How do you sharpen your tools

Zhenchok · **on:** August 08, 2017, 05:46:20 PM

I've seen many YouTube videos and read about methods of sharpening your multi tools but am not set on one yet, particularly my Swiss Army knife. I am hesitant to use knives of some of my multi tools because I am concerned about dulling the blade. I own a sharpening stone that I purchased at harbor freight, own a Carolina sandstone, and one of those diamond ones that looks like it's plastic. I am still nervous that I'm going to make the blade worse.

Please show pictures and explain what methods worked for you. I want to learn how to do it right.

Thanks

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SteveC · **Reply #1 on:** August 08, 2017, 06:17:51 PM

I use the Lansky Turnbox. Works great for touching up dull blades and is pretty mistake proof. I have wet stones for really dull blades but the Turnbox works for keeping my knives and MT's sharp. It is also pretty inexpensive.

Kev D · **Reply #2 on:** August 08, 2017, 06:26:44 PM

I use the spyderco sharpmaker for touch ups which is very much like the lansky turn box

https://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details/204MF/77

http://lansky.com/index.php/products/4-rod-turn-box/

For sharpening really dull blades or reprofiling I use the edge pro apex 4. Takes a bit of practice but really good once you know how

http://www.edgeproinc.com/Apex-4-kit-p7.html

Mechanickal · **Reply #3 on:** August 08, 2017, 06:36:19 PM

I recently got an Opinel natural sharping stone (mined in Italy) and since then I'm afraid of my own blade edges

I just keep the stone underneath the tap to get it wet (just for a few seconds, no need to hold it underneath), and move the stone from bottom to tip, retreating the stone AWAY from the edge at a 20 degree (sometimes less) angle.
A single touch on the straightening iron and I'm ready to be afraid!

ThePeacent · **Reply #4 on:** August 08, 2017, 06:54:23 PM

I recommend the Lansky turnbox and Spyderco Sharpmaker, I get quick, easy and good results.
Before those I used a white Arkansas Ceramic stone from Smiths, the BladeMedic and some old worn sharpening stones, but my results were much more varied and generally worse,
for field use I have a Lansky CrocStick, a DMT Diamond credit card sharpener and diamond rods from LIDL and the DC3 and DC4 stones from Fallkniven, all used depending on the blade and their condition.

kkokkolis · **Reply #5 on:** August 08, 2017, 07:15:34 PM

I do it freehand, with several tools and my belt or jeans. I don't mind if it's not perfect and polished, as long as they cut (and they do).

captain spaulding · **Reply #6 on:** August 08, 2017, 07:32:24 PM

Don't worry anout using up your nice new edge. The one and only way to feel comfortable sharpening your own knives is practice. Dedicate one knife that you will practice on and when it's dull go for it. Just keep practicing and you will be proficient in no time.

AimlessWanderer · **Reply #7 on:** August 08, 2017, 08:02:58 PM

If the edge is a complete mess or needs completely reprofiling, I'll use a Worksharp. Otherwise, I'll use any one of an array of freehand tools. Like kkokkolis, my aim is just to get it sharp enough to cut. I'm not bothered about chasing ridiculous levels of sharpness like some people are.

theonew · **Reply #8 on:** August 08, 2017, 08:56:56 PM

I'm a freak who pursues absurd levels of sharpness

But frankly I don't spend much time getting my regular users this sharp.

I generally grind in a relief bevel using a DMT coarse or fine hone holding the spine a millimeter or two off of the hone. When the edge is sharp but has a toothy edge I then use a Spyderco ultrafine ceramic and lift the spine a few degrees to give it a polished micro-bevel. I then just keep sharpening the micro-bevel on the UF hone until it takes longer than a minute or two to get back to crazy sharp and then back to the DMT to refresh the relief bevel.

thatotherguy · **Reply #9 on:** August 13, 2017, 07:31:15 AM

The Spyderco Sharpmaker is an excellent foolproof option if you want something that gives you a quick good edge at a set angle that you won't be able to easily change. I used to love mine when I didn't have a decent diamond hone and a soft Arkansas stone. I now use a Smiths medium diamond hone for most all of my sharpening. It's quick and handy, cuts quickly, and gives me a good toothy working edge (which I prefer most of the time) on just about anything. If I need something finer I've got a Buck branded soft Arkansas stone that will get a knife shaving sharp with a bit of care.

What I used to tell people back in my bladeforum days was to buy a cheap crappy knife you don't care about, a stone (a cheap dual sided Harbor Freight one will work fine at the practice stage, though I don't like using it for anything that needs to be keener than a machete or axe normally) and a file. If the knife has serrations, file them off. You can blunt the edge with the file if you want. Then turn on some music, a podcast, or a movie and go to town on the stone with the cheapo knife. Practice practice practice. You'll learn quickly. I find that I can touch up a knife from slipping on cardboard to whispering through phone book paper in a couple of minutes tops unless the steel is super hard or the stone is super slow cutting. I've been freehand sharpening for ten years and have found an angle that I naturally hold the knives at, so I can sharpen extremely quickly without thinking about it and get a fine edge. You will get there as well. It will just take a bit of practice and patience at first.

Old Boy · **Reply #10 on:** August 13, 2017, 08:08:33 AM

Freehand. I have some Japanese whetstone I've bought on a visit but for some reason I keep using my cheapo Harbor Freight Diamond 4 grit sharpener. Gives an edge faster in my opinion.
But I love my budget steels so sharpening is easy for me. I have a few super steel knives which I regret buying now. Pain in the butt to sharpen. But that could just be user error.

Aloha · **Reply #11 on:** August 13, 2017, 08:24:34 AM

Count me as someone who chases levels of sharpness that lead to the crazy house.

For SAK and MT I'll also say the Lansky Turnbox is good. I also have a Spyderco Sharpmaker which is very nice. I have recently been fooling around with whetstones again. I used to only sharpen by them then fell away but I'm back. I also love the strop.

So, when your blade is no longer cutting as you desire my first step is to strop. You can use leather and no compound or use compound. You can also use very fine wet/dry sand paper. I have from 1000 up to 3000.

Point is when your blade is not cutting as you desire then most likely a good stropping will do the trick. If that doesn't work then I move on to my ceramic rods ( Lansky or Spyderco ), then I strop. Keep it simple. There is really no need to break out the whetstone unless you place to reprofile the edge or you have damage.

Fortytwo · **Reply #12 on:** August 13, 2017, 01:49:41 PM

I try to keep my knife at a shaving level, mostly since that gives me an easy way to test for sharpness (my left arm always has a shaven spot near the elbow). The Lansky Turnbox is a foolproof way of getting there but I usually find myself using a honing steel. For cases where more is required I also have a Lansky Sharpening system (not really friend with it) as well as the Fällkniven DC4 and a Japanese water stone (1000 & 6000 grit).

thatotherguy · **Reply #13 on:** August 13, 2017, 04:05:07 PM

One more thing I haven't seen mentioned yet. It is much easier to touch up an edge that's still kinda sharp than it is to resharpen an entirely blunt knife. If you're doing a lot of cutting, once you notice a bit of performance degradation, hit the stone a couple of licks before the edge gets too bad. Quick and easy way to keep your edge nice and keen.