Knife Sharpeners

So we have a nice thread going on knifes, but what do you all use to sharpen your knifes.  I've tried many products, but other than a good old whetstone, I don't like any of them enough to recommend them.  So ... what are you using?

-Allen

2nd that for the plain ol' whetstone. I've tried a few different kinds but nothing works like the old style for me.

Z

I've not found a knife sharpening system (ceramic wheelie things) that works better than a whetstone.  I prefer stones that use oil rather than water as their lubricant.  Oh, and I find that the bigger the stone the better for getting consistent results.   Better yet, have them professionally sharpened.
Oh and don't forget to use a steel for straightening the edge of your knives between sharpenings.

Brian 

Yup ... bigger stone, lube with oil.

All that being said, I do carry one of these in the field.  It does put an edge on the knife when needed, although the edge doesn't last that long so I find myself resharpening often and honing even more often (I got a little pocket honing rod for that).



But it does grind a lot of metal, and sometimes leaves a ragged edge.  And the only way I can get rid of that ragged edge is to get the knives professionally sharpened every now and then.  Of course the filleting sessions on gravel  beaches also puts some nicks on the edge.

-Allen

I also agree on using a whetstone. I get most of my stuff like that from my woodworking supply sites. Here's a decent set with 3 different two grit stones..

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=9952

and woodcraft is my main source.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=237&cs=233&pcs=fam

Of course, if you don't want to spend the bucks on stones, a piece of wet and dry sandpaper stuck on glass with water works fine too. Thats how you keep your stones flat too. rub the stone on the sandpaper stuck to glass often to keep the face flat and true.

I've used the wet/dry paper and glass trick, too. Very cheap!

Last year I found an inexpensive combo diamond stone at Costco for ~$25. It's held up quite well, even though I use it a lot for my chisels. It's my favorite, at this point.

I also have a bunch of Japanese waterstones. They're a little bit of nuisance because they have to be lapped flat, once in a while. (Big deal for chisels, but not for knives.) Oh, and don't let them freeze, if they're wet- they don't hold up to that.

Having worked in the food industry and food inspection for may years sharp knives where just part of the job. Sears sells a utility sharpener with a water bath. This is an electric wheel with guides made by Black & Decker. I will rough in a new blade on that and then use my whetstones. REI I believe sells a 3 side system in an oil bath case. very nice. Its all about the motion if the stone is big enough your strokes should always be in the same direction not in circles, if its a small stone that makes it hard to do. All new knifes should have a bevel put on them, this makes sharpening so much easier and last longer. Most new knifes don't so I suggest having a bevel put on by a pro shop. At the slaughter plants we had a guy that did that for us, thats all he did, all day, so he was dam good at it.
A good steel is very important, the steel should have a magnetic field to it, so you should be able to pickup a paper clip with it. A steel doesn't sharpen a knife it re-aligns the edge, just 3 to 4 swipes per side. Diamond and ceramic sticks are differant then steels so don't get the wrong thing, ceramic sticks and stones are for honing, almost like a buff to take out the very fine burrs that you can't see. Then the last phase should be a good soap stone, if you have it. Angle is also very important. As any one may know get the wrong angle and you have just ruined the whole process.
When I worked at the slaughter plant we would mess with each other running the knife blade of some else across the steel just once. You couldn't cut butter after that, and with meat flying by ya at a  rate of 200 carcasus an hour it sucked.

polepole-- The sharpener in your post with the blue guard ,,, When it gets dull, loosen the screw and the blade will work on a new spot.. When that's shot switch the carbide blades  , like new!!

polepole-- The sharpener in your post with the blue guard ,,, When it gets dull, loosen the screw and the blade will work on a new spot.. When that's shot switch the carbide blades  , like new!!

Thanks royg, I'll give it a go.

-Allen

Spyderco makes a very nice sharpening system - got frustrated trying to keep a "wire" edge on my fillet knives, snooped around on a few of the knife enthusiast blogs and found most of them will recomend the Spyderco set up.

The sharpener has two sets of triangular stones, one of which is the ceramic - they are carried in a base which doubles as a holder when using the stones to keep them at a precise angle - works very well, came with an instructional dvd, think it was around $40 online.

I generally carry benchmades - they come with a factory "lifesharp" warranty, D2 steel holds edge very well, and I can send them back to the factory in Oregon anytime for sharpening - that said, I have found I can get as good an edge with the Spyderco set up as I can sending them in to get done.

SC.

"I generally carry benchmades"
 now there is a man with taste
 Best damn all around blade I have ever had.
solid built and rugged
 I encourage Ya'll to look at their website and order a catalog, you will not be sorry.

Ditto on the Spyderco, you can get a shaving edge without a whole lot of work.  I used to use a LAnsky on my broadheads, also a fine sharpener with 3 grades of stones and a clamp/rod system that keeps the blade aligned.

--And here's the Spyderco, $50 at  Bestknives. The Lansky is $25, a good deal from

http://www.knifecenter.com