I used a Lansky with three or four stones on my air force survival knife. It worked! Took some elbow grease, but nothing else would begin to give that thing an edge-very hard carbon steel.
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Knife sharpening
- Thread starter haymons22
- Start date
I used a Lansky with three or four stones on my air force survival knife. It worked! Took some elbow grease, but nothing else would begin to give that thing an edge-very hard carbon steel.
I've used an Ez-lap diamond stone for years and have gotten pretty good with it. It takes a lot of trial and error to figure out the angle and consistency, but if that's the method you want to use stick with it. I also recently picked up a Dog Tag sharpener by Redi-Edge and put it on my key chain. That is absolutely the best of the pull through type sharpeners I've ever used. It only takes a few pulls to sharpen even the dullest knife. I've used a Smith's and several others, and they are not even close to the Dog Tag. A customer of mine recommended it. He said he has used it for years and never replaced the blades. Check it out if your looking for that type.
I've said it before, but I'm a Lansky fan.... lock the angle guide to the blade and then sharpen away. First time takes awhile to get to the angle you want. After that, there's a little cutting to be done and the rest is polishing out the marks.
I wouldn't buy the diamond stones- the regular ones work fine. I would get the "ultra fine" stone to remove the marks.
I wouldn't buy the diamond stones- the regular ones work fine. I would get the "ultra fine" stone to remove the marks.
Everyone has different techniques once your knife is sharpened (like several others mentioned)a good ceramic rod or leather strap is all you need to re-sharpen after dulling,unless you just brutalize the blade.
I sure hope so, I use way less than a 45 on a hatchet haha. I sharpen with a diamond stone first, only if the knife is extremely dull (which is almost always the case when people give me their knives to sharpen). After and ONLY after the knife is pretty sharp from it, do I move on to finer and finer stones. Sometimes I even use progressively finer arkansas stones for doing trigger jobs and stuff to really get it razor sharp. To get the right angle I like to pretend that Im shaving the bark off a stick, and on both front strokes and back strokes just use that natural shaving angle. But different strokes for different folks...
I can hone a razor to shave my face but without my Lansky I can sharpen my pocket knife sharp enough to cut sand. I have a buddy that has a Wicked sharp I think it is. That thing is pricey but does an awesome job.
Lansky's are great as described for the dynamics, but will never get you anywhere near a solid hand sharpening.
For your needs I'd probably just buy a japanese water stone for $35. It'll take a little technique and patience. I carry one in my knife kit takes me 15 mins to reedge 5 knives and sharpen all of them to 50/50 bevel
Here's some pointers
1 putting an edge on a blade (normal single or double sided blade). If your blade is dull you need start with rough grit and put a nice edge. One thing to consider is dragging the blade or the stone away from the edge will cause more coarse burrs and result in a duller over all blade. Therefore you should always push the blade over the stone in the direction of the blade. (This is often not addressed, but is a very simple fact.)
a. Find an angle between 20 to 25 degrees and a way for you to consistently push the blade over the stone in the same fluid movement by holding the knife with 2 hands, pushing at evenly distributed points on the rear of the blade itself. (Single edge) Stroking in an even fashion starting at the tip and slightly pushing and rotating approx 15 degrees toward the hand controlling the point over the entire length of the sharpening stone.
b. Count the number of strokes, start with 5.
c. Now switch hands (wow, yes, switch hands) and do the reverse in roughly the same fashion, same number of strokes. Put even pressure forward with both hands, but do not press down.
d. Repeat until you hit maybe 15-20 strokes on a rough grit
e. Now take your index finger or least calloused finger (if you aren't a soft handed p*ss*) and run the tip horizontal over the edge of the blade from tip all the way to the hilt/handle/ricasso. Now, do this a few times both directions. You'll feel that different parts of the blade will be sharper then others, namely the belly center will probably be most sharp. Whichever way you're dragging your finger the burr is opposite and forms reverse of direction of the stroke. Focus your strokes shorter on those areas on either side of the edge until you get a semi even bevel. Follow up in either direction a few strokes to attain over all even angle, reversing push of the blade after each stroke.
d. Repeat steps a through e on fine grit at an angle of 15 - 20 degrees and re even the edge on fine grit, should you mess up this angle and burr your edge incorrectly, go back to step a through e until you're comfortable on rough grit, reducing the number of strokes every time you go back (remember you only want to get a semi even bevel with rough grit). Repeat steps a through e on fine grit until you are satisfied with your desired level of bevel (usually 50/50).
This should keep an edge on your blade for quite some time and with pressure severe bone. These methods are recommended for hi carbon steel, but can be applied to lesser steel. Just know crappy steel will not hold an edge or remain sharp long. A hone is not for sharpening, but merely for retaining or "honing" an edge.
Now if you aren't confused by this, then I've failed at life. Enjoy!
For your needs I'd probably just buy a japanese water stone for $35. It'll take a little technique and patience. I carry one in my knife kit takes me 15 mins to reedge 5 knives and sharpen all of them to 50/50 bevel
Here's some pointers
1 putting an edge on a blade (normal single or double sided blade). If your blade is dull you need start with rough grit and put a nice edge. One thing to consider is dragging the blade or the stone away from the edge will cause more coarse burrs and result in a duller over all blade. Therefore you should always push the blade over the stone in the direction of the blade. (This is often not addressed, but is a very simple fact.)
a. Find an angle between 20 to 25 degrees and a way for you to consistently push the blade over the stone in the same fluid movement by holding the knife with 2 hands, pushing at evenly distributed points on the rear of the blade itself. (Single edge) Stroking in an even fashion starting at the tip and slightly pushing and rotating approx 15 degrees toward the hand controlling the point over the entire length of the sharpening stone.
b. Count the number of strokes, start with 5.
c. Now switch hands (wow, yes, switch hands) and do the reverse in roughly the same fashion, same number of strokes. Put even pressure forward with both hands, but do not press down.
d. Repeat until you hit maybe 15-20 strokes on a rough grit
e. Now take your index finger or least calloused finger (if you aren't a soft handed p*ss*) and run the tip horizontal over the edge of the blade from tip all the way to the hilt/handle/ricasso. Now, do this a few times both directions. You'll feel that different parts of the blade will be sharper then others, namely the belly center will probably be most sharp. Whichever way you're dragging your finger the burr is opposite and forms reverse of direction of the stroke. Focus your strokes shorter on those areas on either side of the edge until you get a semi even bevel. Follow up in either direction a few strokes to attain over all even angle, reversing push of the blade after each stroke.
d. Repeat steps a through e on fine grit at an angle of 15 - 20 degrees and re even the edge on fine grit, should you mess up this angle and burr your edge incorrectly, go back to step a through e until you're comfortable on rough grit, reducing the number of strokes every time you go back (remember you only want to get a semi even bevel with rough grit). Repeat steps a through e on fine grit until you are satisfied with your desired level of bevel (usually 50/50).
This should keep an edge on your blade for quite some time and with pressure severe bone. These methods are recommended for hi carbon steel, but can be applied to lesser steel. Just know crappy steel will not hold an edge or remain sharp long. A hone is not for sharpening, but merely for retaining or "honing" an edge.
Now if you aren't confused by this, then I've failed at life. Enjoy!
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You're correct on the angle of sharpening,don't remember what i was thinking.25 degree ans less.
