View Full Version : Best sharpening stone ...
What's your favorite sharpening stone to use for steel (not thinking about gagets like the Sharpmaker ..)
Waterstone?
Ceramic?
Diamond?
I've got all three and I'm torn between them! :-D
CM Burns
12-02-2004, 22:14
Diamonds - it's just so easy and fast :-)
How about a combination of 2?
I've been using a Fallkniven DC3 ceramic stone with a diamond coated plate on the back. It's only about half the size of a credit card (but much thicker) and it works great.
I have spent a lot of money in ceramic,japanesse stones, other stones and diamond sharper.
At the end the most I use is the diamond becouse is fast+clean+good job.
My advise go for a DMT foldable two grades diamond sharper is very useful and light you always can carry in your rucksack.
If you want one diamond sharper to use at home with big blades go for a diamond steel blank sharper bigger like DMT or EZD=15cm*5cm.
Enjoy
Bowie_Fan
13-02-2004, 09:13
I use only Japanese water stones. I have tryed all the rest, and for my tast didnt like them. My bigest complaint with dimond stones was the little holes. I didnt like the feel of how the blade edge ran across them. Expecialy at the tip. I also didnt feel atall comfortable with there thin profile. Both issues are personal tast.
On a plus note for dimond, thin light profile, very easy to keep with you. Almost no maintanace time.
Negative on all stones, larger thickness and more weight. Also stones like Japanese water stones are VERY suceptable to breakage due to temperature. If you leave your water stone saturated and the temp goes bellow freasing, chances are you have just broke your stone. And after some time using stones they should be trued.
i use a cheap and cheerful corse carborundum, and i've got a medium arkansas stone. these do me just fine.
Hmm, i really need to invest into some good stones. Thes ones i use are the 1000/6000 grit japanese waterstones purchased from survival school. In the field i use a 4000 grit pocket Japanese waterstone purchased from axminster. They do the job, but nothing special.
I need to learn more about it, as i am getting frustrated with the amount of work it requires!
The wet'n'dry paper did the job in no time on that secondary bevel on my puukko, nice job. :o\:
Cheers,
Jake
My bigest complaint with dimond stones was the little holes.
DMT do have a range of diamond stones without holes.
http://www.dmtsharp.com/products/diasharp.htm
I like a small, hard arkansas for field touch up. I also like Norton India stones which will give you a nice toothy edge.
The thing with DMT stones is that if you make a mistake e.g. get the angle wrong etc. , it can be quite a big mistake because diamond takes off so much steel!
We use the Eze-Lap on our hooks.
1. Because they do put one hell of an edge on them
2. Don't take up much room.
3. I like the name!
A good tip I will share with you and it is an old boy woodsman trick, it is one we also use and that's slate. Spit on a slice and use it as you would any other sharper and I will guarantee you that the edge will be as sharp as a Kellam.
Jack.
larry the spark
13-02-2004, 16:44
Funny, that's what my grandad told me the other day they used to use, slate and a smearing of spittle... he balked at my 'fancy' waterstone and crock sticks!
It's an interesting comment that Larry as it demostrates that it doesn't take to long for knowledge to dissappear and there was a time when everything like that was just common knowledge.
Jack.
I use DMT Diamond and have a set a Blue and Red combo for Course and medium does most jobs with Red giving a good working edge for most uses i Have a Green lapping stick for very fine mostly used to finish of my Global kitchen knives . Lastly a taper round in Red folder for any tricky bits
you can get black but thats for agricultural use ie lawn mower blades hedge clippers Bill hooks etc :lol:
I have used ceramic before but find it gives to smooth an edge the diamond and normal stones give a Micro saw edge i find cuts better
DMT Web Site (http://www.dmtsharp.com/)
They also do a small keyring stone not much use for reprofileing but very good to maintain a good edge in the field
http://www.dmtsharp.com/products/productonwhite/F70_.jpg
ATB
Duncan
i also have a norton stone. this one is odd because it about 20mm by70mm by 6mm so very easy to carry. still puts a razor edge on anywhere
I use the Starkie Sharp card (Blue), which is a medium diamond card, for heavy work i.e damage removal and then on to the Icebear waterstones from Axminster power tools and then stropping to finish off.
The reason for this is,time, the diamond card is very rodust and very quick, where as the waterstones do a fabilous job but not practical in the field. :o\:
Kukriman
18-02-2004, 03:17
Just a thought from across the pond...
I use an old Diamond hone from EZE Lap...it's one of those jobs that unscrews from a tube...reverse it...and the storage tube becomes the handle. It is small and light and works quickly.
