me quite well. Everything from slicing up watermelon to more serious matters - this knife can hold its own.
Darren
· 9 months ago
It's also important to note the difference between sharpening and honing.
The procedure described above is sharpening, and should not need to be done frequently.
Honing should be done regularly. Good kitchen knives should be honed after each use; pocket knives daily or weekly, depending on how and how often you use them.
When you use a knife, the thin, sharp edge warps and bends, making the knife cut poorly. This is not dulling -- the sharp edge is still there, it's just bent off to the side. Honing straightens the edge again, making your knife perform better and go longer without needing sharpening.
To hone a blade, acquire a honing steel (the rod that came with your knife set is a good example). The motion is the same as for sharpening: "slice" a bit of the honing rod while holding the blade at 10-15 degrees; be sure to slide the blade along the rod so that the entire blade is honed on each pass. Keep the rod as still as possible while doing this.
Each side should be done evenly. Make 4 passes on one side, then switch to the other and make 4 passes. Switch sides and repeat this pattern with 3 passes, then 2, then 1 on each side. Done!
JoeG
· 9 months ago
1). The Spyderco Sharpmaker is probably the best all around sharpener on the market period. I owned a cutlery business for several years and have sharpened thousands of knives with them. I sold many, just based on the "free sharpening demo" I'd do on request with them. As the article states, what you are going for is consistent angle. The Sharpmaker comes with a DVD (it was a VHS when I got my first one) video that explains very simply how to use it to keep a knife sharp.
2). The angle given in the article is kind of misleading. The overall angle should be 30 degrees or so (15 degrees on each side). I only mention this because it is very common to be told to sharpen a knife to 30 degrees. This is the total angle, or 15 degrees on each side. The smaller the angle the "sharper" the knife will be, but it will also dull much quicker. A 30 degree edge will hold up to vigorous use, but be hair shaving sharp when fresh.
3). I've got a Benchmade 710 in my pocket that I have carried and used daily for more than 10 years, and it is still my favorite pocket knife. Spyderco makes good knives, as does Cold Steel. If you are going to abuse your knife, get a Cold Steel knife. Their 'Proof" video is not fake, these knives WILL stand up to whatever you want to do to them. I have a voyager series pocket knife that I abuse regularly (knife as a screwdriver anyone?), and though the edge may get dulled up at times, a quick session with a sharpmaker will get it back to razor sharp with a quickness.
Richard
· 9 months ago
Lots of BS out there about knives and sharpening. Some of you on this thread are the real deal. I am highly impressed. Good company.
JoeG, yours was but the latest of great comments.
Jason
· 9 months ago
A professional knife maker taught me how to sharpen a knife. There is no question that a steady angle is of first importance, but the finishing is its equal. He told me to never us a steel. I have spoken with a professional knife sharpener to make sure my friend was on the mark - he was. Old timers (deepest respect implied) who shaved with a straight razor would finish up with a strop. A hardened, but not stiff piece of leather. When finishing, I was told to run 'blade away' several times after you have finished with the fine stone (or porcelain). That way, micro burrs are straightened. When I don't have a strop, I use my jeans and they work nearly as well.
He used some sort of wheel and hand held for the angle. He was really good and didn't need a guide.
All Comments
After that, I'd go with diamond stones. They're synthetic, relatively cheap, and last a very long while. The ones I use are a set of 3 different grits I got at Harbor Freight for less than $25. Beyond that, I'd use a fine to very fine grit stone. This will help remove the wire edge that the rougher stones just bend back and forth.
If you want a blade that needs fairly minimal care, buy a decent ($50+) Spyderco/Benchmade/Kershaw. in general, cheap steel doesn't hold an edge well and is difficult to sharpen.
Run the knife edge along your skin without touching your skin and it will "pop" off hairs, yet it's a sturdy edge.
The Spyderco Sharpmaker is a great choice too. Some may be happy with the Lansky system too. Watch out for cheap knock-offs though.
Brett C, get a good case. It's a thing of joy.
http://www.crkt.com/kiss.html
Regarding knife sharpening, if anyone ever has the opportunity, buy a knife with a chisel grind. Only one side of the blade is angled (the other is left flat), which simplifies sharpening since you simply lay the top of the blade flat on a stone and rub gently. I also have this strange multi-sided tool for sharpening secateurs which comes with a hard steel edge and a soft ceramic edge. In a pinch, I cut an edge with the steel and smooth it with the ceramic.
I sharpen it the lazy man's way. I am right-handed, so I take either a sharpening steel or small whetstone in my right hand and run it across the blade held stationary in my left hand.
I know we are talking about using knives here, hence the need for sharpening, but I am thankful we still have excellent examples of 100 year old "working knives" in excellent and some even in unsharpened condition.
As you can imagine, excellent unsharpened condition old knives bring a fortune nowadays. I know of several selling for $4000 to $5000. I'm talking hard core work knives too, of course they are 90- 100 years old now though.
Keep up the good work and thanks for keeping pocket knives a friendly topic.
