Sharpening question

[rugerla1]

I just ordered a Benchmade Freek (super freek). I know they have the Life Sharp program and will sharpen, clean, and lubricate if I send it to them. But from the standpoint of maintaining an edge I’d prefer not to feel like I need to send it to them all the time. I’ve never been skilled with sharpening my own knives even though I’ve been decently successful for the most part. It’s a learned skill through a lot of trial and error for sure. I’ve seen a few of the modern sharpening systems and although they aren’t cheap, it may possibly be worth it to me in the long run.
Just curious what y’all use for maintenance of your edges even if most of you say you use a stone which is my archenemy some days haha

I don’t mind practicing on the stone with my old working knives but the thought of practicing on a better grade steel makes me somewhat nervous. It seems the M4 steel can be “harder to put an edge on” but holds the edge well once it’s established.
I feel like I need to look at one of the modern setups while still practicing more with my older knives on the stones. Especially since having that knowledge would be helpful in the field whereas a modern sharpening setup won’t fit in my pocket. 
I’d appreciate any input on whether I’m overthinking this. I am however really excited about getting this knife!

[Guest]

I darn near collect sharpening systems and I generally use an old set of brown coarse grade "Crock Sticks", ceramic rods set in a wood block at a correct angle for you to draw the blade down to hone it. I use these on a knife that already HAS a decent edge to keep it touched up. I have one of those big Norton Tri-Stones, 3 long flat stones set 120° apart in an oil bath that I use for badly neglected knives to establish a good angle. Same reason I have one or two diamond hones, for really rough blades. Those two methods will really stand you in good stead, but I also have one of those Ken Onion powered mini strip sander hones, and that does work also, but if you're not careful, you'll munch a lot of blade life by being too aggressive.

[MacGyver]

Don’t let M4 scare you.

A Spyderco tri-angle sharp maker will sharpen everything you’ll ever need to sharpen - and do it well.

If you want a little bit of an upgrade that will really let you take your edge to any level of finish you desire, a KME Precision set will let you do that without risking screwing up a nice knife.

I have some really nice stones - but use the two above for pretty much everything in my life but axes and chainsaw blades. 

[rugerla1]

Thanks y’all.  That KME Precision is the type of newer design I was interested in. Thanks for the direction on that. The Spyderco tool looks pretty nice as well. 
I’ve got a lot of knives to practice with so I’m gonna watch some videos on the types y’all recommended and do some planning. 

[MacGyver]

Don’t forget a good strop. With a modern steel like M4 - you really shouldn’t have to sharpen it berg often. Regular stropping will keep it popping sharp with minimal effort.

I like StropMan (now StropBros) strops. But there’s nothing fancy about a strop.  You can make your own with some wood and a piece of leather. 

[rugerla1]

5 hours ago, MacGyver said:

Don’t forget a good strop. With a modern steel like M4 - you really shouldn’t have to sharpen it berg often. Regular stropping will keep it popping sharp with minimal effort.

I like StropMan (now StropBros) strops. But there’s nothing fancy about a strop.  You can make your own with some wood and a piece of leather. 

That is another thing I will have to get. I’ve watched some videos over the years while searching simply for ways to sharpen. Some people really get scientific in their methods and some that are too complicated for me. While I respect their dedication and knowledge immensely, I just want to know how to put a good edge on a working knife and better edge on edc for emergency situations. However I’m going to make it a goal to try to practice more weekly and hopefully look back one day and think “dang, should have learned this a long time ago”. 
Thanks again for the help MacGyver. I’m watching videos on that StropBros stropping setup now. 

[peejman]

A strop is what takes it over the top.  

Be patient the first few times you sharpen a blade. If it says it's a 15 deg edge, your system might have a slightly different version of 15 deg so it may take an extra round or 3 to reshape the edge to match your sharpener. 

[rugerla1]

4 hours ago, peejman said:

A strop is what takes it over the top.  

Be patient the first few times you sharpen a blade. If it says it's a 15 deg edge, your system might have a slightly different version of 15 deg so it may take an extra round or 3 to reshape the edge to match your sharpener. 

Thank you. I’ll be taking my time for sure. I absolutely love the knife so far, already put a couple small drops of oil in the pivot point and spent some time working the blade back and forth. Honestly though, it’s sharp, but I expected it to be more impressive out of the box.
I’ve already learned that people get confused with “30 degrees inclusive” being both sides being sharpened at 15 degrees. Had I not read so much the past few days I’d have been confused too. 

Looking forward to learning more about sharpening not just for the new knife but for all of them. 

[TGO David]

Another vote for the KME sharpening system here.  I've had mine for 3-4 years now and absolutely love it.

 

[Photoguy67]

Please forgive my ignorance, but what separates the kme system from wicked edge or lansko or any of the others?

[MacGyver]

10 hours ago, Photoguy67 said:

Please forgive my ignorance, but what separates the kme system from wicked edge or lansko or any of the others?

They’re all similar.  I’d put the KME sort of in between a Lansky set and the Wicked Edge.

I like the easily adjustable nature of the KME. I also think it’s a good value. If you’re planning on doing it professionally, the Wicked Edge (and a bunch of other stuff) might be for you.  For the average consumer, the KME is more than adequate.