IN the shop...I use a fine carborundum...then a medium Arkansas...both of the bench variety...10 inches by 2 and a half inches...with a bit of kerosene ...
Going to buy a fine Norton India stone...that's the best ...
Chop ON!
kukriman
It's an interesting comment that Larry as it demostrates that it doesn't take to long for knowledge to dissappear and there was a time when everything like that was just common knowledge.
Jack.
Back when most men used "cut-throat" razors, a nice slate stone was the best for honing the razor. I have a German "Raven" and an English "John Bull." I still use them on some of my carbon knives for that final polish. The blade is drawn back, rather than pushed forward in a slicing motion. Overdo and you get a wire edge.
ive ben asking over at britishblades what to use to sharpen acut throat. now i know. doubt it will take much as most of the work is done on a strop
I'm now using primarily an 8" x 2" Spyderco medium grit ceramic and a 5" x 1" (and only about an 1/8" thick) Spyderco fine grit ceramic stone and getting excellent results.
Generally do everything on a Spyderco Doublestuff. If there isn't one to hand I usually have a Tri-seps and have had great results with them. I would be interested to try the Pro-file set but am still waiting to get one.
Stones?
I strop all my knives and Axes on 400 grit waterproof sandpaper, saturated with brasso metal polish and attached on some cardboard and wood. Will do for both flat and convex edges. I only use this when the blade is getting blunt. The metal polish coating makes the sandpaper a bit less aggressive.
The other side of the wooden board has only cardboard, again saturated with brasso metal polish. This is normally used for maintaining the edge.
This makes for a light and cheap package that will give you a razor edge in no time.
I experimented with waterstones and ceramic stones in the past, but find them too clumsy, heavy and too expensive in the field. You sacrifice a lot of sharpening area to keep the weight down.
-Emile
i suppose that the answer to this question is the same as the question "which is the best knife?", the answer being the one you have with you when you need it.
its all well and good having a proedge 2million and 1, complete with an attacment for sharpening a house brick, but if you don't have it tucked away in your ruck sack when you need to sharpen you knife, its not a lot of good to you is it?
answer to this i think is, have more than one stone/sharpening device, and know how best to use them all, that way, when you need to sharpen something you can, no matter what.
my that was a long reply :shock:
the naughty boy
30-03-2004, 17:46
but an honest one. i just use the lansky system and my old oilstone. even to sharpen my kukri! sometimes i even use the finest wet and dry paper an a plywood board[ u move the knife not the board]
but they all get a good strop with a leather belt.most importantly!!!
how do you sharpen the inner curve of tha blade?
a piece of wet and dry wrapped round about a foot length of 1" dowl does me :twisted:
the naughty boy
01-04-2004, 10:59
as the inner curve of the kuk blade is thicker im not after perfection. although i does need to be sharp. im a carpenter by trade[1 of 2] and have sharpened all sorts of edges.if you use the lansky stones by hand you can achieve a pretty sharp edge but its all about angles and consistency,also the wet and dry on a dowell does very well too.
a kukri needs only to be sharp enough to cut a piece of ordinary printer paper..any finer and you just weaken the edge.
saying that though i like a razor edge on the last inch of it. :-D
When you strop, do you have to be carful about making sure the bevel is flat against the leather belt. Or can you just run it up and down on it any old how (on the blade....obviously)
Cheers,
Jake
I run the blade up and down the leather at an angle of about 12 degrees (approx). I find that works best.
If i was unprecise, would it reverse the effect?
If i was unprecise, would it reverse the effect?
Well, depends on how unprecise ... here's a trick though to get you going - put the tip of your index finger over the spine of the blade and use that as a rough guide and you won't go far wrong!
Two other tips:
- Don't push the blade edge first into the leather
- Keep the angle less than 30 - 45 if you can otherwise you'll take the burr off too quick.
Hope this helps!
Cheers Adi,
My knife needs a sharpening, i'll tell you how it goes.
Does stropping really make a difference?
Cheers,
Jake
Does stropping really make a difference?
Without a doubt yes - the edge is sharper and is lasts heaps longer.
I just use an old belt and add a tiny amount of valve grinding paste (the fine stuff) or metal polish to the blade. Works wonders!
If i didnt use the paste? :-D
larry the spark
08-04-2004, 14:05
Use tooth paste instead! Has the same effect 8-)
If i didnt use the paste? :-D
Still works ... :-D
Great...i'll get onto it. Toothpaste is also good for rust!