Advice on quality knife sharpening kits

I am looking to get the best working edge possible out of my knives. As I am new to sharpening (normally, I take it to a knife shop, & have them put an edge on it), but want to learn this art for myself. I know there are literally tons of different products out there for sharpening. What I am looking for is a product I can use at home, to get a razors edge. Preferably a kit-type. I had watched a video of Ray Mears sharpening knives, and he had a setup that included a coarse grit, fine grit, a super-fine grit, and a smaller rubbing stone, or something similar (may have been a compound, not sure), that went on green, and, after going over a super-fine stone, turned black. It also had a little stone holder thing, that the stone fit into, with rubber feet on the bottom to keep it from sliding around. I think the superfine was like either 3000 or 6000 grit. Then, lastly, he stropped it (no help here, I am familiar with stropping a blade).
Anyone have any suggestions on these types of kits? Thanks!

I have a bunch of sharpening tools (kits, stones, holders, etc...), but they've all sat idle since I purchased a Spyderco Sharpmaker. Simple and very effective. I heartily recommend it.

If you've got knives that have REALLY nasty edges and need complete reprofiling, then you might want to consider getting a set of diamond sticks for the Sharpmaker too.

I agree, get the Spyderco Sharpmaker. Best $40 or so you will spend.

Or, convex your blades using sandpaper and mouse pads. (look around at knifefourms.com for details)

Another vote for the Sharpmaker. It'll take a knife to shaving sharp pretty easily. The video with Sal Glasser (founder of Spyderco) sharpening knives is good, too.

Kevin B.

I like my Spyderco Sharpmaker also. Get a good edge with little chance of error. My shapest knives are Scandanavian edges like the Mora and they do not sharpen on the sharpmaker, for them I use Japanese waterstones and a razor strop.

The beauty of the Spyderco Sharpmaker is you will sub-conciously learn sharpening while at the same time putting a razor edge on your knives. It's easy to use and very effective.

What I mean by "learn sharpening" while using the Sharpmaker is it will give you the confidence you'll need if you have to use a benchstone at some time...or if you choose to graduate to Arkansas or diamond stones. ("graduate" is not really the correct term, as you can get just as sharp an edge on the SHarpmaker as any stone or, at least, as sharp an edge as you'll ever need) Finding the edge and holding the appropriate angle will be easier after becoming proficient with the Sharpmaker. Angles, edge geometry, and sharpening is no big secret to you... but if you're like me, it's very daunting to sharpen a 3-1/2" blade (or longer) on a benchstone and end up with a super-sharp edge. While using the Sharpmaker, I for one, began to understand that, if I need to or want to, I can take my knife and sharpen it one benchstones....and I proved it to myself at Sportsman's Warehouse just last month.

Your Mora is one of the easiest edges to work with. If you bought it from Ragnar, he has a good tutorial on his website. Few knives come to the consumer 100% perfect. The caveat is once a knife is properly sharpened a ceramic or steel will often restore an edge. I've seen to many knives prematurely worn down by oversharpening. You should also determine exactly how much edge you need. A broadsword halving anvils by King Richard is a different affair than a damascene scimitar cutting silk by Saladine.

Here is a link to some tips on sharpening a Mora with Scandanavian edge.
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=18493

Thanks all for the prompt replies! I figure that this is a fairly important skill to have, so, I'll look into it a littl more.

If you have a lot of $$ to spend try Edge Pro

http://www.edgeproinc.com/

I'm very happy with my Spyderco Sharpmaker. Now they even have an Ultra fine ceramic stone available.

Just to add some variety to your life, you could also consider the Lansky system (I would suggest the kit with diamond hones). You can also put on convex edge on a blade using nothing more than an old mouse pad sitting on a hard surface, with various grits of wet-dry sandpaper on top. Unlike most sharpening, where you draw the edge of the blade onto the stone or whatever, with this way of doing things you pull the edge of the blade across the sandpaper. You don't have to worry much about maintaining a proper angle, the flex in the mousepad pretty much takes care of that for you.

