Knife sharpening

[Djfan]

I would love to hear about your knife sharpening technics, struggles, equipment, lessons learned, etc.

 

[Gut Shot]

India stone, Arkansas stone and a strop. Kitchen knives/fillet knives get hit with a steel frequently.

 

[BRI]

I've used a lansky for 30ish years and really like it. I bought a works sharp Ken onion edition a few years ago. Apparently I haven't quite figured it out yet. I feel I can get a sharper knife with the lansky in far less time. For my steak knives, I just use a pull through style that suctions to the counter top. A few passes and they're plenty sharp.

 

[Jamen]

For me it depends on the knife, application and where i am at. My nice kitchen knives i use a norton tri stone. I will use it on buck knives too if i have the time. Takes a little bit to use to holding the right angle you want. When we process deer in the fall i use a nice chefs choice on our cheap butchering knives "Victorinox knives" and filet knives. OR i will use the ken onion Works sharp if i have a bit of down time in-between cutting deer. We normally do around 100 so speed on sharpening when busy is why i use the chef choice to quickly sharpen. If i am on a hunting trip i will bring my spyderco tri angle. It is smaller so it doesn't take up alot of space, i do not pack it in anywhere but leave it in the truck or camp.

The norton does the best job but takes the most skill, id then go with the spyderco, ken onion, chefs choice. I do not like how the worksharp and chefs choice take a good amount of metal off the blades. I only use them on cheap knives. Yes they will sharpen a knife but i would never run my kitchen knives through it. But everyone is different.

One of the best investments is a honing steel. Most people think once the knife isn't sharp anymore you need to resharpen it. A honing steel will bring an edge back in most cases. Sharpening should be done once the honing steel can't bring the edge back. But again, everyone is different this is what i was taught when i was a chef. You want to preserve as much steel on your blade as you can.

 

[rjthehunter]

Worksharp sharpener. Finish it with a strop.

 

[JEL]

Yep. I pretty much gave up and just got a Worksharp.

 

[noharleyyet]

Have tried a few but always come back to the Spyderco Tri-Angle.

 

[Steiny77]

If you continually touch them up with a steel and never let them get real dull, you can go a long way between a full sharpening jobs.
When one gets in bad shape I like the electric worksharp tool, starting with coarse, then medium, then fine grit.

Anytime I'm working with a knife much I have a smooth and coarse steel within reach to keep the knife edge tuned up.

 

[Straight Arrow]

If you continually touch them up with a steel and never let them get real dull, you can go a long way between a full sharpening jobs.
When one gets in bad shape I like the electric worksharp tool, starting with coarse, then medium, then fine grit.

Anytime I'm working with a knife much I have a smooth and coarse steel within reach to keep the knife edge tuned up.

I use the Workshop electric sharpener, then finish by hand with stone and steel.

 

[Khunter]

Been using same electric Chef’s Choice Edge Select 120 for over 20 years on kitchen knives from the largest to the paring knives. They still make the same model and asides from my own experience it seems to suggest they got it right.

Simply, we cook a LOT and hand sharpening such basic tools is not what I am willing to spend time on. Bang through 20 knives in 15 minutes.

 

[peterk1234]

I used stones for years. And got fairly good at it. But it takes time to do it right. Then I bought a worksharp. Wow. I get my knives razor sharp in no time, even blades that are destroyed. And I'm talking sharp, even at the very tip and where the curve.

 

[elkfanatic]

For cheaper/softer steels I use a grizzly razor edge sharpmaker wheel set mounted on a 8" bench grinder. Quick and easy razor edges. For my high end / harder steels with super hard wear resistant carbides I use diamond hones in a customized sharpening jig similar to a worksharp guided sharpening system, then finish on a leather strop loaded with diamond paste. I use a sharpening steel or strop for quick touch ups depending on the knife I'm using.

 

[trb]

For those of you saying you use a Worksharp, which model? Is there one you use at home vs the field?

 

[howl]

Are we talking about an edge that's slightly rolled or plain old worn away? Knife sharpening is one of those things people try to buy gadgets to address when there's little need if you understand the fundamentals.

Sharpening is removing metal to put an edge on. I don't do much of that on my knives. I use a ceramic stick to straighten the edge out as necessary. I may have to use a Spyderco Sharpmaker once per year on the knives I use most. I like the Spyderco sticks because upkeep is just dish soap.

For kitchen knives that go into the sink and dishwasher, and are used with a ceramic plate instead of a cutting board, we have a Chef's Choice. Those eat knives, but when the edge is so often rounded off the Chef's Choice is an easy way to sharpen, putting an edge back on. I would not use for hunting or pocket knives.

 

[Addicting]

For those of you saying you use a Worksharp, which model? Is there one you use at home vs the field?

I don’t know the model, it’s the bigger hand held. It stays home 100% of the time.

In the field just a simple carbide to drag across if it gets bad enough in an emergency. Otherwise, I take a few knives in my pack that are all tuned up before the trip.

 

[Irrelevant]

I tried a workshop once and it ate through 1/4" of blade with one pass! I mostly just use a hone every time I grab a knife.

 

[peterk1234]

I don’t know the model, it’s the bigger hand held. It stays home 100% of the time.

In the field just a simple carbide to drag across if it gets bad enough in an emergency. Otherwise, I take a few knives in my pack that are all tuned up before the trip.

I do the same.

 

[ignorethefringes]

I tried a workshop once and it ate through 1/4" of blade with one pass! I mostly just use a hone every time I grab a knife.

The coarse belt is not supposed to be used on knives nearly ever. It's primarily for bigger items like axes, hatches, etc. Most of the time I do one or two fast passes on the medium belt and then 10 or so fast passes on the fine belt. Fast passes are important. As with any belt sander they can take off a lot of metal if you leave them on there too long.

I'm looking to add a strop to my setup and I have no doubts about getting razor sharp on most blades.

 

[Addicting]

The coarse belt is not supposed to be used on knives nearly ever. It's primarily for bigger items like axes, hatches, etc. Most of the time I do one or two fast passes on the medium belt and then 10 or so fast passes on the fine belt. Fast passes are important. As with any belt sander they can take off a lot of metal if you leave them on there too long.

I'm looking to add a strop to my setup and I have no doubts about getting razor sharp on most blades.

No need for the strop, an old fabric type belt with polishing compound makes them razors.

I had bought a leather belt and it shredded pretty quickly. So I just used one dull OG belt that came with it. I had a light bar of polishing compound and was amazed at the results.

 

[peterk1234]

The coarse belt is not supposed to be used on knives nearly ever. It's primarily for bigger items like axes, hatches, etc. Most of the time I do one or two fast passes on the medium belt and then 10 or so fast passes on the fine belt. Fast passes are important. As with any belt sander they can take off a lot of metal if you leave them on there too long.

I'm looking to add a strop to my setup and I have no doubts about getting razor sharp on most blades.

Mine came with a stropping belt.