a money saving paddle strop can be made from a wooden paint paddle mixer from most d.i.y shops and an off cut of leather glued to it as if by magic a strop.
best sharpening system??
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I made my own wee setup:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3lekSIV1iM
does the job very well, you can precisely choose the kind of profile you like. easy to build and all materials (including abrasives) are cheapo.
disadvantage: rather large dimensions and not really portable
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3lekSIV1iM
does the job very well, you can precisely choose the kind of profile you like. easy to build and all materials (including abrasives) are cheapo.
disadvantage: rather large dimensions and not really portable
Swissgearlabs - love your knife sharpening jig - the clear perspex looks really hi tec - a real contrast to the usual heath robinson set ups I come up with
I have the 1000/6000 g option and also use a nagura stone with the 6000 grit side. I find it does an excellent job and at a decent price too.
i purchases the ice bear combination stone yesterday very good piece of kit however i am still not getting a shaving sharp edge i belive my technique is the reason. i have had a very nice offer from a forum member of a lesson at the next rough close meet so i will pack the gear away and learn the propper way then!
How did you get on, bushcraftsurvival - did the waterstones work out for you in end?
I notice some American woodworkers going back to oil stones. I guess they have quite well defined products & approaches based on them in the USA (esp. Norton stones, Arkansas, Wa****a, etc.). Oil stones seem to be rather anonymous in the UK, if you are lucky you generally get a coarse & fine side side - but the coarseness varies dramatically. I have some which I would class as coarse and coarse, another that is actually soft, a vintage one that is very fine.
BTW I currently use Ben Orford's sharpening stick system (see his website or youtube). You make it yourself with 600 grit wet & dry paper. It is v. cheap, v. simple and very effective. Definitely a good way to learn - and perhaps to continue using too. I use 2 homemade stick strops to finish, the first with Autosolv chrome cleaning paste (a grinding paste or polish could be used instead, maybe even tooth paste?). Then a clean strop to finish with.
I notice some American woodworkers going back to oil stones. I guess they have quite well defined products & approaches based on them in the USA (esp. Norton stones, Arkansas, Wa****a, etc.). Oil stones seem to be rather anonymous in the UK, if you are lucky you generally get a coarse & fine side side - but the coarseness varies dramatically. I have some which I would class as coarse and coarse, another that is actually soft, a vintage one that is very fine.
Swissgealabs, I notice you don't use this for your Scandi-grind knives - I wondered how you sharpen you Scandi-grind knives?
BTW I currently use Ben Orford's sharpening stick system (see his website or youtube). You make it yourself with 600 grit wet & dry paper. It is v. cheap, v. simple and very effective. Definitely a good way to learn - and perhaps to continue using too. I use 2 homemade stick strops to finish, the first with Autosolv chrome cleaning paste (a grinding paste or polish could be used instead, maybe even tooth paste?). Then a clean strop to finish with.
For years all i used was waterstones about once a month but now i strop regurly and use my dc4 more often so waterstones dont come out very often. I even strop during using my knives if im carving.
Spydie sharpmaker for me, although I've started stropping regularly and rarely have to take anything to my blades. Paddle strop and autosol & I carry a DMT just in case. Happy with that
Yes, I too strop my carving tools after each use, which means that they rarely need sharpening with anything else (when they do, it is usually just a well worn 600 grit sharpening stick). However, I've also restored sharp edges to a some very blunt old axes and garden tools - that takes a lot more work (e.g. drill grinding wheel, files, then sharpening stones/wet &/or dry paper stuck to glass pane). I still use the sharpening sticks & strops to finish off though, gives a nice, bright polished finish.
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I recently got a lansky four rod turn box and find it easy to use and get good results, finished off with a strop and smurf poo and my left forearm is bald!
Just watch out with the grinding paste as it's abrasive stuff. Stick with the autosol and even toothpaste, the starky blue smurf poo Longstrider sells is top stuff, great for a final strop!
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