Knife Sharpening

[leechlake]

I think this is one of the biggest kitchen and oudoor arts there is.  I will give my self a B plus on it but I've seen some real artists.  I have an electric but don't like it, I use a stone and frankly most of them are too small to effectively or safely use.  Some guys are "swirlers" in a circular manner.  Anyone want to chime in on their skills?

[eyeguy 54]

mostly I just use the sharpening steel.   no skills but I lie to give them a quick zip zap almost each time I use them, depending on what I cut. The small ceramic one that rapala makes works dandy on the fillet knives. 

[smurfy]

make sure there not a generic sharpener and of course needs to be stainless steel!!!!!!!!

[eyeguy 54]

does aldis have them.....   ??  

[smurfy]

I admit....I have a knife fetish! I think I have about every conceivable sharpener made except for the leather setup. I give myself an A-.

[nofishfisherman]

I use the steel that came with my block of kitchen knives.  My wife made fun of me when I watched the knife sharpening video that came with the knives.  That was 12 years ago and those same knives are still like new since I keep them sharp.  I also use that same steel on my fillet knives, and my hunting knives.

Each of the blades is kept a sharp as the day I got it.

There is an art to it and I guess I've been able to get good at it.  But the real key is to maintain the knives and not let them get dull in the first place.  Once they get dull the job of sharpening them is much harder. 

[RebelSS]

I could.   I learned how in the butcher shop I worked in after high school. Been doing it ever since, including blades on my auger. (whole 'nother story) In a nutshell, you need to start with a good knife, the proper angle, a good two stones, an Arkansas hard and a soft, some honing oil, and a steel.  I do mine about every 2 weeks or so. I learned to do about a 30* angle, and act like you're trying to slicing off a "thin piece of cheese", stroking across the stone from base to tip and away from you. Use plenty of oil, too. I then flip it, and bring it back the same way. You then move on to the hard stone when it's fairly sharp. ( I just use that one every week or so to touch up; once you get it there, you shouldn't have to use the bigger soft stone)  Finish with strokes on the hard stone, then "steel" it to finish "deburring" the edge. Took me years to get it down, but when you can do a knife in a minute or two, and slice thru a piece of paper like nothing, you've got it. Best advice is learn from someone that can do it like this. That's MY opinion, anyway. It's worked for me. I'll just bet reinhard1 can give us lots of tips, too. Buy good knives and take care of them; they'll last a long, long time.

Edited December 17, 2015 by RebelSS

[Juneau4]

Don't over use a stone, Ceramic and steel will do all you ever need. (IMO)  Overuse of a stone just takes a lot of the knife away in sharpening (It sharpens, but you lose a lot of blade).

[RebelSS]

A few swipes on a well oiled hard stone every few weeks shouldn't be an issue with a good knife.

I've had mine for over twenty years, and they get used a LOT. 

Edited December 17, 2015 by RebelSS

[smurfy]

A few swipes on a well oiled hard stone every few weeks shouldn't be an issue with a good knife.

I've had mine for over twenty years, and they get used a LOT. 

wow your old!!!!!!!!!

[delcecchi]

I have a chef's choice.  It works great and is really easy.   If I am feeling frisky, I use the "scary sharp" method with a sheet of carbide paper stuck to a piece of glass. 

[RebelSS]

"With age, comes wisdom, Grasshopper". Young Smurf have much to learn.

Edited December 17, 2015 by RebelSS

[leechlake]

I could.   I learned how in the butcher shop I worked in after high school. Been doing it ever since, including blades on my auger. (whole 'nother story) In a nutshell, you need to start with a good knife, the proper angle, a good two stones, an Arkansas hard and a soft, some honing oil, and a steel.  I do mine about every 2 weeks or so. I learned to do about a 30* angle, and act like you're trying to slicing off a "thin piece of cheese", stroking across the stone from base to tip and away from you. Use plenty of oil, too. I then flip it, and bring it back the same way. You then move on to the hard stone when it's fairly sharp. ( I just use that one every week or so to touch up; once you get it there, you shouldn't have to use the bigger soft stone)  Finish with strokes on the hard stone, then "steel" it to finish "deburring" the edge. Took me years to get it down, but when you can do a knife in a minute or two, and slice thru a piece of paper like nothing, you've got it. Best advice is learn from someone that can do it like this. That's MY opinion, anyway. It's worked for me. I'll just bet reinhard1 can give us lots of tips, too. Buy good knives and take care of them; they'll last a long, long time.

