What knife sharpeners do you like. I have several sharpeners from Smith’s, they seem to work pretty well. The pull through sharpeners (for lack of a better term) I like for the small size and the ability to pack in my gear and take with me. They make for a good sharp edge, border line sharp enough to shave the hair on my arm. I also have a Smiths kit that clamps to the blade then bolt on “wings” that has slots to sharpen either a 20 deg or 30 deg edge and stones that accept screw in guide rods to fit the angled slot of choice. This one works really well, and after using this kit I can polish the edge with a leather belt and have an edge that will shave very well. The only problem with this kit is the time needed to get an edge sharp enough to shave.
I would love to find a sharpener that has the speed of the pull throughs with the polished edge of the full kit. I have a feeling this may not be possible. Any thoughts or experiences to share?
I keep a couple of the Benchmade field sharpeners in different bags/gear. For more involved work I love my Spyderco Sharpmaker. It’ll put an edge on that’ll shave and I’ve used it for work as heavy as reprofiling blades.
… I’ve been considering one of the higher end electric sharpeners. Not sure if the added convenience is worth it over the results I can get with the Sharpmaker though.
I used a Lansky kit for years, but lately have been using the Spyderco Sharpmaker 204 with the addition of the ultrafine triangle stones and that’s a great system without the need for oil. It will do serrated blades, but for those I also have a a set of the Spyderco profile stones.
Lot’s of stuff on Youtube on the Spyderco Sharpmaker.
I’ve been messing with knife sharpeners forever and have what I feel is the best which is called The Edge Pro by Apex…basically a much improved lansky design but the warthog rules for ease of use and results.
I know I’m old fashioned, but I really prefer a good quality india bench oilstone and cutting oil. I bought one about thirty years ago and I still haven’t found anything that’ll give me a keener edge short of a strop.
Spyderco Sharpmaker is amazing. Browse some of the custom knife boards and even some of the knifemakers use it for touchups and quick fixes. Its a great tool to use, easy to learn and easy to get great results.
This is the system I am planning on getting… Expensive, but insane quality and precision edge, unlike trying to slide a knife perfectly vertical or at a perfect 15 degree cant. I will most likely pass it to my daughter when I die decades from now…
yes…I clean dozens of deer every season & sharpening knives has always been a passion of mine & have not found anything more simple and effective to use.
Bought one for the house and one for the ranch…be warned, everyone will want to borrow it.
I also have a bit of a custom knife disease too…just a few:rolleyes:
edit: for those who like the lansky / Wicked type system, the Edge Pro by Apex is really the best one out there. If I was going to a knife sharpening contest, this is the one I would take. Expensive and time consuming but excellent surgical results. Haven’t used mine once since getting the warthog.
Those are some great sharpeners and I’ll bet they give amazing results. For me, though, knives and knife sharpening isn’t a hobby or a passion…I just like a nice sharp knife to use as a cutting tool when needed and I’m perfectly willing to sacrifice a razor edge for the time and money necessary to get there. The SharpMaker more than meets my own goals in that regard - a good tool for the casual knife user.
I am a firm believer in Convex sharpening. There are many benefits and only one drawback.
Convex edges are very strong, and easy to maintain. The process of convexing and edge is the only draw back. If your knife came from the factory with a beveled edge it will take a little time to get the edge where you want it. The edges are highly polished.
One of the biggest advantages of the convex edge is the cutting ability. The shape of a convex edge is similar to the cross section of an bullet. It has a very low coefficient of friction. The blade gently tapers to the edge.
Convex edges are pretty easy to do, really. I’ve done them with a thin mousepad and a set of wet-or-dry sandpaper. If your edge has a regular V bevel to start out with, it can help to knock the “corner” off with a stone or diamond hone first.
Then, lay a piece of fine sandpaper on your mousepad, and proceed to sharpen the blade against the sandpaper. The mousepad provides enough squish so that you’ll cut a convex curve instead of a flat bevel. Google is your friend. There’s a lot of info on the sandpaper and mousepad technique.
I have an Edge pro and it is without dough the best sharpening system I have ever used. However it’s not fast to say the least. Normally I will get a super sharp edge on a knife and then maintain it with the sharpmaker.
I have used an Edgepro Apex since 2000, as mentioned it take some time to use but the results are amazing. It also allows you to set the edge angle to match what was already on the knife to remove less metal during sharpening.
