Can anyone recommend a double sided sharpening stone or alternative?

[Highbinder]

Hello guys,

I'm looking for some sharpening kit that'll be portable enough to take out with me but will also leave a decent edge on my blades. The thing is all the choices are a bit bewildering!

My current blades are a SAK solider, an Opinel, a Mora 2080, and a wee hatchet I picked up in a moment of weakness. I'll be looking to buy a Bark River Knives blade (bumblebee) as soon as they're back in stock.

Can anyone recommend something that'll be flexible enough to use on scandi ground as well as convex ground blades?

Would a double sided stone and a strop be the best combination?

 

[Graham_S]

can't go wrong with a DC4

 

[Man of Tanith]

try the DC3 or DC4 small enough to fit in a pocket, robust enough to use on knives axes machetes billhooks, cheap enough not to make your wallet cry

 

[Asa Samuel]

DC4 is fantastic, the DC3 is a bit too small for me.

 

[BarryG]

DC4 for me when out & about
Water stones at home

 

[Deleted member 7976]

Double sided stone and strop would be best yes. I always use my belt to strop for field sharpening.

As to stones it's a choice of diamond or stone. Diamond as mentioned DC3/4. Stone I'd go for a Japanese waterstone 1000/6000 cut down (or seperate slipstones). The Gransfors axe stone also works very well like this. It's reallly down to personal preference.

 

[dave53]

hi dc4 every time works for me regards dave

 

[Shewie]

Another vote for the DC4

Gets carried in the field most trips and comes in handy for tidying damaged edges up, I usually just strop a knife when I get home and that's enough to keep a good edge. I have waterstones but only really use them a couple of times a year if needed.

 

[JonathanD]

DC4 or even better, the Spyderco doublestuff. If you have axes and larger blades, the Gransfors axe puck is much better than a cut down waterstone, and you can use it for your smaller blades too.

 

[Graham_S]

Take your DC4, carefully cut the stitching of the leather pouch, then reverse the non-embossed side, and re-stitch.
Rub stropping compound into the leather.
Instant double sided stone/strop combo.

 

[Toddy]

Another vote for the DC4
Hadn't thought of the reverse pouch thing Graham I use a matching size leather covered piece of wood that warthog1981 made as a strop

cheers,
M

 

[MartiniDave]

DC4 for me too! Or a small bit of mdf with wet & dry on either side. See the £5 sharpening thread for more ideas.

Dave

 

[SouthernCross]

IMO, the extra size of the DC4 over the DC3 makes it my most used stone.

Having said that, my DC3 has a permanent place in my fishing bag for touching up knives & fish hooks....

Kind regards
Mick

 

[sxmolloy]

Another vote for the DC4. Great bit of kit.

 

[Neumo]

Take your DC4, carefully cut the stitching of the leather pouch, then reverse the non-embossed side, and re-stitch. Rub stropping compound into the leather.
Instant double sided stone/strop combo.

Clever thinking, I like that. Must give it a go at the weekend

 

[Shewie]

IMO, the extra size of the DC4 over the DC3 makes it my most used stone.

Having said that, my DC3 has a permanent place in my fishing bag for touching up knives & fish hooks....

Kind regards
Mick

You really need to stop chewing those fingernails Mick

 

[ged]

Hello guys,

I'm looking for some sharpening kit that'll be portable enough to take out with me ... My current blades are a SAK solider, an Opinel, a Mora 2080, and a wee hatchet ...

I have some credit-card sized diamond sharpeners which are very light and compact, they are from Silverline, who do a lot of really cheap tools:

http://www.silverlinetools.com/products?search=diamond

Sometimes you get what you pay for, sometimes you're pleasantly surprised.

Your Soldier probably has a part serrated (chisel ground) blade so either you'll need something that can get in the grooves, or you'll have to sharpen from the flat side only, or live without sharpening them at all. I use cylindrical India files (thin pencil-shaped sharpening stones) for my Swiss Tool, they work well on the serrated blade on my Victorinox. I haven't handled the Soldier so I don't know if the same stone will work on that blade. I did a group buy on the India files a while ago and I still have some of them left.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56195&p=687229#post687229

You shouldn't use the same sharpening kit on stainless and non-stainless blades. Particles of metal removed from one blade will become embedded in the other blades. This isn't so bad when stainless steel particles become embedded in non-stainless blades, but when it's the other way around the particles tend to encourage rust.

I like to travel fairly light (usually on a motorcycle) and to be honest if I were going to take more sharpening kit with me than a couple of tiny stones then it would either be because I was expecting to be travelling/camping for a very long time, or expecting to do a lot more work with sharps than I normally do. Even blades that I use every day don't need more than a gentle tickle with a steel every couple of weeks. If there's one thing I don't like about serrated blades it's that you can't really use a steel on them. Otherwise I love 'em, as long as they're a sensible pattern. Can't get excited about Spydies and such I'm afraid.

 

[pteron]

I have a DC3 in the pack for sharpening in the woods, nice bit of kit.

Like the idea of the strop mod Graham!

 

[SouthernCross]

G'day Shewie

You really need to stop chewing those fingernails Mick

Nah, what your looking at is a flare up of Psoriasis of the nail bed :yikes:

I guess I won't be making a career change and becoming a hand model



Kind regards
Mick

 

[salad]

its the spyderco doublestuff for me