Scott
AFTER preforming the author's standard sharpening process:
Start in the auto department of you local big box store, or by the paint, and look for a package of assorted black sandpaper in 600, 800, and 1000 grit. If you do NOT have a hard FLAT surface in your house [I use the granite kitchen countertop], then also buy a piece of glass or small mirror.
If necessary, separate the sandpaper sheets into pieces that fit on your glass or hard surface.
Wet the sandpaper with water, lay flat on the glass.
Keeping the edge at a constant angle [some say 10 degrees, I use 7] sharpen forward along the paper. Use 4-5 strokes on the 600 grit, 3-4 on the 800 and 1-2 on the 1000. Rinse/dry/oil the blade, then rinse/dry/store the paper for next time.
You now have one scary sharp blade.
It can sharpen plain edge, serrations, fish hooks, fingernail clippers, scissors, arrow heads and almost anything else; But the best thing to use is a friend who knows how to sharpen a knife. I think I keep about 10-15 knives sharp for friends and family.
I do highly recommend their Sharpmaker product, I have found that if you just can't get the hang of sharpening that that product will ensure you always have a good, shaving sharp, edge on your knife. It comes with a video that shows you just what you need to do to sharpen just about anything you need to sharpen!
If you find you just can't get a stone to work for you for one reason or another, or want a tool that is great for knives as well as scissors and other things, try a SpyderCo Sharpmaker.
PS: On the issue of steel, if you but a cheap knife and get what you pay for then you may find it impossible to get it to pass the 'nail drag' test. The edge on these cheap steels will rollover on you as they get thinned out by the sharening stone. If you want to keep a sharp knife that is not difficult to sharpen then I suggest a good German 'high carbon' (non-stainless) steel knife like those still made by Eye Brand and some others. They will rust but not if you keep them dry but it only take a few swipes on the stone to get them sharp and they hold and edge very well.
Just remember that whatever method you use to sharpen your knife, the real key is holding exactly the same angle everytime you drag the blade over the sharpener. If you cannot do this invest in a sharpening system that maintains the angle for you. I beleive it takes years to develop a hand to hold the edge at the proper angle, but once you get it, you will be revered as a man for your ability to keep a sharp tool/weapon at all times. You may also get swamped with request for you to "just touch up my knife a bit" by your friends. Just wait until you see there faces light up when you finish sharpening and testing their knife and then stick out you nearly bald forearm and easily roll off the remaiing hair in front of thier unbelieving eyes. It's a definate wow factor! Have fun with it!
nifenerd
After getting my Sharpmaker, there isn't a blade (knives, scissors, pruning shears) that haven't received some much needed TLC.
To check if you have come to a point you can:
* look directly at the edge with a light behind you: rounded areas will catch the light. Keep sharpening until no light gets reflected;
*sight along the blade: the image reflected in the shiny sharpened section should disappear cleanly at the edge, not bend or distort slightly. Distortion indicates that the edge is still rounded;
*take a marker and draw down both sides of the edge; this way you can see where material is being removed and where it isn't
*_carefully_ feel the edge with a finger. Does it feel rounded? Is there a burr? Are the bevels even on both sides of the blade? Your fingers will pick up a surprising amount of information.
Once you have established a point, you can make the edge sharper by polishing it with higher and higher grits. I sharpen my tools until I can pop off an arm hair with no pressure. It's a satisfying feeling.
The procedure described above is sharpening, and should not need to be done frequently.
Honing should be done regularly. Good kitchen knives should be honed after each use; pocket knives daily or weekly, depending on how and how often you use them.
When you use a knife, the thin, sharp edge warps and bends, making the knife cut poorly. This is not dulling -- the sharp edge is still there, it's just bent off to the side. Honing straightens the edge again, making your knife perform better and go longer without needing sharpening.
To hone a blade, acquire a honing steel (the rod that came with your knife set is a good example). The motion is the same as for sharpening: "slice" a bit of the honing rod while holding the blade at 10-15 degrees; be sure to slide the blade along the rod so that the entire blade is honed on each pass. Keep the rod as still as possible while doing this.
Each side should be done evenly. Make 4 passes on one side, then switch to the other and make 4 passes. Switch sides and repeat this pattern with 3 passes, then 2, then 1 on each side. Done!
2). The angle given in the article is kind of misleading. The overall angle should be 30 degrees or so (15 degrees on each side). I only mention this because it is very common to be told to sharpen a knife to 30 degrees. This is the total angle, or 15 degrees on each side. The smaller the angle the "sharper" the knife will be, but it will also dull much quicker. A 30 degree edge will hold up to vigorous use, but be hair shaving sharp when fresh.
3). I've got a Benchmade 710 in my pocket that I have carried and used daily for more than 10 years, and it is still my favorite pocket knife. Spyderco makes good knives, as does Cold Steel. If you are going to abuse your knife, get a Cold Steel knife.
Their 'Proof" video is not fake, these knives WILL stand up to whatever you want to do to them. I have a voyager series pocket knife that I abuse regularly (knife as a screwdriver anyone?), and though the edge may get dulled up at times, a quick session with a sharpmaker will get it back to razor sharp with a quickness.
JoeG, yours was but the latest of great comments.
He used some sort of wheel and hand held for the angle. He was really good and didn't need a guide.