How do you, yourself, get a knife stupid sharp?

[DAA]

I want to up my knife sharpening game. Just because. I want to learn how to get a knife just as stupid sharp as reasonably possible without stupid money. Stupid time, is okay. Would like to hear anything that works for you.

I've been a competent knife sharpener since my teens, so, forty years, give or take. I have always been able to get an edge that will shave off arm or leg hair. First with just two flat oil stones. Maybe, twenty five years ago, I started using the Lansky stone system. I can't get them any sharper on the Lansky than I could with the flat stones, but I could get to the same place faster and more consistently.

About 20 months ago, I tried a Worksharp Ken Onion and I was hooked on it from the first side of the first blade. More easily easily consistent and repeatable than the Lansky, way, way, way faster. Again, don't really think I get them any sharper, than the Lansky, or the stones before then, but way more easy and way way way more fast.

Just got the blade grinding attachment for the KO. To sharpen an axe. Worked great for that.

Ordered the cloth belt stropping kit at the same time, just to play with. Tried that on my EDC 940 which was already freshly sharpened on the KO base unit. Like three minutes, being real slow and super careful, and what do ya know, my EDC is the sharpest I've ever got it. Cool!! Does a fine paper feather from the choil to the tip and pops hair better than I've ever got it to do without the additional stropping.

Makes me wonder how to get them sharper . I bet more than a couple of the folks on here probably know how!

- DAA

 

[nnnnnate]

I bought a tormek t8 last year. I have a lot of hand woodworking tools (planes, spokeshaves, drawknives, chisels, etc) and wanted speed and consistency. The bonus is I can do all my pocket and kitchen knives super easily on it as well. The downside is the price.

It's got a leather wheel as well as the sharpening wheel to home which works fine but I do like to use a flat leather strop with green paste on it in between trips to the tormek. A few passes on the strop get me pretty close to tip top sharp.

 

[glockman]

Have you seen the paper wheels that you put on a grinder? Haven't tried one but have seen videos. They seem to get a knife very sharp. Not sure if it's any better than your ko with the cloth belt though.

 

[DAA]

I have seen the paper wheels, but haven't tried to use one either.

That Tormek looks like a killer system!

- DAA

 

[xjtony]

I've got the Ken Onion worksharp but we have a 2 sided wet stone at work that gives an edge that's hard to beat.

 

[lhracing]

I have a Ken Onion also. How are you reading the angle on your knife for setting up the angle? Is there an angle that works well for most blades?

 

[DAA]

I'm far from an expert on angle selection. Hopefully someone with more knowledge chimes in.

As far as determining the existing angle, I usually can guess right just looking at it. But if I really want to be sure, I mark the edge with black ink and start with the finest grit. That finest grit is pretty gentle, a couple light touches with it will show where the sharpie is coming off without danger of accidentally reprofiling the edge or anything.

As far as which angles work best. Just a very general rule, to which I'm sure there are exceptions, is that a more acute angle, like 20 degrees, will have a finer, potentially sharper edge than a less acute angle, like say 30 degrees. But the more acute 20 degree doesn't retain an edge as well as the 30 degree.

I just kind of decide what I want to do with the blade and adjust accordingly. But 25 degrees is a pretty standard angle to use on an every day carry or pocketknife. I use 22.5 on my every day carry. A slight lean towards sharper but a slight lean towards less utility on an EDC.

I put 15 degree on the chefs knives. 25 degree (and leave it toothy) on my camp knife. I used 35 degree on an axe the other day.

- DAA

 

[Gravy]

I've got a Ken Onion worksahrp and a paper wheel.
Never used the paper wheel.
But a little green buffing compound after the KO works good for me

 

[muleskinner]

Have you seen the paper wheels that you put on a grinder? Haven't tried one but have seen videos. They seem to get a knife very sharp. Not sure if it's any better than your ko with the cloth belt though.

