I need an EDGE!!

[Dale Thompson]

Hi Folks,
I can sharpen lawn mower blades, regular chisels, lathe chisels, scrapers and just about everything else in the shop which requires an edge (not including saw blades). However, I have NEVER been able to do a decent job on a simple pocket knife. I've tried the "As Advertised on TV" gimmicks. I've also tried wet stones, dry stones, oil stones, diamond stones, Arkansas stones, Tennessee stones, Japanese stones, wet wheels, dry wheels, ad nauseum.

Is there a way to get a decent edge on a 2 1/2 to 4" pocket knife without 50 zillion circular motions on both sides and all of the other things that are recommended? :eek: If your only answer is "patience", forget it! I'll live with a dull knife. ;) :) "DULL" is not a new word for ME. I've got old report cards FULL of that word. :o :o

Dale T.

[Joe Suelter]

Well Dale, I asked my buddy the same question on why I couldn't get a decent edge on my pocket knife (he's a sharpener by trade). He told me that most pocket knives are a cheap grade of steel, and are meant to be throw-aways. He said that he only sharpens knives made of stainless (surgical maybe?). All the others he said have a low content of something (i forget what) that prevents them from obtaining a fine edge. I know this doesn't help much, but that happened quite a few years ago, and I have a short-term memory! For $15, I just go out and buy new every year or so...but I see your point, seems like a waist!

[Chris Padilla]

Maybe if you spend $30 on a pocket knife, it will hold a good edge when sharpened?

[James Carmichael]

Hi Folks,
I can sharpen lawn mower blades, regular chisels, lathe chisels, scrapers and just about everything else in the shop which requires an edge (not including saw blades). However, I have NEVER been able to do a decent job on a simple pocket knife. I've tried the "As Advertised on TV" gimmicks. I've also tried wet stones, dry stones, oil stones, diamond stones, Arkansas stones, Tennessee stones, Japanese stones, wet wheels, dry wheels, ad nauseum.

Is there a way to get a decent edge on a 2 1/2 to 4" pocket knife without 50 zillion circular motions on both sides and all of the other things that are recommended? :eek: If your only answer is "patience", forget it! I'll live with a dull knife. ;) :) "DULL" is not a new word for ME. I've got old report cards FULL of that word. :o :o

Dale T.


Dale,

As with most any sharpening, the key is keeping a consistent bevel. Try a Lansky Sharpener or one of it's many copycats. It's a jig/kit usually consisting of 3 stones (coarse, medium, fine) that connect to rods. A bracket attaches to the spine of the blade, then you insert the rod in one of 3 holes for the bevel you want and work it against the blade. They are usually 17, 20, and 25 degrees. 20 or 25 is usually best for a pocketknife. I learned to sharpen hunting knives freehand on a stone, but gave it up when a friend showed me his Lansky about a dozen or so years ago, you can get a knife shaving sharp in about 5 minutes, even the older Bucks, which were notoriously hard to sharpen freehand because of the hard steel and steep bevels.

[Steven Wilson]

I freehand mine on the Tormek then strop them on a piece of leather fixed to the bench, comes out nice.

[David Rose]

Dale, I agree with James. When we first started looking at the Lanskys I set up a display for customer use. After a couple of guys cut themselves testing the edges I took it down. These guys, among others, were amazed at the ease of sharpening. If you use a fixture for your chisels, it works exactly the same way. You just move the stones over the blade with the blade clamped instead of the blade over the stones. I use to spend way too much time on my quality pocket knife getting an edge on each blade. It is still somewhat slow with all the changing of fixtures and blades and stones and oil, but if you are a clutz like me at keeping a consistent angle, they really work and well. And the stones are available all the way to hard surgical Arkansas if you want that. In a rush, I hit them on the buffer with fine compound. If I really want to work over the edges and make them nice I go Lansky. It is faster than "trying" to keep the angle true.

Oh, and as to cheap, junk blades, they would sharpen to a shaving edge too. They were just dulled by shaving the hair off your arm. :D

David

[Dean Baumgartner]

Dale,
As others have said the Lansky is the best for getting that perfect edge but on knives that see a lot of use and consequently a lot of sharpening I've found that the quickest method is to use a diamond "steel" to get everything right followed by a few passes on a ceramic steel. The diamond does the sharpening followed by the ceramic to smoothen things out. Usually within a couple of minutes I can take a knife that would have trouble on butter to shave the hair on your arm sharp.

Dean

[Joe Suelter]

Maybe if you spend $30 on a pocket knife, it will hold a good edge when sharpened?
Any knife will get a decent edge, but for how long? Most pocket knives are very soft steel. For $30 I can buy 2 or 3 cheapies and never have to sharpen one. I doubt that a $30 knife will hold an edge any longer than a $10 or $15 one. I've had Gerber's, Barlow's, Buck's...they all last about the same for what I use them for..(daily at work). You find me a knife for $30 that will last, I'll buy it!!!