Reb- great informative stuff there.  I appreciate it.  I always am trying to get better and posts like that exactly provide the information that helps a guy improve.  Thank you!  I like it!

[smurfy]

"With age, comes wisdom, Grasshopper". Young Smurf have much to learn.

smurf is a seasoned veteran of 58 years!!!!!!!!!! old enough to supposedly know better...young enough to try again. except this lack of ice thing is really beginning to............

[RebelSS]

Well dump, I'm only a year older than you, ya little blue boobie!!  And my ice gear is ready, razor sharp, and rarin' to go.  If we ever GET any this year...

Edited December 17, 2015 by RebelSS

[leechlake]

48. Stay on topic not a birthday thread. 

[smurfy]

CUT..... Us some slack.

[RebelSS]

OK. Right. Gotcha. Mmm hmmm. You bet. Sure. Hokay. Aye-aye. Yes ma'am. Alright. Will do. Sie. Ja. Da.  

Edited December 17, 2015 by RebelSS

[Bobby Bass]

Two stone man myself but my fillet knife gets locked up, nobody get to use that blade but me on fish !

[Jim Almquist]

I have all sorts of stones including a huge tri-stone that must be 14" in length and every crock stick type thing made. They are all going to be for sale. All I use now is my Work Sharp and a fixed crock stick to touch up the blades between sharpening. Quick, clean and easy and super sharp. 

[Dotch]

Have seen them in ads and wondered how they worked. Lots of dull knives around here and little time to mess with them. The claim is the Work Sharp can be used on garden tools and what not as well. Have you tried it on anything other than knives Jim?

[Boar]

Im terible at knife sharpening, I have my grand fathers stone which is a wet stone, I have those ceramic V's and I have a Lansky system. i still can sharpen knives worth a crud. I use to work with a guy that had the art down with one of those butchers steele. could literaly shave with it. sharp as scalpul. and I ain kidding. well since I dont work there anymore, I feel ive lost my knife sharpener. just might have to look him up. dont think my loss of job should sway him against sharpening knive for me.

I asked him one time howed he get so good at it? he simply said... I can feel it, the steele talks to me. thats the art.

One can actually sharpen a knif on a coffee cup. if the cup is made of pure ceramic, that little ring on the bottom of the cup cand be use with the swirl method. it dose work.

[Juneau4]

A few swipes on a well oiled hard stone every few weeks shouldn't be an issue with a good knife.

I've had mine for over twenty years, and they get used a LOT. 

No it won't be , if it's done the way you say. The key facture is a "good knife and oiled hard stone" and a few swipes.

[Jim Almquist]

Have seen them in ads and wondered how they worked. Lots of dull knives around here and little time to mess with them. The claim is the Work Sharp can be used on garden tools and what not as well. Have you tried it on anything other than knives Jim?

I have only done knives but I could see it doing a good job. The really course belts are too course for me to use on my knives but should really work well on tools that don't need a super sharp edge. It use's a system of belts and I find myself only using the 2 finest grits only. It comes with different jigs depending on the angle you are sharpening which makes it simple to use. I gather all of the knives I want to sharpen and in about 15 minutes I can sharpen 8-10 knives and they will be sharp enough to remove hair on your arms.

[smurfy]

jim is right, I have one of those things too! works great, and like he says unless there is a really super dull knife I don't use the course grit belt. which reminds me I should think about getting some new belts!