Author Topic: knife sharpener... what do you like? (Read 1905 times)

rockymtn eagle · « **on:** June 07, 2007, 06:42:45 AM »

With so many choices out there I can't decide on a pocket/small sharpener. What do you all use & how pleased are you with them?
Thanks!

James B · « **Reply #1 on:** June 12, 2007, 01:16:54 PM »

http://www.edgemakerpro.com/instructions.html.

This is the best sharpening tool I ever owned. Once your knife is sharp, just a couple pulls through the yellow one will have it razor sharp after every use.

Drilling Man · « **Reply #2 on:** June 12, 2007, 02:32:51 PM »

James,

I see they are selling it all for $29.95.... is that a good price???

DM

Buckfever · « **Reply #3 on:** June 12, 2007, 02:52:04 PM »

Lansky and a leather strop. Lansky after major use and the leather strop after Lansky and after minor use to set final edge. Buckfever

James B · « **Reply #4 on:** June 12, 2007, 07:27:34 PM »

Yeah thats about right. They usually sell for 9-10 dollars each. I have been using them for about 12 years. I bought the first ones at a Gun show. If a knife is really dull it takes quite a bit of work to get tham back in shape but once sharp just use the yellow one for six stokes or so and you will never see that knife dull again. I even use it to sharpen sheet rock knife blades and stuff like that. I keep several yellow ones around so I can have one in my tackle box and one in the kitchen and one with my hunting supplys.

I also like the Lansky but only for really dull knives.

OLDHandgunner · « **Reply #5 on:** June 13, 2007, 03:12:22 AM »

My wife and I got an Edgemaker pro many, many years ago at the Big E Expo show in MA. The guy that was doing the demo with these Edgemaker tools needed a hair cut bad. So my wife who always had her trusty scissors in her pocketbook said to him " if you can get these scissors sharp I'll buy the sharpening tools & give you a hair cut free ". He sharpened them razor sharp & on his break the wife gave him a much needed hair cut. He gave us the set of sharpeners free. We still have them & they still work great.
They put a good edge on your knife fast, but I still run my hunting knives across my fine Arkansas stone to finish it up.

Drilling Man · « **Reply #6 on:** June 13, 2007, 03:27:27 AM »

Quote

I also like the Lansky but only for really dull knives.

I use an Lansky now, and the one reason your post caught my eye is that i always figured the Lansky took too long to get a dull knife back to some kind of an decent edge once it's dull...

I have a bad habit of letting the knife get too dull, also my "work" knives are RC62 and and hard to sharp. Of course once sharpened, they do hold an edge for a long long time...

DM

James B · « **Reply #7 on:** June 13, 2007, 05:16:31 AM »

Thats the strong point of the edge maker. Its so easy to quick touch up the edge each time and doesn't take off much steel.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #8 on:** June 13, 2007, 06:05:09 AM »

a file if the edge is in bad shape or of an angle i don't like , a diamond pad , and a stone , finish with a leather !

rockymtn eagle · « **Reply #9 on:** June 13, 2007, 07:21:46 AM »

Thanks for all the ideas, I like the design of the Edgemakerpro. It makes knife sharpening look so I easy a caveman can do it. If that's the case I can definitely put a good edge on my knives. I've used the hunter honer which is in a similar design but it was never fine enough to put a really sharp edge on a knife.

How do you guys determine the sharpness of you knife? Is there another way than shaving my fingernail?

Drilling Man · « **Reply #10 on:** June 13, 2007, 12:06:14 PM »

Quote

Thats the strong point of the edge maker. Its so easy to quick touch up the edge each time and doesn't take off much steel.

OK James,

You talked me into trying one, so i have it ordered... "If" i don't like it when it gets here, i'm going to send it to you for a full refund!!!

Thanks for the info James...

DM

HL · « **Reply #11 on:** June 15, 2007, 07:26:09 AM »

First I use my sanding belt with 240 grit.

Then to the diamond stone,

then arkansas stones

porcelain sticks and then finish off on a polishing wheel with green rouge.

