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Knife Sharpening for a Novice

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    #16
    Originally posted by Jason Fry View Post
    A trick... color the edge with a sharpie. That'll show you where your strokes are cutting and if you're getting all the way to the edge. Sharpening to a burr is critical. After that, it's just polishing.

    Work Sharp is a decent machine if you use a light touch. Don't use it to grind your blade away.
    Great trick here. I like using a wet stone. Amazon has plenty of good stones. I also had a ceramic rod that I use for polishing the blade after the wet stone.

    As someone else said, just practice a lot. It's a matter of muscle memory. Your edge is going to be different from a factory edge. So if you try to sharpen a new knife, it may take you a little bit longer to get your edge to fully take over the factory edge. Keep at it and enjoy the process.

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      #17
      I got this for Christmas and I sharpened knives and scissors that haven't been sharp in decades. They were tossed in a drawer as "maybe someday I'll find someone who can sharpen it." It even does broadheads. Watch the product video.

      The Guided Field Sharpener is a complete sharpening solution for field, home or shop use. It is the first angle guided, 5 stage sharpening solution designed for sportsmen who need a complete, robust and compact field sharpening solution.

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        #18
        Originally posted by JES View Post
        I have this Worksharp and use it for my kitchen knives, I’ve been very happy with it:







        Work Sharp Precision Adjust Elite Knife Sharpener Including Additional Sharpening Stones and Carry Case https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FWWDFF9...BM1KYDJH55WP7A
        This is the way to to go IMO, the belts do a convex edge,
        And belts don’t do some steels very well, steels that are 60+ hrc , diamonds are better for complex steels

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          #19
          Originally posted by dusty britches View Post
          i got this for christmas and i sharpened knives and scissors that haven't been sharp in decades. They were tossed in a drawer as "maybe someday i'll find someone who can sharpen it." it even does broadheads. Watch the product video.

          https://www.worksharptools.com/shop/...arpener/?nab=1
          this! This! This!

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            #20
            my hunting back pack is full of knives. 95% custom from lots of various makers.
            I have to sit down this year and start the process of sharpening knives.

            The number one thing is take your time.

            DO NOT RUSH IT

            Once you get YOUR edge not the Factory or what was on it before. Then it should only take a few licks to get it back to where you left it.

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              #21
              Originally posted by Jason Fry View Post
              A trick... color the edge with a sharpie. That'll show you where your strokes are cutting and if you're getting all the way to the edge. Sharpening to a burr is critical. After that, it's just polishing.

              Work Sharp is a decent machine if you use a light touch. Don't use it to grind your blade away.
              I've used this trick when trying to true up my grinding plates for my meat grinder. I guess i need to start on my knives.

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                #22
                Originally posted by Brute Killer View Post
                I learned how to sharpen knives as a kid, wearing out several in the process.
                It's worth learning.
                Not giving up on learning, just need a more fool proof way to keep my daily use knives in good shape while i still master sharpening by hand.

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                  #23
                  Originally posted by Bryan11 View Post
                  What's everyone's go to for getting their hunting knife, EDC and Kitchen Knifes back in shape?

                  I was never properly taught how to free hand on a stone. I've tried with very limited success. Most all my contraptions are the free hand type stones and i can never get the results i'm looking for.

                  I've used a work sharp with the belts and had some success and know people swear by them, but mine had been shredding belts and turns out to be a bad bushing/bearing.

                  So i'm at a crossroads where i either replace my worksharp with another one, try to find a part and repair it or try something else out like the guided lansky?

                  Trying to stay around $100 or less, unless you can really help me justify spending more for being an average outdoorsman.
                  Wish you were closer.
                  I could spend about 10 min with you and have you putting a razor edge on a knife.
                  Like mentioned, people way over complicate trying to sharpen a knife, it has almost become like some type of voodoo

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                    #24
                    This is something I posted several years ago.

                    Learn to do it without gimmicks, it's a good skill to have. The edge of a car window, edge of coffee cup, all kinds of things can become sharpeners. All that is required is a consistent angle on each side. You already can do it, you just don't know how. Every time you roll your wrist, left to right, your wrist articulates on the same path everytime. You don't even need to hold the blade at the same angle, left to right. If the right side is at angle x the left doesn't have to be at angle x also. It can be at angle y for example. Meaning if you hold the right side at 30° but the left side at 34° it doesn't matter. What matters is that the right is at 30° on every stroke and the left is at 34° on every stroke. Your body does this naturally. This is YOUR angle. A new knife or the knife your buddy gave you is NOT at your angle. So, you may sharpen a knife for hours and never put a edge on it. Why, the knife is at angle whatever, we'll say angle z. So the knife edge is at z angle but your laying the edge to the stone at x angle, and never getting anywhere. Now your mind is messing with you, your trying different things, really concentrating, all to no avail. You have to put your angle on the knife. This requires you to sharpen it until angle z is no longer there. Once you get the knife to this point, anytime you lay the edge to anything, it's at your angle. Every stroke is now sharpening the knife. It really is that simple, no rocket science involved. This was explained to me by an uncle, the Christmas I turned 11. He gave me an Old Timer muskrat, and a Smith 4" Arkansas stone. On my first attempt I put a razor edge on that knife and there was nothing to it. To pick up any knife, lay it to a stone at the exact edge it already has, and put a razor edge on it, is a skill that takes time. And really it's just feel, and not too difficult. I hope this makes sense and not to hard to understand. Try it, it will work for anyone. I would suggest a course stone at first because you will need to remove some metal.

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                      #25
                      Originally posted by JES View Post
                      I have this Worksharp and use it for my kitchen knives, I’ve been very happy with it:







                      Work Sharp Precision Adjust Elite Knife Sharpener Including Additional Sharpening Stones and Carry Case https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FWWDFF9...BM1KYDJH55WP7A
                      This Right here! Wife bought me one for Christmas. Watched a couple YouTube videos and it was game on. It’s a fine tool to have.

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                        #26
                        Lansky or wharthog v sharp

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                          #27
                          I sharpen 100+ knives a year as I make many and take care of my friends. DOA. Quick search and I’ve probably posted an article I wrote years ago on sharpening or feel free to pm me and we can talk options or a quick method of mastering the stone by hand. (A course stone, fine stone and ceramic lansky rod is what I use)
                          Last edited by Leon County Slayer; 01-11-2022, 01:34 PM.

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                            #28
                            If you have knives that don't have the edge absolutely destroyed already, the Spyderco Sharpmaker is great, but if you're blade needs a ton of work, it can take awhile if you really need to remove alot of material. My strategy, start out with a nice knife and don't let the edge ever get to messed up. the Spyderco works great to keep them shaving sharp if you start out with decent knives. AND any idiot can use one.

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                              #29
                              We use the warthog with pretty good results and easy to use

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                                #30
                                A butcher steel rod & leather strop & paste.

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