Knife Sharpening& How I Got Started

[Hawks Feather]

I just set this up so that we don't take over another post.

I have always been fascinated by knives from an early age. At that early age I never realized or knew that a knife could be sharpened. (Give me a break, I was about 9 or 10 years old.) That is when I first met my grandpa's neighbor Ray Sutton who had a few guns that I went to see. After that, I would usually go next door to visit with Ray whenever I went to my grandfather's house. Ray was OLD, probably younger than I am now, and didn't move very well, but he knew about guns. One day he had a knife and a stone out and I asked about it. That was the start. I showed him my knife and he asked if I had ever sharpened it, and I said that I had not and didn't know the first thing about sharpening. He took my knife and tried to cut paper with it, and it just slid and didn't cut anything. (At the time that was probably good for me. This was also the pocketknife that I always carried, even to school since at that time there were no rules about anything like that.) So, Ray makes a few passes on the stone to get an angle started and then hands me the knife to continue. He made it look so easy, but I quickly found out that it was not as easy for a beginner and after a few passes looked at the blade to see that I was not even close to the angle he had started. He talked me through that lesson and at the end my knife would cut paper. I was IMPRESSED! My next visit with Ray I brought along all of my knives and he helped me get them sharp.  When I was ready to leave he gave me the 'well used' stone and he told me to keep my knives sharp. Whenever I went to my grandpa's house I would take the stone, a knife, and go see Ray. He taught me about blade angles and what they were designed to do. Over the years I got to where I could put an almost surgical angle on a blade, but then also learned that it didn't work all that well for whittling or cutting limbs. But it sure did impress my friends when I cut paper with that edge. So, this is how I got started with my 'obsession' with having a sharp knife.

My occupation was in public education, and it was not a way to get rich, but allowed me to support my family. Then I started picking up some hobbies that paid. My mom usually had a canary and with some of my money from selling wood working projects, I bought one. Then I bought a female and started raising them. At first, they were just 'junk' birds that I would sell to the local pet store for $5 to $15 per bird. I then went to one of the bird shows and was amazed that they had prices of $50 per bird and it didn't make a difference if it was a hen or a good singing male. I became good friends with one of the men who was showing canaries and he set me up with a trio of decent birds that got me started in breeding show birds and the following year I won my first ribbon. Better than that, I sold some birds for $50 each and I was hooked. In the early years any money that I made from sales went back into buying additional birds and expanding my sales. Within a few years I was doing well enough at shows that I was getting orders from many other states for my birds. I would raise around 100 to 150 canaries per year and sell them for $50 per bird. I called this my 'bird' money and would use it for family vacations and other things that my salary would not have covered. I am just saying this so that you know that I was not some rich person that didn't need to work to get money for things like: guns, knives, sharpening systems, power tools, and vacations. All of those things were paid for from my bird money. In the end, I sold out all of my birds and equipment and again put that money in my bird account.

Over the years, I have bought (usually at cost at the Gun Shop) different types of sharpening stones and equipment. Some worked really well and some were junk. Feel free to add what you have been using to sharpen your knives, and I will start adding some pictures of the items that I have accumulated over the years. Some were relatively inexpensive while the Tormek and Wicked Edge systems were not. Consider myself lucky that I found a hobby that actually made money so that I could get these pieces of equipment. Without the bird fund I would still only have my Buck stones and my original stone that I got from Ray.

So, that is my history, and I will quit and let members start sharing their sharpening stories and equipment. I will post some pics when I get time.

[pitw]

Well I can say that if I want a knife sharpened I let one of two friends use it.  They then sharpen it cause they know how.  I don't so it works well. 
I do have a buddy that isn't allowed to touch my knives cause he can wreck anything faster than I can replace 'em.

[FinsnFur]

Bird fund   I had no idea all this time, but it sounds like you did very well with them. Thats some pretty good income

I struggle with sharpening my knives. I feel like I always have. I've tried different methods, I've watched videos.
I got one of those Lansky Deluxe knife sharpeners used from a friend several years ago. I couldnt believe that someone actually had to go through all that crap to sharpen a knife. Arms, and rods, angles and clamps and stones. Whyyy jezuz chrimeny. And then they never were really that sharp.
I threw it in the trash after a month or two.
I see these videos of ocean guides cleaning fish with a knife thats so dang sharp it goes through any part of the fish like butter, and I shake my head wondering how...how do you get a knife THAT sharp.

The girls bought me a Rapala J.Marttiini Finland Hand Ground Stainless fillet knife, with a antler handle carved into an Eagles head, a couple years ago. That was literally the best knife I ever owned. Sweet jezuzzz that thing would fillet fish just like the guys on TV. Man it was razor sharp.
It has since then became dull and I'm back where I started.
I have two folding Kershaw Ken Onion Scallion knives that are my go to carries. Love those things but struggle to get them sharp as well.

