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Got sharp ?
- Thread starter Arenal Botanical Garden
- Start date
Lotsa knife sharpeners out there but , being a maker, I have to agree with these guys.
Check some vidz.
http://www.theedgema...ningVideos.html
Check some vidz.
http://www.theedgema...ningVideos.html
Attachments
Don't you just love CA Buckeye Burl?! I use it in a lot 1911 pistol grips I make as well as on knife handles. Nice to see another knife maker/collector/wood working fool inTHP...
You mind me asking who you go to for your wood slabs?
You mind me asking who you go to for your wood slabs?
That would also depend on what your knife is used for. I prefer a working edge as a razor sharp knife would be dull quickly on my job.
Arenal Botanical Garden, how long do those sandpaper belts last sharpening knives?
I would think they would lose grit quickly since they are being used on hard steel. Thoughts?
I would think they would lose grit quickly since they are being used on hard steel. Thoughts?
Anyone used the Wicked Edge system? Comments?
It's expensive but it looks like it works excellently.
It's expensive but it looks like it works excellently.
That was a beautiful knife you made. Is it wrong to be aroused by a knife. Nah i'm sure its not.
My experience with sharpening knives. I did an experiment to find what I thought was the best system. I bought a cheap $1 knife and only used it to cut things. Also I used a plastic cutting board. So it was my cooking and eating and everything knife. I had to sharpen it often. I tried the spyderco, lansky system, diamond stones, and some other systems I forgot. I preferred the spiderco. My next favorite was a large stone.
All the systems took practice. The spyderco can set an edge but if you want to change the angle or the blade is seriously dull start with a stone and then switch to the spyderco. For me sharpening is setting the edge and then polishing the edge.
Some random thoughts. When someone says use a strop(sp?) cloth to sharpen they don't know what they are talking about. A strop cloth straightens a thin bur used on razors. It actually doesn't do much sharpening. There is a new technique that uses leather with diamond paste or something similar and that is not the same. Getting the sharpest angle possible will cause hairs to jump off of your arm when you test the blade. So it seems really cool. Sharp angles also dull the fastest. So sometimes a blunt angle is better. Extreme case would be an axe. A steel should be used often. To test whether an edge is set properly run the blade gently across your thumbnail. If the blade doesn't slip down when you run it across the edge is set and you can move to polishing. When learning to sharpen use a jeweler's loop to understand what you are doing and to see if your angle is right. It is easier to keep a knife sharp than to sharpen a dull knife, In other words, sharpen often.
Most people have dull knives. When my wife's friends come to the house to cook they start nagging their husbands about sharpening the knives. When I get a knife I choose the shape based on the ease of sharpening. For instance I would never (again) get a tanto blade.
I hope someone got something out of my ramblings
My experience with sharpening knives. I did an experiment to find what I thought was the best system. I bought a cheap $1 knife and only used it to cut things. Also I used a plastic cutting board. So it was my cooking and eating and everything knife. I had to sharpen it often. I tried the spyderco, lansky system, diamond stones, and some other systems I forgot. I preferred the spiderco. My next favorite was a large stone.
All the systems took practice. The spyderco can set an edge but if you want to change the angle or the blade is seriously dull start with a stone and then switch to the spyderco. For me sharpening is setting the edge and then polishing the edge.
Some random thoughts. When someone says use a strop(sp?) cloth to sharpen they don't know what they are talking about. A strop cloth straightens a thin bur used on razors. It actually doesn't do much sharpening. There is a new technique that uses leather with diamond paste or something similar and that is not the same. Getting the sharpest angle possible will cause hairs to jump off of your arm when you test the blade. So it seems really cool. Sharp angles also dull the fastest. So sometimes a blunt angle is better. Extreme case would be an axe. A steel should be used often. To test whether an edge is set properly run the blade gently across your thumbnail. If the blade doesn't slip down when you run it across the edge is set and you can move to polishing. When learning to sharpen use a jeweler's loop to understand what you are doing and to see if your angle is right. It is easier to keep a knife sharp than to sharpen a dull knife, In other words, sharpen often.
Most people have dull knives. When my wife's friends come to the house to cook they start nagging their husbands about sharpening the knives. When I get a knife I choose the shape based on the ease of sharpening. For instance I would never (again) get a tanto blade.
I hope someone got something out of my ramblings
I use a 1" belt sander with progressive grit belts from 600-1000 and a leather strop belt. Fastest, best edge I have ever got.
frosty said:
I was at a party recently and watched someone struggle sawing through a tomato. I died a little inside when I saw that the knife was one of the nicer JA Henkles. How the heck do you spend that much on a knife and let it get as dull as a butter knife?
Not a pro knife sharpener here, but Grandpa taught me how to get a knife sharp enough to shave your arm.
You would like my J.A. Henckels Jeff.Jeff H said:
I was at a party recently and watched someone struggle sawing through a tomato. I died a little inside when I saw that the knife was one of the nicer JA Henkles. How the heck do you spend that much on a knife and let it get as dull as a butter knife?
Not a pro knife sharpener here, but Grandpa taught me how to get a knife sharp enough to shave your arm.
People have had dull knives for so long they don't know what sharp is. You can see it when they use a sharp knife, There is always this pause.Jeff H said:
I was at a party recently and watched someone struggle sawing through a tomato. I died a little inside when I saw that the knife was one of the nicer JA Henkles. How the heck do you spend that much on a knife and let it get as dull as a butter knife?
Not a pro knife sharpener here, but Grandpa taught me how to get a knife sharp enough to shave your arm.
I think people make too much of sharpening. Like it is voodoo. Most common techniques work. A sander will work. crock sticks work, large stones work, the beveled edge stuff works, paper wheels blah blah. Just learn one and do it.
and throw away plastic cutting boards.
I don't want to take away from how beautiful that knife was. Sorry for the digression
What's wrong with plastic cutting boards Frosty?
Just picked this up for minor clearing of brush during next hunting season...
I have switched to bamboo cutting boards.frosty said:
The belt sander is still producing a great edge on my J.A. Henckels kitchen knives.
My straight razors are a different story altogether. They have the bevel set with a Norton 1,000 grit followed by a Norton 4,000 grit then the 8,000 grit. I finish with a Naniwa 12,000 grit and then a felt strop with chromium oxide on it and followed with a clean felt strop with 30 strokes then the leather strop with 60 strokes. It produces a nice shave.
AaronTT said:
Having watched artisans employ this technique, and even having tried it myself, I can vouch for what a piece of work that knife is. It's unreal the amount of training, patience and skill that all go into turning a rock into a tool like that. One little mistake and it's tossed in the "seconds" pile.
Thanks for sharing. I love that handle, too. That's crazy!