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Knife sharpening advice for a beginner?

Each month this year I am endevoring to learn to do one task I already do in a more "manly" way / learn new manly basic task. January I learned how to shave with a DE. February I learned how to foregoe the massive slathering of creamer in my coffee and started drinking coffee black.


For March, I want to finally learn how to sharpen a knife on a stone. I have a handful of dull knives, so what I really need is a stone(s).


Can I get some good suggestions for a solid starter set of sharpening goods that will be necessary? Before you go crazy, I'm super broke right now so there wont be a $100-500 coiticle in my near future. I'm looking for the basics. Probably something that can be bought for $20 or so at an army surplus store. I just don't know what I'm looking for, what I'll need, etc.


So, what is the essential kit I should build to learn the basics? I remember my old man used to use a couple of different stones and some spit and he got some great results out of it. Is that about all I need? If so, what grit (not even sure that's a term for sharpening stones) do I need to look for?

In addition to that, I'm also looking for any tutorials / youtube videos that you might suggest to help me learn the basics of angles / pressure, etc.


Thanks for the time and the advice.
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
Hey Stubble! I am going to move this to the Mess Hall where all the other knife fanatics hang out.
 
I use a cheap (£3.50) carborundum stone for grinding the main bevels on my kitchen knives. Admittedly I do go one step further and move up to a whetstone for the finishing touches but I can get some damned sharp edges just using a low grit stone (the fine side has to be 400 max) and the best part is that they're so cheap I don't bother lapping them and just replace them once they get unusable. If you just want an entry level stone to practice with I'd suggest something like that
 
I should add that this is for pocket knives, but I imagine that it would be the same as a kitchen knife. I just don't want to make assumptions since I'm rather ignorant of the topic right now. (Hence the personal challenge.)
 
I have been sharpening knives with all sorts of systems for nearly 30 years.

If you want the basic set up, try to find a medium Arkansas stone and some honing oil. For a little more than 20, you should be able to get this:

http://www.amazon.com/Smiths-TRI-6-Arkansas-TRI-HONE-Sharpening/dp/B00062BIT4/ref=cm_cr_pr_sims_t

Or a Norton combo stone.

http://www.amazon.com/Norton-Crysto...Coarse/dp/B0001MSA5Y/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Both of these are going to demand a consistent angle and that is going to be up to you. I can "eyeball" angles I have been doing it for so long and I can get good results with oil stones and Japanese waterstones.

I also use a Spyderco Sharpmaker with ultra fine and coarse stones but that setup is going to be close to a hundred dollars. I have also used Lansky kits and they work well too but are slightly over your budget.

This DMT rig is similar to the Spyderco system but only comes with one grit of stone and I am not sure if the rods are removable from the base.

http://www.amazon.com/DMT-VEE-Diamo...d=1361911423&sr=1-72&keywords=knife+sharpener

I started out just using a medium Arkansas stone and honing oil around the age of 10. I could get them razor sharp after practicing some on old pocket knives that were 1095 carbon steel. Modern steels are hard but you should be able to find old pocket knives to practice on for cheap at antique stores. Or get you an Opinel carbone carbon steel model and practice your angles with that.

If you take to it, before long you will be using different systems, strops, diamond slurry paste, etc. You will know all about hair whittling, tree topping, and other such quests.

Hope this helps you out some. It is a great way to pass time and relax. Be forewarned though: if you get good at it, prepare for all your friends and coworkers to be constantly handing you their dull knives to bring back to life.

Good luck.
 
There is no question that the easiest tool to get a good to very good edge on a knife is the Spyderco Sharpmaker. They cost more than $20, though. About $55 or $60. They make it easy for anyone to get a good edge on a knife. You just about can't screw it up, and they do a very good job.

A flat stone is harder to sharpen with. It isn't rocket surgery, but it does require you to know what you are doing, and some physical skill to be able to do it right. A Norton combination stone will do just fine and is not expensive. There are lots of other stones, going up in price. Natural Arkansas stones are good, Japanese water stones, and diamond stones are also good, each at varying increases in price. I like diamond stones, they aren't terribly expensive, last a long time and they cut fast. Water stones are excellent, but more expensive, and they require some care.

I don't like the various systems that have clamps and guides to keep the stones at a constant angle, but some people have success with them.

Edge Pro's systems are well thought of, but expensive. $150 to $450.

Stay away from the electric ones you get at the department store. They are good at grinding away your knives, but are good for little else.

This guy's website is very good on the theory and practice of sharpening: http://sharpeningmadeeasy.com/
 
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Thank you thank you thank you! That's pretty much exactly what I was looking for.

I really would prefer a stone to a V style rod sharpener. I just like the romantic allure of a stone.

Oil stone huh? All I ever remember my dad using was spit. LOL
 
There is no question that the easiest tool to get a good to very good edge on a knife is the Spyderco Sharpmaker. They cost more than $20, though. About $55 or $60. They make it easy for anyone to get a good edge on a knife. You just about can't screw it up, and they do a very good job.

A flat stone is harder to sharpen with. It isn't rocket surgery, but it does require you to know what you are doing, and some physical skill to be able to do it right. A Norton combination stone will do just fine and is not expensive. There are lots of other stones, going up in price. Natural Arkansas stones are good, Japanese water stones, and diamond stones are also good, each at varying increases in price. I like diamond stones, they aren't terribly expensive, last a long time and they cut fast. Water stones are excellent, but more expensive, and they require some care.

I don't like the various systems that have clamps and guides to keep the stones at a constant angle, but some people have success with them.

Edge Pro's systems are well thought of, but expensive. $150 to $450.

Stay away from the electric ones you get at the department store. They are good at grinding away your knives, but are good for little else.

This guy's website is very good on the theory and practice of sharpening: http://sharpeningmadeeasy.com/

Smith's 3 in 1 tool is like the Sharpmaker and only $20ish
 
I prefer natural material. I have a number of stones of various sizes and hardness. I would recommend a medium and hard Arkansas of the appropriate size for you, and for pocket knives you don't need huge. Use the medium to sharpen a dull edge, and the hard to touch up an edge that is already sharp. I haven't looked at prices, but you aren't looking at a lot of money to get the job done, and the stones will be good for your lifetime and more.
 
The Norton combination stone looks good to me. I see there are a variety of them out there. Which one would you recommend for pocket knives and / or kitchen knives? Any honing oil better than another, or are they all about the same thing?
 
Oh, and will this be of any use to me at all? It was my grandpas.

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I know he used it for razors as a barber, but I'd like to make use of it and don't see myself getting into straights anytime soon.
 
Coarse on a Norton carborundum stone may be more coarse than you need, unless your knives are really battered. A medium and a fine may be right.

They do not have to be used with oil, and can be used with water. You have to stick with one or the other - once you use oil, you have to stick with oil, as you can't get it out. Any light oil like 3 in 1 oil will be fine. If you use water, you could later switch to oil. John Juranitch, a sharpening guru, advocated no lubricant on the stones, and he got good results. I use a lubricant on a carborundum stone. Water stones require water, but you aren't considering those. I use a diamond stone dry, and have used natural Arkansas stones dry.

Flat stones romantic? Bah. Use what works. The advantage to flat stones is that you can sharpen to any angle you like (the angle your knife is already ground to), but the stick systems restrict you to one or two angles. In practice, that isn't a problem as most knives are made in that range. And, in practice, some never get the hang of flat stones. The Sharpmaker is a great tool. Don't turn up your nose at it.
 
As to the honing oil question, I read in a recent search on the subject that one should use a honing oil safe for use with food products. Imagine that most would be if they are mineral-oil based. But I would check the labels.
 
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