I'm sure my sharpeners are wore out and probably not the best tools anyway. I've tried enough to where I'm not sure what to try next. I think my favorite is the Smith Diamond retractable sharpener. But mine is wore smooth now 

[nastygunz]

Me carving tools gotta be sharp!

[nastygunz]

Checkout diamond stones Jimbo. And Windex is a good sharpening lube.

[FinsnFur]

Checkout diamond stones Jimbo. And Windex is a good sharpening lube.

I didnt even know those exist Thats how little I know about it.
My little pocket steel was diamond but its been since wore smooth. Probably cause it was my favorite.
Diamond stone huh? Researching them and lookin at em now. I must might have to pick one of those up. I like the concept.
Anything I should look for or stay away from?

[Hawks Feather]

DMT Diamond Machining Technology is the brand that I like the best. They seem to hold up longer than any other I have.

[FinsnFur]

Them babies are pricey aint they
I just ordered Three Stone 6" Diamond Whetstone Set in Hardwood Box.
No sure if I actually needed an extra fine, I was going to just pick up a course and a fine. But the price of those two individually was $14 bucks away from the whole 3pc set. 

Now I'm excited. Im gonna run down to the post office and see if it showed up yet.

[FinsnFur]

Bought it right from DMT. I just now noticed that Amazon has the same one for $30 buck less  

[Hawks Feather]

Let the fun begin.

[nastygunz]

I can see metal dust flying everywhere in the kitchen

[Hawks Feather]

This is from the DMT site.

Some stones need water, while other stones need oil for floating the swarf (small metal filings created when sharpening) away. Simply apply a few drops of either oil or water directly to the stone. (We recommend using an inexpensive spray bottle for applying the water.) The lubricant you need is determined by the type of stone you are using. Water stones and diamond stones require water. Oil stones such as India, Crystolon and Arkansas stones use oil for a lubricant.

[FinsnFur]

When I was little my brother would set a sharpening stone on the center divider of our two basin kitchen sink. (porcelain at the time)
He'd put the faucet directly above it and crack her open to a small drizzle and sharpen his knife on the stone, under the drizzle.
I dont know who taught him that but I must not have been listening

[Okanagan]

When I was little my brother would set a sharpening stone on the center divider of our two basin kitchen sink. (porcelain at the time)
He'd put the faucet directly above it and crack her open to a small drizzle and sharpen his knife on the stone, under the drizzle.
I dont know who taught him that but I must not have been listening

Been doing that for decades. Your brother must be a smart man!    It works, and keeps the stone working better by washing out the ground off material from blade and stone rather than let it accumulate and clog up the microscopic hollows in the stone.

[bigben]

you can gum up stones as well if they are not used with a oil or water.  IF that happens you can douse the stone in a good light oil and just use it and a lot of times it lifts the gunk out and cleans the stone. 

[nastygunz]

Break out that checkbook again Jimbo 

CBN (cubic boron nitride) sharpening is a method of sharpening tools using grinding wheels made from CBN. CBN is a very hard material that's second only to diamonds in hardness.
Benefits of CBN sharpening
Durability: CBN wheels are very durable and can last a long time.
Heat dissipation: CBN wheels are good conductors of heat, which helps prevent overheating the tool.
Sharpness: CBN wheels can quickly restore a sharp edge and produce a polished bevel.
Consistency: CBN wheels don't change shape or size over time, so you don't need to rebalance them.

[FinsnFur]

I wouldnt have any blade left on my knives, Nasty. They'd be all handle

Those thing would be superior for chisels, machetes, lawn mower blades, planer blades etc.

[bigben]

CBN is a waste of $ unless you are a gear head.  Diamond will cut anything out there that you are using.  CBN is for mass manufacture. 

[nastygunz]

https://www.bestsharpeningstones.com/article_details.php?id=5&article_name=Care%20&%20Use%20of%20Diamond%20Sharpening%20Stones#:~:text=While%20plain%20water%2C%20windex%20ect,a%20very%2C%20very%20long%20time.

[Hawks Feather]

Nasty,

  Nice link.

  I noticed that they had Razor Edge listed and clicked it. I bought the Razor Edge Book of Sharpening many years ago and at that time it came with the Sharpness Tester pictured below. I have it where I do my sharpening, but have made many others for friends from Delrin. An easy way to check (like the tester does) is to just use a plastic cased pen, like is given away many places. If you put the end of the pen (with the roller ball not exposed) and run that slowly along the edge of a knife you will be able to detect any bumps (many not visible) or problem areas. Also, if you place the pen on a hard surface at a 45 degree angle, hold your knife lightly, and slowly pull the blade across the pen barrel you will be able to see if it is sharp all along the blade of only some parts. The knife will cut when it is sharp and will slide in any area that is not sharp. You can do the same thing with a fingernail, but I like to keep my fingers safe.