[Wolf Kiessling]

I may get some argument on this but I don't care. The definitive way to sharpen a knife is to raise a wire burr and then hone it off. Simple as that. The bevel doesn't make a durned bit of difference, it only determines how easily the blade will slice through whatever it is slicing thru and is also an important contributing factor to how long the edge will hold.

I, personally, use the Burke method for all my carving/sculpture knives, gauges, chisels, skews, veiners, parting tools, whatever. I try not to let the tools get too dull and just hone them periodically using a leather strop and follow up with a buffing wheel. If I screw up and let them get really dull, I use a wheel with coarse emery cloth then follow by a fine grade to raise a burr. The burr is then removed on the leather strop (or paper wheel), buffed on a buffing wheel with some tripoli and finally polished on a lambs wool (?) wheel. Gave up on sharpening stones years ago.

[David Rose]

Hey Wolf! I'm not arguing and I don't care if you don't care! :D

With your system, the bevel would not effect the sharpening. For those of us using stones, the bevel is important to the time involved. Or more correctly I should say, for people like me who can't maintain a bevel it is important. Give me a chisel with an in inch of bevel and freehand sharpening, I'll give you back a chisel with a nice radius. :rolleyes: That accounts for a lot of wasted time cutting in the wrong places.

David


I may get some argument on this but I don't care. The definitive way to sharpen a knife is to raise a wire burr and then hone it off. Simple as that. The bevel doesn't make a durned bit of difference, it only determines how easily the blade will slice through whatever it is slicing thru and is also an important contributing factor to how long the edge will hold.

I, personally, use the Burke method for all my carving/sculpture knives, gauges, chisels, skews, veiners, parting tools, whatever. I try not to let the tools get too dull and just hone them periodically using a leather strop and follow up with a buffing wheel. If I screw up and let them get really dull, I use a wheel with coarse emery cloth then follow by a fine grade to raise a burr. The burr is then removed on the leather strop (or paper wheel), buffed on a buffing wheel with some tripoli and finally polished on a lambs wool (?) wheel. Gave up on sharpening stones years ago.

[Dale Thompson]

Thanks guys. I think that will take a good look at the Lansky. It sounds kind of "fool-proof". That is exactly what I need. :o :cool:

Dale T.

[Keith Outten]

Just for the record I have been using the Lansky system for almost 20 years and I'm still satisfied with how well it works on knifes. Takes all the skill requirements out of sharpening knifes and is the equivalent of "Sharpening for Dummies" :)

[Dale Thompson]

Just for the record I have been using the Lansky system for almost 20 years and I'm still satisfied with how well it works on knifes. Takes all the skill requirements out of sharpening knifes and is the equivalent of "Sharpening for Dummies" :)


Keith,
Even though I am a very sensitive person, I will try not to take your, "Sharpening for Dummies" comment personally. ;)

I have never heard of the Lansky System. My only recognition of the name was Meyer Lansky whom I think was a mafia boss in Chicago or New York. I have never heard the name Outten used in the same context. :D :D

Dale T.

[Walt Pater]

I doubt that a $30 knife will hold an edge any longer than a $10 or $15 one. I've had Gerber's, Barlow's, Buck's...they all last about the same for what I use them for..(daily at work). You find me a knife for $30 that will last, I'll buy it!!!
Opinel, a French Knifemaker, makes quality knives which can be had for under $30.00. Their blades are all-carbon, and therefore pit if not cared for, but I use mine daily, it keeps an edge, and it has lasted 12 years so far. They have oak handles and a rotating ferrule/collar that serves as a a lock-blade feature. I'm pretty sure mine cost $12.95 in '92 dollars. Walt.

[Keith Outten]

Dale,

Sorry, my comment was just to let everyone know how simple the Lansky system is to use and get a perfect edge every time :)

I don't think anyone in my family has ever been associated with organized crime, we have been farmers on the Eastern Shore of Virginia since 1634. I am the third generation living in the Hampton Roads area, my grandfather left the farm and made his way to Newport News as a young man to work at Newport News Shipbuilding.

[Dale Thompson]

Dale,

Sorry, my comment was just to let everyone know how simple the Lansky system is to use and get a perfect edge every time :)

I don't think anyone in my family has ever been associated with organized crime, we have been farmers on the Eastern Shore of Virginia since 1634. I am the third generation living in the Hampton Roads area, my grandfather left the farm and made his way to Newport News as a young man to work at Newport News Shipbuilding.


Keith,
No problem. It's just that I get nervous when "The Boss" uses the word "dummie" in front of me. Over the years, it has caused me to change professions several times. First it was Mc Donald's, then Wendy's, then Burger King and, finally, Taco Bell. With that, I gave up on trying to hold a job and took up woodworking. :cool: YIKES!! Do I know how to make friends - or what?? :eek: :eek: ;)

Dale T.