Edge on the blades usually last through 4-5 deer including cutting the chests.

oldandslow · « **Reply #12 on:** June 16, 2007, 04:22:28 PM »

Years ago I read an article in Workbench Magazine called "Scary Sharp". The author was a professional knife sharpener. He and his employees sharpened knives for slaughter houses and such. Their equipment consisted of heavy plate glass sheets about 12" by 12" and wet or dry emery paper up to 2000 grit. I used a ceramic cutting board and emery paper up to 1000 grit because that was the finest I could find. You can get a knife really sharp and it works great on wood chisels' plane knives and most cutting tools. If I'm in a hurry I use a gadget called a diamond file. It a magnetic handle with coarse, medium, and fine grit blades. It works very well too.

Drilling Man · « **Reply #13 on:** June 22, 2007, 05:11:31 PM »

Quote

OK James,
You talked me into trying one, so i have it ordered... "If" i don't like it when it gets here, i'm going to send it to you for a full refund!!!

Well, my edgemakerpro knife sharpening system came, and i've had a chance to try it out... I want to start out by saying i've NEVER been good at sharpening a knife. It's something i don't enjoy doing and probably never will.

First thing i sharpened was a thin bladed kitchen knife that lays on the counter, as i use it "every" day... It wasn't stone dull, i'd call it about half dull... I used the sharpening system as directed, and it did put a really nice edge on that knife surprisingly fast!

Next i pulled out my jacknife, it's a Buck folder with a 2-5/8" blade... i use it for EVERYTHING and i'll even open a can with it if i can't find something else to do it with!! Again, it sharpened it up very nice...

Today i went out into the shop and picked up an old hunting knife... It's one of the OLD style knives everyone used long ago and the blades were quite thick on those old knives. I worked on it quite a bit with the edgemaker, but it just didn't get as sharp as i'd like. It got it sharp but nothing like it did the kitchen or jacknife. I don't think it does as good of a job on knives that have fairly thick blades... I think if i thined (hollow ground) the blade near the edge, i could then finish it off and the edgemaker would do a pretty good job...

Do i like the Edgemaker? Yes, i like it, but unless i'm doing something wrong i don't think it will put that "super edge" on every knife that comes along...

Perhaps James has some tips for me as he's been using one for a long time now! How about it James?

DM

James B · « **Reply #14 on:** June 24, 2007, 07:01:38 PM »

I couldn't sum it up any better. On very dull thick blades its not the best thing going. For those I use the Lansky or even more often take them to a sharpening shop here in town. However on a blade with a decent edge or as DM says, thin blades like fillet knives and such, it just can't be beat. Start with a new knife and just give it a few strokes after each use and you will never see it get dull or show hardly any wear. Its a product that really works. On real dull ones I start with the Blue one and put a quite a bit of pressure on it and hold it at about a 30 degree angle. As I work with it I get closer to a 90 degree angle.

The real secret to a sharp knife is to never let them get to dull. Thats what I like about the edge maker, its just so easy to use that there is no reason for a dull knife. Also cheap enough to have several so one is always handy.

rockymtn eagle · « **Reply #15 on:** June 26, 2007, 06:23:51 PM »

Dipped into the wallet and got the edgemaker pro... love it! So simple to use & puts a nice edge on my knives.
Question, if I use oil, will I get an even sharper edge?

sphpkr · « **Reply #16 on:** July 01, 2007, 04:37:04 AM »

I too just placed an order for the 3 pc / 4 step setup. I've been using Lansky for years but getting lazy in my old age ;-)

Drilling Man · « **Reply #17 on:** July 01, 2007, 10:21:35 AM »

Hey James,

I hope your getting a commission!! ha ha ha

DM

ironglow · « **Reply #18 on:** July 01, 2007, 10:51:02 AM »

I will do heavy sharpening on my belt grinder..but for everyday , normal use I just use my Norton "India-stone"..rarely go for the super keen edge trhat the leather strop can provide.

Old & slow gave you a good steer with the wet-or-dry on a glass plate..try it..it works..

James B · « **Reply #19 on:** July 17, 2007, 05:33:45 PM »

I have never tried oil but I do dip them in water now and then. If the rods ever get worn you can put the tool in boiling water for a bit then turn the rods to a new position with a pliers.