best way to sharpen a knife

[ryan]

What is the best way to sharpen knifes. I have tried all the gun show stuff, but it never seems to get to where I want it to be. A guy my dad works with sharpened my hunting knifes a few years ago. They came back shiny and polished. I think he used a bench grinder, but I don't know what type of wheels he used. That knife is the sharpest I have ever seen and still is after going through about 8 deer since it was sharpened.

Any ideas? What do you guys use?

 

[ngarre2]

Bench stones are the best way to get a good edge. IMO

 

[kcinnick]

I use a spyderco sharpmaker, their may be a better way, but their is no easier way.

 

[pawpaw131]

Arkansas stones of different grit and patience. Can get to where you can shave with it.

 

[sraiford]

I use an Arkansas Soft Stone. I like my knifes to be sharp as can be and this stone does the trick. Just remember to use honing oil, proper blade placement (don't try to cut the stone), and patience. Take your time, for real dull knives remember, its a stone not the hand of God.

http://www.google.com/products?hl=e...esult_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CC4QrQQwAA

 

[nola_]

what about just a regular kitchen knife sharpener?

 

[LACamper]

I had always heard you shouldn't use a bench grinder on a good knife. The reason was that it got too hot and could affect the tempering. Anybody know if there's any truth to this?

 

[herohog]

I can take a whet stone and turn a straight razor into the worlds worst butter knife ever and I have been looking for something that I could use that actually produced a good sharp blade for years. I found a Smith's EZ Sharp Diamond Arkansas kit at Lowe's that has a clamp on guide with rods that attach to plastic diamond hone "stones" that come in a course and fine grits well as a 3rd stone for serrated blades and a bottle of oil. With this even I can put a great edge on a knife! The guide allows for 2 different angles for either a working edge or a fine edge. I highly recommend it for those, who like me, lack the knife sharpening gene!

 

[Dave328]

Another vote on the Arkansas whetstone! My dad taught me many many moons ago how to use one, and finally gave me some a few years back. He used to sit in front of the tv with a tv tray and sharpen all his knives. Damn things were like surgical scalpels! Key to a sharp knife is patience!!

 

[charliepapa]

I have a lot of knives. I also have one of these, so it kind of works out.

 

[Ben Segrest]

I had always heard you shouldn't use a bench grinder on a good knife. The reason was that it got too hot and could affect the tempering. Anybody know if there's any truth to this?

absolutely true

 

[gonepecan]

I had always heard you shouldn't use a bench grinder on a good knife. The reason was that it got too hot and could affect the tempering. Anybody know if there's any truth to this?

Yes. Some people use a grinder, but they soak the blade in water every so often. I just use a Japanese water stone to be on the safe side. Plus I don't have a grinder.

 

[Trickasabrick]

what about just a regular kitchen knife sharpener?

I use one of the round tapered file type kitchen sharpeners on my everyday carry pocket knife all the time. It gives a good working edge very quickly and without tearing up the blade too much.

 

[10shotgroup]

Yes you can ruin the tempering using a bench grinder IF you get the edge hot. But with pratice you can sharpen nicer knives this way. The pros use a Belt grinder.

The fact is it takes two minutes to achieve razor edge with a grinder. I own maybe a hundred knives and they all have a razor edged.

If you like sharp knives and you haven't used sharpening
wheels or a bElt grinder, your doing yourself a disservice.

 

[Saftman]

I have a stainless diving kinfe that I need to get sharpened. I tried on my wet stone but only ended up carving up the stone.

 

[ridgerunner1488]

Myself I use a Arkansas medium to start and then a Black Arkansas surgical to finish and when done i use a leather strop that has been coated with red rouge and when i am done is will shave your face.
If you don't believe me you can ask my wife as she shaved her thumb to the bone with her tater knife about 3 weeks ago.
So to say the least i am in the dog house for being a over-achiever.

 

[dogbaron]

My dad had a meat market and taught me to sharpen knives with an oil stone and and Arkansas stone followed by dressing the edge on a good steel. I also use a Lansky 5 stone set. Most of the time only the finest 3 are usually needed.

 

[FRANKEIGHT]

I use my belt grinder with a worn out 120 grit belt to get a wire edge on the blade and then I use my hemp wheel to buff it, I call this a skinning edge, this lasts longer than a hair splitting edge.If a hair splitting edge is needed use a leather strop after the hemp wheel.
frankeight

 

[macmail]

Waterstones. No oil needed. 1000 grit at one angle, 8000 grit at about 2 degrees higher angle, strop w leather horse butt strop with just a little honing rouge. It'll shave anything you want slick.

Practice, practice and more practice until you obtain the muscle memory for every stroke to be the same angle. EVERY TIME. You can't just go at it like buttering bread. The very lightest (not alot of pressure) on the strop to fine tune the burr. You know about raising a burr right?

 

[lsu fan]

what about just a regular kitchen knife sharpener?

I think you might be referring to a steel. A steel doesn't actually sharpen the knife, it just smooths out the imperfections very quickly and easily.

With the right technique, you can use a steel plenty of times, (especially while in the middle of using your knife for cleaning game) and your knife will be razor sharp.

Sometimes you actually do need to put a new edge on your blade, in this case I use a Lansky kit, or a cutco knife shapener (the one with the wooden block and stones at an angle).

Take your time and sharpen each side of the blade the same amount of times.

It's not rocket science, it just takes some patience.