show me how to sharpen my knife please

They key to sharpening is to always maintain the exact same angle of the blade to the stone.

There are many systems out there that do this for you.
I own and use and recommend a Lansky system. They start at about $35 for the standard 3 stone kit and up around $99 for the deluxe diamond kit. I have the deluxe 5 stone which I paid about 50 bucks for.

I also have several of the Lansky mini sharpeners, excellent value @ $5

Check them out at http://www.lanskysharpeners.com/

Here's a vid http://www.youtube.c...h?v=KW64B0MZVOE

I'm a big fan of the wicked edge sharpener you linked and see my self owning one somewhere down the track. Not very portable though.

The best thing I've found to use when sharpening a knife is a lapidary wheel. The type used for making facets on rock or even diamonds... but those can be pricey.

There is something you can use that can give you the same results, it just takes longer... and that is a Time Shaver sanding block. It can use regular sized sanding sheets that are cut to fit the face.
Using wet dry papers starting at 100 grit all the way to 2000 grit (for auto paint polishing) you can put a razor edge on almost any knife in about 5 minutes.
There's cheaper brands, but I've found the Time Shavers are about the best. So for around $30, you can get the sanding block, the papers and a piece of leather for a finishing strop.

When you sharpen the knife you start with the edge facing you, and push away from yourself with a semicircular motion. Sharpen both sides of the blade an even number strokes, alternating every couple of strokes.

NoSugarRob said:

@ Hrawk - John-boy .......... would this be ok ? its very simlar to the Smiths one I broke. Thanks to all for the advice.

http://www.lanskysha...s.com/LCSTC.php

Click to expand...

I have owned one of those and gave it away. Same with a very similar model from buck knives.

The ceramic rods in that one are fixed in place. They wear in the same spot all the time and are next to impossible to clean the built up metal from.

Go for the mini http://www.lanskysha...s.com/LCKEY.php

The rods can be easily rotated, slide up and down (about 7mm) taken out and turned upside down offering much much more usable sharpening surface. Not that these ceramic rods wear very quickly, but if you are always presenting an edge to the exact same spot, it doesn't take long to create build up of metal particles on the rod as well as creating a flat spot there.

You can also remove them and clean with an old toothbrush and warm soapy water to keep them free of metal dust. I also like the smaller groove as it fits most knives exceptionally well and helps maintain a perfect angle when drawing the knife. Only on very thick blades do I use the larger opening.

Another bonus is the ability to use it as a fish hook or dart sharpener. You take the rods out and sit them in a groove on the side, holding them parallel and tightly together, running your pointy thing up and down the groove formed between them. Works REALLY well. One of these has a permanent position in my fishing tackle box.

It may not look as nice, but I think the mini is a much superior product. Hey, and its a buck cheaper too!

When you first start sharpening a knife with this sharpener, it may take many pull through with the knife until the angle on the blade is fitting the sharpener perfectly. I used it to sharpen a 4" folder which had a horrible factory edge. It probably took about 50-60 pulls through the sharpener to set the edge and get it razor sharp. Once this is done though, now for a quick touch up, only 4 or 5 pulls are necessary.

Getting the knife sharp is one thing getting the knife sharp without taking the temper out of the blade edge for 1/000 back can be another. That is why cooling lubricant is used with bench stones. Diamond on metal stones may be used dry if you are carful. Even if sharpening with a diamond on metal stone, you must take your time, because a fast cutting stroke will heat the very edge of the blade removing the temper. If the edge temper is maintained at during the sharpening process the knife will stay sharp longer. I have sharpened 1000's of knives in several different ways, but I still prefer to use 3 bench stones that I have. It takes a lot of practice and acquired skills to sharpen a knife on bench stones though, so there is a lot of room for good well designed sharpening systems, but be sure that you pick one that takes the heat factor into account. -- Tex-Shooter

"There is something you can use that can give you the same results, it just takes longer... and that is a Time Shaver sanding block. It can use regular sized sanding sheets that are cut to fit the face.
Using wet dry papers starting at 100 grit all the way to 2000 grit (for auto paint polishing) you can put a razor edge on almost any knife in about 5 minutes.
There's cheaper brands, but I've found the Time Shavers are about the best. So for around $30, you can get the sanding block, the papers and a piece of leather for a finishing strop."

With sandpaper you can use Juranitch's method (http://sharpeningmad...itch1977Feb.htm) , or these:

http://sharpeningmadeeasy.com/ward.htm

http://gpvec.unl.edu...wTo-DDG-2K7.pdf

You can try the "Scary Sharp System" http://www.woodbutcher.net/scary.shtml

http://wood.bigelows...scary_sharp.htm

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=4--HIDogrc8

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

I've used it (Scary Sharp for knives) combined with knife sharpening theory (Juranitch and Bottorff) and it works very good. The theory (waiting for the burr, correct angle, microbevel) is important.

Hope it helps

Rubén

PS. I forgot this link:
What is important is technique, not equipment

The Mini Lansky sharpens at approx 22.5 degrees.

It may take a while with a knife you first start sharpening for the geometry of the blade to match the sharpener.

Make sure you are holding the knife perfectly vertical with the Lansky sitting on a hard flat surface. Draw the knife through a few dozen times.

Take a very close look at the edge. Which part is being smoothed out? Is it the very edge or further back? A magnifying glass or loupe is very handy for checking this if you have one around.

When you first start sharpening with a unit like this, you will find that your pulls through the sharpener feel rough, like dragging something across a piece of sandpaper. Eventually you will feel the draw start to smooth out and finally it will start sliding through like a well greased bearing. The harder the blade steel, the longer it will take to sharpen.

What knife are you trying to sharpen btw ? How blunt was it to start with? How many times have you drawn it through the sharpener already?

To give some examples. I was away on a camping trip last year and a friend had this machete that was about as sharp as a spoon. Kicking back with a few beers and talking crap as we do, it probably took about 400-500 passes with the Lansky to achieve hair popping sharpness, mainly do the the re profiling of the blade that needed to be done before the ceramic rods even started making contact with the cutting edge.

Another knife I purchased recently came reasonably sharp from the factory, could shave a few hairs but left most behind. About 20-30 pulls through the Lansky, this one now shaves as clean as a razor.

Stick with it man, you WILL get there.

EDIT : I've attached a quick pic to help explain.

In the left pic, you can see a new blade that does not have the correct profile yet, when using the sharpener you are removing material further back from the edge.

In the right pic, the blade has the correct profile by this time and now the sharpener is making contact with the actual cutting edge.

Your blade will not start to sharpen UNTIL your profile of the blade matches that of the sharpener as shown in the right pic. Once this happens, it will go from blunt to sharp with just a few more strokes.