Can anyone suggest the best sharpening system for my knives i have a dc4 for quick field sharpening but i am looking for a home kit to bring a razor sharp edge all suggestions welcome thanks.
best sharpening system??
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I've just switched over to using a book and micromesh pads - I ended up getting my HVK sharper than I've ever sharpened anything before.
£8 off of ebay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MICRO-MES..._Crafts_EH&hash=item33718d5201#ht_2860wt_1139
£8 off of ebay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MICRO-MES..._Crafts_EH&hash=item33718d5201#ht_2860wt_1139
Seconded, Ive just switched to a 1000/6000 stone and its great. Do.t dent it when you are taking it out of your water though. Doh!
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?could you expand a bit on that please - is it some kind of alternative to a leather strop?
(I assume that the micromesh things are an alternative to oilsones/waterstones/ wet and dry paper)
A combination water stone is my choice as well and the suggested 1000/6000 stone is a good one. If you have very dull/damaged edges then a coarser grit is a good idea to save a bunch of time removing metal. I went mad a few years ago and bought stones from 240 grit to 12,000. I use the 240 on bad edges then the 1000 and then the 6000 on my knives. The finer grits above 6000 are only needed for my straight razors.
Once you get the right free-hand technique you will get very sharp edges and for me a final strop on leather gives hair popping sharpness.
If you want a guide system I have heard good reports on the Lansky system but have no first hand experience.
Avoid any sharpener that utilizes a 'v' style set of blades where you just swipe the blade through the v groove.
Steve.
Once you get the right free-hand technique you will get very sharp edges and for me a final strop on leather gives hair popping sharpness.
If you want a guide system I have heard good reports on the Lansky system but have no first hand experience.
Avoid any sharpener that utilizes a 'v' style set of blades where you just swipe the blade through the v groove.
Steve.
The Lansky system is a pain to use. I gave mine away.
The biggest trouble with the v groove sharpeners is people putting too much pressure on them in my experience. They have their place but no they don't qualify as the 'best sharpening system'
The biggest trouble with the v groove sharpeners is people putting too much pressure on them in my experience. They have their place but no they don't qualify as the 'best sharpening system'
I use the same system at home or away. I have DMT folding stones in black/blue and red/green these are for reshaping the edge and a spyderco double stuff for a quick touch up finished with a longstrider strop.
Just waiting to take delivery of a packable stop from Luckylee
Just waiting to take delivery of a packable stop from Luckylee
I have a DC3 for out and about, and oilstones/waterstones at home. depending on what I am sharpening, axe or knife.
Ditto for me too see post about the Longstrider strop as well.................. still can't get over what a difference it makes
Longstrider or Luckylee sell them, or you can easily make one yourself. A paddle strop works best for knives. If you want a cheap hanging strop use the inside of a leather belt. Or you could go down the road of buying micromesh like MountainM mentioned.
If your thinking about waterstones or other expensive systems consider how often your going to use them. I bought a set of waterstones as I'm a chef by trade and they were a good investment. However even when I was cooking full time I only needed to use them about once a month, for day to day sharpening in the kitchen I used a steel. Now I'm not cooking and only getting out in the woods about once a month my stones hardly get used at all. I'm not sure whether for Bushcrafting alone I would have been able to justify the cost, particularly after reading some £5 sharpening kit articles here on BCUK!
these were recommended in another thread after i asked. not got them yet though. 1000/6000 option
http://www.axminster.co.uk/ice-bear-japanese-combination-waterstones-prod22468/
http://www.axminster.co.uk/ice-bear-japanese-combination-waterstones-prod22468/
no-one has mentioned the Spyderco Sharpmaker yet.....very strange.
this is the only sharpener i use now, it's very easy, clean and gets a hair shaving edge very quickly.
this is the only sharpener i use now, it's very easy, clean and gets a hair shaving edge very quickly.
i've had the sharpmaker for a few years, prefer my arkansas stones tbh (tri-stone oil stone thing).
Sharpmakers good for 'setting the edge' pre-strop though....
Sharpmakers good for 'setting the edge' pre-strop though....
Just in case you are not confused enough already .......
.... I have found that the best way is to go to a meet (and in your case this could be Rough Close) and get someone to show you A way of sharpening a knife , using a DC 4 or wet and dry paper etc PLUS how to strop. Once someone has shown you, then you will be able to try out small variations to see what suits you.
For example if you look at these videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE8_HIdBZWs&feature=player_embedded
(This one is part of the BCUSA bushcraft course at:
http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27539)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHV_OjOKkno&lr=1
you will see that the knives are sharpened by dragging the blade back edge first. This is the opposite to the way most people seem to do it , but I find it easier. The second video specifically covers creating a secondary/micro edge (although it takes about 3 minutes into the video for the bloke to actually start) - and this is important in getting a durable cutting edge.
Another tip I picked up somewhere is to start the 'drag' with the tip of the knife and finish with the main part of the blade on the stone/W&D etc. Again I find this easier than the normal way of finishing with the tip.
Whatever 'system' you use you will need a strop. As has been said already you can use a belt or even a cast-off furniture warehouse sample book. My (limited) experience is that you will get better results if you stick the leather to a piece of plywood/mdf. I was advised to keep the bevel flat on the strop when stropping , and not try to 'dig' it in to the strop (ie you DON'T have the same approach when stropping as you do when using stones/W&D paper) and I found this good advice.
Once you crack it you can adopt the bushcraft equivalent of the secret Masonic hand shake and have lots of bald patches on your arms so that other bushcrafters know you are a bushcrafter too - and when you get really advanced you can have bald patches on your legs as well (better stop there in the interests of decency
) but could be useful for those bushcrafters who are also Masons when it comes to 'rolling up trouser legs' time.
.... I have found that the best way is to go to a meet (and in your case this could be Rough Close) and get someone to show you A way of sharpening a knife , using a DC 4 or wet and dry paper etc PLUS how to strop. Once someone has shown you, then you will be able to try out small variations to see what suits you.
For example if you look at these videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE8_HIdBZWs&feature=player_embedded
(This one is part of the BCUSA bushcraft course at:
http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27539)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHV_OjOKkno&lr=1
you will see that the knives are sharpened by dragging the blade back edge first. This is the opposite to the way most people seem to do it , but I find it easier. The second video specifically covers creating a secondary/micro edge (although it takes about 3 minutes into the video for the bloke to actually start) - and this is important in getting a durable cutting edge.
Another tip I picked up somewhere is to start the 'drag' with the tip of the knife and finish with the main part of the blade on the stone/W&D etc. Again I find this easier than the normal way of finishing with the tip.
Whatever 'system' you use you will need a strop. As has been said already you can use a belt or even a cast-off furniture warehouse sample book. My (limited) experience is that you will get better results if you stick the leather to a piece of plywood/mdf. I was advised to keep the bevel flat on the strop when stropping , and not try to 'dig' it in to the strop (ie you DON'T have the same approach when stropping as you do when using stones/W&D paper) and I found this good advice.
Once you crack it you can adopt the bushcraft equivalent of the secret Masonic hand shake and have lots of bald patches on your arms so that other bushcrafters know you are a bushcrafter too - and when you get really advanced you can have bald patches on your legs as well (better stop there in the interests of decency
) but could be useful for those bushcrafters who are also Masons when it comes to 'rolling up trouser legs' time.
DMT hones... fine, extra fine, extra/extra fine. Seem to do the job
I do have some micromesh, but saving that for a rainy day.
I do have some micromesh, but saving that for a rainy day.
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