Sharpening Knives a passion of mine

[Montana Rancher]

I've loved to sharpen knives since I was a child (what almost 40 years but whatever)

Nothing gives me more pleasure than to be at elk camp and everyone shows up and tosses their knives at me and lets me hone them razor sharp with my whet stones.

A couple years ago I did a 3 part series on You Tube and although the sharp-Nazi's have given me a bit of grief, I think the majority of people that are trying to learn have given me a thumbs up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28nuuXVoBSQ

138k views so far and a lot of good feedback, I love teaching.

[1moretoy]

I've seen this somewhere before...but good deal!

[Pauls]

MontanaRancher,
Your video is good for the majority of people out there.
Most of those good folks think that a grinder is a tool for sharpening a knife. That grinder is the fastest way to make a knife worthless.
The burr is a microscopically thin piece of metal - with a very sharp knife that burr is only one molecule thick. You can't keep from having it with a sharp knife.
Stropping is the best way to straighten the burr to return it to a true 'cutting edge'. Most people will never get a knife that sharp.
I make sure that my hunting and fishing knives are very sharp and as the burr folds over from use I use ceramic rods to hone the edge.
In all the years I have owned my kitchen knives I have never sharpened them after the one time when I first got them. I have two ceramic rods that I use in the place of a steel in my kitchen. I hone the knives before I use them and before I put them away. They will always be sharp when it comes time to use them - just like my hunting and fishing knives.

[Montana Rancher]

I agree with most of what you said Pauls, as I use my knives to butcher large animals there are times I need to take them back to stones, but an overwhelming amount of time is spent on ceramic sticks.

I have never "stropped" a blade as usually that is used on blades with a lot finer angle than my hunting knives, I see where it could be used in the kitchen but again ceramic's are really the modern day leather strop.

My video really was for dummies, it is amazing how many people don't take the time to learn the basics.

Once I get a knife sharp, I rarely have to put it back on a stone.

[nephilim]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHkTijUHtmU
I made one of these....3 strokes, then finished on a whetstone (3 strokes either way), my knives and axes have never been sharper.

[Infidel]

I don't know about that sharpener, looks like a great way to destroy a blade to me. I know circular saw blades are carbide steel, I assume they are hardened also. Seems to me you could do a lot more harm than good with that thing taking a lot of metal off in a hurry. Think I'll stick to my stones, it takes longer but they work and I'm not afraid of screwing up my blades with them.

-Infidel

[nephilim]

I've used it when I've had someone else use my blade and nick it or dull it.

He'll even from a blank blade template it takes 10 strokes to go from flat steel to a bladed edge and a handful more of strokes to make it shaving sharp.

It's a quick method to ensure you have some sharp knives if they were dull before. If they are already sharp and fine to use then yeah, not a great tool for them, but otherwise it's fantastic.

[Infidel]

Reminds me of the sharpeners they sell at gun shows "10 strokes and it's shaving sharp!" They will get a pocket knife sharp enough to open boxes or cut some small rope but no where near as sharp as I like my knives. Maybe I'm too particular, who knows. I've been know to spend a couple of hours sharpening knives, usually my hands are cramped up pretty good by the time I'm done.

-Infidel

[nephilim]

Well if you have any blank blades you should use it to get the blade started :)

[Montana Rancher]

Reminds me of the sharpeners they sell at gun shows "10 strokes and it's shaving sharp!" They will get a pocket knife sharp enough to open boxes or cut some small rope but no where near as sharp as I like my knives. Maybe I'm too particular, who knows. I've been know to spend a couple of hours sharpening knives, usually my hands are cramped up pretty good by the time I'm done.

-Infidel

I think we may be cut from the same cloth, pun intended.

I find it relaxing to hone blades, something about the simplicity yet the complexity of it, reminds me of an old GF (haha)

In the age of faster and adequate, I really do prefer slower and perfect.

[Infidel]

I think we may be cut from the same cloth, pun intended.

I find it relaxing to hone blades, something about the simplicity yet the complexity of it, reminds me of an old GF (haha)

In the age of faster and adequate, I really do prefer slower and perfect.

I keep trying to explain to my boys that faster does not necessarily mean better. Try explaining that to 6 & 9yr old boys, in one ear and out the other. They're pretty well convinced I'm insane especially when I start spouting off like that.

-Infidel

[omegabrock]

So is the method the same for larger blades? Machetes and axes? I only have a file, but trying to use the video as a guide. It seems that there should be a different method

[Infidel]

I guess that depends on your point of view. I know there are guys that spend hours sharpening their axes but honestly I just don't see how it can possibly be worth it. Seems to me like you could easily drive yourself nuts trying to keep an axe or Machete that sharp. A good file should be enough to keep an axe sharp enough to chop or a machete sharp enough to cut underbrush. You're going to want a steeper angle on the bevel of those tools than you would on your hunting knife. The finer the work the shallower the angle generally. I keep my knives at a 20 degree bevel (I cheat and use a Lanksy sharpening system). I big chopping knife I would go 25 degrees on my axe I try to maintain whatever the bevel is from the factory but I don't do much chopping either so I might not be the best person for that question.