I carry one of the pencil sized diamond coated rods in my Leatherman belt pouch, with that I can put a usable edge on a blade in seconds...

"The caveat is once a knife is properly sharpened a ceramic or steel will often restore an edge."

Is this just to knock off the wire?

Biscuits

Hopefully there isn't a wire in the first place. From what I understand the steel (or ceramic rod) essentially straightens a "bent" edge"

I've always pictured the fins on a radiator. If you hit them they bend, but I can easily picture running a rod or stick along them to straighten them out.

'Steeling' a knife removes 'waves' as KenK stated. There is a caveat with ceramic rods. If your knife has a high rockwell 59-62 it will chip the edge, much like pressure flaking lithic materials.

No, if a wire edge is present, steeling may knock some of it off, but that's not its purpose. More than likely, steeling will just keep moving most of the wire edge from side-to-side as you steel. Steeling helps straighten an edge which will leave it, generaly speaking, sharp again for a short period of use.

A ceramic will sharpen an edge, unless you are using the ceramic rod at too steep an angle, and at a fast pace as chefs are known to do (every watch a chef steel one of his knives? Scary stuff). Using a ceramic rod is no different than using the Spyderco Sharpmaker. The rod is an abrasive and running the edge down it will remove steel... a process we call "sharpening". Once again, though, this is assuming you use the rod correctly. Using it at the incorrect angle, incorrect pressure, and contacting the knife to the rod incorrectly will (or can) chip or otherwise damage the edge.

Oldsoldier,
I noticed reading the posts that your Mora has a convex sharpened edge. You can't do that on a Sharpmaker that I and others were recommending. However:......


Cliff Stamp has a different view on convex edge sharpening. Alot of things I've read people have said that a convex edge is the perfect geometry for a super-sharp edge. Stamp recommends not worrying about it, and he seems pretty confident about it. He says to go shead and take a convex edge to a benchstone or Sharpmaker, et al, and not worry about "rolling" the edge.

I can;t vouch for that for two reasons:1) I'm not anywhere near an expert at sharpening, and 2) I don;t own any convex ground knives (though I;ve got my eye on a couple of Bark River minis). But it's worth taking into account because you mentioned you'd like to get/keep a nice edge on your knife.

I love a razor sharp blade but there are times that a razors edge is not always the best way to go. I have several knives not all are sharpened to the same degree or angle. A good damascus knife won't shave but it will hold a good edge through skinning several deers

I love my short ceramic set with corse and fine sticks that can be held at two different angles, made by Lanskey and can be picked up at academy sports for about 12.00

Thanks,
I'm trying to keep from over sharpening.

Biscuits

Thanks,
Tha analogy makes perfect sense.

Biscuits

That shouldn't be too big a problem with 1095 or D2 should it?

Biscuits

Usually no.

I can sharpen a knife but sometimes I scracht it in the process of sharpening with a sharpening stone.I use now a device I found at WalMart for less than $3.00 made by Smith. It is yellow plastic square about 2" square and has two sharpening V's, one made out of carbide and the other of ceramic rods. I can get the knives pretty sharp. Maybe I cannot shave with them but they are sharp enough to de any kind of cutting I need out of them. Besides it is so light and small that when I go hunting it goes in my pocket.

I really enjoy using my authentic (some antique) original Arkansas sharpening stones: the cedar boxes, the smell, the feel, the process, the edge, the whole experience. My translucent white hard Arkansas stones are particularly pleasant to use. I made a strop saturated with green oxide polishing compound to polish the final edge to whistling sharpness.

call me old fashioned but i don't prefer the kit type sharpening systems. I have too many friends and co workers that swear by them then at work they ask to borrow my knife as theirs is already dull and they can't or won't sharpen them with anything else. I carry a diamond stone made by EZE Lap in my back pocket to touch up my knives after cutting gasket material, rubber, tape off of pipes and other things i run into at work. But to each their own. Also when there isn't much going on at work i tend to touch up my knives when there is down time. Considering i am quite blade heavy in my EDC (currently i can think of 7 knives) I find the task of maintaining them pretty easily because i carry a stone.