Knife sharpening - School me.

[maroonandwhite]

So I mentioned in another post that I'm getting an LT Wright Genesis.  Well I actually cancelled that order and got the Next Gen instead, but that's beside the point of this post.

I am looking to improve my sharpening capabilities.  My current kit consists of the Spyderco sharp maker with the standard medium and fine rods.  I also have a Smith's pocket diamond sharpener that I keep in my bag just in case.  

I feel like I am making my knives less sharp at this point.  My main pocket knife is S30V so I suspect the ceramic rods of the Sharpmaker aren't doing much.  I feel like I've made progress on a few knives that are 1095 but even then, nothing great.  I figure it's possible that my current angles don't match up with the 30 ro 40 degrees the sharpmaker offers. I also have a few custom knives that are stainless but I am unsure of the variety.  This LT knife is going to be A2 steel.

Should I just by a decent set of slabs with base and learn how to do it by hand/feel (this is my uninformed / preferred path) or try some type of guided system?  Any recommendations?  I don't want to spend more than $200 but want to get good stuff that will last.  If that means buying over time, so be it.

[BigK]

I'm in the same boat, kind of. My instincts tell me traditional wet stones and practice would give me the best results. However, I know I lack patience, so I tried Smith's first and didn't like clamping the blade. Then I tried the Spiderco and got really good results, but it's still not as easy or flexible. Now I'm using the Work Sharp and I gotta say it fits me and my severely lacking level of patience and determination. LOL

One thing I noticed most is that my older cheap knives had steels like 8Cr13MoV and AUS8 that sharpened easy/fast. Some of my newer/better knifes with steel like 154CM and SV30 still take longer even with the electric belt driven Work Sharp.

Sharpening knives the lazy/easy way gives me a great deal of respect for the guys with the skill to do it by hand. 

If money were no object, I'd get a Wicked Edge system though. Somebody on here got one and really convinced me it's likely the best sharpening system I've heard of.

[maroonandwhite]

6 minutes ago, BigK said:

I'm in the same boat, kind of. My instincts tell me traditional wet stones and practice would give me the best results. However, I know I lack patience, so I tried Smith's first and didn't like clamping the blade. Then I tried the Spiderco and got really good results, but it's still not as easy or flexible. Now I'm using the Work Sharp and I gotta say it fits me and my severely lacking level of patience and determination. LOL

One thing I noticed most is that my older cheap knives had steels like 8Cr13MoV and AUS8 that sharpened easy/fast. Some of my newer/better knifes with steel like 154CM and SV30 still take longer even with the electric belt driven Work Sharp.

Sharpening knives the lazy/easy way gives me a great deal of respect for the guys with the skill to do it by hand. 

If money were no object, I'd get a Wicked Edge system though. Somebody on here got one and really convinced me it's likely the best sharpening system I've heard of.

Yeah I've looked into the wicked edge but there's no way I can justify the cost at this point.  But it's AWESOME.  I'm sort of answering my initial question with this comment but I'd guess since bushcraft / camping is my main motivation for learning this skill, I should probably go with learning freehand method.  I think I'd have the patience to learn it but I clearly need to learn up on it a bit before purchasing.

[TGO David]

A person can easily spend a lot of money on knife sharpening equipment and, to an extent at least, I feel that there is a reasonably good return on the investment if you care about your knives and really want them to be in the best shape possible.  That said, a lot of knives have been sharpened over the years without much more than a steady hand and soap stone... so clearly the fancy stuff isn't entirely necessary.

I have a KME sharpener that I've added some components to over the years and have never regretted spending the money on it.  If I were sharpening knives as a source of income I might want something a little fancier, but the KME meets all of my expectations.

Another option that has been greatly improved recently is the Worksharp  system with their "Professional Precision Adjust" sharpener.   It looks like they are restocking them today on their website, but will probably sell out quickly again given the popularity of the new system.

Professional Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener – Work Sharp Sharpeners (worksharptools.com)

 

[BigK]

1 hour ago, maroonandwhite said:

Yeah I've looked into the wicked edge but there's no way I can justify the cost at this point.  But it's AWESOME.  I'm sort of answering my initial question with this comment but I'd guess since bushcraft / camping is my main motivation for learning this skill, I should probably go with learning freehand method.  I think I'd have the patience to learn it but I clearly need to learn up on it a bit before purchasing.

You nailed the part that keeps sticking in my head: I can carry a sharpening stone anywhere and the places I'd need to sharpen my knife the most won't have electricity. LOL

[maroonandwhite]

I think I'm going to go with the medium grit spyderco ceramic bench stone.  From what I've read just today, it's fairly easy to destroy diamond stones with too much pressure, improper break in, etc.  The ceramic stones are supposed to give good feedback and last forever with no flat spots like soft stones.  May be something good for me to learn on.  I played around a bit more today with my pocket diamond stone and was able to get a decent edge. Not paper slicing but close.  The surface area is just so small for inexperienced hands to get any feedback.

[DC551]

I played with several systems over the years but after the KO Work Sharp I never looked back. I usually finish up with an old leather strop.