-Infidel

[omegabrock]

Yeah I don't mean how would you get them as sharp, just to sharpen when they need it. The machete I got was really cheap. Had no type of edge at all. I had the file to it last night for about an hour and it just started to get an edge but far from sharp at all. Didn't know if sticking with the file was still the best to go. As for the axe, apparently the trees out here are some type of oak, black jack or something, idk but everybody says they eat up blades. Axes and chainsaws both so I figured if I was going to be sharpening then to get the most efficient way lol. Should I get one of those sharpening systems?

[Infidel]

For knives I think the Lansky system is great, it allows you to put a great edge on your blade with a minimum effort. The older I get the harder it is to keep the angle consistent using a bench stone so the Lansky system is great because the guide is built in. I can still get it done with bench stones but the Lansky system saves me a lot of time and effort. I also like the fact that you get 6 stones to work with, if they just need a touch up, choose a finer stone, if the edge has big nick in it go to a course stone. For the money it's tough to beat.

-Infidel

[Montana Rancher]

Yeah I don't mean how would you get them as sharp, just to sharpen when they need it. The machete I got was really cheap. Had no type of edge at all. I had the file to it last night for about an hour and it just started to get an edge but far from sharp at all. Didn't know if sticking with the file was still the best to go. As for the axe, apparently the trees out here are some type of oak, black jack or something, idk but everybody says they eat up blades. Axes and chainsaws both so I figured if I was going to be sharpening then to get the most efficient way lol. Should I get one of those sharpening systems?

I use my bench grinder on my axe and my shovels, yea not many people sharpen shovels but trust me it saves a lot of work having a sharp shovel. My point is when working with tools like that you just need to have a decent edge, nothing like we are talking about here as the application is different.

I haven't used a Machete for yard work so I don't really know how to sharpen them. An item I have used and sold successfully on ebay is a Smith's "edgeEater"

http://www.knifecenter.com/item/AC143/Smiths-EdgeEater-Multi-Purpose-Tool-Sharpener

[Coppertop]

For what it's worth, I also like the Lansky system. Like Infidel said, it saves time and frustration.

MR- I thought I was the only one who sharpened shovels.

Thanks

[omegabrock]

Bench grinder - another tool added to my list I need lol

[Arklatex]

I have been using the sharpmaker the last year or so. It is just a set of ceramic rods in different courses. They can be set at different angles and all that is required on your part is to keep the blade vertical as you sharpen. No skill involved as the angle is consistent if you do your part. I do know how to use bench stones as well. When I was learning I used to take a marker and color the edge so I could tell my angle was consistent. The mark would wear away as material was removed. As for axes and machetes, a file has always worked fine for me.

[Infidel]

I have been using the sharpmaker the last year or so. It is just a set of ceramic rods in different courses. They can be set at different angles and all that is required on your part is to keep the blade vertical as you sharpen. No skill involved as the angle is consistent if you do your part. I do know how to use bench stones as well. When I was learning I used to take a marker and color the edge so I could tell my angle was consistent. The mark would wear away as material was removed. As for axes and machetes, a file has always worked fine for me.

That's a great idea, just like a marking dye for grinding edges. That would certainly allow you to see where you're removing metal.

-Infidel

[Montana Rancher]

I keep trying to explain to my boys that faster does not necessarily mean better. Try explaining that to 6 & 9yr old boys, in one ear and out the other. They're pretty well convinced I'm insane especially when I start spouting off like that.

-Infidel

Wow for some reason I figured you were more of a old grouchy bastard like me with 5 kids past 20 years old and no grand children.

Just a word of advice, keep it up and never pay an allowance.

MR

[Infidel]

LOL, Not old but definitely a curmudgeon at least that's what my wife keeps telling me. Old before my time I guess. We started a little late in life, I was in my 30's when we started having kids. We wanted to make sure we were in a place where we were stable: house, good job and a stable marriage before we started having kids. I don't pay them an allowance but I have put them to work to earn some spending money. They also have to earn electronic time so if they want to play their video games they have to work for it. Trying to teach them that nothing in life is free, sometimes I'm a hardass about it but they starting to get it.

-Infidel

[Montana Rancher]

I have been using the sharpmaker the last year or so. It is just a set of ceramic rods in different courses. They can be set at different angles and all that is required on your part is to keep the blade vertical as you sharpen. No skill involved as the angle is consistent if you do your part. I do know how to use bench stones as well. When I was learning I used to take a marker and color the edge so I could tell my angle was consistent. The mark would wear away as material was removed. As for axes and machetes, a file has always worked fine for me.


I've used it when I've had someone else use my blade and nick it or dull it.

He'll even from a blank blade template it takes 10 strokes to go from flat steel to a bladed edge and a handful more of strokes to make it shaving sharp.

It's a quick method to ensure you have some sharp knives if they were dull before. If they are already sharp and fine to use then yeah, not a great tool for them, but otherwise it's fantastic.

Cough... (bullshit) .. cough

The only way this process could get a blade sharp enough to shave hairs is if you are 16 and can't see them without the right light.

As for me I grow old, thick, crotchety hairs and they are not impressed with your system.

Shaving hairs is not some 3 minute process, and definitely not from drawing your knife across an old carbide saw blade.

[omegabrock]

Lol MR, "old, thick, crotchety hairs"