I use paper wheels, I can sharpen a knife to hair popping in about 20-30 seconds on mine. I've been using it for 10+ years. Not sure if it's better than a Ken Onion or Tormek, but it works great for me. I'll sharpen a box of kitchen knives (12-15 knives) razor sharp in under 10 minutes. I will say that I don't think the edge lasts as long with the wheels, when you run it over the rouge wheel to remove the bur it really polishes the edge. We put one under a microscope at work and compared it to my coworkers Japanese water stone edge and the paper wheel edge was noticeably smoother.

 

[haulinshine]

To get crazy sharp on my skinning knife I put around a 10° bevel on then stroop. It always comes out disturbingly sharp but the edge rolls super easy so it is a trade off, but it is just for skinning.

 

[DAA]

I have read that a really sharp edge is so fine, that using power equipment creates enough heat right on the very edge that it causes micro tempering and that's why edges done on belts or wheels don't last as long as those done on stones. And that some steels are more prone to it than others. But, I don't know.

I use a 20 degree on my skinning knives and always have a steel to run them over (doubles as a shoulder plunger). I can get dozens of coyotes between sharpening.

- DAA

 

[DAA]

Might add, the guy that made my skinning knives always used the paper wheel.

- DAA

 

[frieed]

Interesting timing for this thread. A few weeks ago I bought a 4-grit waterstone set (400,1000,3000,8000) for sharpening my kitchen knives and have gotten completely frustrated trying to get a good edge.
Then I remembered that I used to have a set of paper wheels. It took me about 30min of scrounging to find them and mount them up on my spare 6" bench grinder
Wow, why did I buy the stones? I can take the dullest knife I have and make it shave the hair on your arm in about 60 seconds.
I had taken the paper wheels off to use the grinding wheels but never put them back on after I got another bench grinder. Then promptly forgot I had them.

 

[frieed]

The trick I found for using the paper wheels is to turn the grinder around so it's backwards.
Then you can hold the knife level at the top of the wheel and the wheel turns away from you.
Gives you really good visibility into what you are doing.

 

[Gravy]

To get crazy sharp on my skinning knife I put around a 10° bevel on then stroop. It always comes out disturbingly sharp but the edge rolls super easy so it is a trade off, but it is just for skinning.

Additionally better blade steel will hold an edge longer.

That's why there are so many exotic super steels like S90v and m390.

If it doesn't say what the blade is, it probably isn't anything to write about.

 

[DAA]

Additionally better blade steel will hold an edge longer.

That's why there are so many exotic super steels like S90v and m390.

If it doesn't say what the blade is, it probably isn't anything to write about.

So, since discovering I can get them just a hair sharper on the blade grinding attachment, compared to the KO base unit with the angle guide, even without stropping - and a hair sharper even still by stropping - since discovering that, I've had no choice but to re-sharpen every blade in the house. Had to.

Something I'm seeing with regards to steel. The cheaper the steel, the easier it is to see the burr forming as you are grinding. Actually see it, coming up on the edge as you pass it over the belt. See the burr coming up on either side with each pass and I know for sure I can't get any better with that grit and move to the next. Work that visible burr to be just as fine and tiny and perfectly uniform as I can.

Almost all my many knives are garden variety. Only a couple that have modern bad ass steel. But on those couple, I can't see the burr form. Have to feel for it and it's never very prominent. Same held true for some old KoA D2 knives I have - can't see the burr form - but they sharpened up wicked, wicked, wicked.

And the oldest working knife I own. A large Camillus pocket knife I got 43 years ago. They had them in the display case along with the wrist rockets and Benjamin pellet pistols at the only store within walking distance of my house that sold such. Sporting goods dept. at Thrifty. Every kid in my neighborhood wanted one of those knives. Bad. My Dad bought me one . It's had a part in gutting every big game animal I've ever killed and a whole bunch my friends have killed. Steel says "Wilkinson Sword Brand Stainless". Can't see a burr form on it, either, but it also sharpened up real, real nice.

But on the ones you can see the burr forming, it's an awesome guide for sharpening. Just work that burr down to nothing.

- DAA

 

[DAA]

The old Camillus.


The engraving my Dad put on it. D.A.A. 1978.


- DAA